2256 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 11 / Thursday, January 18, 2007 / Notices 

DATES: Applications for certification 

must be received by close of business 

February 20, 2007. 

ADDRESSES: Certification form may be 

requested form Kenneth R. Payne, Chief, 

Marketing Programs Branch, Livestock 

and Seed Program, AMS, USDA, Room 

2628-S, STOP 0251, 1400 Independence 

Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250–

0251 or e-mail 

Kenneth.Payne@usda.gov. The form 

may also be found on the Internet at 

http://www.ams.usda.gov/lsg/mpb/beef/ 

ls25.pdf. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Kenneth R. Payne, Chief, Marketing 

Programs Branch, Livestock and Seed 

Program, AMS, USDA, Room 2628–S, 

STOP 0251, 1400 Independence 

Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250–

0251 or e-mail 

Kenneth.Payne@usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Beef 

Promotion and Research Act of 1985 

(Act) (7 U.S.C. 2901 et seq.), enacted 

December 23, 1985, authorizes the 

implementation of a Beef Promotion and 

Research Order (Order). The Order, as 

published in the July 18, 1986, Federal 

Register (51 FR 26132), provides for the 

establishment of a Board. The current 

Board consists of 96 cattle producers 

and 8 importers appointed by the 

Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary). The 

duties and responsibilities of the Board 

are specified in the Order. 

The Act and the Order provide that 

USDA shall either certify or otherwise 

determine the eligibility of State cattle 

producer organizations or associations 

and general farm organizations, as well 

as any importer organizations or 

associations to nominate members to the 

Board to ensure that nominees represent 

the interests of cattle producers and 

importers. Nominations for importer 

representatives may also be made by 

individuals who import cattle, beef, or 

beef products. Persons who are 

individual importers do not need to be 

certified as eligible to submit 

nominations. When individual 

importers submit nominations, they 

must establish to the satisfaction of 

USDA that they are in fact importers of 

cattle, beef, or beef products, pursuant 

to § 1260.143(b)(2) of the Order [7 CFR 

1260.143(b)(2)]. Individual importers 

are encouraged to contact AMS at the 

above address to obtain further 

information concerning the nomination 

process, including the beginning and 

ending dates of the established 

nomination period and required 

nomination forms and background 

information sheets. Certification and 

nomination procedures were 

promulgated in the final rule, published 

in the April 4, 1986, Federal Register 

(51 FR 11557) and currently appear at 

7 CFR 1260.500 through 1260.640. 

Organizations which have previously 

been certified to nominate members to 

the Board do not need to reapply for 

certification to nominate producers and 

importers for the upcoming vacancies. 

Uncertified eligible producer 

organization and general farm 

organizations in all States that are 

interested in being certified as eligible 

to nominate cattle producers for 

appointment to the listed producer 

positions, must complete and submit an 

official ‘‘Application of Certification of 

Organization or Association,’’ which 

must be received by close of business 

(20-days after publication in the Federal 

Register). Uncertified eligible importer 

organizations that are interested in 

being certified as eligible to nominate 

importers for appointment to the listed 

importer positions must apply by the 

same date. Importers should not use the 

application form by should provide the 

requested information by letter as 

provided for in CFR § 1260.540(b). 

Only those organizations or 

associations which meet the criteria for 

certification of eligibility promulgated at 

7 CFR 1260.530 are eligible for 

certification. 

For State organizations or associations 

those criteria are: 

(1) Total paid membership must be 

comprised of at least a majority of cattle 

producers or represent at least a 

majority of cattle producers in a State or 

unit, 

(2) Membership must represent a 

substantial number of producers who 

produce a substantial number of cattle 

in such State or unit, 

(3) There must be a history of stability 

and permanency, and 

(4) There must be a primary or 

overriding purpose of promoting the 

economic welfare of cattle producers. 

For organizations or associations 

representing importers, the 

determination by USDA as to the 

eligibility of importer organizations or 

associations to nominate members to the 

Board shall be based on applications 

containing the following information: 

(1) The number and type of members 

represented (i.e., beef or cattle 

importers, etc.), 

(2) Annual import volume in pounds 

of beef and beef products and/or the 

number of head of cattle, 

(3) The stability and permanency of 

the importer organization or association, 

(4) The number of years in existence, 

and 

(5) The names of the countries of 

origin for cattle, beef, or beef products 

imported. 

All certified organizations and 

associations, including those that were 

previously certified in the States or 

units having vacant positions on the 

Board, will be notified simultaneously 

in writing of the beginning and ending 

dates of the established nomination 

period and will be provided with 

required nomination forms and 

background information sheets. 

The names of qualified nominees 

received by the established due date 

will be submitted to USDA for 

consideration as appointees to the 

Board. 

The information collection 

requirements referenced in this notice 

have been previously approved by the 

Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) under the provisions of 44 

U.S.C., Chapter 35 and have been 

assigned OMB No. 0581–0093, except 

Board member nominee information 

sheets are assigned OMB No. 0505–

0001. 

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 2901 et seq. 

Dated: January 12, 2007. 

Lloyd C. Day, 

Administrator, Agricultural Marketing 

Service. 

[FR Doc. E7–648 Filed 1–17–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–02–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Farm Service Agency 

Request for Extension of a Currently 

Approved Information Collection; 

Operating Loans; Policies, Procedures, 

Authorizations and Closings 

AGENCY: Farm Service Agency, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 

notice announces the intent of the Farm 

Service Agency (FSA) to request 

renewal of the information collection 

currently approved and used in support 

of the FSA Farm Loan Programs (FLP). 

The collection of information from FLP 

applicants and commercial lenders is 

used to determine eligibility; financial 

feasibility and security positions when 

the applicant applies for direct loan 

assistance. 

DATES: Comments on this notice must be 

received on or before March 19, 2007 to 

be assured consideration. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Cathy Quayle, Senior Loan Officer, 

USDA, Farm Service Agency, Loan 

Making Division, 1400 Independence 

Avenue, SW., Stop 0522, Washington, 


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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 11 / Thursday, January 18, 2007 / Notices 2257 

DC 20250–0522; Telephone (202) 690–

4018; Electronic mail: 

cathyquayle@wdc.usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Operating Loans; Policies, 

Procedures, Authorizations and 

Closings. 

OMB Control Number: 0560–0162. 

Expiration Date of Approval: July 31, 

2007. 

Type of Request: Extension of a 

Currently Approved Information 

Collection. 

Abstract: The information collected 

under OMB Control Number is 0560–

0162 is necessary to effectively 

administer the operating loan program 

in accordance with the requirements in 

7 CFR part 1941 as authorized by the 

Consolidated Farm and Rural 

Development Act. Specifically, the 

Agency uses the information to evaluate 

loan making or loan servicing proposals, 

and to process loan closings. The 

information is needed to evaluate an 

applicant’s eligibility, and to determine 

if the operation is economically feasible 

and if the security offered in support of 

the loan is adequate. 

Estimate of Annual Respondent 

Burden: Public reporting burden for this 

collection of information is estimated to 

average .12 hours per response. 

Respondents: Individuals or 

households, businesses or other for 

profit and farms. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

51,466. 

Estimated Number of Responses per 

Respondent: 1. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: 6,176. 

Comments are invited on the 

following: (a) Whether the collection of 

information is necessary for the proper 

performance of the functions of the 

agency, including whether the 

information will have practical utility; 

(b) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate 

of burden, including the validity of the 

methodology and assumptions used; (c) 

ways to enhance the quality, utility and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; and (d) ways to minimize the 

burden of the collection of information 

on those who are to respond, including 

through the use of appropriate 

automated, electronic, mechanical, or 

other technological collection 

techniques or other forms of information 

technology. These comments should be 

sent to the Desk Officer for Agriculture, 

Office of Information and Regulatory 

Affairs, Office of Management and 

Budget, Washington, DC 20503 and to 

Cathy Quayle, Senior Loan Officer, 

USDA, Farm Service Agency, Loan 

Making Division, 1400 Independence 

Avenue, SW., STOP 0522, Washington, 

DC 20250–0522. 

Comments will be summarized and 

included in the request for Office of 

Management and Budget approval of the 

information collection. All comments 

will also become a matter of public 

record. 

Signed in Washington, DC on January 10, 

2007. 

Thomas B. Hofeller, 

Acting Administrator, Farm Service Agency. 

[FR Doc. E7–599 Filed 1–17–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–05–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Food Safety and Inspection Service 

[Docket No. FSIS–2006–0040E] 

Product Labeling: Definition of the 

Term ‘‘Natural’’

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection 

Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of petition and public 

meeting; extension of comment period. 

SUMMARY: The Food Safety and 

Inspection Service (FSIS) is re-opening 

and extending the comment period on a 

petition submitted by Hormel Foods on 

the voluntary labeling claim ‘‘natural’’

and on the broader question of how to 

define this claim. The original comment 

period closed on January 11, 2007. The 

Agency is taking this action in response 

to requests that were made at and after 

a public meeting that the Agency held 

on December 12, 2006, to discuss both 

the Hormel petition and issues 

associated with the claim ‘‘natural’’ in 

general. 

DATES: Comments are due by March 5, 

2007. 

ADDRESSES: Comments may be 

submitted by any of the following 

methods: 

Federal eRulemaking Portal: This 

Web site provides the ability to type 

short comments directly into the 

comment field on this Web page or 

attach a file for lengthier comments. Go 

to http://www.regulations.gov and, in 

the ‘‘Search for Open Regu1ations’’ box, 

select ‘‘Food Safety and Inspection 

Service’’ from the agency drop-down 

menu, and then click on ‘‘Submit.’’ In 

the Docket ID column, select FDMS 

Docket Number FSIS–2005–0040 to 

submit or view public comments and to 

view supporting and related material 

available electronically. This docket can 

be viewed using the ‘‘Advanced Search’’

function in Regulations.gov. 

Mail, including floppy disks or CD– 

ROM’s, and hand or courier-delivered 

items: Send to Docket Clerk, U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, Food Safety 

and Inspection Service, 300 12th Street, 

SW., Room 102 Cotton Annex, 

Washington, DC 20250. 

Electronic mail: FSIS.regulations

comments@fsis.usda.gov. 

All submissions received by mail and 

electronic mail must include the Agency 

name and docket number FSIS–2006–

0040. All comments submitted in 

response to this notice will be available 

for public inspection in the FSIS Docket 

Room at the address listed above 

between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., 

Monday through Friday. The comments 

also will be posted to the 

regulations.gov Web site and on the 

Agency’s Web site at http://www.fsis.

usda.gov/regulations_&_policies/2006_

Proposed_Rules_Index/index.asp. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Robert C. Post, Director, Labeling and 

Consumer Protection Staff, Office of 

Policy, Program, and Employee 

Development, USDA, FSIS, 1400 

Independence Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC 20250, (202) 205–3625, 

e-mail: Robert.Post@fsis.usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On 

December 5, 2006, FSIS published a 

notice in the Federal Register that 

announced the receipt of a petition 

submitted by Hormel Foods requesting 

that the Agency amend the meat 

inspection and poultry products 

inspection regulations to establish a 

definition for the voluntary claim 

‘‘natural’’ and to delineate the 

conditions under which the claim can 

be used on the labels of meat and 

poultry products (71 FR 70503). In the 

notice, FSIS gave the public until 

January 11, 2007, to submit comments 

on the petition and on issues associated 

with the claim ‘‘natural’’ in general. The 

notice also announced that, to facilitate 

the comment process, the Agency would 

hold a public meeting to discuss the 

petition. The public meeting was held 

on December 12, 2006. In the December 

5, 2006, Federal Register notice, FSIS 

also announced that after the comment 

period for the petition closes, the 

Agency will initiate rulemaking on the 

‘‘natural’’ claim. 

At, as well as after, the December 12, 

2006, public meeting, FSIS received 

several comments requesting that the 

Agency extend the comment period 

provided in the December 5, 2006, 

Federal Register notice by an additional 

60 days from the initial closing date of 

January 11, 2007. The comments were 

submitted by a representative of a food 

ingredient manufacturer, a trade 

association that represents flavor 

manufacturers and others with an 


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