This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains regulatory documents having general

applicability and legal effect, most of which

are keyed to and codified in the Code of

Federal Regulations, which is published under

50 titles pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 1510.

The Code of Federal Regulations is sold by

the Superintendent of Documents. Prices of

new books are listed in the first FEDERAL

REGISTER issue of each week.

Rules and Regulations Federal Register

14951 

Vol. 77, No. 50 

Wednesday, March 14, 2012 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Office of the Secretary 

7 CFR Part 2 

RIN 0503–AA51 

Delegations of Authority 

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, USDA. 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: This document revises the 

delegations of authority from the 

Secretary of Agriculture and general 

officers of the Department of Agriculture 

(USDA) to reflect changes in the 

coordination of Departmental remote 

sensing activities. These responsibilities 

are consolidated within the Office of the 

Chief Information Officer (OCIO) to 

create a single focal point for 

coordinating all Departmental geospatial 

activities. 

DATES: Effective March 14, 2012. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Stephen Lowe, (202) 720–0880. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Office of the Chief Economist—Remote 

Sensing Activities 

The Chief Economist, by delegation 

from the Secretary of Agriculture 

(Secretary), is responsible for 

coordinating USDA remote sensing 

activities (7 CFR 2.29(a)(6)). Within the 

Office of the Chief Economist (OCE), 

these responsibilities are further 

delegated to the Chairman of the World 

Agricultural Outlook Board (WAOB) (7 

CFR 2.72(a)(4)). WAOB coordinates 

USDA remote sensing activities by 

chairing the Remote Sensing 

Coordination Committee (RSCC). RSCC 

convenes remote sensing experts from 

multiple USDA agencies to promote 

information sharing and to help ensure 

the most efficient and cost effective use 

of remote sensing data and technologies 

within USDA. 

Office of the Chief Information 

Officer—Geospatial Activities 

The Assistant Secretary for 

Administration, by delegation from the 

Secretary, is responsible for 

coordinating USDA geospatial activities 

(7 CFR 2.24(a)(2)(xi)(G)). Within the 

Departmental Management organization, 

this responsibility is further delegated to 

the Chief Information Officer (7 CFR 

2.89(a)(11)(vii)). The Office of the Chief 

Information Officer (OCIO) coordinates 

Departmental geospatial activities by 

chairing the Enterprise Geospatial 

Management Office (EGMO) Agency 

Advisory Council. A part of the 

responsibility of OCIO is to fulfill the 

leadership requirements of the Senior 

Agency Official for Geospatial 

Information (SAOGI) and ensure the 

effective implementation in the 

Department of OMB Circular No. A–16, 

‘‘Coordination of Geographic 

Information and Related Spatial Data 

Activities.’’ This Circular defines 

geospatial data as: information that 

identifies the geographic location and 

characteristics of natural or constructed 

features and boundaries on the Earth. 

This information may be derived from, 

among other things, remote sensing, 

mapping, and surveying technologies. 

Consolidating Coordination Activities 

Departmental remote sensing and 

geospatial activities are currently 

managed by two separate USDA Offices, 

OCE and OCIO. Because remote sensing 

data are a subset of geospatial 

information, the authorities related to 

remote sensing that are delegated to the 

Chairman of the WAOB, through the 

Chief Economist, are being transferred 

to the Chief Information Officer, through 

the Assistant Secretary for 

Administration. This transfer of 

authority benefits USDA by providing a 

single focal point for coordinating all 

Departmental geospatial activities, 

remote sensing or other, and enabling 

spatial data and service lifecycle 

performance management to increase 

the value of USDA assets for 

stakeholders. 

This transfer of authority does not 

alter existing delegations of authority to 

the Administrator of the Foreign 

Agricultural Service relating to the 

support of remote sensing activities and 

research with satellite imagery (7 CFR 

2.43(a)(45)), or to the Under Secretary 

for Research, Education, and Economics 

and the Administrator of the 

Agricultural Research Service, relating 

to the conduct of remote-sensing and 

other weather-related research (7 CFR 

2.21(a)(1)(lxix)); 7 CFR 2.65(a)(33)). 

Classification 

This rule relates to internal agency 

management. Accordingly, pursuant to 

5 U.S.C. 553, notice of proposed 

rulemaking and opportunity for 

comment are not required, and this rule 

may be made effective less than 30 days 

after publication in the Federal 

Register. This rule also is exempt from 

the provisions of Executive Order 

12866. This action is not a rule as 

defined by the Regulatory Flexibility 

Act, as amended by the Small Business 

Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 

1996 (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.), or the 

Congressional Review Act (5 U.S.C. 801 

et seq.), and thus is exempt from the 

provisions of those Acts. This rule 

contains no information collection or 

recordkeeping requirements under the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 

U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). 

List of Subjects in 7 CFR Part 2 

Authority delegations (Government 

agencies). 

For the reasons discussed in the 

preamble, the Department of Agriculture 

amends 7 CFR part 2 as follows: 

PART 2—DELEGATIONS OF 

AUTHORITY BY THE SECRETARY OF 

AGRICULTURE AND GENERAL 

OFFICERS OF THE DEPARTMENT 

■ 1. The authority for part 2 continues 

to read as follows: 

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 6912(a)(1); 5 U.S.C. 

301; Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1953, 3 

CFR 1949–1953 Comp., p. 1024. 

■ 2. Amend § 2.24 by redesignating 

paragraphs (a)(2)(xi)(H) through 

(a)(2)(xi)(P) as paragraphs (a)(2)(xi)(I) 

through (a)(2)(xi)(Q) and adding new 

paragraph (a)(2)(xi)(H), to read as 

follows: 

§ 2.24 Assistant Secretary for 

Administration. 

(a) * * * 

(2) * * * 

(xi) * * * 

(H) Provide technical assistance, 

coordination, and guidance to 

Department agencies in planning, 

developing, and carrying out satellite 

remote sensing activities to ensure full 


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14952 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 50 / Wednesday, March 14, 2012 / Rules and Regulations 

consideration and evaluation of 

advanced technology; designate the 

Executive Secretary for the Remote 

Sensing Coordination Committee; and 

coordinate administrative, management, 

and budget information relating to the 

Department’s remote sensing activities 

including: 

(1) Inter- and intra-agency meetings, 

correspondence, and records; 

(2) Budget and management tracking 

systems; and 

(3) Inter-agency contacts and 

technology transfer. 

* * * * * 

§ 2.29 [Amended] 

■ 3. Amend § 2.29 by removing and 

reserving paragraph (a)(6). 

§ 2.72 [Amended] 

■ 4. Amend § 2.72 by removing and 

reserving paragraph (a)(4). 

■ 5. Amend § 2.89 by redesignating 

paragraphs (a)(11)(viii) through 

(a)(11)(xvi) as paragraphs (a)(11)(ix) 

through (a)(11)(xvii) and adding new 

paragraph (a)(11)(viii), to read as 

follows: 

§ 2.89 Chief Information Officer. 

(a) * * * 

(11) * * * 

(viii) Provide technical assistance, 

coordination, and guidance to 

Department agencies in planning, 

developing, and carrying out satellite 

remote sensing activities to ensure full 

consideration and evaluation of 

advanced technology; designate the 

Executive Secretary for the Remote 

Sensing Coordination Committee; and 

coordinate administrative, management, 

and budget information relating to the 

Department’s remote sensing activities 

including: 

(A) Inter- and intra-agency meetings, 

correspondence, and records; 

(B) Budget and management tracking 

systems; and 

(C) Inter-agency contacts and 

technology transfer. 

* * * * * 

Signed in Washington, DC, this day: March 

5, 2012. 

Thomas J. Vilsack, 

Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2012–5957 Filed 3–13–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–90–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Office of the Secretary 

7 CFR Part 2 

Delegations of Authority 

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, USDA. 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: This document amends the 

delegations of authority within the 

Department of Agriculture (USDA) to 

reflect the delegation of authorities 

related to civil rights from the Secretary 

of Agriculture directly to the Assistant 

Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR). 

Previously, these authorities were 

delegated to the Assistant Secretary for 

Administration and re-delegated to the 

ASCR. 

DATES: This rule is effective March 14, 

2012. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

USDA’s, Assistant General Counsel 

Civil Rights, Tami Trost at 202–690– 

3993 or email tami.trost@ogc.usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Previously, USDA’s Office of the 

Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 

overseen by the Assistant Secretary for 

Civil Rights (ASCR), was aligned within 

USDA’s Departmental Management 

organization, overseen by the Assistant 

Secretary for Administration (ASA). To 

strengthen the visibility of USDA’s Civil 

Rights program, this reporting structure 

was realigned so that the ASCR now 

reports directly to the Secretary of 

Agriculture (Secretary). 

This rule amends the delegations of 

authority within USDA to reflect that 

realignment. The authorities of the 

Secretary related to civil rights that 

previously were delegated to the ASA 

and re-delegated to the ASCR are now 

delegated directly to the ASCR. 

Specifically, this rule amends the 

delegations of authority from the 

Secretary to the ASA in 7 CFR 2.24 by 

removing the delegations related to civil 

rights. The rule also removes the redelegation of those authorities from the 

ASA to the ASCR in 7 CFR 2.88. These 

authorities are now delegated from the 

Secretary directly to the ASCR, as 

reflected in a new 7 CFR 2.25. The rule 

also makes changes to the text of some 

of the delegations to clarify scope and 

adds a new delegation regarding 

establishment of an Alternative Dispute 

Resolution process for program 

complaints. Additionally, the delegation 

of authority in 7 CFR 2.300 from the 

ASCR to the Deputy ASCR is amended 

by making a technical change to correct 

the cross-reference. Finally, the 

delegations of authority in 7 CFR 2.24 

(ASA), 2.89 (Chief Information Officer), 

2.90 (Chief Financial Officer), 2.91 

(Director, Office of Human Resources 

Management), and 2.98 (Director, 

Management Services) are revised to 

clarify that certain services performed 

by the Office of the Chief Information 

Officer, Office of the Chief Financial 

Officer, Office of Human Resources 

Management, and Management Services 

will continue to be performed by those 

entities for the Office of the Assistant 

Secretary for Civil Rights. 

Classification 

This rule relates to internal agency 

management. Accordingly, pursuant to 

5 U.S.C. 553, notice of proposed 

rulemaking and opportunity for 

comment are not required, and this rule 

may be made effective less than 30 days 

after publication in the Federal 

Register. This rule also is exempt from 

the provisions of Executive Order 

12866. This action is not a rule as 

defined by the Regulatory Flexibility 

Act, as amended by the Small Business 

Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 

1996, 5 U.S.C. 601 et seq., or the 

Congressional Review Act, 5 U.S.C. 801 

et seq., and thus is exempt from the 

provisions of those Acts. This rule 

contains no information collection or 

recordkeeping requirements under the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 

(44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). 

List of Subjects in 7 CFR Part 2 

Authority delegations (Government 

agencies). 

Accordingly, Title 7 of the Code of 

Federal Regulations is amended as set 

forth below: 

PART 2—DELEGATIONS OF 

AUTHORITY BY THE SECRETARY OF 

AGRICULTURE AND GENERAL 

OFFICERS OF THE DEPARTMENT 

1. The authority for Part 2 continues 

to read as follows: 

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 6912(a)(1); 5 U.S.C. 

301; Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1953, 3 

CFR 1949–1953 Comp., p. 1024. 

Subpart C—Delegations of Authority to 

the Deputy Secretary, Under 

Secretaries, and Assistant Secretaries 

■ 2. The heading of subpart C is revised 

to read as set forth above. 

■ 3. Amend § 2.24 as follows: 

■ a. Remove and reserve paragraph 

(a)(1); 

■ b. Redesignate paragraph 

(a)(2)(xi)(C)(4) as paragraph 

(a)(2)(xi)(C)(5) and add a new paragraph 

(a)(2)(xi)(C)(4); 

■ c. Revise paragraph (a)(2)(xi)(D); 

■ d. Redesignate paragraph 

(a)(3)(xxv)(D) as paragraph (a)(3)(xxv)(E) 

and add a new paragraph (a)(3)(xxv)(D); 

■ e. Redesignate paragraph 

(a)(4)(xx)(C)(4) as paragraph 

(a)(4)(xx)(C)(5) and add a new paragraph 

(a)(4)(xx)(C)(4); 


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