66684 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 217 / Monday, November 10, 2014 / Notices 

Audrey; Shahin, Jessica; Thornton, 

Jane; Tribiano, Jeffrey 

Rural Development (RD) 

Ferguson, Katherine; O’Brien, Doug; 

Kunesh, Patrice 

Rural Business Service 

Parker, Chadwick O. 

Rural Housing Service 

Allen, Joyce; Davis, Richard A.; 

Glendenning, Roger; Hannah, 

Thomas; Hooper, Bryan; Primrose, 

Edna; Ross, Robert H.; Salguero, 

Francisco; Atkins, Anita 

Rural Utilities Service 

Adams, Keith; Ackerman, Kenneth; 

Bojes, Gary; Ponti-Lazaruk, Jacqueline 

Natural Resources and Environment 

Blazer, Arthur; Bonnie, Robert Farrell; 

Harrell, Meryl; Mills, Ann C. 

Forest Service 

Atkinson, Kathleen; Blount, Emilee; 

Brown, Thomas C.; Bryant, Arthur; 

Bytnerowicz, Andrzej; Christiansen, 

Victoria; Cleaves, David A.; Cohen, 

Warren Bruce; Coleman, Angela V.; 

Cullen, Daniel; Dixon, Antoine; 

Doudrick, Robert; Ferguson, Tony; 

Ferrell, David L.; Foster, George S.; 

Friend, Alexander L.; Grant, Gordon 

E.; Guldin, Richard; Gutman, 

Theodore H.; Hammel, Kenneth E.; 

Harbour, Thomas C.; Hubbard, James 

E.; Iverson, Louis R.; Jiron, Daniel J.; 

Joyner, Calvin N.; Krueger, Faye L.; 

Lago, Jacquelyn L.; Lemly, Dennis; 

Lepore, Mary Beth; Lugo, Ariel E.; 

Mangold, Robert D.; McGuire, 

Jennifer; Meade, Joe L.; Meinzer, 

Frederick C.; Mezainis, Valdis E.; 

Moore, Randy; Myers, Jr., Charles L.; 

Nash, Douglas R.; Pena, James M.; 

Pendleton, Beth G.; Peterson, David 

L.; Phipps, John E.; Rains, Michael T.; 

Raphael, Martin G.; Rasure, Nora B.; 

Reaves, Jimmy L.; Rodriguez-Franco, 

Carlos; Ross, Robert J.; Sears, George 

A.; Shortle, Walter C.; Smith, Gregory 

C.; Spies, Thomas A.; Stanturf, John 

A.; Strong, Thelma J.; Thompson III, 

Frank R.; Tidwell, Thomas; Tooke, 

Tony; Vose, James M.; Wagner, Mary 

A.; Wear, David; Weldon, Leslie; 

West, Cynthia 

Natural Resources Conservation 

Service 

Barry, Gayle N.; Boozer, Astor F.; 

Christensen, Thomas; Coleman, RayDeleon J.; Erickson, Terrell; Gelburd, 

Diane; Herbert, Noller; Honeycutt, C. 

Wayne; Jordan, Leonard; Kramer, 

Anthony; Kunze, Stephen; Perry, 

Janet; Reed, Lesia; Salinas, Salvador; 

Smith, David W.; Suarez Oliva, 

Carlos; Weller, Jason; Wilkes, Homer 

L. 

Research, Education and Economics 

Abebe, Yeshimebet, Bartuska, Ann; 

Woteki, Catherine 

Agricultural Research Service 

Ahuja, Lajpat R.; Allen, Lindsay; 

Arnold, Jeffrey G.; Baldus, Lisa; 

Brennan, Deborah; Bahar, Mojdeh; 

Bretting, Peter K.; Chandler, Laurence; 

Cleveland, Thomas; Erhan, Sevin; 

Fayer, Ronald; Gay, Cyril G.; Gibson, 

Paul; Gottwald, Timothy R.; Hackett, 

Kevin J.; Hammond, Andrew; 

Hatfield, Jerry L.; Hefferan, Colien; 

Huber, Steven C.; Hunt, Patrick G.; 

Jackson, Thomas J.; Jacobs-Young, 

Chavonda; Jenkins, Johnie Norton; 

Kappes, Steven; Kochian, Leon V.; 

Kunickis, Sheryl; Lillehoj, Hyun S.; 

Lindsay, James A.; Liu, Simon; Loper, 

Joyce E.; Magill, Robert; Matteri, 

Robert; Mattoo, Autar K.; McGuire, 

Michael; McMurtry, John; Nackman, 

Ronald J; Onwulata, Charles: Ort, 

Donald R.; Pollak, Emil; Rango, 

Albert; Riley, Ronald T.; Sebesta, 

Paul; Shafer, Steven; Starke-Reed, 

Pamela; Simmons, Mary W.; Smith, 

Timothy P.; Spence, Joseph; Suarez, 

David Lee; Swietlik, Dariusz; 

Upchurch, Dan; Whalen, Maureen; 

Willett, Julious L.; Zhang, Howard 

Economic Research Service 

Bianchi, Ronald; Bohman, Mary; 

Munisamy, Gopinath; Pompelli, 

Gregory K.; Variyam, Jayachandran 

N.; Weinberg, Marca J. 

National Agricultural Statistics Service 

Barnes, Kevin L.; Hamer, Jr., Hubert; 

Harris, James Mark; Parsons, Joseph 

L.; Picanso, Robin; Reilly, Joseph; 

Valivullah, Michael 

National Institute of Food and 

Agriculture 

Broussard, Meryl; Desbois, Michel; 

Holland, Robert E.; Montgomery, 

Cynthia R.; Qureshi, Muquarrab A.; 

Ramaswamy, Sonny 

Dated: November 5, 2014. 

Thomas J. Vilsack, 

Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2014–26613 Filed 11–7–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Agricultural Marketing Service 

[Doc. No. AMS–LPS–14–0081] 

Notice of Inquiry; Request for 

Comments on a New Beef Promotion, 

Research, and Information Order 

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, 

USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of Inquiry, request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: The Agricultural Marketing 

Service (AMS) of the Department of 

Agriculture (USDA) requests public 

comments to inform its development of 

a beef promotion, research, and 

information order under the Commodity 

Promotion, Research, and Consumer 

Information Act of 1996 (1996 Act). This 

request for comments offers the 

opportunity for interested individuals 

and organizations to provide views 

concerning provisions that would be 

included in an industry-funded 

promotion, research, and information 

program for beef and beef products. The 

proposed order would be in addition to 

the existing beef promotion and 

research program established under the 

Beef Promotion and Research Act of 

1985 (1985 Act). A referendum on an 

order established under the 1996 Act 

would be conducted 3 years after 

assessments begin to determine whether 

beef producers favor the program and if 

it should continue. A second 

referendum would be held within 7 

years of the start of the program. 

DATES: Written comments must be 

received by December 10, 2014. 

ADDRESSES: Interested persons and 

organizations are invited to submit 

written comments by any of the 

following methods: 

Federal eRulemaking: At 

www.regulations.gov, follow the 

instructions for submitting comments. 

Mail: Comments may be sent to Beef 

Promotion, Research, and Information 

Order; Research and Promotion 

Division; Livestock, Poultry, and Seed 

Program; Agricultural Marketing 

Service, USDA, Room 2096–S, STOP 

0249, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., 

Washington, DC 20250–0249. 

Instructions: All comments should 

reference the docket number, the date, 

and the page number of this issue of the 

Federal Register. In providing 

responsive comments concerning 

provisions of this program, please 

reference the heading below under 

which you are contributing information. 

Please be advised that all comments 

submitted in response to this notice will 


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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 217 / Monday, November 10, 2014 / Notices 66685 

be included in the record and will be 

made available to the public on the 

Internet at http://www.regulations.gov, 

including any personal information. 

Also, the identity of the individuals or 

entities submitting the comments will 

be made public. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Angie Snyder, Research and Promotion 

Division, by email at angie.snyder@

ams.usda.gov, by fax at 202/720–1125, 

or by phone on 202/720–5705. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

1985 Act Program 

The current beef promotion and 

research program (commonly called the 

Beef Checkoff Program) was authorized 

by the Beef Promotion and Research Act 

of 1985 (1985 Act), 7 U.S.C. 2901–2918, 

and became effective on July 18, 1986, 

when the Beef Promotion and Research 

Order, 7 CFR Part 1260, was issued. 

Assessments began on October 1, 1986. 

The Beef Checkoff Program’s goal is to 

strengthen the position of beef in the 

marketplace and to maintain and 

expand domestic and foreign markets 

and uses for beef and beef products. The 

program is funded by a mandatory 

assessment of $1 per head collected 

each time cattle are sold. All producers 

owning and marketing cattle, regardless 

of the size of their operation or the value 

of their cattle, must pay the assessment. 

A comparable assessment is collected 

on all imported cattle, beef, and beef 

products. Assessments under this 

program, which total about $80 million 

annually, are used to fund programs of 

promotion, research, and information 

that are carried out under federal 

oversight 

This program is administered by the 

Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and 

Research Board (CBB) comprising 

approximately 100 domestic producer 

and importer members. Each year, the 

Secretary of Agriculture appoints about 

one-third of all CBB members to 3-year 

terms from cattle producers and 

importers nominated by eligible 

industry organizations. 

Annually, CBB elects 10 members to 

a Beef Promotion Operating Committee 

(Operating Committee). The other 10 

members of the Operating Committee 

are members of the Federation of State 

Beef Councils, which is a division of the 

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. 

The Operating Committee is responsible 

for developing budgets; approving 

projects of promotion, research, and 

information; and awarding contracts on 

behalf of the Beef Checkoff Program. 

CBB employs a staff with offices in 

Centennial, Colorado. 

Working Group Meetings 

For more than 3 years, a CrossIndustry Working Group (CIWG, also 

known as the Beef Checkoff Working 

Group and the Beef Checkoff 

Enhancement Working Group) made up 

of a number of cattle industry and 

agricultural organizations met to 

identify ways to come to agreement on 

how to bring additional resources to the 

Beef Checkoff Program, including 

whether to amend the existing program 

under the 1985 Act, to create a new 

program under the Commodity 

Promotion, Research, and Information 

Act of 1996 (1996 Act), 7 U.S.C. 7411– 

7425, or some other action. While 

producer attitude surveys show that 

support for the current program is high 

and indications are that most support an 

increase in the assessment rate, 

concerns have nevertheless been 

expressed about the structure of the 

program as contemplated by the 1985 

Act and a desire by some that the Beef 

Checkoff Program structure be amended 

as a prerequisite for support for an 

increase in assessments. 

CIWG members agreed that the 

current Beef Checkoff Program was 

underfunded to meet its long-range 

plan, but they did not settle on any 

governance changes. They did, however, 

request for USDA to amend the Beef 

Promotion and Research Order to allow 

organizations created since 1985 to 

contract with the Beef Checkoff 

Program. USDA completed this 

regulatory action in August 2012. 

Since the initial meeting, the CIWG 

met several times, and unable to come 

to a recommendation, disbanded in June 

2013. After disbanding, some 

organizations that were a part of the 

CIWG supported a proposal to develop 

a new beef program under the 1996 Act 

to limit any one organization’s control 

over the direction of checkoff dollars. 

Other organizations that were a part of 

the CIWG supported keeping the 

program under the 1985 Act or 

establishing new beef-specific 

legislation. 

At the direction of Secretary Thomas 

Vilsack, the CIWG reconvened in early 

2014 and appointed a facilitator. The 

group last met in July 2014 in 

Washington, DC, and identified a 

number of ways to enhance the current 

Beef Checkoff Program, including 

changing the nominating process to 

allow associations a greater say in who 

serves on the Beef Promotion Operating 

Committee, which directs the projects 

under the Beef Checkoff Program; 

increasing the $1.00-per-head 

assessment by an additional, refundable 

$1.00; holding periodic requests for a 

referendum on the Beef Checkoff 

Program at local Farm Service Agency 

county offices; and having CBB staff 

take the lead in running Beef Checkoff 

committee meetings, which are jointly 

populated by both CBB members and 

members of the Federation of State Beef 

Councils (Federation), to address 

concerns about any one organization 

running the meetings. 

Shortly thereafter, one organization 

withdrew from the CIWG, expressing 

belief that the actions were unlikely to 

result in the desired reform. The 

organization that withdrew from the 

CIWG further recommended that USDA 

create a new beef checkoff program 

under the 1996 Act. 

At a meeting of most of the members 

of the CIWG on September 30, 2014, 

Secretary Vilsack announced his 

intention to bring more resources to beef 

industry research and promotion efforts 

by promulgating an order for a new 

program under the authority of the 1996 

Act. The new program would operate 

concurrently with the Beef Checkoff 

Program already in place under the 

authority of the 1985 Act and would 

seek to address the beef industry’s 

concerns about the structure of the 

current Beef Checkoff Program. A new 

checkoff program would serve as the 

basis of support for increased 

assessments. 

Thus far, the CIWG has not made a 

recommendation on a path to enhance 

the Beef Checkoff Program through 

amendment of the 1985 Act, which 

would require Congressional action. 

Questions & Answers 

Why is this action being taken? 

To address general industry 

recognition of a need to increase 

funding for beef promotion and research 

but having no discretion to enhance 

assessments under the 1985 Act, USDA 

is developing a new Beef Promotion, 

Research, and Information Program 

authorized under its existing authorities 

granted by the 1996 Act. The program 

would enhance available resources, 

which would help the beef industry 

address important issues such as 

exports, beef demand, nutrition, and 

consumer information. As a result, 

additional resources could help increase 

demand for beef both domestically and 

internationally, thus benefitting cattle 

producers and the domestic beef 

industry. 

Does the beef industry have a say? 

Yes. First, USDA is seeking comments 

before drafting a proposed order under 

the 1996 Act. Second, USDA will seek 

comments on a proposed order. 


asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
66686 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 217 / Monday, November 10, 2014 / Notices 

Would this new program be subject to 

referendum? 

Yes. Within 3 years following USDA’s 

issuance of a final order, a referendum 

would be conducted among eligible beef 

industry entities to determine whether 

they favor continuation, termination, or 

suspension of the program. If the 

referendum passes, the new program 

would continue, with a second 

referendum held within 7 years of the 

start of the program. If the initial 

referendum fails, the program would be 

terminated. 

What happens to the Beef Checkoff 

Program that was established under the 

1985 Act? 

Nothing; the current Beef Checkoff 

Program would continue. This action is 

separate from the Beef Promotion and 

Research Order (7 CFR Part 1260) 

established under the 1985 Act. The 

1985 Act program would continue to 

run until beef producers and importers 

vote in a referendum to terminate the 

program. As provided by the 1985 Act, 

USDA would conduct a referendum on 

the request of a representative group 

comprising 10 per cent or more of cattle 

producers to determine whether cattle 

producers favor the termination or 

suspension of the program. More 

information regarding the referendum 

process authorized by the Act of 1985 is 

available here: http://

www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/

getfile?dDocName=STELPRDC5108482. 

The proposed program to be 

implemented under the 1996 Act would 

run in addition to the current Beef 

Checkoff Program, and assessments 

collected under the new program would 

be handled under separate authority. 

Projects and funding would be 

determined by provisions established 

under the new order. 

Comment Procedures 

In your comments, please reference 

the heading(s) under which you are 

contributing information. USDA is 

specifically seeking comments 

addressing the questions listed below. 

1. Who should be assessed? 

2. What should be the board 

structure? 

• Who is eligible to serve? 

• Should there be a relatively large 

delegate body appointed by the 

Secretary that would elect and 

recommend from within itself a smaller 

board? 

• What should be the size of the 

board? 

• What should be the term of office? 

3. How should the board be selected? 

• Who may nominate eligible 

candidates to serve? 

• What should be the nomination and 

selection process? 

4. What should be the powers and 

duties of the board? 

5. Who has decision-making 

authority? 

• Should funding decisions be made 

by the full board or a smaller body 

elected from within this board? 

• Should funding decisions be made 

in conjunction with other organizations 

such as the Federation of State Beef 

Councils or the current Cattlemen’s Beef 

Promotion and Research Board? 

6. How should the assessment rate be 

determined? 

• Should the assessment be a 

specified amount, a percent of value, or 

an amount determined by board? 

• If a specified amount or a percent 

of value, should there be provisions for 

adjustments to the rate by the board, 

and without subsequent producer 

referendum? 

• Should there be a de minimis 

exemption for certain size operations or 

classes of cattle or beef? 

• Should there be temporary or 

permanent provisions for refunds of 

assessments? 

7. How should assessments be 

collected? 

• Should the States or the national 

board collect the assessment? 

• Should the assessment be levied at 

all points of sale, at slaughter, or at 

some other time? 

8. When should the referenda be 

conducted? 

Comments that do not address these 

topics or topics closely associated with 

the structure of a new beef research and 

promotion order under the authority of 

the 1996 Act may be deemed 

unresponsive or beyond the scope of 

this notice. 

USDA will consider written 

comments in developing a Beef 

Promotion, Research and Information 

Order that provides for a promotion, 

research, and information program for 

beef and beef products under the 1996 

Act. The new program would operate 

concurrently with the Beef Checkoff 

Program authorized under the authority 

of the 1985 Act. 

Dated: November 4, 2014. 

Rex A. Barnes, 

Associate Administrator, Agricultural 

Marketing Service. 

[FR Doc. 2014–26552 Filed 11–7–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–02–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2013–0013] 

Monsanto Company and Forage 

Genetics International; Determination 

of Nonregulatory Status of Genetically 

Engineered Alfalfa 

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: We are advising the public of 

our determination that an alfalfa event 

developed by the Monsanto Company 

and Forage Genetics International, 

designated as event KK179, which has 

been genetically engineered to express 

reduced levels of guaiacyl lignin, is no 

longer considered a regulated article 

under our regulations governing the 

introduction of certain genetically 

engineered organisms. Our 

determination is based on our 

evaluation of data submitted by the 

Monsanto Company and Forage 

Genetics International in its petition for 

a determination of nonregulatory status, 

our analysis of available scientific data, 

and comments received from the public 

in response to our previous notices 

announcing the availability of the 

petition for nonregulated status and its 

associated environmental assessment 

and plant pest risk assessment. This 

notice also announces the availability of 

our written determination and finding 

of no significant impact. 

DATES: Effective November 10, 2014. 

ADDRESSES: You may read the 

documents referenced in this notice and 

the comments we received at http://

www.regulations.gov/

#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2013-0013 or 

in our reading room, which is located in 

Room 1141 of the USDA South 

Building, 14th Street and Independence 

Avenue SW., Washington, DC. Normal 

reading room hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 

p.m., Monday through Friday, except 

holidays. To be sure someone is there to 

help you, please call (202) 799–7039 

before coming. 

Supporting documents are also 

available on the APHIS Web site at 

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/

biotechnology/petitions_table_

pending.shtml under APHIS Petition 

Number 12–321–01p. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. 

John Turner, Director, Environmental 

Risk Analysis Programs, Biotechnology 

Regulatory Services, APHIS, 4700 River 

Road Unit 147, Riverdale, MD 20737– 

1236; (301) 851–3954, email: 


asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES