77576 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 247 / Monday December 27, 2004 / Notices 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service 

[No. LS–04–12] 

Notice of Opportunity to Participate in 

the Lamb Promotion, Research, and 

Information Program Referendum

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, 

USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The Agricultural Marketing 

Service (AMS) is announcing that a 

referendum will be conducted under the 

Lamb Promotion, Research, and 

Information Order (Order) to determine 

whether those persons voting favor the 

continuance of the Order.

DATES: This referendum will be 

conducted during a 4-week period 

beginning on January 31, 2005, and 

ending on February 28, 2005. To be 

eligible to participate in the referendum, 

persons must certify and provide 

supporting documentation that shows 

them, or the entity they are authorized 

to represent, have been engaged in the 

production, feeding, or slaughter of 

lambs between January 1, 2004, and 

December 31, 2004. 

Form LS–86, Lamb Promotion, 

Research, and Information Referendum, 

may be obtained by mail, fax, or in 

person from the Farm Service Agency 

(FSA) county offices from January 1, 

2005, through February 28, 2005. Form 

LS–86 may also be obtained via the 

Internet at: http://www.ams.usda.gov/

lsg/mpb/rp-lamb.htm during the same 

time period. Completed forms and 

supporting documentation must be 

returned to the appropriate county FSA 

offices by fax or in person no later than 

close of business February 28, 2005, or 

if returned by mail must be postmarked 

by midnight February 28, 2005, and 

received in the county FSA office by 

close of business on March 7, 2005.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Kenneth R. Payne, Chief; Marketing 

Programs Branch, Livestock and Seed 

Program; Agricultural Marketing Service 

(AMS), USDA, Room 2638–S; STOP 

0251; 1400 Independence Avenue, SW.; 

Washington, DC. 20250–0251, telephone 

number 202/720–1115, fax number 202/

720–1125, or by e-mail at: 

Kenneth.Payne@usda.gov or Linda 

Cronin; DAFO, USDA, FSA; STOP 0542; 

1400 Independence Avenue, SW.; 

Washington, DC 20250–0542, telephone 

number 202/690–8034, fax number 202/

720–5900, or by e-mail at: 

Linda.Cronin@usda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant 

to the Commodity Promotion, Research, 

and Information Act of 1996 (Act) (7 

U.S.C. 7411–7425), it is hereby directed 

that a referendum be conducted to 

ascertain whether continuance of the 

Order is favored by those persons who 

have been engaged in the production, 

feeding, or slaughtering of lamb from 

January 1, 2004, through December 31, 

2004. 

The representative period for 

establishing voter eligibility for the 

referendum shall be the period from 

January 1, 2004, through December 31, 

2004. Persons who were engaged in the 

production, feeding, or slaughtering of 

lambs and who provide documentation, 

such as a sales receipt or remittance 

form, showing that they were engaged in 

the production, feeding, or slaughter of 

lambs from January 1, 2004, through 

December 31, 2004, are eligible to vote. 

Eligible voters will be provided the 

opportunity to vote at the county FSA 

office where FSA maintains and 

processes the eligible voter’s 

administrative farm records. For the 

eligible voter not participating in FSA 

programs, the opportunity to vote will 

be provided at the FSA office serving 

the county where the person owns or 

rents land. Participation in the 

referendum is not mandatory. 

Elsewhere in this separate part of the 

Federal Register, USDA is publishing a 

final rule that sets forth procedures that 

will be used in conducting the 

referendum. The final rule includes 

definitions, provisions for supervising 

the referendum process, eligibility, 

procedures for obtaining and 

completing the form LS–86, required 

documentation showing that the person 

was engaged in the production, feeding, 

or slaughter of lambs from January 1, 

2004, through December 31, 2004, 

where the referendum will be 

conducted, counting and reporting 

results, and disposition of the forms and 

records. Since the referendum will be 

conducted at the county FSA offices, 

FSA employees will assist AMS by 

determining eligibility, counting 

requests, and reporting results. 

Pursuant to the Act, USDA is 

conducting the required referendum 

from January 31, 2005, through February 

28, 2005. 

Form LS–86 may be requested in 

person, by mail, or by facsimile from 

January 31, 2005 through February 28, 

2005. Form LS–86 may also be obtained 

via the Internet at: http://

www.ams.usda.gov/lsg/mpb/rplamb.htm during the same 4-week 

period. Eligible voters would vote at the 

FSA office where FSA maintains and 

processes the person’s, corporation’s, or 

other entity’s administrative farm 

records. For the person, corporation, or 

other entity eligible to vote that does not 

participate in FSA programs, the 

opportunity to vote would be provided 

at the FSA office serving the county 

where the person, corporation, or other 

entity owns or rents land. 

Voters can determine the location of 

county FSA offices by contacting (1) the 

nearest FSA office, (2) the State FSA 

office, or (3) through an online search of 

FSA’s website at: http://

www.fsa.usda.gov/pas/default.asp.

From the options available on this Web 

site select ‘‘Your local office,’’ click on 

your State, and click on the map to 

select a county. 

Form LS–86 and supporting 

documentation may be returned in 

person, by mail, or facsimile to the 

appropriate county FSA office. Form 

LS–86, and accompanying 

documentation returned in person or by 

facsimile, must be received in the 

appropriate FSA office prior to the close 

of business on February 28, 2005. Form 

LS–86 and accompanying 

documentation returned by mail must 

be postmarked no later than midnight of 

February 28, 2005, and received in the 

county office by close of business on 

March 7, 2005. 

In accordance with Paperwork 

Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), 

the information collection requirements 

have been approved under OMB 

number 0581–0227.

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 7411–7425.

Dated: December 20, 2004. 

A.J. Yates, 

Administrator, Agricultural Marketing 

Service.

[FR Doc. 04–28165 Filed 12–21–04; 11:38 

am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–02–P