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

7353 

Vol. 89, No. 23 

Friday, February 2, 2024 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Agricultural Marketing Service 

[Doc. No. AMS–TM–23–0076] 

Notice of Availability of the Final 

Programmatic Environmental 

Assessment and Finding of No 

Significant Impact for the AMS Organic 

Market Development Grant Program 

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, 

USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of availability. 

SUMMARY: The Agricultural Marketing 

Service (AMS) announces the 

availability of the Final Programmatic 

Environmental Assessment (PEA) and 

Finding of No Significant Impact 

(FONSI) for the AMS Organic Market 

Development Grant Program. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Betsy Rakola, Associate Deputy 

Administrator, Transportation and 

Marketing Program; Telephone: (202) 

690–1300; Email: OMDG@usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

The Final PEA and FONSI analyze 

and disclose the potential 

environmental impacts associated with 

the establishment of the Organic Market 

Development Grant Program (OMDG). 

AMS has proposed to fund grants to 

support the development of new and 

expanded organic markets by providing 

additional resources for businesses 

transitioning to organic or initiating new 

organic production and processing 

capacity. These grants will create new 

and improved markets for domestically 

produced organic products through 

investments in expanded certified 

organic processing capacity; activities 

that develop, maintain, or expand 

commercial organic markets; and 

organic product developments which 

create new uses for producers that 

currently lack markets. 

Selected applicants for the OMDG 

program may invest in certified organic 

infrastructure and expand processing 

capacities, in addition to adding 

manufacturing, storing, transporting, 

wholesaling, or distribution 

infrastructure. Funded activities will 

include developing new markets to 

increase demand for domestically 

produced organic agricultural products 

and providing additional market 

networks. 

The OMDG Program is authorized by 

authorized by section 5(e) of the 

Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) 

Charter Act, (15 U.S.C. 714(e)). Section 

5(e), as amended, authorizes USDA 

(through the CCC) to ‘‘increase the 

domestic consumption of agricultural 

commodities (other than tobacco) by 

expanding or aiding in the expansion of 

domestic markets or by developing or 

aiding in the development of new and 

additional markets, marketing facilities, 

and uses for such commodities.’’ 

Recipients of funding from this 

proposed program would be allowed 36 

months to complete work funded by the 

grant awards. 

The environmental impacts of 

funding projects to enhance existing 

organic processing facilities have been 

considered in a manner consistent with 

the provisions of the National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 

1969, Public Law 91–190, 42 U.S.C. 

4321–4347, as amended. 

A Final PEA and FONSI have been 

prepared, and based on this analysis, 

AMS has determined there will not be 

a significant impact to the human 

environment. As a result, an 

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 

has not been initiated (40 CFR 1501.6). 

AMS intends for this PEA to create 

efficiencies by establishing a framework 

that can be used for ‘‘tiering,’’ where 

appropriate, to project-specific actions 

that require additional analysis. As 

decisions on specific applications are 

made, to the extent additional NEPA 

analysis is required, environmental 

review will be conducted to supplement 

the analysis set forth in this PEA. 

The Final PEA and FONSI are 

available for review online at the 

program website: https://www.ams.

usda.gov/services/grants/omdg. 

Comments 

AMS published a Draft PEA for public 

comment on November 20, 2023. The 

public comment period ended on 

December 20, 2023. No comments were 

received during the designated 

timeframe, and as such, no substantial 

changes were made to the document. 

Melissa Bailey, 

Associate Administrator, Agricultural 

Marketing Service. 

[FR Doc. 2024–02120 Filed 2–1–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–02–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Agricultural Marketing Service 

[Doc. No. AMS–LP–23–0027] 

Soybean Promotion, Research, and 

Information Program: Opportunity To 

Request a Referendum 

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, 

USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Agricultural Marketing 

Service (AMS) announces that soybean 

producers may request a referendum to 

determine if producers want the 

Secretary to conduct a referendum on 

the Soybean Promotion and Research 

Order (Order), as authorized under the 

Soybean Promotion, Research, and 

Consumer Information Act (Act). 

Participation in the Request for 

Referendum is voluntary. Producers 

should participate only if they wish to 

request a referendum on the program. If 

at least 10 percent (not in excess of onefifth of which may be producers in any 

one State) of the 413,358 eligible 

producers, as determined by the U.S. 

Department of Agriculture (USDA), 

participate in the Request for 

Referendum, a referendum would be 

held within 1 year from that 

determination. If results of the Request 

for Referendum indicate that a 

referendum is not supported, a 

referendum would not be conducted. 

The results of the Request for 

Referendum will be published in a 

notice in the Federal Register. 

DATES: Soybean producers may request 

a referendum during a 4-week period 

beginning on May 6, 2024, and ending 

May 31, 2024. To be eligible to 

participate in the Request for 

Referendum, producers must certify that 

they or the producer entity they are 

authorized to represent paid an 

assessment at any time between January 

1, 2022, and December 31, 2023. 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES