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

9064

Vol. 66, No. 25

Tuesday, February 6, 2001

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Farm Service Agency

President’s Commission on Improving

Economic Opportunity in Communities

Dependent on Tobacco Production

While Protecting Public Health

AGENCY: Farm Service Agency, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of preliminary report

publication, request for comments, and

notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: Executive Order No. 13168

published September 22, 2000,

established the President’s Commission

on Improving Economic Opportunity in

Communities Dependent on Tobacco

Production While Protecting Public

Health (Commission). This notice

announces that the Commission’s

Preliminary Report has been published,

that comments are requested on the

Preliminary Report, and that a public

meeting will be conducted by the

Commission on February 21, 2001. The

purpose of the meeting will be to review

comments received on the Preliminary

Report and recommendations from a

tobacco working group and others in

preparation for work on the Final

Report.

DATES: The Commission will meet on

February 21, 2001, from 9:00 a.m. to

4:00 p.m. at 2101 L Street, NW, Room

303A, Washington, DC. If special

accommodations are required, please

contact Doug Richardson, at the address

specified above, by COB February14,

2001. All times are Eastern Standard

Time. Comments on the Preliminary

Report are requested through March 8,

2001. Comments may be submitted

through the website at http://

www.fsa.usda.gov/tobcom/, by fax, or by

mail to the Commission at the contact

information listed below. All meetings

are open to the public; however, seating

is limited and available on a first-come

basis. Written comments may be filed

with the Commission before or after the

meeting at the contact information listed

below. Copies of the Preliminary Report

are available on the Commission’s

website at http://www.fsa.usda.gov/

tobcom/ or by contacting the

Commission’s office at the contact

information listed below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Doug Richardson, Executive Director,

Tobacco Commission, United States

Department of Agriculture, (USDA),

1400 Independence Avenue, SW, STOP

0574, Washington, D.C., 20250–0574 or

telephone (202) 418–4266 or toll free

(866) 804–6698; FAX (202) 418–4270;

Internet:

douglrichardson@wdc.usda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

purpose of the Commission is to advise

the President on changes occurring in

the tobacco farming economy and

recommend such measures as may be

necessary to improve economic

opportunity and development in

communities that are dependent on

tobacco production, while protecting

consumers, particularly children, from

hazards associated with smoking. The

Commission collected and reviewed

information about changes in the

tobacco farming economy and Federal,

State, and local initiatives intended to

help tobacco growers, tobacco quota

holders, and communities dependent on

tobacco production pursue new

economic opportunities. The

Commission received public input

through two public forums, its website,

written comments and experts in

tobacco farming, tobacco health issues,

and economic development. After

reviewing all input, the Commission

issued its Preliminary Report regarding

the economic situation facing tobacco

producers and tobacco dependent

communities. As set forth in the Report,

the Commission has made no final

recommendations but has established

the following principles to guide its

future deliberations:

(a) The Commission’s

recommendations should promote both

the public health and the economic

security and stability of tobacco farmers

and their communities.

(b) Both short-term and long-term

assistance are warranted for family

tobacco farmers and their communities

because of two factors: (1) the dramatic

reduction in the purchase of U.S.

tobacco leaf in recent years as the result

of a complex set of trends that are both

long term and global in nature, and (2)

past Federal policies which have led

many tobacco farmers to a heavy, if not

total, reliance on this crop and way of

life.

(c) The preservation of a tobacco

program that controls supply, maintains

price, moves quotas into the hands of

growers, and incorporates health and

safety protection is in the best interests

of tobacco farmers and the public

health.

(d) Solutions to the problems facing

tobacco farmers should protect family

farms, of which a significant number are

small farms and owned by minorities.

(e) Policies should be adopted to

ensure that any system of direct

contracting between manufacturers and

U.S. tobacco farmers does not

undermine the protections for family

farms and the public health that are

provided by the tobacco program.

(f) Any tobacco program changes

should focus on long-term solutions to

the problems facing tobacco farmers, not

short-term quick fixes.

(g) Tobacco farmers should be

compensated for their quota at a fair and

equitable value in order to address their

current crisis and reduce their

dependency on tobacco, an action

which is in the best interests of the

tobacco producing and the public health

communities.

(h) Economic development assistance

to tobacco producing communities is in

the best interests of tobacco farmers,

their communities, and the public

health community. The Commission

should consider the broadest range of

economic actions to assist tobacco

farmers, tobacco farm families, and their

communities in promoting their

prosperity, stability, and way of life

during this period of transition,

including:

(1) Locally driven assistance to

tobacco producing communities for

economic redevelopment and

diversification,

(2) Support for the growth of

supplemental crops (particularly those

utilizing specialized tobacco farming

skills) and livestock and the

infrastructure necessary to produce,

process, develop new markets, and

bring these commodities to market; and

(3) Continued research into the

development of non-harmful uses of

tobacco products.

(i) The American tobacco farmer and

the public should be protected against

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 25 / Tuesday, February 6, 2001 / Notices 9065

unfair foreign competition. For example,

increased and expanded inspections for

non-approved pesticides on imported

tobacco are in the best interest of

tobacco growers, their communities, and

the health community.

(j) More needs to be done to prevent

the harm caused by tobacco and this has

been acknowledged by some tobacco

product manufacturers. Comprehensive

programs, such as those suggested in the

August 2000 Report of the Surgeon

General, to reduce tobacco use and the

harm caused by tobacco should be

adopted by both the public and private

sector with a special emphasis on the

problems facing tobacco growing states.

(k) Tobacco should be regulated. The

U.S. Food and Drug Administration

(FDA) should have authority to establish

fair and equitable regulatory controls

over the manufacture, sale, distribution,

and labeling of tobacco products,

comparable to regulations established

for other products regulated by the FDA.

Such regulations should have as their

goal the protection of public health. The

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

should retain its authority to set safety

standards governing tobacco farms.

(l) Measures to fund the

recommendations of the Commission

must be reliable, long-term, and

consistent with the best interests of both

tobacco farming communities and the

public health.

In its December 5, 2000, meeting, the

Commission established a tobacco

working group comprised of tobacco

producers, farm organizations, and

health community representatives to

study further changes needed in the

tobacco program and to propose

recommendations to be considered by

the Commission.

The Preliminary Report requests

public input on a number of issues. This

notice solicits recommendations on

these issues or on any other issues

pertinent to the Commission’s charge.

Copies of the Preliminary Report are

available on the Commission’s website

at http://www.fsa.usda.gov/tobcom/ or

by contacting the Commission’s office at

the contact information listed above.

The purpose of this meeting is to review

public input received to date on the

Preliminary Report and to review the

report from the tobacco working group

and others in order to begin preparation

of the Final Report to the President.

Signed at Washington, D.C. on February 1,

2001.

James R. Little,

Acting Administrator, Farm Service Agency.

[FR Doc. 01–3120 Filed 2–2–01; 10:41 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–05–P

COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS

Agenda and Notice of Public Meeting

of the Delaware Advisory Committee

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to

the provisions of the rules and

regulations of the U.S. Commission on

Civil Rights, that a meeting of the

Delaware Advisory Committee to the

Commission will convene at 11:30 a.m.

and adjourn at 3:30 p.m. on February

27, 2001, at the Metropolitan

Wilmington Urban League, 100 W. 10th

Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801.

The purpose of the meeting is to (1)

make plans to hold a press conference

to release the Committee’s report,

Delaware Citizens Guide to Civil Rights

and Supporting Services, (2) hear from

invited speakers on civil rights issues

affecting the State; and (3) discuss new

project proposals.

Persons desiring additional

information, or planning a presentation

to the Committee, should contact KiTaek Chun, Director of the Eastern

Regional Office, 202–376–7533 (TDD

202–376–8116). Hearing-impaired

persons who will attend the meeting

and require the services of a sign

language interpreter should contact the

Regional Office at least ten (10) working

days before the scheduled date of the

meeting.

The meeting will be conducted

pursuant to the provisions of the rules

and regulations of the Commission.

Dated at Washington, DC, January 29, 2001.

Edward A. Hailes, Jr.,

General Counsel.

[FR Doc. 01–2986 Filed 2–5–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6335–01–P

COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS

Agenda and Notice of Public Meeting

of the Montana Advisory Committee

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to

the provisions of the rules and

regulations of the U.S. Commission on

Civil Rights, that a meeting of the

Montana Advisory Committee to the

Commission will convene at 1:30 p.m.

and adjourn at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday,

March 8, 2001, at the Holiday Inn, 400

10th Avenue, South, Great Falls,

Montana 59405. The purpose of the

meeting is to brief the Committee

members on civil rights issues in the

State and to provide an update on the

current project, ‘‘Equal Educational

Opportunities for Native American

Students in Montana Public Schools.’’

Persons desiring additional

information, or planning a presentation

to the Committee, should contact John

Dulles, Director of the Rocky Mountain

Regional Office, 303–866–1040 (TDD

303–866–1049). Hearing-impaired

persons who will attend the meeting

and require the services of a sign

language interpreter should contact the

Regional Office at least ten (10) working

days before the scheduled date of the

meeting.

The meeting will be conducted

pursuant to the provisions of the rules

and regulations of the Commission.

Dated at Washington, DC, January 31, 2001.

Edward A. Hailes, Jr.,

General Counsel.

[FR Doc. 01–2987 Filed 2–5–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6335–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Census Bureau

Current Industrial Reports Surveys—

WAVE II (Mandatory and Voluntary

Submissions)

ACTION: Proposed collection; comment

request.

SUMMARY: The Department of

Commerce, as part of its continuing

effort to reduce paperwork and

respondent burden, invites the general

public and other Federal agencies to

take this opportunity to comment on

proposed and/or continuing information

collections, as required by the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,

Public Law 104–13 (44 U.S.C.

3506(c)(2)(A)).

DATES: Written comments must be

submitted on or before April 9, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments

to Madeleine Clayton, Departmental

Forms Clearance Officer, Department of

Commerce, Room 6086, 14th and

Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington,

DC 20230 (or via the Internet at

MClayton@doc.gov).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Requests for additional information or

copies of the information collection

instrument(s) and instructions should

be directed to: Judy Dodds, Assistant

Chief for Census and Related Programs,

(301) 457–4587, Census Bureau,

Manufacturing and Construction

Division, Room 2101, Building #4,

Washington, DC 20233 (or via the

Internet at judy.m.dodds@census.gov) .

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

The Census Bureau conducts a series

of monthly, quarterly, and annual

surveys as part of the Current Industrial

Reports (CIR) program. The CIR surveys