FORMAL RECOMMENDATION BY THE

NATIONAL ORGANIC STANDARDS BOARD (NOSB) 

TO THE NATIONAL ORGANIC PROGRAM (NOP) 

Date: November 30, 2007 

Subject: Updates to NOSB New Member Guide 

Chair: Andrea Caroe 

 

Recommendation

The NOSB hereby recommends to the NOP the following: 

Rulemaking Action: ______

Guidance Statement: __X___ 

Other: __ ___ 

Statement of the Recommendation (including Recount of Vote):

Accept the following updates to the NOSB New Member Guide: 

 1. Addition to Chapter 2, Some Important Terms Defined, of the section called “What are 

 Rules and the Process of Rulemaking”. 

 2. Addition to Chapter 5, Suggested Best Practices, of the section called “Tracking 

 Changes in Word Documents”. 

NOSB Vote: Motion: R. Delgado Second: H. Karreman 

Board vote: Yes - 15 No- 0 Abstain- 0 Absent - 0 

Rationale Supporting Recommendation (including consistency with OFPA and NOP):

The proposed revisions will assist new and incoming NOSB members in improving 

communication.

Response by the NOP:
National Organic Standards Board 

Final Recommendation for 

Updates to NOSB New Member Guide 

Date: 11/30/07 

I. List: (where in FR rule example 205.606) 

N/A 

II. Committee Summary: 

NOSB members suggested the addition of two sections to the New Member Guide 

related to the description of the rulemaking process and the use of the tracking tool in 

Word documents. These updates will improve the process of conducting NOSB 

business and training of incoming NOSB members. 

III. Board Recommendation 

To accept the following updates to the NOSB New Member Guide: 

1. Addition to Chapter 2, Some Important Terms Defined, of the section called “What are 

Rules and the Process of Rulemaking”. 

2. Addition to Chapter 5, Suggested Best Practices, of the section called “Tracking Changes 

in Word Documents”. 

Board vote: 

Moved: R. Delgado Second: B. James 

Board vote: Yes- 15 No- 0 Absent- 0 Abstain-0 Recuse -0
NOSB – Policy Development Committee 

Updates to the New Member Guide 

September 28, 2007 

Summary: 

NOSB members suggested the addition of two sections to the New Member Guide 

related to the description of the rulemaking process and the use of the tracking tool in 

Word documents. These updates will improve the process of conducting NOSB business 

and training of incoming NOSB members. 

Recommendation: 

The Policy Development Committee recommends two updates to the New Member 

Guide document: 

1. Addition to Chapter 2, Some Important Terms Defined, of the section called 

“What are Rules and the Process of Rulemaking”. 

2. Addition to Chapter 5, Suggested Best Practices, of the section called “Tracking 

Changes in Word Documents”. 

Committee Vote: 

Yes – 3 No- 0 Abstain- 0 Absent - 1 
 

National Organic Standards Board 

New Member Support 

Guide 

Adopted: March 29, 2007 

Updated November 30, 2007 
NOSB NEW MEMBER SUPPORT GUIDE 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

1. WELCOME NEW NOSB MEMBERS---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1

A. NEW MEMBER SUPPORT GUIDE: A COMPLEMENT TO THE NOSB POLICY AND PROCEDURES 

MANUAL---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1

B. WHAT SHOULD I DO FIRST? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1

C. WHAT SHOULD I DO SECOND?----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2

D. WHAT IF I HAVE QUESTIONS AFTER READING AND REVIEWING ALL THIS MATERIAL? -------------------- 2

E. HOW DO TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS TO THE NOSB MEETINGS WORK?------------------------------------- 2

F. USDA NOSB PRE-TRAVEL DOCUMENT SAMPLE------------------------------------------------------------ 3

G. WHAT TO PACK? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5

2. SOME IMPORTANT TERMS DEFINED ------------------------------------------------------------------ 6

A. WHAT IS THE NATIONAL ORGANIC PROGRAM (NOP)?------------------------------------------------------ 6

B. WHAT IS THE NATIONAL ORGANIC STANDARDS BOARD (NOSB)?---------------------------------------- 6

C. WHAT IS THE ORGANIC FOODS PRODUCTION ACT (OFPA)? ---------------------------------------------- 6

D. WHAT IS THE FEDERAL REGISTER FINAL RULE?------------------------------------------------------------- 7

E. WHAT ARE RULES AND THE PROCESS OF RULEMAKING ---------------------------------------------------- 9

3. NOSB AND THE PUBLIC ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11

A. WHEN DO YOU REQUEST PUBLIC INPUT. --------------------------------------------------------------------- 11

B. HOW THE PUBLIC PROVIDES AND SUBMITS COMMENTS.--------------------------------------------------- 11

C. NOSB MEETING SESSIONS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT -------------------------------------------------------- 11

D. HOW NOP CAPTURES PUBLIC COMMENTS ------------------------------------------------------------------ 11

E. HOW NOSB REVIEWS PUBLIC COMMENT -------------------------------------------------------------------- 12

4. DEALING WITH THE PUBLIC ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12

A. E-MAIL AND MEDIA.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12

B. AT OFFICIAL NOSB MEETINGS: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 12

5. SUGGESTED BEST PRACTICES ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 13

A. MAINTAINING ORGANIZATION OF NOSB MEETINGS ------------------------------------------------------- 13

B. MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR CONFERENCE CALLS AND MEETINGS.-------------------------------------- 13

C. KEEPING UP WITH READING AND WRITING MATERIALS --------------------------------------------------- 13

D. ORGANIZING E-MAIL-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14

E. TRACKING CHANGES IN WORD DOCUMENTS --------------------------------------------------------------- 15

6. ACCREDITED CERTIFICATION AGENCIES--------------------------------------------------------- 18

A. WHAT IS THEIR FUNCTION? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 18

B. LIST OF AGENCIES ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18

7. SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS AND RESOURCES -------------------------------------------- 19

APPENDIX 1 – CURRENT NOSB CONTACT INFORMATION------------------------------------------ 20

NATIONAL ORGANIC STANDARDS BOARD MEMBERS--------------------------------------------- 20

NATIONAL ORGANIC STANDARDS BOARD COMMITTEES ---------------------------------------- 21

APPENDIX 2 - CURRENT NOP CONTACT INFORMATION -------------------------------------------- 22

 

1
1. Welcome New NOSB Members 

a. New Member Support Guide: a complement to the NOSB Policy and 

Procedures Manual 

Congratulations and welcome to the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB). You 

have just accepted a commitment to dedicate five years of your time to help serve your 

country in the field of organic regulations as defined by the Organic Food Production Act 

and the United States Department of Agriculture National Organic Program. 

This simple guide provides some helpful steps to prepare you for the NOSB. It is not 

intended to define your role on the NOSB, but should be used as an accompaniment to 

the NOSB Policy and Procedures Manual and specific information that can be obtained 

from the National Organic Program (NOP) web site. 

You will find that there is a remarkable amount of information you must be familiar with 

as an NOSB member. The New Member Support Guide will provide you with a glimpse 

of some of the necessary information for a successful term on the board. The guide will 

provide you with a list of documents you must have available and be familiar with before 

your first meeting, as well as answer some basic informative questions. 

b. What should I do first? 

Read. Before your first NOSB meeting, you need to read and be familiar with the 

following materials: 

• The NOSB Policy and Procedure Manual (PPM) 

• Organic Food Production Act of 1990 

• The Federal Register Final Rule 

Quick Overview of the NOSB Policy and Procedure Manual

The PPM outlines all general procedures followed by members of the NOSB. The 

manual is designed to assist the Board in its responsibilities and is considered 

mandatory reading for new members and existing members as well. The PPM covers 

many important issues such as the NOSB Vision Statement, Duties of the Board and 

Officers, NOSB job descriptions, NOSB Principals to Production and Handling, Materials 

Review Process, TAP Contract Procedures, Sunset Review Process and other critical 

information that is important for you to understand. Policies and revisions are 

incorporated periodically, and since the manual guides you on how to craft your 

documents and recommendations, it is essential to refer to the manual and make sure 

you are following the process. 

Additional helpful reading includes Toward Organic Integrity: A Guide to the 

Development of U.S. Organic Standards. Also it is valuable to familiarize yourself with 

current issues by visiting the NOP web site at www.ams.usda.gov/nop/indexIE.htm

The NOP site also has two relevant sections titled “Today’s News” and “What’s New”. 

On the NOSB site, you can access the minutes from the most recent NOSB meeting as 

well as minutes from current NOSB executive committee call meetings. Both sites will 

help prepare you for what will be discussed at the next meeting. 

www.ams.usda.gov/nosb/index.htm

www.ams.usda.gov/nop/indexIE.htm

1
c. What should I do second? 

There are six different committees within the NOSB. Information regarding the various 

committees can be found in the NOSB Policy and Procedures Manual Section IV, page 

15. You will need to select 2-3 committees in which you wish to serve. Generally, it is 

best to select a committee in which you have experience. New members are also 

encouraged to seek the opinion of the NOSB Chair or the Executive Director when 

looking for recommendations on which committee might be best served by you. After 

you have selected your committees, go to the NOSB web site: 

www.ams.usda.gov/nosb/committees.html to review current topics on the various 

committees work-plans. 

d. What if I have questions after reading and reviewing all this material? 

Count on it. You will be assigned an NOSB mentor prior to your first official meeting to 

help you transition onto the Board. Your NOSB mentor will be available to you by phone 

or e-mail to answer your questions as they arise. The NOSB Chair can also be reached 

at any point to assist you. Contact information can be found NOSB Membership 

directory, or by contacting Katherine Benham at katherine.benham@usda.gov. 

e. How do travel arrangements to the NOSB meetings work? 

Scheduling your travel for meetings is your responsibility. You will be provided with a 

Pre-Travel Document from Katherine Benham at the USDA. Katherine can be reached 

at katherine.benham@usda.gov . This document gives you contact information and 

procedures for making your travel arrangements and is included in this section for your 

review. 

Meetings will be scheduled in advance according to NOSB and NOP member 

availability. Once a date has been secured, you will be directed to schedule your travel 

arrangement through the USDA travel service. To make your reservations, you must call 

the FedTraveler at 888-813-9895. ALL AIRLINE RESERVATIONS MUST BE MADE 

THROUGH FedTraveler. You will be asked what branch you are with which is 

USDA/AMS. The Meeting and Lodging location are usually the same place and are 

reserved by the USDA. If you have travel that requires travel outside of the approved 

dates, you will be expected to pay for the additional hotel days. If you have questions 

regarding travel, contact Katherine Benham. 

2
f. USDA NOSB Pre-Travel Document Sample 

SAMPLE FORM 

NATIONAL ORGANIC STANDARDS BOARD MEETING 

PRE-TRAVEL DOCUMENT 

USDA OFFICIAL TRAVEL DATES: [To Be Determined] 

Meeting Dates: To Be Determined 

PERSONAL CREDIT CARDS SHALL NOT BE USED TO 

PURCHASE AIRLINE TICKETS. YOU WILL NOT BE REIMBURSED.

*********PLEASE READ AND FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW ********** 

1. Scheduling your airline, or train reservations: (USDA will pay for 

your travel reservations, and all reservations must be made through 

FedTraveler)

THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS – As a non-government personnel traveler, you are 

prohibited from using a different airline service to purchase or make airline 

reservations. You will not be reimbursed!!!! Once the Administrator signs the 

travel authorization, a pre-travel document will be forwarded to you via email. Upon 

receipt of the pre-travel document, contact FedTraveler at 888-813-9895 and 

identify yourself as traveling for USDA/AMS to schedule airline, or train reservations. 

To guarantee competitive airline pricing, please make sure that you receive the best 

possible Federal government contract rate that is available. In the event your airline 

reservation is over $800, please notify the NOP office. 

2. USDA Accounting Classification Codes: 

To process your reservations, please provide FedTraveler with the following 

information listed below: (The accounting codes to be provided) 

Authorization number: 

Purpose Code: 

Accounting Classification: 

After scheduling your reservations, you should receive two email confirmations from 

FedTraveler: (1) detailing your pre-travel itinerary and the cost ($27.09) to make callin reservations; and (2) one week prior to a meeting, you will receive a final travel 

itinerary notification detailing the actual airline cost. PLEASE NOTE: If you have to 

reschedule or make changes to your reservations, please contact FedTraveler at 1-

800-628-6668. If you have not received a confirmation from FedTraveler, please 

contact them ASAP to request this information. 

PLEASE DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE TO 

MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS!!!!!! 

3
3. Meeting and Lodging Location and Other: 

NOP will provide and pay for your lodging accommodations when traveling to attend 

a USDA/NOSB meeting. USDA prohibits you from making your own reservations. If 

you require to travel and reserve a hotel prior to or after an NOSB meeting, it is 

consider your personal time – you will not be reimburse. 

IMPORTANT: For prior approval, NOP requires three-week notification (email preferred) 

of the following information:

 Business or Personal Travel: To combine personal or business travel to attend an 

NOSB meeting, you must provide your personal travel itinerary and a request

indicating combination of NOSB and other travel information. Identify all city/state 

locations visiting, and include dates for each location. 

 Personal Own Vehicles: When using your own personal vehicle to attend an 

NOSB meeting, please include mileage to/from the meeting. To alleviate delay, it is 

important to provide email notification of the date and time of departure and arrival 

to/from residence and the meeting. USDA will reimburse you for mileage!

 Rental Car Reservations: Provide written notification to NOP your request to rent a 

car to attend an NOSB meeting. Using a local rental car service, please make your 

own reservations. Provide email notification the name of the service and cost. 

USDA will reimburse you!

4. Claiming reimbursement and processing your travel reimbursement 

voucher: (Do not delay, please forward ASAP!) 

Please document your reimbursable expenses using the post-travel document: 

boarding stubs, parking, tolls, taxicabs, and shuttle receipts. 

To assist with expediting your final voucher reimbursement, it is important that NOP 

receive copies of the following documents via fax or mail:

 FedTraveler Travel Itinerary Invoice 

 Post-Travel Information 

 All Receipts 

You will receive reimbursement for your meals under the per diem; and USDA will 

pay for the cost of the hotel. Please do not forward meal or hotel receipts. You will 

receive reimbursement only for the items listed: 

 Per Diem meal expenses – depending on city/state location 

 Mileage from home to the airport and return – 44.5 cents 

 Tolls from home to the airport and return 

 Parking at the airport 

 Taxicab, Shuttle, or Subway fares from home to the airport and return 

 Taxicab, Shuttle, or Subway fares from airport to the hotel and return 

4
 Taxicab, Shuttle, or Subway fares from hotel to USDA and return to 

attend the meeting. Please Note: Tips may not exceed 15% of the 

fare

Please forward travel information to: Ms. Katherine Benham 

USDA /National Organic Program, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW 

Room 4008 S, AG Stop Code 0268 

Washington, DC 20250-0268 

(202) 205–7806, Fax No.: (202) 205–7808 

Katherine.Benham@usda.gov 

g. What to pack? 

Dress code at NOSB meetings is business casual. It’s suggested to bring some casual 

attire and moderately formal attire, for a possible formal get together, or the occasional 

casual dinner. Most of the hotels also have work-out rooms and pools. For the most 

part, dress is not too important as long as you are representing the NOSB professionally. 

You might also wonder if you should pack all your papers that reference work you have 

done on your committees. Agenda, and agenda content, are available prior to meetings 

at www.ams.usda.gov/nosb/meetings/meetings.html. Plus, materials will be provided to 

you at the meetings in a book including copies of public comments, however, it is not a 

bad idea to bring hard copies of specific recommendations that your committee will be 

presenting. Also, it is always wise to bring a copy of OFPA and the Federal Register 

Regulation. We often refer to these documents during the meetings and they may or 

may not be provided. Always bring some cash for your taxi or shuttle to the hotel and 

from the hotel back to the airport. Extra cash for food is also recommended. Remember 

to save all your receipts.

5
2. Some Important Terms Defined

a. What is the National Organic Program (NOP)? 

Title XXI of the 1990 Farm Bill, known as the Organic Foods Production Act, established 

the National Organic Program within the Agriculture Marketing Service (AMS) of the 

USDA. It also established the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), an advisory 

body to the NOP. The Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) authorized the formation 

of a National Organic Program (NOP) to establish organic standards, and to require and 

oversee mandatory certification of organic production. The NOP regulations were 

implemented at the time the Final Regulation was signed by the Secretary of Agriculture 

on October 21, 2002. The USDA NOP,is the regulatory arm that is charged with making 

sure that the NOP regulations are carried out uniformly. In essence the NOP acts as 

overseer to the Program and the NOSB is an advisory board to the Department.

b. What is The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB)? 

Under OFPA, a National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) was created to advise the 

Secretary of Agriculture in setting the standards on which the USDA’s National Organic 

Program will be based. The NOSB has authority granted through OFPA to recommend 

additions to the National List. Further, the NOSB drafts recommendations based on 

needs of the industry with public and industry input. As a member of the NOSB, you are 

working within the Executive Branch of government. In this capacity, you are not 

permitted to work in the other branches because of the required separation of powers. 

The NOSB usually receives an unprecedented amount of public input from farmers, 

businesses and consumers during every step of their decision-making process before 

recommendations are crafted and submitted to the NOP. After considering the 

recommendations of the NOSB, the NOP reviews the recommendations, public 

comments, and industry analysis before proposing a final recommendation. However, 

the Secretary of Agriculture has final authority in determining all regulations. The 

Secretary has limited authority with regards to NOSB recommendation for additions to 

the National List. OFPA states that ONLY the NOSB may recommend the addition of a 

material to the National List. The Secretary may deny the listing of a material, but may 

not add a material that was not previously recommended by the board. 

More information on appointments can be found in OFPA under Composition Of The 

Board, section 6518 (b) in addition to making recommendations on the national 

standards, the NOSB is authorized to convene Technical Advisory Panels to advise on 

materials to be included on a National List of materials allowed for use in organic 

production. See The Final Rule Subpart G 205.600 for more information on these 

materials. Also review Section IV in the NOSB Policy and Procedures Manual.

c. What is the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA)? 

The Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) was Title XXI of the 1990 Farm Bill. Its 

purpose was to establish national standards for the production and handling of foods 

6
labeled as "organic." Previously, there was no uniformity in standards and therefore no 

guarantee that "organic" meant the same thing from certifier to certifier. National 

standards for organic products were desired by both producers and consumers to clear 

up confusion in the marketplace and to protect against mislabeling or fraud. Also, a 

national standard allowed for the negotiation with foreign countries for international 

acceptance of US produced organic products. 

OFPA allows for state standards that are more restrictive than the federal standards, but 

these provisions must be approved by the USDA. In addition, states cannot discriminate 

against out-of-state products that meet the federal standards. The Organic Foods 

Production Act can be found in its entirety at www.ams.usda.gov/nop/archieve/ofpa.html

d. What is the Federal Register Final Rule? 

On March 13, 2000, USDA published a revised proposed rule in the Federal Register. 

The public had until June 12, 2000, to comment on this version. USDA then began 

working on a final rule for publication in the Federal Register. 

The final rule was published in December, 2000. The rule was implemented over an 18-

month period from February, 2001 to October, 2002. The final rule replaces the 

proposed rule published in the Federal Register March 13, 2000. The public submitted 

40,774 comments on the proposed rule demonstrating public interest in maintaining 

organic regulations that continue to support OFPA, and the general integrity of organic 

foods. Comments to the proposed rule were considered in the preparation of the final 

rule which was implemented October 2002. 

According to the Federal Register 7 CFR Part 205 

Summary: This final rule establishes the National Organic Program (NOP or 

program) under the direction of the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), an arm 

of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This national program 

will facilitate domestic and international marketing of fresh and processed food 

that is organically produced and assure consumers that such products meet 

consistent, uniform standards. This program establishes national standards for 

the production and handling of organically produced products, including a 

National List of substances approved for and prohibited from use in organic 

production and handling. This final rule establishes a national-level accreditation 

program to be administered by AMS for State officials and private persons who 

want to be accredited as certifying agents. Under the program, certifying agents 

will certify production and handling operations in compliance with the 

requirements of this regulation and initiate compliance actions to enforce 

program requirements. The final rule includes requirements for labeling products 

as organic and containing organic ingredients. This final rule also provides for 

importation of organic agricultural products from foreign programs determined to 

have equivalent organic program requirements. This program is authorized under 

the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990, as amended 

7
The Federal Register further defined: 

• The publication that has been established by Statute and Rule through which 

the Executive Branch rules are published. 

• “If you intend to bind the public, you have to provide actual and timely notice.” 

• The Federal Register has format and public notice rules that have to be 

followed. 

• Public comment periods are generally for a minimum of 15 days, but as a 

matter of practice, agencies and programs prefer to allow for more time. 

• The web as an electronic medium is increasingly utilized in conjunction with 

the written published version of the Federal Register. Ultimately, it is 

expected that the electronic version of the Federal Register will be adopted 

as the real-time version of the Federal Register, but this has not yet occurred. 

The written version is still considered the final word until further notice 

Advanced Notice of Proposed Rule (ANPR) 

Optional – Involves proposing an idea and formally asking for public comment before 

you draft the proposed rule. This is strictly an idea and data collecting process that 

discourages back-room idea and data collection. i.e. ANPR for Pasture

Notice of Proposed Rule (NPR) 

Required – Provides background, Intent, and Objectives via the Preamble, Proposes 

specific rule language, and is Open to Public Comment.

Interim Final Rule (IFR) 

Optional – Very similar to the Final Rule – still open to some public comment, used 

primarily when issues are controversial and some tweaking of the final rule language 

may be required. 

Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rule (SNPR) 

Optional – open to public comment on an newly proposed areas that came up during 

NPR that were not foreseen, but also includes some areas that are more decided and 

not as open to comment. 

Direct Final Rule (DFR) 

Special Circumstances – usually not a controversial issue and requires immediate 

action (good cause criteria have to be met), risky because if one commenter objects, 

then they have to resubmit as an NPR which costs money – and allow public comment. 

i.e. the banning of dangerous toys for small children. 

Final Rule: 30 days before effective date 

Required – Provides Background, Intent, and Objectives via the Preamble, Proposes 

specific rule language, and is not open to Public Comment as all public commenting time 

periods have either been met through the above required and optional steps, with the 

exception of rules being modified to respond to court actions and deadlines. 

Any further changes to these regulations would be made through petition: “Petition for 

Reconsideration”, and would essentially be re-run through the Federal Register process 

as described above.

8
9

 

e. What are Rules and the Process of Rulemaking 

Commonly, laws do not contain level of detail for their practical implementation. Rather, 

agencies of the Executive branch have to promulgate rules, or regulations, to serve as 

guides in the implementation of laws. The protocols for rule implementation are found 

in the Federal Register Act of 1935 and the Administrative Procedure Act of 1946. 

However, the rule development process is summarized by Longest1

 in five general 

steps: 

“1. Grant rulemaking authority 

- Congress delegates authority directly to agencies 

- President may delegate constitutional authority to subordinates 

- President or an agency head may re-delegate authority to subordinates 

 2. Proposed rule stage 

- Office of Management and Budget (OMB) reviews under Executive Order 

12866 

- Agencies publish proposed rule in Federal Register (FR) for public comment 

3. Final rule stage 

- OMB review again under Executive Order 12866 

- Agencies publish final rule in FR 

- Agencies respond to comments, amend the Code of Federal Regulations 

(CFR), set effective date 

4. Congressional review 

- Agencies submit rules to Congress and to GAO, which has the ability to 

nullify rules 

5. Effective date 

- Rules go into effect after a 30-day minimum; a 60-day minimum applies for 

major rules 

- Agencies may delay or withdraw rules before they become effective” 

In addition, the following page presents a diagram providing more detail on the 

rulemaking process. 

1

 Longest, B. B., Health Policymaking in the United States, AUPHA, 2006 
10
11

3. NOSB and the Public 

NOSB members not only represent their sector, but they also represent the USDA and the 

public. We listen to public comments to help guide us towards a better understanding of what 

the public would like to have represented in the organic regulations. The public comment 

process is in place in government to insure timely notice and to allow the public to provide input 

in a way that prevents back room decision-making. This is why “Government in the Sunshine” 

rules are in place and also why there are rules governing “Conflicts of Interest” which will also 

be addressed following this section on public comments. 

a. When do you request public input. 

NOSB members are selected not only because of their expertise and understanding of specific 

areas of the Organic industry, but because of their contacts with different segments of the 

community (producers, handlers, consumers, retailers, certifiers). Most of the work performed 

by NOSB depends on input from the public including: 

• Approving materials for use in the organic industry 

• Evaluating a specific Rule 

• Providing clarifications 

It is worth mentioning that incorporating public input assures considering a wide range of 

opinions and guarantees a transparent procedure for the work of the NOSB. 

b. How the public provides and submits comments. 

On an informal level, NOSB members are encouraged to maintain and expand their contacts 

base in order to maintain an open line with the needs of the industry. On a formal level, NOSB 

members request input from the public in the following manner: 

• Public comment sessions during normal NOSB meetings 

• Mail, both electronic and snail. 

c. NOSB meeting sessions for public comment 

Public comment sessions are scheduled at most NOSB meetings. The topic of the comment is 

posted on the NOP website and the public is invited to signup to address the Board. Public 

comment sessions take several hours and participants are registered on a first-come first-serve 

basis. Depending on the time available for the session, each participant is allowed a designated 

amount of time to speak not including questions from Board members. The PPM allows 

speakers to extend their allotted time with a proxy. Only one proxy is allowed per speaker. The 

public is encouraged to provide testimony in written form. During the meeting, you will collect 

many documents provided by the public. These are helpful for reference when committees are 

working on a particular issue in which the public has provided input. 

d. How NOP captures public comments 

The NOP team is in charge of recording and receiving all petitions and public input directed at 

the NOSB. The NOP keeps written record of all comments provided during public comment 

sessions and maintains an archive of all correspondence received. These comments are also 

posted on the NOSB website and it is available to the public. 
12

e. How NOSB reviews public comment 

The review and implementation of public input takes place at the committee level. Committee 

members are expected to review all petitions or comments from the public before providing a 

recommendation to the Chair and members of the Board. Currently, a committee member is 

assigned to review, classify and summarize all data received by NOP. Afterwards, all 

committee members review the data individually and proceed to complete a recommendation. 

The approach is email-intensive and can involve numerous conference calls and face-to-face 

sessions during NOSB meetings. 

4. Dealing with the Public

a. E-mail and media. 

The information that is discussed in NOSB conference calls, through e-mail, official meetings or 

work sessions is confidential until it is made public. It is your duty to respect and follow this 

level of trust and not share information until it is officially made public. As mentioned in the 

Policy and Procedures Manual, a Board member’s loyalty is to the organic community and the 

public at large; however the information should be accurate and agreed upon before being 

shared with the public. 

b. At Official NOSB Meetings: 

During public comment sessions, let the speaker finish and listen and give eye contact as much 

as possible. The public deserves our respect and attentive listening, and relies on each NOSB 

member to take there comments into consideration. Commenter only have 5-10 minutes, so 

record your questions as they are speaking so you can follow up at the end of their time. When 

commenting during meetings remember to: 

• Be respectful 

• Be professional 

• Be patient 

• Be informed 

• Be concise 
13

5. Suggested Best Practices 

The following sections describe suggested practices that followed by NOSB members are 

proven to improve member productivity. 

a. Maintaining Organization of NOSB Meetings 

There will be a great deal of papers that your receive and keeping them organized can be a 

challenge. The following guidelines may help you keep it all sorted: 

 

1. A file cabinet specifically for the NOSB can be useful. 

2. You can create files for each year and committee name. 

3. You can start to create sub files based on topics for each committee. 

4. It helps to shelve your NOSB Meeting books. 

5. Filter out what you don’t need and recycle. 

You will receive several revisions of documents as your committee is crafting and editing before 

submitting the final document. Committee Chairs and Vice Chairs should save all versions and 

file them, committee members can just save the final copy. Public comments that you receive in 

the meetings can be filed, or you can find them archived on the NOP web site. 

b. Making the most of your conference calls and meetings. 

Because members are based in all regions of the country, a great deal of the work of the NOSB 

involves telephone conversations. The following is a list of suggested practices relating to 

conducting effective conference calls and meetings. 

• Develop the agenda together with key members of the committee. 

• Provide ample notice of the date and time of the meeting/conference call. 

• Review the agenda and all documents related to agenda items. 

• Manage time wisely by starting and finishing on time. 

• Review action items. 

Conference calls are confidential and are for NOSB members and NOP staff only. The 

Executive Director will take minutes at all conference calls. These minutes can be accessed 

through the NOSB Secretary or the Executive Director. The NOSB Executive Director will send 

out periodic updates to a master calendar of the scheduled committee conference calls with 

phone-in numbers, pass codes and conference call leader information, all of which you need in 

order to access the call. Executive committee calls are scheduled the second Friday of each 

month and consist of only the NOSB officers and chairs and NOP personnel. However all 

committee members are invited to listen in. All Executive Committee meeting minutes are 

posted on the website for public access. 

c. Keeping Up with Reading and Writing Materials 

In the beginning, there will be more reading than normal. It is important to dig in and get all your 

essential reading completed prior to your first official board meeting (see section 1). Allocate 

time in your weekly schedule to read necessary documents and information that is sent out by 

your fellow board members and the NOP. There is no easy way to tell you how to keep up with 

reading and writing other than to tell you to be careful NOT to get behind. 
d. Organizing E-Mail

A big part of keeping up with your e-mail is 

discipline. You will need to make a consistent 

practice of checking your e-mail and accomplishing 

several tasks to keep ahead of the increased 

amount of information that will make its way into 

your inbox. Below is a suggested folders 

arrangement for Outlook. 

a. Go to your in box. 

b. Click on the task bar under “file” 

c. Scroll down to “new folder”. This will 

create a file for you in your outlook home 

screen. 

d. Type in the name of the committee, or 

subject matter, in which you want to have 

a file for storing the incoming e-mails. 

e. You will now have a file where you can 

drop e-mails into a side folder directly 

from your in box. Once you do that 

delete it from your inbox. 

f. Clean out and DELETE monthly. Delete 

e-mails that you don’t need to save. It is 

not necessary to save every e-mail you 

get from the NOSB or NOP. Be selective. 

You will need to filter out e-mails that are 

not applicable, and to keep your 

computer from overloading. You can also 

save hard copies and file that way so you 

can delete e-mail. • Check your in-box on a daily basis. • Be concise and answer all 

questions in your responses within 

24-48 hours. 

• Do not attach unnecessary files. • Do not overuse Reply to All. • Try not to write with abbreviations. 

You can also store files on your hard drive or desk 

top by committee. 

14
e. Tracking Changes in Word Documents 

Preparing and sharing electronically several drafts of recommendations and documents will be 

part of the ongoing process of your role on a committee. Every document must be reviewed, 

often by multiple parties, and the comments and revisions must be tracked and incorporated 

into the documents. Without an organized approach, large documents and their changes can 

quickly become unwieldy and confusing. Comments and revisions can overlap, and some might 

get lost in the shuffle. 

Microsoft Office Word-Track Change (TRK) feature can help you track changes and compare 

versions of your documents more precisely. With the Track Changes feature, you can have 

multiple reviewers mark up separate copies of the document, and then you can merge all of the 

changes — and review them at the same time. You can see who added each comment and 

when, and track additional changes that you make as you review the document. Below is a 

starting point to understanding how to navigate your way through several features using track 

change mode. A full demo is found in http://office.microsoft.com/training. 

After opening your document, activating the Track Changes feature is simple. On the Tools

menu, click Track Changes. 

The review toolbar buttons will appear. 

At the same time, the TRK label will appear in bold letters on the status bar located at the 

bottom of the screen. 

All edits will be shown in the document in colored font. When receiving track changes in a 

document place your curser over the track change in the document to see the name of the 

15
person who submitted the track change. In order to turn off the tracking feature, double click 

on TRK until it dims. 

The review toolbars allow you to approve, or reject, edits in two simple steps. First, place 

your cursor over the edited text. Second, click the button to accept the edit. This will 

delete the track change and restore your document without showing edits. or click the 

button to reject it. This will reject the suggested edit and return your document to its original 

state. The Next and Previous buttons allow you to navigate through the document 

quickly. Using the drop down list on the and buttons, allows you to accept or reject all 

changes in the document at once. 

16

There are two features in TRK that help in the review process, the Reviewing and Show

toolbars. The drop-down arrow in the Reviewing toolbar, allows you to view the document at 

different stages of editing. For example, the Original Showing Markup selection displays all 

edits from all contributors highlighted in different colors. The Original selection presents the 

document prior to any edits. 
The Show toolbar allows you to select edits by type such as comments, insertions and 

formats. This toolbar also allows you to isolate edits by reviewer name. 

To print a list of changes made to a document: 

Open or switch to the document that contains all the markups. On the File menu, click Print. In 

the Print what box, click List of markup 

17
18

6. Accredited Certification Agencies 

a. What is their function? 

The function of the Accredited Certification Agencies (ACAs) is to certify, on behalf of USDA, 

that producers and handlers comply with approved organic practices. An ACA is accredited by 

the NOP. They operate in all regions of the United States and selected countries, and include 

private companies, not-for-profit organizations and several state government agencies. 

b. List of Agencies 

The NOP link presented below provides a comprehensive list of ACAs: 

http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop/CertifyingAgents/Accredited.html#top
19

7. Supporting Organizations and Resources 

You will find that during official NOSB meetings there will be significant representation from 

various organizations. Often they will refer to other organizations using only acronyms. 

Below is a list to help you familiarize yourself with the various acronyms and the supporting 

agencies that are involved with the organic industry in some form.

 a) Federal Government agencies 

1. Environmental Production Agency (EPA), 

2. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), 

3. Food Safety & Inspection Service (FSIS), 

4. Cooperative State Regional Extension and Education Service 

(CSREES), 

5. National Agriculture Library (NAL) 

6. Alcohol Tobacco Tax & Trade Bureau (TTB) formally Bureau of Alcohol 

Tobacco and Firearms (BATF)

7. Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE), 

8. Risk Management Agency (RMA), 

b) Other Bodies Involved in Regulatory Issues 

9. Association of American Plant Food Control Officials (AAPFCO) 

10. American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) 

11. American National Standards Institute (ANSI) 

12. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 

c) State Organizations 

13. National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) 

14. National Association of State Organic Programs (NASOP) 

d) Other Organizations 

15. Appropriate Transfer of Technology in Rural Areas (ATTRA) 

16. National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) 

17. Accredited Certifiers Association (ACA) 

18. Organic Trade Association (OTA) The Organic Center for Research 

and Education 

19. International Federation of Organic Ag. Movements (IFOAM) 

20. International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 

21. Cornucopia Institute 

22. Independent Organic Inspectors Association (IOIA) 

23. National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture 

24. National Organic Coalition 

25. Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) 

26. Center for Food Safety 

27. Organic Consumers Association (OCA) 

28. Organic Materials Research Institute (OMRI) 
20

Appendix 1 – Current NOSB Contact Information 

NATIONAL ORGANIC STANDARDS BOARD MEMBERS 

Placeholder location for NOSB Member personal contact information
21

NATIONAL ORGANIC STANDARDS BOARD COMMITTEES 

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OFFICERS

Andrea Caroe Chairperson 

Julie Wiseman Vice-Chairperson 

Bea E. James Secretary 

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE REPRESENTATIVES

Daniel Giacomini, Chairperson Materials 

Gerald Davis, Chairperson Crops 

Rigoberto Delgado, Chairperson Policy Development 

Julie Weisman, Chairperson Handling 

Joseph Smillie, Chairperson Compliance, Accreditation and Certification 

Hubert Karreman, Chairperson Livestock 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CROPS COMMITTEE HANDLING COMMITTEE 

GERALD DAVIS, Chair JULIE WEISMAN, Chair 

Jeff Moyer ,Vice Chair Steve DeMuri, Vice Chair 

Rigoberto Delgado Andrea Caroe

Tina Ellor Katrina Heinze 

Kevin Engelbert Joe Smillie 

Tracy Miedema 

 COMPLIANCE, ACCREDITATION, 

MATERIALS COMMITTEE AND CERTIFICATION COMMITTEE 

DANIEL GIACOMINI, Chair JOSEPH SMILLIE, Chair 

Katrina Heinze, Vice Chair Bea James, Vice Chair 

Steve DeMuri Andrea Caroe

Kevin Engelbert Jennifer Hall 

Jeff Moyer Tracy Miedema 

Julie Weisman 

POLICY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE LIVESTOCK COMMITTEE 

RIGOBERTO DELGADO, Chair HUBERT KARREMAN, Chair 

Bea James, Vice Chair Kevin Engelbert, Vice Chair 

Andrea Caroe Rigoberto Delgado 

Hue Karreman Tina Ellor 

Daniel Giacomini 

Jennifer Hall 

Jeffrey Moyer 

 

 

 
22

Appendix 2 - Current NOP Contact Information

USDA/National Organic Program (NOP) 

1400 Independence Avenue, SW 

Room 4008-South, Ag. Stop 0268 

Washington, D.C. 20250 

Main Line: (202) 720-3252 

Fax: (202) 205-7808 

BOARD CONTACTS

Name E-mail Telephone (Eastern Time)

Mark A. Bradley mark.bradley@usda.gov (202) 720-3252 

Associate Deputy Administrator 

Valerie Frances valerie.frances@usda.gov (202) 720-3233 

Executive Director 

Katherine Benham katherine.benham@usda.gov (202) 720-3252 

Advisory Board Specialist 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

National Organic Program Web Site: www.ams.usda.gov/nop