Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 210 / Monday, October 30, 2000 / Notices 64657

Abstract: Marketing order programs

provide an opportunity for producers of

fresh fruits, vegetables and specialty

crops, in specified production areas, to

work together to solve marketing

problems that cannot be solved

individually. Order regulations help

ensure adequate supplies of high quality

product and adequate returns to

producers. Under the Agricultural

Marketing Agreement Act of 1937

(AMAA), as amended (7 U.S.C. 601–

674) industries enter into marketing

order programs. The Secretary of

Agriculture is authorized to oversee the

order operations and issue regulations

recommended by a committee of

representatives from each commodity

industry.

The information collection

requirements in this request are

essential to carry out the intent of the

AMAA, to provide the respondents the

type of service they request, and to

administer the marketing order

programs. Under the Act, orders may

authorize the following: production and

marketing research, including paid

advertising, volume regulations,

reserves, including pools and producer

allotments, container regulations, and

quality control. Production and

marketing research activities are paid

for by assessments levied on handlers

regulated under the marketing orders.

Under the marketing orders,

producers and handlers are nominated

by their respective peers. These

nominees then serve as representatives

on their respective committees/boards

and must file nomination forms with the

Secretary.

The respective committees/boards

have developed forms as a means for

persons to file required information

with the committees/boards relating to

supplies, shipments, and dispositions of

their respective commodities, and other

information needed to effectively carry

out the purpose of the AMAA and their

respective orders, and these forms are

utilized accordingly.

Formal rulemaking amendments to

the orders must be approved in

referenda conducted by the Secretary.

Also, the Secretary may conduct a

continuance referendum to determine

industry support for continuation of

these marketing order programs.

Handlers are asked to sign an agreement

to indicate their willingness to abide by

the provisions of the respective orders

whenever an order is amended.

This information collection will

merge: OMB #0581–0094, Oranges,

grapefruit, tangerines, and tangelos

grown in Florida, Marketing Order No.

905; OMB #0581–0080, Fresh pears and

peaches grown in California, Marketing

Order No. 917; OMB #0581–0095,

Apricots grown in designated counties

in Washington, Marketing Order No.

922; OMB #0581–0089, Winter pears

grown in Oregon and Washington,

Marketing Order No. 927; OMB #0581–

0103, Cranberries grown in the States of

Massachusetts, Rhode Island,

Connecticut, New Jersey, Wisconsin,

Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon,

Washington, and Long Island in the

State of New York, Marketing Order No.

929; and OMB #0581–0092, Fresh

Bartlett pears grown in Oregon and

Washington, Marketing Order No. 931.

The forms covered under this

information collection will continue to

require the minimum information

necessary to effectively carry out the

requirements of the orders, and their use

is necessary to fulfill the intent of the

AMAA as expressed in the orders.

The information collected is used

only by authorized employees of the

committees and authorized

representatives of the USDA, including

AMS, Fruit and Vegetable Programs’

regional and headquarter’s staff.

Authorized committee employees are

the primary users of the information and

AMS is the secondary user.

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting

burden for this collection of information

is estimated to average .40824 hours per

response.

Respondents: Producers, handlers and

processors.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

16,971.

Estimated Number of Responses per

Respondent: 1.283.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on

Respondents: 8,889 hours.

Comments: Comments are invited on:

(1) Whether the proposed collection of

the information is necessary for the

proper performance of the functions of

the agency, including whether the

information will have practical utility;

(2) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate

of the burden of the proposed collection

of information including the validity of

the methodology and assumptions used;

(3) ways to enhance the quality, utility

and clarity of the information to be

collected; and (4) ways to minimize the

burden of the collection of information

on those who are to respond, including

through the use of appropriate

automated, electronic, mechanical, or

other technological collection

techniques or other forms of information

technology.

Comments should reference this

docket number and the appropriate

marketing order, and be mailed to the

Docket Clerk, Fruit and Vegetable

Programs, AMS, USDA, P.O. Box 96456,

Room 2525-S, Washington, DC 20090–

6456; Fax (202) 720–5698; or E-mail:

moab.docketclerk@usda.gov. Comments

should reference the docket number and

the date and page number of this issue

of the Federal Register. All comments

received will be available for public

inspection in the Office of the Docket

Clerk during regular USDA business

hours at 14th and Independence Ave.,

S.W., Washington, D.C., room 2525–S,

or can be viewed at: http://

www.ams.usda.gov/fv/moab.html.

All responses to this notice will be

summarized and included in the request

for OMB approval. All comments will

also become a matter of public record.

Dated: October 24, 2000.

Robert C. Keeney,

Deputy Administrator, Fruit and Vegetable

Programs.

[FR Doc. 00–27787 Filed 10–27–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–02–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

[TM–00–10]

Notice of Meeting of the National

Organic Standards Board

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service,

USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Federal Advisory Committee Act, as

amended, the Agricultural Marketing

Service (AMS) announces a forthcoming

meeting of the National Organic

Standards Board (NOSB).

DATES: November 15, 2000, from 2:00

p.m. to 4.30 p.m.; November 16, 2000,

9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; and November

17, 2000, 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (Eastern

Daylight Time each day).

PLACE: The Department of Agriculture,

Economic Research Service, 1800 M

Street, NW, Waugh Auditorium, 3rd

Floor Room, Washington, DC.

Telephone: (202) 694–5103.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Keith Jones, Program Manager, National

Organic Program, USDA–AMS–TMP–

NOP, Room 2945–So., Ag Stop 0268,

P.O. Box 96456, Washington, D.C.

20090–6456, Telephone: (202) 720–

3252.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section

2119 (7 U.S.C. 6518) of the Organic

Foods Production Act of 1990 (OFPA),

as amended (7 U.S.C. Section 6501 et

seq.) requires the establishment of the

NOSB. The purpose of the NOSB is to

make recommendations about whether a

substance should be allowed or

prohibited in organic production or

64658 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 210 / Monday, October 30, 2000 / Notices

handling, to assist in the development

of standards for substances to be used in

organic production and to advise the

Secretary on any other aspects of the

implementation of OFPA. The NOSB

met for the first time in Washington,

D.C., in March 1992 and currently has

five committees working on various

aspects of the program. The committees

are: Accreditation, Crops, Livestock,

Materials, and Processing.

In August of 1994, the NOSB

provided its initial recommendations for

the National Organic Program (NOP) to

the Secretary of Agriculture. Since that

time the NOSB has submitted 30

addenda to its recommendations and

reviewed more than 170 substances for

inclusion on the National List of

Allowed and Prohibited Substances.

The last meeting of the NOSB was held

on June 6–8, 2000, in Washington, DC.

The Department of Agriculture

(USDA) published its re-proposed

National Organic Program regulation in

the Federal Register on March 13, 2000

(65 FR 13512). Comments were accepted

until June 12, 2000. Forty thousand

seven hundred and seventy four

(40,774) comments were received

during the comment period.

Purpose and Agenda

The principal purposes of this

meeting are to provide an opportunity

for the NOSB to: receive committee

reports; receive an update from the

Aquatic Task Force Working Group;

receive an update from the USDA/NOP;

and review materials for possible

inclusion on, or removal from, the

National List of Approved and

Prohibited Substances. Materials to be

reviewed at the meeting are periacetic

acid, calcium borogluconate, animal

enzymes, leather meal and sodium

chlorate. For further information see

http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop. Copies

of the NOSB meeting agenda can be

requested from Mrs. Toni Strother,

USDA–AMS–TMP–NOP, Room 2510–

So., Ag Stop 0268, P.O. Box 96456,

Washington, D.C. 20090–6456; by phone

at (202) 720–3252; or by accessing the

NOP website at http://

www.ams.usda.gov/nop.

Type of Meeting

This meeting is open to the public.

The NOSB has scheduled time for

public input on Wednesday, November

15, 2000, from 2:00 p.m. until 4:30 p.m.

at the USDA Economic Research

Service, 1800 M Street, NW, South

Tower, Waugh Auditorium, 3rd Floor,

Washington, D.C. 20036. Telephone:

(202) 694–5103. Individuals and

organizations wishing to make an oral

presentation at the meeting should

forward their request to Mrs. Toni

Strother at the above address or by FAX

to (202) 205–7808 by close of business

November 13, 2000. While persons

wishing to make a presentation may

sign up at the door, advance registration

will ensure an opportunity to speak

during the allotted time period and will

help the NOSB to better manage the

meeting and accomplish its agenda.

Individuals or organizations will be

given approximately 5 minutes to

present their views. All persons making

an oral presentation are requested to

provide their comments in writing, if

possible. Written submissions may

contain information other than

presented at the oral presentation.

Written comments may be submitted to

the NOSB at the meeting or to Mrs.

Strother after the meeting at the above

address.

Dated: October 26, 2000.

James A. Caron,

Acting Deputy Administrator, Transportation

and Marketing.

[FR Doc. 00–27896 Filed 10–27–00; 12:31

am]

BILLING CODE 3410–02–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Phase 1—Fuels Treatment for

Community Protection Environmental

Impact Statement, Six Rivers National

Forest, Lower Trinity Ranger District,

Humboldt County, California

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an

Environmental Impact Statement.

SUMMARY: The Six Rivers National

Forest will prepare an Environmental

Impact Statement (EIS) on a proposal to

reduce fuels in high severity burned

stands within strategically located fuel

breaks and associated fuel treatment

areas within the Waterman Ridge, Lone

Pine Ridge and Mill Creek areas. Fuels

reduction treatments are proposed on

approximately 931 acres of

merchantable and 187 acres of nonmerchantable stands. Fuel reduction

was identified as a need in the Forestwide Late-Successional Reserve

Assessment (April 1999) and further

developed in the Horse Linto, Mill and

Tish Tang Watershed Assessment

(March 2000). It is the first phase of the

Megram Fire Recovery Strategy

designed to protect communities from

wildlife and extended exposure to

smoke and to restore affected

watersheds. The entire project is in

federal land ownership.

Treatment within merchantable

stands involves the removal of fire and

insect killed commercial wood material

and treatment of the remaining fuels.

Merchantable stands have the size,

quality and condition suitable for

market under current economic

conditions. Treatment of remaining

fuels would use a combination of

methods including: Lop and scatter,

masticating (chipping) of treatment

units or strips along roads and skid

trails, excavator piling, hand piling,

burning of piles and concentration of

fuels (jackpot burning), yarding

unmerchantable material to landings

and burning it, felling unmerchantable

material and burning, and broadcast

burning.

Non-merchantable stands would be

treated to reduce fuels by cutting dead

vegetation and hand piling and burning.

Planting of nursery stock would occur

on understocked acres upon completion

of fuel treatments. Stand tending

treatments include release for conifer

establishment and growth, conifer

thinning and pruning.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope

of this project should be received in

writing by December 1, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Please send written

comments to S.E. ‘‘Lou’’ Woltering,

Forest Supervisor, Six Rivers National

Forest, 1330 Bayshore Way, Eureka,

California 95501.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

John Larson, Lower Trinity District

Ranger, Six Rivers National Forest,

(530) 625–2118; or

Dave Webb, EIS Team Leader, Six

Rivers National Forest, P.O. Box 228,

Gasquet, CA 95543, (707) 457–3131,

extension 120.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: During the

summer and fall of 1999, the Megram

Fire burned approximately 49,400 acres

within the Horse Linto, Mill Creek and

Tish Tang Creek (HLMTT) watersheds.

Subsequent to the Fire, the HLMTT

Watershed Assessment (WA) was

completed in March 2000.

The Megram Recovery Strategy was

prepared in June of 2000, which set

priorities for implementation of the

recommendations made in the WA. The

Watershed Analysis emphasizes the

need to restore watershed functions,

protect remaining mature and old

growth stands from catastrophic loss,

accelerate development of latesuccessional habitat, reduce fuel levels

in strategic locations and create stand

conditions that would lower the

potential for future catastrophic fire

and, at the same time, provide for

community protection from future

wildfires and extended exposure to