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

50756 

Vol. 73, No. 168 

Thursday, August 28, 2008 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Agricultural Marketing Service 

[AMS–TM–08–0072; TM–08–09] 

Notice of Agricultural Management 

Assistance Organic Certification Cost 

Share Program 

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, 

USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of funds availability. 

SUMMARY: This notice invites the 

following eligible States: Connecticut, 

Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, 

Massachusetts, Nevada, New 

Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, 

Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, 

Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming, 

to submit an Application for Federal 

Assistance (Standard Form 424), and to 

enter into a Cooperative Agreement with 

the Agricultural Marketing Service 

(AMS) for the Allocation of Organic 

Certification Cost-Share Funds. The 

AMS has allocated $1.5 million for this 

organic certification cost-share program 

in Fiscal Year 2008. Funds will be 

available under this program to 16 

designated States to assist organic crop 

and livestock producers certified under 

the National Organic Program (NOP). 

Eligible States interested in obtaining 

cost-share funds for their organic 

producers will have to submit an 

Application for Federal Assistance, and 

will have to enter into a cooperative 

agreement with AMS for the allocation 

of such funds. 

DATES: Completed applications for 

federal assistance along with signed 

cooperative agreements must be 

received by close of business, 

September 15, 2008, in order to 

participate in this program. 

ADDRESSES: Applications for federal 

assistance and cooperative agreements 

shall be requested from and submitted 

to: Robert Pooler, Agricultural 

Marketing Specialist, National Organic 

Program, USDA/AMS/TMP/NOP, Room 

4008–South, Ag Stop 0268, 1400 

Independence Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC 20250–0264; 

Telephone: (202) 720–3252; Fax: (202) 

205–7808. Additional information may 

be found through the National Organic 

Program’s homepage at http:// 

www.ams.usda.gov/nop. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Robert Pooler, Agricultural Marketing 

Specialist, National Organic Program, 

USDA/AMS/TM/NOP, Room 4008– 

South, Ag Stop 0268, 1400 

Independence Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC 20250–0268; 

Telephone: (202) 720–3252; Fax: (202) 

205–7808. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 

Organic Certification Cost-Share 

Program is part of the Agricultural 

Management Assistance Program 

authorized under the Federal Crop 

Insurance Act (FCIA), as amended, (7 

U.S.C. 1524). Under the applicable FCIA 

provisions, the Department is 

authorized to provide cost share 

assistance to producers in the States of 

Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, 

Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New 

Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, 

Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, 

Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming. 

The AMS has allocated $1.5 million for 

this organic certification cost-share 

program in Fiscal Year 2008. This 

organic certification cost share program 

provides financial assistance to organic 

producers certified to the NOP 

authorized under the Organic Foods 

Production Act of 1990, as amended (7 

U.S.C. 6501 et seq.). This program is in 

addition to and separate from the 

National Organic Certification Cost 

Share Program which is also 

administered by AMS and is open to all 

States and U.S. Territories. 

To participate in the program, eligible 

States must complete a Standard Form 

424, Application for Federal Assistance, 

and enter into a written cooperative 

agreement with AMS. The program will 

provide cost-share assistance, through 

participating States, to organic crop and 

livestock producers receiving 

certification or update of certification by 

a USDA accredited certifying agent from 

October 1, 2008 through September 30, 

2009. The Department has determined 

that payments will be limited to 75 

percent of an individual producer’s 

certification costs up to a maximum of 

$750.00. 

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1524. 

Dated: August 22, 2008. 

Lloyd C. Day, 

Administrator, Agricultural Marketing 

Service. 

[FR Doc. E8–19921 Filed 8–27–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–02–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

RIN 0596–AC63 

Forest Vegetation Resource Planning 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of issuance of agency 

interim directive; request for comment. 

SUMMARY: The Forest Service is issuing 

an interim directive to Forest Service 

Handbook 1909.12, chapter 60, to guide 

agency employees on timber and forest 

vegetation resource planning, including 

guidance on identifying lands generally 

suitable for timber production and longterm sustained-yield capacity. This 

interim directive revises Forest Service 

Handbook 1902.12_60, issued January 

31, 2006. The intended effect of 

issuance of this interim directive is to 

provide consistent overall guidance to 

Forest Service line officers and agency 

employees in developing, amending, or 

revising land management plans for 

units of the National Forest System 

regarding forest vegetation resource 

planning. Public comment is invited 

and will be considered in developing a 

final directive. 

DATES: Interim directive number 

1909.12–2008–1 is effective August 28, 

2008. Comments must be received in 

writing by October 27, 2008. 

ADDRESSES: Send written comments 

concerning this interim directive 

through one of the following methods: 

E-mail: 

PlanningDirective2008@fs.fed.us. 

Include ‘‘planning directives’’ in the 

subject line of the message. Fax: 202– 

205–1012. Please identify your 

comments by including ‘‘planning 

directives’’ on the cover sheet or the 

first page. Mail: Planning Directives; 

Forest Service; U.S. Department of 

Agriculture; Ecosystem Management 

Coordination; Mailstop 1104, 3rd 

Floor—Center Wing; Washington, DC 


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