4244 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 19 / Wednesday, January 29, 1997 / Notices

into the United States not later than

June 15, 1997 (180 days from the date

the quota is established).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Janise Zygmont, Farm Service Agency,

United States Department of

Agriculture, Stop 0515, P.O. Box 2415,

Washington, DC 20013–2415 or call

(202) 720–8841.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 1996

Act requires that a special import quota

for upland cotton be determined and

announced immediately if, for any

consecutive 10-week period, the Friday

through Thursday average price

quotation for the lowest-priced U.S.

growth, as quoted for Middling 1–3⁄32

inch cotton, C.I.F. northern Europe (U.S.

Northern Europe price), adjusted for the

value of any cotton user marketing

certificates issued, exceeds the Northern

Europe price by more than 1.25 cents

per pound. This condition was met

during the consecutive 10-week period

that ended December 12, 1996.

Therefore, a quota referenced as the

Secretary of Agriculture’s Special

Cotton Import Quota Announcement

Number 26, effective December 18,

1996, is hereby established.

Previously there were only 20

subheadings available for designating

upland cotton special import quotas in

subchapter III of chapter 99 of the HTS.

Therefore, at most, only 20 such quotas

could be in effect at one time and any

additional quota which had been

triggered could not become effective

until the earliest of the 20 quotas ended.

However, Presidential Proclamation

6948 dated October 29, 1996, added six

new HTS subheadings for quotas—21

through 26. A maximum of 26 quotas

may now be in effect at one time.

To be effective as soon as possible,

Quota 26 is established as of December

18, 1996, and applies to upland cotton

purchased not later than March 17,

1997, and entered into the United States

not later than June 15, 1997. The quota

amount, 44,522,887 kilograms

(98,156,244 pounds), is equal to 1

week’s consumption of upland cotton

by domestic mills at the seasonallyadjusted average rate of the most recent

3 months for which data are available—

August 1996 through October 1996. The

special import quota identifies a

quantity of imports that is not subject to

the over-quota tariff rate of a tariff-rate

quota. The quota is not divided by

staple length or by country of origin.

The quota does not affect existing tariff

rates or phytosanitary regulations. The

quota does not apply to Extra Long

Staple cotton.

Authority: Sec. 136, P.L. 104–127 and U.S.

Note 6(a), Subchapter III, Chapter 99 of the

HTS.

Signed at Washington, D.C., on January 22,

1997.

Dan Glickman,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–2134 Filed 1–28–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–05–P

Agricultural Marketing Service

[No. LS–97–004]

Beef Promotion and Research:

Certification and Nomination for the

Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and

Research Board

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service,

USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that

the Department of Agriculture’s (USDA)

Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is

accepting applications from State cattle

producer and general farm organizations

as well as beef importers who desire to

be certified to nominate producers or

importers for appointment to vacant

positions on the Cattlemen’s Beef

Promotion and Research Board (Board).

Organizations which have not

previously been certified that are

interested in submitting nominations

must complete and submit an official

application form to AMS. Previously

certified organizations do not need to

reapply. Notice is also given that

vacancies will occur on the Board and

that during a period to be established,

nominations will be accepted from

eligible organizations and individual

importers.

DATES: Applications for certification

must be received by close of business

February 28, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Certification forms as well

as copies of the certification and

nomination procedures may be

requested from Ralph L. Tapp, Chief;

Marketing Programs Branch—STOP

0251; Livestock and Seed Division;

AMS, USDA; Room 2606–S; P.O. Box

96456; Washington, D.C. 20090–6456.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ralph L. Tapp, Chief, Marketing

Programs Branch on 202/720–1115.

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

104 cattle producers and 7 importers

appointed by the Secretary. The duties

and responsibilities of the Board are

specified in the Order.

The Act and the Order provide that

the Secretary shall either certify or

otherwise determine the eligibility of

State or 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. 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 the

Secretary 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 existing vacancies.

The Act and the Order provide that

the members of the Board shall serve for

terms of 3 years. The Order also requires

USDA to announce when a Board

vacancy does or will exist. The

following States have one or more

members whose terms will expire in

early 1998:

State or unit Number of

vacancies

Arizona ...................................... 1

California ................................... 2

Colorado ................................... 1

Iowa .......................................... 2

Kansas ...................................... 2

Louisiana ................................... 1

Michigan .................................... 1

Minnesota ................................. 1

Mississippi ................................. 1

Missouri ..................................... 1

Nebraska ................................... 2

New Mexico .............................. 1

North Carolina ........................... 1

Oklahoma .................................. 1

South Carolina .......................... 1
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 19 / Wednesday, January 29, 1997 / Notices 4245

State or unit Number of

vacancies

South Dakota ............................ 2

Tennessee ................................ 1

Texas ........................................ 4

Utah .......................................... 1

Wisconsin .................................. 2

Wyoming ................................... 1

Mid-Atlantic Unit ........................ 1

Northeast Unit ........................... 1

Western Unit (Oregon-Nevada

Region) .................................. 1

Importer Unit ............................. 2

Since there are no anticipated

vacancies on the Board for the

remaining States’ positions, or for the

positions of the Northwest unit,

nominations will not be solicited from

certified organizations or associations in

those States or units.

Uncertified eligible producer

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 for Certification of

Organization or Association,’’ which

must be received by close of business

February 28, 1997. 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 but

should provide the requested

information by letter as provided for in

7 CFR § 1260.540(b). Applications from

States or units without vacant positions

on the Board and other applications not

received within the 30-day period after

publication of this Notice in the Federal

Register will be considered for

eligibility to nominate producers or

importers for subsequent vacancies on

the Board.

Only those organizations or

associations which meet the criteria for

certification of eligibility promulgated at

7 CFR § 1260.530 are eligible for

certification. Those criteria are:

(a) For State organizations or

associations:

(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.

(4) There must be a primary or

overriding purpose of promoting the

economic welfare of cattle producers.

(b) For organizations or associations

representing importers, the

determination by the Secretary 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.

(5) The names of the countries of

origin for cattle, beef, or beef products

imported.

All certified organizations and

associations, including those which

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 the Secretary of

Agriculture 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 23, 1997.

Lon Hatamiya,

Administrator.

[FR Doc. 97–2126 Filed 1–28–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–02–P

Forest Service

Environmental Impact Statement,

Crystal Creek Timber Harvest on the

Petersburg Ranger District, Stikine

Area, Tongass National Forest,

Petersburg, Alaska

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an

Environmental Impact Statement.

SUMMARY: The Stikine Area of the USDA

Forest Service proposes to harvest

approximately 16 million board feet of

timber in the Crystal Creek project area,

which is near Thomas Bay on the

Southeast Alaska mainland. A variety of

harvest methods and silvicultural

prescriptions will be used. This project

would include the necessary road

construction for transport of timber. The

existing log transfer site would be

reconstructed at Thomas Bay.

The purpose and need for this project

is to make available for harvest

approximately 16 million board feet of

timber. This will:

1. Implement direction in the Tongass

Land Management Plan,

2. Contribute to providing a sustained

volume of wood to meet local and

national demand, and

3. Provide local and regional

employment opportunities.

There may also be opportunities to

maintain or enhance forage for moose

habitat to sustain a huntable population

in the area. Activities such as

commercial and pre-commercial

thinning of second growth stands, and

geographically distributing timber

harvest over time and habitat will be

considered toward achieving this goal.

A variety of resources and values will

be maintained through the application

of ecosystem management principles in

the design of the project.

A range of alternatives will respond to

environmental and social issues. The

no-action alternative will not harvest

timber in the area. The Thomas Bay log

transfer facility will be reconstructed

and required roads will be constructed

or reconstructed as needed.

The decision to be made is:

1. Whether or not timber harvest will

occur in the Crystal Creek project area;

2. How much timber will be

harvested;

3. Location and design of harvest

units;

4. Location and design of road

construction and reconstruction; and

5. What mitigation measures and

monitoring will be implemented.

EFFECTIVE DATE: The Draft

Environmental Impact Statement should

be available for public review by June,

1997. The final Environmental Impact

Statement is scheduled to be completed

by November, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Questions,

written comments, and suggestions

concerning the analysis should be sent

to Bruce Sims, Team Leader, Petersburg

Ranger District, P.O. Box 1328,

Petersburg, AK 99833, phone (907) 772–

3871, fax (907) 772–5995.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: All

appropriate agencies will be contacted

and all required permits will be

received before the proposed action is

implemented. The following permits are

anticipated in order to implement the

proposed action: