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

3532

Vol. 66, No. 10

Tuesday, January 16, 2001

1All the petitions and comments we received are

a part of the rulemaking record for Docket No. 98–

085–1. You may read the petitions and comments

in our reading room. The reading room is locatd 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.

2All the petitions and comments we received are

a part of the rulemaking record for Docket No. 98–

085–1. You may read the petitions and comments

in our reading room. The reading room is locatd 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.

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service

[Docket No. 98–085–3]

Aquaculture; Public Meeting

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health

Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

SUMMARY: This is to notify the

aquaculture industries, interested

parties, and the general public that a

public meeting will be held to discuss

how and to what extent the Animal and

Plant Health Inspection Service should

regulate aquatic species, and to discuss

any other issues concerning possible

regulation of aquaculture by the Agency.

DATES: The public meeting will be held

on Friday, February 16, 2001, from 9

a.m. to 3 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be

held at the Radisson Inn Cincinnati

Airport, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky

International Airport, Hebron, KY, in

conjunction with the annual meeting of

the North Central Regional Aquaculture

Center.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For

information about the APHIS public

meeting, contact Dr. Otis Miller, Jr.,

National Aquaculture Coordinator,

Center for Planning, Certification, and

Monitoring, VS, APHIS, 4700 River

Road Unit 46, Riverdale, MD 20737–

1231, (301) 734–6188.

For information regarding the annual

meeting of the North Central Regional

Aquaculture Center, contact Liz Bartels

at bartels@pilot.msu.edu or (517) 353–

1962.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On May 4,

1999, the Animal and Plant Health

Inspection Service (APHIS) published in

the Federal Register (64 FR 23795–

23796, Docket No. 98–085–1) an

advance notice of proposed rulemaking

(ANPR) titled ‘‘Aquaculture: FarmRaised Fin Fish.’’ We published this

ANPR after receiving petitions 1 asking

us to regulate aquaculture in various

ways. Many petitioners asked us to

define farmed aquatic animals as

livestock. In general, the petitioners

seemed to be interested in receiving the

same services that domestic producers

of livestock receive for animals moving

in interstate and foreign commerce.

However, based on the petitions alone,

it was difficult for us to determine what

segments of the industry want services

and exactly what services they want. It

was also difficult to determine the

objectives sought by the petitioners who

were requesting Federal regulation. We

published the ANPR in an attempt to

clarify the industry’s needs, the nature

of the services sought, and the concerns

the petitioners had with regard to such

regulations.

We received 55 comments 2 in

response to the ANPR. A majority of the

commenters supported the idea of

APHIS regulation of cultured fin fish.

Unfortunately, the commenters

generally did not clearly distinguish

between fin fish raised for food and

ornamental fin fish. Commenters who

wanted regulation were, however, very

clear that they want programs to prevent

and control disease and to support

increased commerce, both domestic and

export.

The commenters also suggested that

any rulemaking initiated by APHIS be a

negotiated rulemaking. In negotiated

rulemaking, industry representatives

and other interested persons meet with

APHIS officials and draft proposed

regulations together. The proposed

regulations are then published for

public comment. Negotiated rulemaking

is designed to ensure that all interested

persons are involved together from the

start in the development of regulations.

Unfortunately, negotiated rulemaking

is not suitable for all situations. It works

well when there is a small number of

interested parties, and the parties are

easy to identify. This is not the case

with regard to aquaculture. The

aquaculture industry is very large and

diverse. It would be difficult for us to

identify everyone who should be

represented in a negotiated rulemaking.

In addition, there are many parties

outside aquaculture that would have a

substantial interest in such a

rulemaking. In our view, the number of

people who would need to participate

in a negotiated rulemaking would be too

large and would suggest that negotiated

rulemaking is not appropriate.

Furthermore, a negotiated rulemaking

would be expensive, and APHIS does

not have adequate funds. Therefore, we

have concluded that it would not be

appropriate to pursue an aquaculture

negotiated rulemaking.

We have not, however, decided

whether to pursue aquaculture

rulemaking by other means. Before we

make that decision, we want to have as

much information as possible from all

interested persons, and we want to

provide the aquaculture industries and

other interested persons with as much

opportunity as possible to discuss with

us and inform us regarding the relevant

issues.

Therefore, we are holding a series of

public meetings. Public meetings allow

anyone who is interested—industry

representatives, producers, consumers,

and others—to present their views and

to exchange information among

themselves and with APHIS.

There are no set agendas for the

meetings. Any issues and concerns

related to aquaculture and possible

APHIS regulatory action can be

discussed. However, there are three

specific issues on which we would like

more information. These are issues that

the people and organizations who

commented on our ANPR either did not

address or were unclear about.

Specifically, if APHIS does propose

regulations: (1) Should our program be

mandatory or voluntary; (2) should we

cover shell fish; and (3) should we cover

ornamental fin fish?

Information elicited at the meetings

could result in a new APHIS regulatory

program, or in changes to aquacultureVerDate 11<MAY>2000 20:56 Jan 12, 2001 Jkt 194001 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\16JAN1.SGM pfrm02 PsN: 16JAN1
Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 10 / Tuesday, January 16, 2001 / Notices 3533

related services currently provided by

APHIS.

We have scheduled this public

meeting, the second meeting in our

series, for Friday, February 16, 2001, at

the Radisson Inn Cincinnati Airport. If

you wish to speak at the meeting, please

register in advance by calling the

Regulatory Analysis and Development

voice mail at (301) 734–8139. Leave a

message with your name, telephone

number, organization, if any, and an

estimate of the time you need to speak.

You may also register at the meeting

itself. Please register at the meeting

room between 8:30 a.m. and 9 a.m.,

before the meeting officially begins.

Starting with the advance registrants,

we will call speakers in the order in

which they registered.

The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. and

is scheduled to end at 3 p.m. We may

end the meeting early if all the

registered speakers have had a chance to

speak and if no one else wants to speak.

We may also extend the meeting, or

limit the time allowed for each speaker,

if necessary, so all interested persons

have an opportunity to participate.

An APHIS representative will preside

at the meeting. The meeting will be

recorded. We encourage speakers to

present written statements, though it is

not required. If you choose to present a

written statement, please provide the

chairperson with a copy. The complete

record, including the transcript and all

written comments, will be available to

the public.

This meeting is the second in our

series of public meetings. The first

public meeting will be held on January

25, 2001, in Lake Buena Vista, FL. We

plan to hold additional meetings in

Idaho, Maine, Mississippi,

Pennsylvania, and Washington. We will

publish a notice or notices in the

Federal Register announcing the dates,

times, and locations of the meetings.

Done in Washington, DC, this 9th day of

January 2001.

Bobby R. Acord,

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant

Health Inspection Service.

[FR Doc. 01–1199 Filed 1–12–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Research Service;

Cooperative State Research,

Education, and Extension Service

Biotechnology Risk Assessment

Research Grants Program for Fiscal

Year 2001; Request for Proposals and

Request for Input

AGENCY: Agricultural Research Service;

Cooperative State Research, Education,

and Extension Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of request for proposals

and request for input.

SUMMARY: The Agricultural Research

Service (ARS) and the Cooperative State

Research, Education, and Extension

Service (CSREES) are announcing the

Biotechnology Risk Assessment

Research Grants Program (the

‘‘Program’’) for fiscal year (FY) 2001.

Proposals are hereby requested from

eligible institutions as identified herein

for competitive consideration of

Biotechnology Risk Assessment Grant

awards. The authority for the Program is

contained in section 1668 of the Food,

Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade

Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5921). The

Program is administered by CSREES and

ARS of the U.S. Department of

Agriculture.

CSREES also requests comments

regarding this request for proposals

(RFP) from any interested party. These

comments will be considered in the

development of the next RFP for this

program. Such comments will be used

in meeting the requirements of section

103(c)(2) of the Agricultural Research,

Extension, and Education Reform Act of

1998 (AREERA).

DATES: All proposals must be received at

USDA on or before March 15, 2001.

Proposals not received on or before this

date will not be considered for funding.

User comments are requested within

six months from the issuance of this

notice. Comments received after that

date will be considered to the extent

practicable.

ADDRESSES: Proposals must be

submitted to the following mailing

address: Biotechnology Risk Assessment

Research Grants; c/o Proposal Services

Unit; Office of Extramural Programs;

Cooperative State Research, Education,

and Extension Service; U.S. Department

of Agriculture; STOP 2245; 1400

Independence Ave., SW.; Washington

DC 20250–2245.

The address for hand-delivered

proposals or proposals submitted using

an express mail or overnight courier

service is: Biotechnology Risk

Assessment Research Grants; c/o

Proposal Services Unit; Office of

Extramural Programs; Cooperative State

Research, Education, and Extension

Service; U.S. Department of Agriculture;

Room 1307, Waterfront Centre; 800 9th

Street, S.W.; Washington DC 20024.

Telephone: (202) 401–5048.

Written user comments should be

submitted by mail to: Policy and

Program Liaison Staff; Office of

Extramural Programs; USDA–CSREES;

STOP 2299; 1400 Independence

Avenue, SW.; Washington, DC 20250–

2299; or via e-mail to: RFPOEP@reeusda.gov. (This e-mail address

is intended only for receiving

stakeholder input comments regarding

this RFP, and not for requesting

information or forms.)

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr.

Deborah Sheely; Cooperative State

Research, Education, and Extension

Service; U.S. Department of Agriculture;

Stop 2241; 1400 Independence Avenue,

SW.; Washington, DC 20250–2241;

Telephone: (202) 401–1924; e-mail:

dsheely@reeusda.gov; or Dr. Robert M.

Faust; Agricultural Research Service;

U.S. Department of Agriculture; Room

338, Building 005, BARC–West;

Beltsville, MD 20705; Telephone: (301)

504–6918; e-mail: rmf@ars.usda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Table of Contents

Stakeholder Input

Part I. General Information

A. Legislative Authority

B. Applicant Eligibility

Part II. Program Description

A. Purpose of the Program

B. Available Funding

C. Areas of Research to be Supported

Part III. Content of a Proposal

Part IV. How to Obtain Application Materials

Part V. Submission of a Proposal

A. What to Submit

B. Where and When to Submit

C. Acknowledgment of Proposals

Part VI. Proposal Evaluation

Part VII. Supplementary Information

A. Applicable Regulations

B. Programmatic Contact

C. Additional Information

Stakeholder Input

CSREES is requesting comments

regarding this RFP from any interested

party. In your comments, please include

the name of the program and the fiscal

year of the RFP to which you are

responding. These comments will be

considered in the development of the

next RFP for the program. Such

comments will be used in meeting the

requirements of section 103(c)(2) of the

Agricultural Research, Extension, and

Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C.

7613(c)(2)). Comments should be

submitted as provided for in the