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

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examples of documents appearing in this

section.

Notices Federal Register

6055 

Vol. 77, No. 25 

Tuesday, February 7, 2012 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Agricultural Marketing Service 

[Doc. No. AMS–TM–11–0083; TM–11–03] 

Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) 

Inviting Applications for the FederalState Marketing Improvement Program 

(FSMIP) 

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, 

USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Agricultural Marketing 

Service (AMS) announces the 

availability of approximately $1.2 

million in competitive grant funds for 

fiscal year (FY) 2012, subject to final 

appropriation action by Congress, which 

would enable States to explore new 

market opportunities for U.S. food and 

agricultural products and to encourage 

research and innovation aimed at 

improving the efficiency and 

performance of the U.S. marketing 

system. Eligible applicants include State 

departments of agriculture, State 

agricultural experiment stations, and 

other appropriate State Agencies. 

Applicants are encouraged to involve 

industry groups, academia, communitybased organizations, and other 

stakeholders in developing proposals 

and conducting projects. In accordance 

with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 

1995, the information collection 

requirements have been previously 

approved by OMB under 0581–0240, 

Federal-State Marketing Improvement 

Program (FSMIP). 

DATES: Proposals must be received on or 

before March 23, 2012. 

ADDRESSES: Submit proposals and other 

required documents to: FSMIP Staff 

Officer, Transportation and Marketing 

Programs, Agricultural Marketing 

Service (AMS), U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue 

SW., Room 4945–South, Washington, 

DC 20250; telephone (202) 720–5024; 

email janise.zygmont@ams.usda.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Janise Zygmont, FSMIP Staff Officer; 

telephone (202) 720–5024; fax (202) 

690–1144; or email 

janise.zygmont@ams.usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: FSMIP is 

authorized under Section 204(b) of the 

Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 

U.S.C. 1621–1627). FSMIP provides 

matching grants on a competitive basis 

to enable States to explore new market 

opportunities for U.S. food and 

agricultural products and to encourage 

research and innovation aimed at 

improving the efficiency and 

performance of the U.S. marketing 

system. Eligible applicants include State 

departments of agriculture, State 

agricultural experiment stations, and 

other appropriate State Agencies. Other 

organizations interested in participating 

in this program should contact their 

State Department of Agriculture’s 

Marketing Division. State agencies 

specifically named under the 

authorizing legislation should assume 

the lead role in FSMIP projects, and use 

cooperative or contractual linkages with 

other agencies, universities, institutions, 

and producer, industry or communitybased organizations as appropriate. 

Multi-State projects are encouraged. In 

such projects, one State assumes the 

coordinating role, using appropriate 

cooperative arrangements with the other 

State agencies and entities involved in 

the project. 

Proposals must be accompanied by 

completed Standard Forms (SF) 424, 

424A and 424B. AMS will not approve 

the use of FSMIP funds for advertising 

or, with limited exceptions, for the 

purchase of equipment. Detailed 

program guidelines may be obtained 

from the contact listed above, and are 

available at the FSMIP Web site: 

http://www.ams.usda.gov/FSMIP. 

Background 

FSMIP funds a wide range of applied 

research projects that address barriers, 

challenges, and opportunities in 

marketing, transportation, and 

distribution of U.S. food and 

agricultural products domestically and 

internationally. 

Eligible agricultural categories 

include livestock, livestock products, 

food and feed crops, fish and shellfish, 

horticulture, viticulture, apiary, and 

forest products and processed or 

manufactured products derived from 

such commodities. Reflecting the 

growing diversity of U.S. agriculture, in 

recent years, FSMIP has funded projects 

dealing with nutraceuticals, bioenergy, 

compost and products made from 

agricultural residue. 

Proposals may deal with barriers, 

challenges, or opportunities manifesting 

at any stage of the marketing chain 

including direct, wholesale, and retail. 

Proposals may involve small, medium, 

or large scale agricultural entities but 

should potentially benefit multiple 

producers or agribusinesses. Proprietary 

proposals that benefit one business or 

individual will not be considered. 

Proposals that address issues of 

importance at the State, Multi-State or 

national level are appropriate for 

FSMIP. FSMIP also seeks unique 

proposals on a smaller scale that may 

serve as pilot projects or case studies 

useful as a model for other States. Of 

particular interest are proposals that 

reflect a collaborative approach among 

the States, academia, the farm sector 

and other appropriate entities and 

stakeholders. FSMIP’s enabling 

legislation authorizes projects to: 

• Determine the best methods for 

processing, preparing for market, 

packing, handling, transporting, storing, 

distributing, and marketing agricultural 

products. 

• Determine the costs of marketing 

agricultural products in their various 

forms and through various channels. 

• Assist in the development of more 

efficient marketing methods, practices, 

and facilities to bring about more 

efficient and orderly marketing, and 

reduce the price spread between the 

producer and the consumer. 

• Develop and improve standards of 

quality, condition, quantity, grade, and 

packaging in order to encourage 

uniformity and consistency in 

commercial practices. 

• Eliminate artificial barriers to the 

free movement of agricultural products 

in commercial channels. 

• Foster new/expanded domestic/ 

foreign markets and new/expanded uses 

of agricultural products. 

• Collect and disseminate marketing 

information to anticipate and meet 

consumer requirements, maintain farm 

income, and balance production and 

utilization. 

All proposals which fall within the 

FSMIP guidelines will be considered. 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
6056 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 25 / Tuesday, February 7, 2012 / Notices 

FSMIP encourages States to submit 

proposals that address the following 

objectives: 

• Creating wealth in rural 

communities through the development 

of local and regional food systems and 

value-added agriculture. 

• Developing direct marketing 

opportunities for producers, or producer 

groups. 

Paperwork Reduction Act 

In accordance with the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995, the FSMIP 

information collection requirements 

were previously approved by the Office 

of Management and Budget (OMB) and 

were assigned OMB control number 

0581–0240. 

AMS is committed to compliance 

with the Government Paperwork 

Elimination Act (GPEA), which requires 

Government agencies in general to 

provide the public with the option of 

submitted information or transacting 

business electronically to the maximum 

extent possible. 

How To Submit Proposals and 

Applications 

Applicants have two options for 

submitting FSMIP applications. 

Applications may be submitted 

electronically through the Federal grants 

Web site, http://www.grants.gov, or 

applications may be emailed to the 

FSMIP Staff Officer at 

janise.zygmont@ams.usda.gov. 

Applicants who choose to submit their 

application via the Federal grants Web 

site are strongly urged to familiarize 

themselves with the Federal grants Web 

site well before the application deadline 

and to begin the application process 

before the deadline. Applicants who 

choose to email their applications to the 

FSMIP Staff Officer must also express 

mail the original-signature SF 424 to the 

address provided in this Notice in time 

to meet the application deadline. 

Additional details about the FSMIP 

application process for all applicants are 

available at the FSMIP Web site: 

http://www.ams.usda.gov/FSMIP. 

FSMIP is listed in the ‘‘Catalog of 

Federal Domestic Assistance’’ under 

number 10.156 and subject agencies 

must adhere to Title VI of the Civil 

Rights Act of 1964, which bars 

discrimination in all Federally assisted 

programs. 

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1621–1627. 

Dated: February 1, 2012. 

Robert C. Keeney, 

Acting Administrator, Agricultural Marketing 

Service. 

[FR Doc. 2012–2706 Filed 2–6–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–02–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2011–0121] 

Notice of Request for Extension of 

Approval of an Information Collection; 

Requirements for Recognizing the 

Animal Health Status of Foreign 

Regions 

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Extension of approval of an 

information collection; comment 

request. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 

notice announces the Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service’s (APHIS) 

intention to request an extension of 

approval of an information collection 

associated with regulations for 

recognizing the animal health status of 

foreign regions. 

DATES: We will consider all comments 

that we receive on or before April 9, 

2012. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by either of the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov/#!document

Detail;D=APHIS-2011-0121-0001. 

• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: 

Send your comment to Docket No. 

APHIS–2011–0121, Regulatory Analysis 

and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 

3A–03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, 

Riverdale, MD 20737–1238. 

Supporting documents and any 

comments we receive on this docket 

may be viewed at http://www.

regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=

APHIS-2011-0121 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) 690–2817 before 

coming. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

information on regulations for 

recognizing the animal health status of 

foreign regions, contact Dr. Kelly 

Rhodes, Senior Staff Officer, National 

Center for Import and Export, VS, 

APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 38, 

Riverdale, MD 20737–1231; (301) 851– 

3300. For copies of more detailed 

information on the information 

collection, contact Mrs. Celeste Sickles, 

APHIS’ Information Collection 

Coordinator, at (301) 851–2908. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Requirements for Recognizing 

the Animal Health Status of Foreign 

Regions. 

OMB Number: 0579–0219. 

Type of Request: Extension of 

approval of an information collection. 

Abstract: The Animal Health 

Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 8301 et seq.) 

authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture, 

among other things, to prohibit or 

restrict the importation and interstate 

movement of animals and animal 

products to prevent the introduction 

into and dissemination within the 

United States of animal diseases and 

pests. Regulations governing the 

importation of animals and animal 

products into the United States are 

contained in 9 CFR parts 92 through 98. 

The regulations in 9 CFR part 92, 

‘‘Importation of Animals and Animal 

Products: Procedures for Requesting 

Recognition of Regions,’’ set out the 

process by which a foreign government 

may request recognition of the animal 

health status of a region or approval to 

export animals or animal products to 

the United States based on the risk 

associated with animals or animal 

products from that region. Each request 

must include information about the 

region, including information on the 

veterinary services organization of the 

region; the extent to which movement of 

animals and animal products is 

controlled from regions of higher risk 

and the level of biosecurity for such 

movements; livestock demographics and 

marketing practices in the region; 

diagnostic laboratory capabilities in the 

region; and the region’s policies and 

infrastructure for animal disease 

control. Additionally, we require 

regions that have been granted status 

under the regulations to provide 

information, or allow us to access 

information, to confirm the regions’ 

animal health status when we request it. 

The types of information collected will 

vary based on the information required 

to adequately assess a region’s animal 

health status. 

We are asking the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) to 

approve our use of these information 

collection activities for an additional 3 

years. 

The purpose of this notice is to solicit 

comments from the public (as well as 

affected agencies) concerning our 

information collection. These comments 

will help us: 

(1) Evaluate whether the collection of 

information is necessary for the proper 

performance of the functions of the 

Agency, including whether the 

information will have practical utility; 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES