37200 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 119 / Thursday, June 20, 2013 / Notices 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Agricultural Marketing Service 

[Document No. AMS–ST–13–0019] 

Plant Variety Protection Board; Open 

Teleconference Meeting 

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, 

USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of meeting. 

SUMMARY: This notice is intended to 

notify the public of their opportunity to 

attend an open meeting of the Plant 

Variety Protection Board. 

DATES: July 31, 2013 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 

p.m., open to the public. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

the United States Department of 

Agriculture, Room 4530, South 

Building, 1400 Independence Avenue 

SW., Washington, DC 20250. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. 

Jennifer Banks, Plant Variety Protection 

Office, Science and Technology 

Programs, Agricultural Marketing 

Service, United States Department of 

Agriculture, 1400 Independence, 

Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250. 

Telephone number (202) 260–8983, fax 

(202) 260–8976, or email: 

jennifer.banks@ams.usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant 

to the provisions of section 10(a) of the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 

U.S.C., Appendix 2), this notice is given 

regarding an upcoming Plant Variety 

Protection (PVP) Board meeting. The 

Plant Variety Protection Act (PVPA) (7 

U.S.C. 2321 et seq.) provides legal 

protection in the form of intellectual 

property rights to developers of new 

varieties of plants, which are 

reproduced sexually by seed or are 

tuber-propagated. A Certificate of Plant 

Variety Protection is awarded to an 

owner of a crop variety after an 

examination shows that it is new, 

distinct from other varieties, genetically 

uniform and stable through successive 

generations. The term of protection is 20 

years for most crops and 25 years for 

trees, shrubs, and vines. The PVPA also 

provides for a statutory Board (7 U.S.C. 

2327). The duties of the Board are to: (1) 

Advise the Secretary concerning the 

adoption of rules and regulations to 

facilitate the proper administration of 

the Act; (2) provide advisory counsel to 

the Secretary on appeals concerning 

decisions on applications by the PVP 

Office and on requests for emergency 

public-interest compulsory licenses; and 

(3) advise the Secretary on any other 

matters under the Regulations and Rules 

of Practice and on all questions under 

Section 44 of the Act, ‘‘Public Interest 

in Wide Usage’’ (7 U.S.C. 2404). 

The purpose of the meeting will be to 

introduce the topics of the PVP Office’s 

2013 achievements, ongoing process 

improvements, plans for electronic 

applications/database conversion, and 

concepts on using molecular techniques 

for PVP distinctness characterization. 

The proposed agenda for the PVP Board 

meeting will include a welcome by 

Department officials followed by a 

discussion focusing on program 

activities that encourage the 

development of new plant varieties and 

appeals to the Secretary. The agenda 

will also include presentations on the 

PVP Process Improvement, electronic 

PVP application/computer database 

development, and the use of molecular 

markers for PVP applications. 

The meeting will be open to the 

public. Those wishing to attend or 

phone into the meeting are encouraged 

to pre-register by July 24, 2013 with the 

person listed under FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT. If you require 

accommodations, such as sign language 

interpreter, please contact the person 

listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT. Minutes of the meeting will be 

available for public review 30 days 

following the meeting at the address 

listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT. The minutes will also be 

posted on the Internet Web site http:// 

www.ams.usda.gov/PVPO. 

Dated: June 14, 2013. 

Rex A. Barnes, 

Associate Administrator, Agricultural 

Marketing Service. 

[FR Doc. 2013–14713 Filed 6–19–13; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–02–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Agricultural Marketing Service 

[Doc. No. AMS–FV–13–0035; FV13–996–1] 

Peanut Standards Board 

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, 

USDA. 

ACTION: Notice; request for nominations. 

SUMMARY: The Farm Security and Rural 

Investment Act of 2002 (2002 Farm Bill) 

requires the Secretary of Agriculture to 

establish a Peanut Standards Board 

(Board) for the purpose of advising the 

Secretary on quality and handling 

standards for domestically produced 

and imported peanuts. The initial Board 

was appointed by the Secretary and 

announced on December 5, 2002. USDA 

seeks nominations for individuals to be 

considered for selection as Board 

members for terms of office ending June 

30, 2016. Selected nominees would 

replace three producer and three 

industry representatives who currently 

serve on the Board and have terms of 

office that end June 30, 2013. Also, one 

individual would fill a currently vacant 

industry position for a term of office 

ending June 30, 2015. The Board 

consists of 18 members representing 

producers and the industry. USDA 

values diversity. In an effort to obtain 

diversity among candidates, USDA 

encourages the nomination of men and 

women of all racial and ethnic groups 

and persons with a disability. 

DATES: Written nominations must be 

received on or before July 22, 2013. 

ADDRESSES: Nominations should be sent 

to Jennie M. Varela, Marketing Order 

and Agreement Division, Fruit and 

Vegetable Program, AMS, USDA, 799 

Overlook Drive, Suite A, Winter Haven, 

FL 33884: Telephone: (863) 324–3375; 

Fax: (863) 325–8793; Email: 

Jennie.Varela@ams.usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 

1308 of the 2002 Farm Bill requires the 

Secretary of Agriculture to establish and 

consult with the Board for the purpose 

of advising the Secretary regarding the 

establishment of quality and handling 

standards for all domestic and imported 

peanuts marketed in the United States. 

The 2002 Farm Bill provides that the 

Board’s makeup will include three 

producers and three peanut industry 

representatives from States specified in 

each of the following producing regions: 

Southeast (Alabama, Georgia, and 

Florida); Southwest (Texas, Oklahoma, 

and New Mexico); and Virginia/Carolina 

(Virginia and North Carolina). 

The term ‘‘peanut industry 

representatives’’ includes, but is not 

limited to, representatives of shellers, 

manufacturers, buying points, and 

marketing associations and marketing 

cooperatives. The 2002 Farm Bill 

exempted the appointment of the Board 

from the requirements of the Federal 

Advisory Committee Act. 

USDA invites individuals, 

organizations, and groups affiliated with 

the categories listed above to nominate 

individuals for membership on the 

Board. Nominees sought by this action 

would fill two positions in the 

Southeast region; three positions in the 

Southwest region, one of which is 

currently vacant; and two positions in 

the Virginia/North Carolina region. 

Nominees should complete a Peanut 

Standards Board Background 

Information form and submit it to Jennie 

Varela at the address provided in the 

‘‘Addresses’’ section above. Copies of 

this form may be obtained at the 

Internet site www.ams.usda.gov/ 


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