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

9155

Vol. 62, No. 40

Friday, February 28, 1997

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Research, Education, and Economics

National Agricultural Research,

Extension, Education, and Economics

Advisory Board Meeting

AGENCY: Research, Education, and

Economics, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub.

L. 92–463), the United States

Department of Agriculture announces a

meeting of the National Agricultural

Research, Extension, Education, and

Economics Advisory Board.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

Secretary of Agriculture has asked the

National Agricultural Research,

Extension, Education, and Economics

Advisory Board to obtain Stakeholder

input on the priority issues for

agricultural research, extension,

education, and economics, and to

establish an ongoing line of

communication to the diverse

stakeholder groups. The Advisory

Board, which represents 30 constituent

categories, as specified in the Federal

Agriculture Improvement and Reform

Act of 1996 (Pub. L. 104–127, 110 Stat.

1156–1184), has scheduled a

Stakeholder Symposium on March 25th

in Washington, D.C. The Advisory

Board has broadly defined

‘‘stakeholder’’ within the context of its

activities as follows: ‘‘any individual or

group of individuals who have vested

interested in, or are affected by, food

and agricultural research, extension,

education, and economics.’’

Approximately 150 individuals will

participate in the Stakeholder

Symposium, which represents one of

several meetings being planned

throughout the country to address the

USDA Research, Education, and

Economics (REE) draft Strategic Plans.

The March 25th Stakeholder

Symposium will focus on the content of

the REE Strategic Plans (i.e., plans of

Agricultural Research Service (ARS),

Cooperative State Research, Education,

and Extension Service (CSREES),

Economic Research Service (ERS), the

National Agricultural Statistics Service

(NASS), and REE mission area) and how

well these plans contribute to the crosscutting goals:

(1) Agricultural System that is Highly

Competitive in the Global Economy,

(2) Safe and Secure Food and Fiber

System,

(3) Healthy, Well-Nourished

Population,

(4) Greater Harmony Between

Agriculture and the Environment, and

(5) Enhanced Economic Opportunity

and Quality of Life for Americans.

Stakeholder input to the Strategic

Plans will be organized around the

following panel sessions: (a) Plant

Systems; (b) Animal Systems; (c)

Nutrition, Food Quality, and Health; (d)

Natural Resources and Environment; (e)

Processes and New Products; (f)

Markets, Trade, and Policy; and (g)

Human Capacity Building.

Each panelist will present a 10-

minute formal statement on the

Strategic Plans and how well they

support the goals for USDA research,

extension, education, and economics.

The general meeting of the Advisory

Board will be held March 26–27, 1997.

The meeting agenda includes: a report

on the findings of the Stakeholder

Symposium, a discussion of activities

required under the FAIR Act of 1996,

and the Board’s recommendations for

long-term agenda items. The Advisory

Board will also begin discussions for its

review and recommendations to the REE

Implementation and Annual

Performance Plans. The Advisory

Board’s Executive Committee and the

REE Strategic Plan Working Group will

provide progress reports to the Advisory

Board. The membership of the newly

formed agricultural facilities ‘‘Strategic

Planning Task Force’’ will be

announced. Invited speakers will

provide the Advisory Board with an

overview of the USDA National

Research Initiative, USDA budget

outlook, and farm concentration issues.

DATES: March 25, 1997, 8:15 a.m.–7:00

p.m.; March 26, 1997, 8:30 a.m.–5:30

p.m.; and March 27, 1997, 8:30 a.m.–

4:00 p.m.

PLACE: Hotel Washington, Washington

Room, 15th and Pennsylvania Avenue,

NW, Washington, DC.

TYPE OF MEETING: Open to the public.

COMMENTS: The public may file written

comments before or after the meeting

with the contact person listed below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Deborah Hanfman, Executive Director,

National Agricultural Research,

Extension, Education, and Economics

Advisory Board, Research, Education,

and Economics Advisory Board Office,

Room 3918 South, U.S. Department of

Agriculture, STOP: 2255, 1400

Independence Avenue, SW,

Washington, DC 20250–2255.

Telephone: 202–720–3684.

Done at Washington, D.C. this 21st day of

February 1997.

Catherine E. Woteki,

Acting Under Secretary, Research, Education,

and Economics.

[FR Doc. 97–4968 Filed 2–27–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–22–M

Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service

[Docket No. 96–098–1]

Dupont Agricultural Products; Receipt

of Petition for Determination of

Nonregulated Status for Genetically

Engineered Soybeans

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health

Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: We are advising the public

that the Animal and Plant Health

Inspection Service has received a

petition from Dupont Agricultural

Products seeking a determination of

nonregulated status for soybeans

designated as sublines G94–1, G94–19,

and G168 derived from transformation

event 260–05 that have been genetically

engineered to produce high oleic acid

oil. The petition has been submitted in

accordance with our regulations

concerning the introduction of certain

genetically engineered organisms and

products. In accordance with those

regulations, we are soliciting public

comments on whether these soybean

sublines present a plant pest risk.

DATES: Written comments must be

received on or before April 29, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Please send an original and

three copies of your comments to