This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains documents other than rules or

proposed rules that are applicable to the

public. Notices of hearings and investigations,

committee meetings, agency decisions and

rulings, delegations of authority, filing of

petitions and applications and agency

statements of organization and functions are

examples of documents appearing in this

section.

Notices Federal Register

9918 

Vol. 72, No. 43 

Tuesday, March 6, 2007 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Agricultural Marketing Service 

[Doc. No. AMS–CN–07–0020; CN–07–004] 

Cotton Research and Promotion 

Program: Determination of Whether To 

Conduct a Referendum Regarding 

1990 Amendments to the Cotton 

Research and Promotion Act 

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, 

USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: This notice announces the 

Department’s view, based on a review 

by the Agricultural Marketing Service 

(AMS), that it is not necessary to 

conduct a referendum among producers 

and importers on continuation of the 

1990 amendments to the Cotton 

Research and Promotion Act (Act). The 

1990 amendments require the Secretary 

of Agriculture, once every 5 years, to 

conduct a review to determine whether 

to hold a referendum. The two major 

changes to the Cotton Research and 

Promotion Program made by the 1990 

amendments were the elimination of 

assessment refunds to producers and a 

new assessment levied on imported 

cotton and the cotton content of 

imported products. Although USDA is 

of the view that a referendum is not 

needed, it will initiate a sign-up period 

as required by the Act, to allow cotton 

producers and importers to request a 

referendum. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Shethir Riva, Chief, Cotton Research 

and Promotion Staff, Cotton Program, 

AMS, USDA, STOP 0224, 1400 

Independence Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC 20250–0224, 

Telephone (202) 720–2259, Facsimile 

(202) 690–1718 or E-mail 

Shethir.Riva@usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In July 

1991, the Agricultural Marketing 

Service (AMS) implemented the 1990 

amendments to the Cotton Research and 

Promotion Act (Act). These 

amendments provided for: (1) Importer 

representation on the Cotton Board by 

an appropriate number of persons to be 

determined by the Secretary who import 

cotton or cotton products into the 

United States (U.S.) and are selected by 

the Secretary from nominations 

submitted by importer organizations 

certified by the Secretary of Agriculture; 

(2) assessments levied on imported 

cotton and cotton products at a rate 

determined in the same manner as for 

U.S. cotton; (3) increasing the amount 

the Secretary can be reimbursed for 

conducting a referendum from $200,000 

to $300,000; (4) reimbursing government 

agencies who assist in administering the 

collection of assessments on imported 

cotton and cotton products; and (5) 

terminating the right of producers to 

demand a refund of assessments. 

Results of the initial July 1991 

referendum showed that of the 46,220 

valid ballots received; 27,879 or 60 

percent of the persons voting, favored 

the amendments to the Cotton Research 

and Promotion Order (Order), and 

18,341 or 40 percent opposed the 

amendments. AMS developed 

implementing regulations for the import 

assessment effective August 1, 1992, the 

elimination of the producer refund 

effective September 1, 1991, and 

provided for importer representation on 

the Cotton Board effective January 1, 

1993. 

In 1996 and 2001, USDA issued the 

results of its 5-year reviews of the 

Cotton Research and Promotion 

Program. In both reviews, the 

Department prepared reports that 

described the impact of the Cotton 

Research and Promotion Program on the 

cotton industry and the views of those 

receiving its benefits, and in both 

instances, USDA announced its view 

not to conduct a referendum regarding 

the 1991 amendments to the Order (61 

FR 52772 and 67 FR 1714) and 

subsequently held sign-up periods for 

all eligible persons to request a 

continuance referendum on the 1990 

Act amendments. The results of both 

respective sign-up periods did not meet 

the criteria as established by the Act for 

a continuance referendum and, 

therefore, referenda were not conducted. 

In 2006, the Department again 

prepared a 5-year report that described 

the impact of the Cotton Research and 

Promotion Program on the cotton 

industry. The review report is available 

upon written request to the Chief of the 

Cotton Research and Promotion Staff at 

the address provided above. Comments 

were solicited from all interested parties 

including from persons who pay the 

assessments as well as from 

organizations representing cotton 

producers and importers (71 FR 13808; 

March 17, 2006). Economic data was 

also reviewed in order to report on the 

general climate of the cotton industry. 

Finally, a number of independent 

sources of information were reviewed to 

help identify perspectives from outside 

the program including the results of 

independent program evaluations 

assessing the effects of the Cotton 

Research and Promotion Program 

activities on demand for Upland cotton, 

return-on-investment to cotton 

producers, the benefit-cost ratio to 

companies who import cotton products 

and raw cotton, and the overall rate-ofreturn and qualitative benefits and 

returns associated with the Cotton 

Research and Promotion Program. 

The review report cited that the 1990 

amendments to the Act were 

successfully implemented and are 

operating as intended. The report also 

noted that there is a general consensus 

within the cotton industry that the 

Cotton Research and Promotion Program 

and the 1990 amendments to the Act are 

operating as intended. Written 

comments, economic data, and results 

from independent evaluations support 

this conclusion. Industry comments 

cited examples of how the additional 

funding has yielded benefits by 

increasing the demand and 

consumption for cotton. Of the 15 

comments received, only one 

commenter, who represents cotton 

importers, argued for a referendum on 

the 1990 Act amendments. 

USDA found no compelling reason to 

conduct a referendum regarding the 

1990 Act amendments to the Cotton 

Research and Promotion Order although 

some program participants support a 

referendum. Therefore, USDA will 

allow all eligible persons to request the 

conduct of a continuance referendum on 

the 1990 amendments through a sign-up 

period. Eligible producers and importers 

may sign-up to request such a 

referendum at the county office of the 

Farm Service Agency (FSA), or by 

mailing such a request to FSA. The 


cprice-sewell on PROD1PC67 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 43 / Tuesday, March 6, 2007 / Notices 9919 

Secretary will conduct a referendum if 

requested by 10 percent or more of the 

number of cotton producers and 

importers voting in the most recent 

referendum (July 1991), with not more 

than 20 percent of such request from 

producers in one state or importers of 

cotton. 

Currently, procedures for the conduct 

of a sign-up period appear at 7 CFR 

1205.10–1205.30. These procedures will 

be updated as appropriate prior to the 

beginning of the sign-up period. 

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 2101–2118. 

Signed: February 28, 2007. 

Lloyd C. Day, 

Administrator, Agricultural Marketing 

Service. 

[FR Doc. E7–3828 Filed 3–5–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–02–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

Submission for OMB Review; 

Comment Request 

The Department of Commerce (DOC) 

will submit to the Office of Management 

and Budget (OMB) for clearance the 

following proposal for collection of 

information under provisions of the 

Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 

Chapter 35). 

Agency: Bureau of Industry and 

Security (BIS). 

Title: Request for Special Priorities 

Assistance. 

Agency Form Number: BIS–999. 

OMB Approval Number: 0694–0057. 

Type of Request: Extension of a 

currently approved collection of 

information. 

Burden: 600 hours. 

Average Time per Response: 30 

minutes. 

Number of Respondents: 1,200. 

Needs and Uses: The information 

collected on BIS–999 from defense 

contractors and suppliers, is required 

for the enforcement and administration 

of the Defense Production Act and the 

Selective Service Act to provide Special 

Priorities Assistance under the Defense 

Priorities and Allocation System 

Regulations. 

Affected Public: Individuals or 

households, business or other for-profit 

organizations. 

Respondent’s Obligation: Required to 

obtain benefits. 

OMB Desk Officer: David Rostker, 

(202) 395–3897. 

Copies of the above information 

collection proposal can be obtained by 

calling or writing Diana Hynek, 

Departmental Paperwork Clearance 

Officer, (202) 482–0266, Department of 

Commerce, Room 6625, 14th and 

Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, 

DC 20230. 

Written comments and 

recommendations for the proposed 

information collection should be sent 

within 30 days of publication of this 

notice to David Rostker, OMB Desk 

Officer, e-mail address, 

David_Rostker@omb.eop.gov, or fax 

number, (202) 395–7285. 

Dated: March 1, 2007. 

Gwellnar Banks, 

Management Analyst, Office of the Chief 

Information Officer. 

[FR Doc. E7–3875 Filed 3–5–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–DT–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

Submission for OMB Review; 

Comment Request 

The Department of Commerce (DOC) 

will submit to the Office of Management 

and Budget (OMB) for clearance the 

following proposal for collection of 

information under provisions of the 

Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 

Chapter 35). 

Agency: Bureau of Industry and 

Security (BIS). 

Title: Defense Priorities and 

Allocation System. 

Agency Form Number: None. 

OMB Approval Number: 0694–0053. 

Type of Request: Renewal of an 

existing collection of information. 

Burden: 14,477 hours. 

Average Time per Response: 1 to 31.5 

minutes. 

Number of Respondents: 700,000 

respondents. 

Needs and Uses: The record keeping 

requirement is necessary for 

administration and enforcement of 

delegated authority under the Defense 

Production Act of 1950, as amended (50 

U.S.C. App. 2061, et seq.) and the 

Selective Service Act of 1948 (50 U.S.C. 

App. 468). Any person who receives a 

priority rated order under the 

implementing DPAS regulation (15 CFR 

part 700) must retain records for at least 

3 years. 

Affected Public: Individuals or 

households, business or other for-profit 

organizations. 

Respondent’s Obligation: Mandatory. 

OMB Desk Officer: David Rostker 

(202) 395–3897. 

Copies of the above information 

collection proposal can be obtained by 

calling or writing Diana Hynek, 

Departmental Paperwork Clearance 

Officer, (202) 482–0266, Department of 

Commerce, Room 6625, 14th and 

Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, 

DC 20230. 

Written comments and 

recommendations for the proposed 

information collection should be sent 

within 30 days of publication of this 

notice to David Rostker, OMB Desk 

Officer, e-mail address, 

David_Rostker@omb.eop.gov, or fax 

number, (202) 395–7285. 

Dated: March 1, 2007. 

Gwellnar Banks, 

Management Analyst, Office of the Chief 

Information Officer. 

[FR Doc. E7–3876 Filed 3–5–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–DT–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

Submission for OMB Review; 

Comment Request 

The Department of Commerce (DOC) 

will submit to the Office of Management 

and Budget (OMB) for clearance the 

following proposal for collection of 

information under provisions of the 

Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 

Chapter 35). 

Agency: Bureau of Industry and 

Security (BIS). 

Title: License Exception, 

Humanitarian Donations. 

Agency Form Number: None. 

OMB Approval Number: 0694–0033. 

Type of Request: Extension of a 

currently approved collection of 

information. 

Burden: 10 hours. 

Average Time per Response: 5 hours. 

Number of Respondents: 2. 

Needs and Uses: Section 7(g) of the 

EAA, as amended by the Export 

Administration Amendments Act of 

1985 (Pub. L. 99–64), exempts from 

foreign policy controls exports of 

donations to meet basic human needs. 

Since the re-write of the Export 

Administration Regulations, an exporter 

is permitted to ship humanitarian goods 

identified in Supplement 2 to Part 740, 

to embargoed destinations using the 

new License Exception procedures. This 

regulation reduces the regulatory 

burden on the exporters by enabling 

them to make humanitarian donations 

with only minimal recordkeeping. 

Affected Public: Individuals or 

households, business or other for-profit 

organizations, and not-for-profit 

institutions. 

Respondent’s Obligation: Required to 

obtain or retain a benefit. 

OMB Desk Officer: David Rostker, 

(202) 395–3897. 

Copies of the above information 

collection proposal can be obtained by 

calling or writing Diana Hynek, 

Departmental Paperwork Clearance 

Officer, (202) 482–0266, Department of 


cprice-sewell on PROD1PC67 with NOTICES