32928 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 118 / Tuesday, June 19, 2001 / Notices

Ensuring Availability and

Transparency of Assumptions and

Uncertainties in the Risk Assessment

Process, Including Risk Mitigation

Measures Relied Upon Individually or

as Components of a System of

Mitigative Measures

Section 412(e) of the Plant Protection

Act (7 U.S.C. 7712(e)) requires that the

Secretary of Agriculture conduct a study

of the role for and application of

systems approaches designed to guard

against the introduction of plant

pathogens associated with proposals to

import plants or plant products into the

United States. The term ‘‘systems

approach’’ is defined in the Act as ‘‘a

defined set of phytosanitary procedures,

at least two of which have an

independent effect in mitigating pest

risk associated with the movement of

commodities’’ (see 7 U.S.C. 7702(18)).

This section of the Act also requires the

participation in the study of scientists

from State departments of agriculture,

colleges and universities, the private

sector, and the U.S. Department of

Agriculture’s Agricultural Research

Service. The Act further requires that a

report of the results of the study be

submitted to the Committee on

Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of

the Senate and the Committee on

Agriculture of the House of

Representatives. In the course of

conducting this study, we are certain

that recommendations will be made on

the need for the Agency to be sure that

assumptions and uncertainties in the

risk assessment process, including

applicable risk mitigation measures

relied upon individually or as

components of a system of mitigative

measures, are clearly stated in any risk

assessment document. As a matter of

policy, APHIS will ensure that risk

assessment documents clearly specify

assumptions and uncertainties in the

risk assessment process, including

applicable risk mitigation measures

relied upon individually or as

components of a system of mitigative

measures.

Other Mechanisms Aimed at Ensuring

Transparency and Accessibility

The Agency routinely provides a

minimum of 60 days for the submission

of comments from the public regarding

its proposed amendments to the fruits

and vegetables regulations. PPQ plans to

utilize its stakeholder registry as a

means of also notifying interested

persons when a proposed rule which

required a pest risk assessment has been

published. Interested persons can

download a copy of any APHIS

document published in the Federal

Register from the APHIS web site at

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

webrepor.html. The APHIS web site

currently has a registry that allows

interested persons to enter key words

and their e-mail address, which enables

registrants to receive electronic

notification when their specified key

words appears in a notice or proposed

or final rule published in the Federal

Register.

Lastly, we intend to publish a

brochure written in clear and simple

terms, explaining the options and

procedures for importing fruits and

vegetables, which we believe will be of

great assistance to first-time importers.

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 7701–7772.

Done in Washington, DC, this 13th day of

June 2001.

Craig A. Reed,

Administrator, Animal and Plant Health

Inspection Service.

[FR Doc. 01–15408 Filed 6–18–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Foreign Agricultural Service

AGENCY: Foreign Agricultural Service,

USDA.

ACTION: Agricultural Policy Advisory

Committee for Trade and the

Agricultural Technical Advisory

Committees for Trade; 2-week extension

of nomination deadline

SUMMARY: The Secretary of Agriculture

and the United States Trade

Representative are extending the

nomination deadline by 2 weeks for the

Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee

for Trade (APAC) and the Agricultural

Technical Advisory Committees for

Trade (ATACs). The extension is to

ensure that every effort has been made

to solicit the broadest possible

representation on the APAC and the 5

ATAC Committees.

DATES: Written nominations must be

received by the Foreign Agricultural

Service before close of business June 29,

2001.

ADDRESSES: Send all nominating

materials to Ms. Sharon McClure,

Foreign Agricultural Service, USDA,

Room 5065–S, STOP 1001, 1400

Independence Avenue, SW.,

Washington, DC 20250–1001. The

information may also be submitted by

fax to (202) 720–8097.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Persons interested in serving on the

APAC or an ATAC, must submit: (1)

Completed Form AD–755, (2) completed

Form AD–1086, (3) resume, and (4)

specify the committee. The information

should be submitted by mail (Ms.

Sharon McClure, Foreign Agricultural

Service, USDA, 1400 Independence

Avenue, SW., Room 5065–S, Stop 1001,

Washington, DC 20250–1001, or fax

(202–710–8097). These forms are also

available on the Internet at the FAS

homepage. For Form AD–755, go to

http://www.fas.usda.gov/ad 755.pdf. For

Form AD–1086, go to http://

www.fas.usda.gov/admin/ad 1086. For

questions or further information, contact

Sharon McClure at 202–720–6829 or

electronically (mcclure@fas.usda.gov).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee

for Trade (APAC) and the Agricultural

Technical Advisory Committees for

Trade (ATACs) are authorized by

sections 135(c)(1) and (2) of the Trade

Act of 1974, as amended (Pub. L. No.

93–618, 19 U.S.C. 2155). The purpose of

the committees is to provide advice to

the Secretary and the U.S. Trade

Representative concerning agricultural

trade policy and are intended to ensure

that representative elements of the

private sector have an opportunity to

make known their views to the U.S.

Government.

In 1974, Congress established a

private sector advisory committee

system to ensure that U.S. trade policy

and negotiation objectives adequately

reflect U.S. commercial and economic

interests. The private sector advisory

system now consists of almost 40

committees, arranged in three tiers:

• The President’s Advisory

Committee on Trade and Policy

Negotiations (ACTPN);

• Seven advisory committees,

including the APAC, and;

• Over 30 technical advisory

committees, including the ATACs.

The renewal of such committees is in

the public interest in connection with

the duties of the U.S. Department of

Agriculture (USDA) imposed by the

Trade Act of 1974, as amended.

General Committee Information: All

APAC and ATAC committee members

are appointed by the Secretary of

Agriculture and the U.S. Trade

Representative (USTR), and serve at the

discretion of the Secretary and the

USTR. To serve and attend committee

meetings, members must be U.S.

citizens, and have successfully

completed a confidential security

clearance. Committee members serve

without compensation; they are not

reimbursed for their travel expense.

Committee meetings will be open to

the public, unless the U.S. Trade

Representative determines that the

committees will be discussing issues the

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 118 / Tuesday, June 19, 2001 / Notices 32929

disclosure of which justify closing a

meeting or portions of the meeting, in

accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552b(c).

All committee appointments expire

on May 1, 2003; but the Secretary and

USTR may renew an appointment for

one or more additional terms.

Each committee has a chairperson,

who is elected from the membership of

that committee. In addition to their

individual responsibilities, all

committees are required to meet at the

conclusion of negotiations for each trade

agreement, and to provide a report on

each agreement to the President,

Congress, and to the U.S. Trade

Representative. [All meetings will be

held in Washington, D.C.]

Agricultural Policy Advisory

Committee for Trade (APAC): The

APAC has approximately 50 members,

and is composed of a broad spectrum of

agricultural interests. It provides advice

concerning:

• Negotiating objectives and

bargaining positions before the United

States enters into a trade agreement;

• The operation of various U.S. trade

agreements; and

• Other matters arising from the

administration of U.S. trade policy.

Agricultural Technical Advisory

Committees for Trade (ATACs): The

ATACs provide advice and information

regarding trade issues which affect both

domestic and foreign production in

their commodities, drawing upon the

technical competence and experience of

its members. There are five ATACs, one

for each of the following sectors:

• Grains, Feed, and Oilseeds;

• Animals and Animal Products;

• Fruits and Vegetables;

• Sweeteners and Sweetener

Products; and

• Tobacco, Cotton, and Peanuts.

Each ATAC has approximately 25

members, for a total of approximately

125 members.

Nominations and Selection of

Members: Nominations are open to all

individuals without regard to race,

color, religion, sex, national origin, age,

mental or physical handicap, marital

status or sexual orientation. To ensure

that the recommendations of the

committees take into account the needs

of the diverse groups served by the

Department, membership shall include,

to the extent practicable, individuals

with demonstrated ability to represent

minorities, women, and persons with

disabilities.

Members are selected primarily for

their expertise and knowledge of

agriculture trade as it relates to policy

and commodity specific products. No

person, company, producer, farm

organization, trade association, or other

entity has a right to representation on a

committee. All members serve at the

discretion of the Secretary of

Agriculture and the U.S. Trade

Representative. In making selections,

every effort will be made to maintain

balanced representation on the

committees: representation from

producers, farm and commodity

organizations, processors, traders,

consumers, as well as geographical

balance.

Issued at Washington, D.C. this 15th day of

June, 2001.

John Surina,

Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for

Administration.

[FR Doc. 01–15558 Filed 6–18–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–10–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Wasatch Plateau Sheep Grazing

AGENCY: Forest Service, Manti-La Sal

National Forest, Sanpete, Carbon, Utah

and Emery Counties, Utah, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare

Environmental Impact Statement.

SUMMARY: The Forest Service will

prepare an Environmental Impact

Statement (EIS) to disclose the

environmental effects of issuance of 42

Term Grazing Permits that authorize

sheep grazing on 31 allotments on the

Wasatch Plateau. The project analysis

area is located on top of the Wasatch

Plateau approximately 9 miles east of

Ephraim, Utah and approximately 16

miles west of Castle Dale, Utah, between

the Price River drainage on the north

and Mooseneah Peak on the south.

The need for this analysis is to meet

direction specified by section 504 of

Public Law 104–19 (The Rescission Act

of 1995) and bring grazing in

compliance with Forest Plan direction,

applicable laws, regulation and policy.

The selected alternative, associated

mitigations and management strategies

will be implemented through the Term

Grazing Permit and a specific allotment

management plan.

The area being analyzed is National

Forest System lands where grazing is

authorized by permit. This involves

approximately 171,000 acres of which

118,000 acres are suitable for sheep

grazing. The permitted number of

livestock is 33,382 head of sheep that

generally graze from July 1 to September

30 for 30,587 animal unit months.

The proposed action is to continue

livestock grazing with modification of

the permitted number of sheep and

inclusion of additional management

requirements in Term Grazing Permits.

(Final permitted number of sheep, by

allotment, is displayed on Table A.)

TABLE A.—PART 1—WASATCH PLATEAU SHEEP GRAZING PROPOSED ACTION

Allotment

Permitted

number

of sheep

Permitted

grazing

season

Black Canyon ........................................................................................................................................................... 1,000 7/01–09/30

Clay Banks ............................................................................................................................................................... 1,155 7/01–09/30

Heliotrope ................................................................................................................................................................. 1,250 7/01–09/25

Indian Creek ............................................................................................................................................................ 1,000 7/01–09/30

Little Petes Hole ...................................................................................................................................................... 971 7/15–09/30

Joes Valley .............................................................................................................................................................. 1,276 6/13–09/30

Olsen Bench ............................................................................................................................................................ 1,130 6/21–09/30

Peavine .................................................................................................................................................................... 1,000 7/01–09/20

Potters Canyon ........................................................................................................................................................ 600 7/01–09/30

Reeder Ridge ........................................................................................................................................................... 1,100 6/26–09/30

Ridley Ridge ............................................................................................................................................................ 1,090 7/01–09/30

Wagon Road Ridge ................................................................................................................................................. 993 7/11–09/30

Bob Wright ............................................................................................................................................................... 1,013 7/01–09/30

Booths Canyon ........................................................................................................................................................ 565 7/01–09/30