48052 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 181 / Monday, September 21, 2009 / Notices 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Commodity Credit Corporation 

Interim Guidelines and Funds 

Availability for Projects Involving the 

Local and Regional Procurement of 

Food Aid 

AGENCY: Foreign Agricultural Service 

and Commodity Credit Corporation, 

USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of Availability and 

request for comments. 

SUMMARY: This notice announces that 

the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), 

on behalf of the Commodity Credit 

Corporation (CCC), is issuing a set of 

guidelines for the administration and 

implementation of Local and Regional 

Food Aid Procurement Pilot Project 

(PPP) authorized under the Food, 

Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008. 

FAS will provide CCC funds in the form 

of grants to qualified organizations 

during FY 2009 through FY 2011 for the 

implementation of field-based projects 

under the PPP to meet the food needs 

of targeted vulnerable groups. The 

‘‘Interim Guidelines for the Local and 

Regional Food Aid Procurement 

Project’’ can be found at http:// 

www.fas.usda.gov/food-aid.asp. The 

Interim Guidelines are intended to 

guide the application and 

implementation of field projects in 

developing countries that involve the 

local and regional procurement of food 

aid. Field projects will be funded 

primarily to expedite the provision of 

food aid to vulnerable populations 

affected by food crises and disasters. A 

secondary purpose will be to provide 

development assistance that will 

enhance the food consumption security 

of such populations. The Interim 

Guidelines inform prospective 

participants about the qualification 

criteria and application process, as well 

as procedures and requirements for 

project implementation, monitoring and 

reporting. This notice formally requests 

public review of and comments on the 

Interim Guidelines. 

DATES: The Interim Guidelines will be 

effective immediately upon publication 

of this notice in the Federal Register. 

Eligible organizations may submit 

applications for qualification and 

funding for field-based projects 

following the date of publication. 

Members of the public must submit 

comments on the Interim Guidelines on 

or before October 21, 2009. FAS will 

consider comments received by this 

date and then issue final guidelines for 

the Local and Regional Procurement 

Pilot Project. 

ADDRESSES: Comments may be 

submitted by any of the following 

methods: 

• E-Mail to: LRP@fas.usda.gov or 

Jamie.Fisher@fas.usda.gov; 

• Fax: (202) 690–0251; 

• U.S. Postal Delivery: Jamie Fisher, 

Food Assistance Division, Foreign 

Agricultural Service, U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, Stop 1034, 1400 

Independence Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC 20250–1034; and 

• Hand Delivery or Courier: Jamie 

Fisher, Food Assistance Division, 

Foreign Agricultural Service, U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, 1250 

Maryland Avenue, SW., Suite 400, 

Washington, DC 20024. 

For comments on the Interim 

Guidelines, please include the volume, 

date, and page number of this Federal 

Register notice. Comments may be 

inspected in the Office of the Director, 

Food Assistance Division, Foreign 

Agricultural Service, U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, 1250 Maryland Avenue, 

SW., Washington, DC 20250 between 

8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through 

Friday, except holidays. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jamie Fisher, Program Analyst, Food 

Assistance Division, Foreign 

Agricultural Service, U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, Stop 1034, 1400 

Independence Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC 20250–1034; phone 

(202) 720–5620; by fax: (202) 690–0251; 

or by e-mail: Jamie.Fisher@fas.usda.gov. 

FAS intends to hold information and 

feedback sessions pertaining to the 

Interim Guidelines shortly after their 

issuance. Interested organizations 

should immediately consult http:// 

www.fas.usda.gov/food-aid.asp after the 

issuance of the Interim Guidelines for 

specific information about the date, 

time, and location of these information 

sessions. Other announcements 

regarding the PPP will be posted at this 

address over the life of the Project. 

The USDA prohibits discrimination in 

its programs on the basis of race, color, 

national origin, sex, religion, age, 

disability, political beliefs, marital, or 

familial status. Persons with disabilities 

who require alternative means for 

communication of program information 

(Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) 

should contact the USDA Office of 

Communications at (202) 720–5881 

(voice) or (202) 720–7808 (TDD). 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

The Interim Guidelines for the PPP 

are intended to accomplish the 

following objectives: 

1. Set forth the criteria for eligible 

organizations to apply to become 

qualified to submit applications for 

funding of a field-based project. 

2. Inform qualified organizations 

about the requirements for the 

submission of applications for funding 

field-based emergency response 

projects, development assistance 

projects, or both. 

3. Set forth the implementation 

guidelines and performance and 

reporting requirements. 

4. Establish minimum quality 

standards for eligible commodities. 

5. Allow for sufficient flexibility for 

participants to expedite the provision of 

food assistance to populations affected 

by food crises and disasters and to 

facilitate the recovery of market systems 

that directly affect food consumption. 

6. Provide guidance to ensure that 

local and regional purchases: 

• Expedite the provision of food to 

vulnerable populations; 

• Do not increase the price of food for 

low-income consumers; 

• Do not disrupt global agricultural 

commodity markets; 

• Do not disrupt normal patterns of 

commercial trade; and 

• Do not serve as a disincentive that 

substantially undermines the 

agricultural production levels of farmers 

in the recipient country or in a 

neighboring country in the region. 

7. Identify the types of data and 

information that implementing 

organizations must collect for the 

independent evaluation of the PPP. 

Dated: August 24, 2009. 

Michael V. Michener, 

Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service, 

and Vice President, Commodity Credit 

Corporation. 

[FR Doc. E9–22615 Filed 9–16–09; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3410–10–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Notice of Resource Advisory 

Committee Meeting 

AGENCY: Lassen Resource Advisory 

Committee, Susanville, CA, USDA 

Forest Service. 

ACTION: Notice of meetings. 

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the authorities in 

the Federal Advisory Committees Act 

(Pub. L. 92–463) and under the Secure 

Rural Schools and Community SelfDetermination Act of 2000 (Pub. L. 110– 

343) the Lassen County Resource 

Advisory Committee will meet October 

8, 2009 in Susanville, California for a 

business meeting. The meeting is open 

to the public. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

business meeting on October 8, 2009 

mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with NOTICES

Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 181 / Monday, September 21, 2009 / Notices 48053 

will begin at 9 a.m., at the Lassen 

National Forest Headquarters Office, 

Caribou Conference Room, 2550 

Riverside Drive, Susanville, CA 96130. 

This meeting will be dedicated to 

review the process for 2009 funding 

cycle, discuss project review with 

monthly monitoring reports and the 

future monitoring process, and report 

out on summer field trips to projects. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Contact Tern Frolli, Designated Federal 

Official, at (530) 257–4188; or Public 

Affairs Officer, Heidi Perry, at (530) 

252–6604. 

Lorene T. Guffey, 

Acting Forest Supervisor. 

[FR Doc. E9–22574 Filed 9–18–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE M 

COMMITTEE FOR THE 

IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE 

AGREEMENTS 

Determination under the Textile and 

Apparel Commercial Availability 

Provision of the Dominican RepublicCentral America-United States Free 

Trade Agreement (CAFTA–DR 

Agreement) 

September 16, 2009. 

AGENCY: The Committee for the 

Implementation of Textile Agreements. 

ACTION: Determination to add a product 

in unrestricted quantities to Annex 3.25 

of the CAFTA–DR Agreement. 

DATES: Effective Date: September 21, 

2009. 

SUMMARY: The Committee for the 

Implementation of Textile Agreements 

(‘‘CITA’’) has determined that certain 

cotton/polyester three thread circular 

knit fleece fabric, as specified below, is 

not available in commercial quantities 

in a timely manner in the CAFTA–DR 

countries. The product will be added to 

the list in Annex 3.25 of the CAFTA– 

DR Agreement in unrestricted 

quantities. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Maria Dybczak, Office of Textiles and 

Apparel, U.S. Department of Commerce, 

(202) 482–3651. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ONLINE: http://web.ita.doc.gov/tacgi/ 

CaftaReqTrack.nsf, under ‘‘Approved 

Requests,’’ reference number: 

128.2009.08.07.Fabric.ST&Rfor 

Intradeco 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Authority: The CAFTA–DR Agreement; 

Section 203(o)(4) of the Dominican RepublicCentral America-United States Free Trade 

Agreement Implementation Act (‘‘CAFTA– 

DR Implementation Act’’), Public Law 109– 

53; the Statement of Administrative Action 

(SAA), accompanying the CAFTA–DR 

Implementation Act; and Presidential 

Proclamations 7987 (February 28, 2006) and 

7996 (March 31, 2006); Modifications to 

Procedures for Considering Requests Under 

the Commercial Availability Provision of the 

Dominican Republic-Central America-United 

States Free Trade Agreement, 73 FR 53200 

(September 15, 2008). 

BACKGROUND: 

The CAFTA–DR Agreement provides 

a list in Annex 3.25 for fabrics, yarns, 

and fibers that the Parties to the 

CAFTA–DR Agreement have 

determined are not available in 

commercial quantities in a timely 

manner in the territory of any Party. The 

CAFTA–DR Agreement provides that 

this list may be modified pursuant to 

Article 3.25(4)–(5), when the President 

of the United States determines that a 

fabric, yarn, or fiber is not available in 

commercial quantities in a timely 

manner in the territory of any Party. See 

Annex 3.25 of the CAFTA–DR 

Agreement; see also Section 203(o)(4)(C) 

of the CAFTA–DR Implementation Act. 

The CAFTA–DR Implementation Act 

requires the President to establish 

procedures governing the submission of 

a request and providing opportunity for 

interested entities to submit comments 

and supporting evidence before a 

commercial availability determination is 

made. In Presidential Proclamations 

7987 and 7996, the President delegated 

to CITA the authority under section 

203(o)(4) of CAFTA–DR Implementation 

Act for modifying the Annex 3.25 list. 

On September 15, 2008, CITA published 

modified procedures it would follow in 

considering requests to modify the 

Annex 3.25 list of products determined 

to be not commercially available in the 

territory of any Party to CAFTA–DR 

(Modifications to Procedures for 

Considering Requests Under the 

Commercial Availability Provision of 

the Dominican Republic-Central 

America-United States Free Trade 

Agreement, 73 FR 53200) 

(‘‘procedures’’). 

On August 7, 2009, the Chairman of 

CITA received a request for a 

commercial availability determination 

(‘‘Request’’) from Sandler, Travis & 

Rosenberg, P.A. on behalf of Intradeco 

Apparel, Inc. (‘‘Intradeco’’), for certain 

cotton/polyester three thread circular 

knit fleece fabrics. On August 11, 2009, 

in accordance with CITA’s procedures, 

CITA notified interested parties of the 

Request, which was posted on the 

dedicated website for CAFTA–DR 

Commercial Availability proceedings. In 

its notification, CITA advised that any 

Response with an Offer to Supply 

(‘‘Response’’) must be submitted by 

August 21, 2009, and any Rebuttal 

Comments to a Response (‘‘Rebuttal’’) 

must be submitted by August 27, 2009. 

On August 24, 2009, CITA announced 

that, in accordance with Section 6(a) 

and 7(a) of its procedures, it found 

sufficient good cause to extend the 

deadlines for Responses to August 24, 

2009, and deadlines for Rebuttals to 

August 28, 2009. On August 24, 2009, 

Hylos y Telas s.a. (‘‘HyT’’) submitted a 

Response to the Request. On August 28, 

2009, Interdeco submitted a Rebuttal to 

the Response. 

In its Request, Intradeco stated that it 

had conducted due diligence to source 

the fabric from CAFTA-DR suppliers, 

including HyT. Intradeco reported that 

it had engaged in a dialogue with HyT 

over the course of several weeks, during 

which time it requested information 

about HyT’s capacity and asked that 

HyT confirm its interest in supplying 

the subject fabric. The requestor 

asserted that HyT did not provide 

detailed information about its 

production capability and capacity to 

produce the subject fabric. As a result, 

Intradeco claimed that HyT did not 

demonstrate that it is able supply the 

fabric in question in commercial 

quantities in a timely manner. 

In the Response submitted by HyT, 

the supplier stated that it had been in 

contact with Intradeco in the course of 

its due diligence efforts, and had offered 

to supply the subject fabric. In the 

Confidential version of its Response, 

HyT provided information regarding its 

production capabilities, including 

quantities of past production of other 

fabrics, and an inventory of its 

manufacturing equipment. HyT also 

stated that it had developed a new fabric 

in response to Intradeco’s inquiries, and 

had sent a sample to Intradeco on 

August 8, 2009. With its sample, HyT 

also sent a lab report reflecting the 

specifications of the fabric, known as a 

‘‘specification sheet.’’ HyT asserted that 

it had provided Intradeco with the same 

specification sheet it included as an 

attachment in the Confidential version 

of its Response. In its Response, HyT 

stated that, while there were some 

variations in the specifications of the 

fabric it had developed and the required 

specifications of the subject fabric, 

‘‘such differences (were) not an obstacle 

to fulfill the requirements of the final 

product.’’ 

Section 203(o)(4)(C) of the CAFTA– 

DR Implementation Act provides that 

after receiving a Request, CITA will 

make a determination as to whether the 

subject product is available in 

commercial quantities in a timely 

manner in the CAFTA–DR countries. In 

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