Notice2023-10217
Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Advisory Committee
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
May 15, 2023
Issuing agencies
Agriculture DepartmentNatural Resources Conservation Service
Abstract
The Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (OUAIP) is seeking nominations for individuals to serve on the Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Advisory Committee (UAIPAC). The UAIPAC advises the Secretary of Agriculture on the development of policies and outreach relating to urban, indoor, and other emerging agricultural production practices. The 12 members appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture are expected to serve a 3-year term. This specific nomination period includes four vacancies, including: the urban producer representative; the higher education or extension program represenative; the business and economic development representative; and a representative with related experience in urban, indoor, and other emerging agriculture production practices.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 93 (Monday, May 15, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 93 (Monday, May 15, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30945-30947]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-10217]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Natural Resources Conservation Service
[Docket ID: NRCS-2023-0009]
Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Advisory Committee
AGENCY: Natural Resources Conservation Service, United States
Department of Agriculture.
ACTION: Notice to solicit nominees.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Office of Urban
Agriculture and Innovative Production (OUAIP) is seeking nominations
for individuals to serve on the Urban Agriculture and Innovative
Production Advisory Committee (UAIPAC). The UAIPAC advises the
Secretary of Agriculture on the development of policies and outreach
relating to urban, indoor, and other emerging agricultural production
practices. The 12 members appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture are
expected to serve a 3-year term. This specific nomination period
includes four vacancies, including: the urban producer representative;
the higher education or extension program represenative; the business
and economic development representative; and a representative with
related experience in urban, indoor, and other emerging agriculture
production practices.
DATES: USDA will consider nominations received via email or postmarked
by July 15, 2023.
ADDRESSES: Please send nominations via email to:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#6732150506092600150e04120b131215022102030215060b2603110e1408151e24080a0a0e13130202271214030649000811"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="2673544447486741544f45534a525354436043424354474a6742504f5549545f65494b4b4f52524343665355424708414950">[email protected]</span></a>. Email is the
preferred method for sending nominations; alternatively, nominations
can be mailed to Brian Guse, Director of
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Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production, Department of
Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Room 4627-S, Washington, DC
20250.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Markus Holliday, Coordinator, Office
of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production; telephone: (301) 974-
1287; email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a0f5d2c2c1cee1c7d2c9c3d5ccd4d5d2c5e6c5c4c5d2c1cce1c4d6c9d3cfd2d9e3cfcdcdc9d4c5c5e0d5d3c4c18ec7cfd6"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="b2e7c0d0d3dcf3d5c0dbd1c7dec6c7c0d7f4d7d6d7c0d3def3d6c4dbc1ddc0cbf1dddfdfdbc6d7d7f2c7c1d6d39cd5ddc4">[email protected]</span></a>.
Individuals who require alternative means for communication may
contact the USDA TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and text
telephone (TTY)) or dial 711 for Telecommunications Relay service (both
voice and text telephone users can initiate this call from any
telephone).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
UAIPAC Overview and Membership
Section 222 of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of
1994, as amended, by section 12302 of the 2018 Farm Bill (7 U.S.C.
6923; Pub. L. 115-334), directed the Secretary of Agriculture to
establish an ``Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Advisory
Committee'' to advise the Secretary on any aspect of section 222,
including the development of policies and outreach relating to urban,
indoor, and other emerging agricultural production practices as well as
identify any barriers to urban agriculture. UAIPAC will host public
meetings to deliberate on recommendations for the Secretary of
Agriculture. These recommendations provide advice to the Secretary on
supporting urban agriculture and innovative production through USDA's
programs and services. For additional background and member information
visit the UAIPAC website at <a href="https://www.usda.gov/partnerships/federal-advisory-committee-urban-ag">https://www.usda.gov/partnerships/federal-advisory-committee-urban-ag</a>.
The UAIPAC consists of 12 members including:
<bullet> 4 representatives who are agriculture producers including
2 individuals who are located in an urban area or urban cluster; and 2
individuals who are farmers that use innovative technology;
<bullet> 2 representatives from an institution of higher education
or extension program;
<bullet> 1 representative from a nonprofit organizaton, which may
include a public health, environmental, or community organization;
<bullet> 1 representative who represents business and economic
development, which may include a business development entity, a chamber
of commerce, a city government, or a planning organization;
<bullet> 1 expert with supply chain experience, which may include a
food aggregator, wholesale food distributor, food hub, or an individual
who has direct-to-consumer market experience;
<bullet> 1 representative from a financing entity; and
<bullet> 2 representatives with related experience or expertise in
urban, indoor, and other emerging agriculture production practices, as
determined by the Secretary.
Member Nominations
Nominations are open to the public. Any interested person or
organization may nominate qualified individuals for membership,
including self-nominations. Individuals who wish to be considered for
membership must submit a nomination package to include the following:
(1) A completed background disclosure form (Form AD-755) signed by
the nominee; <a href="https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-755.pdf">https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-755.pdf</a>;
(2) A brief summary explaining the nominee's interest in one or
more open vacancies including any unique qualifications that address
the membership composition and criteria described above;
(3) A resume providing the nominee's background, experience, and
educational qualifications;
(4) Recent publications by the nominee relative to extending
support for urban agriculture or innovative production (optional); and
(5) Letter(s) of endorsement (optional).
Please send nominations via email to:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0653746467684761746f65736a727374634063626374676a4762706f7569747f45696b6b6f72726363467375626728616970"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="70250212111e3117021913051c040502153615141502111c31140619031f0209331f1d1d190404151530050314115e171f06">[email protected]</span></a> as the preferred
method. Alternatively, nominations can be mailed to Brian Guse,
Director of Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production,
Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Room 4627-S,
Washington, DC 20250.
Ethics Statement
To maintain the highest levels of honesty, integrity, and ethical
conduct, no committee or subcommittee member may participate in any
``specific party matters'' (for example, matters are narrowly focused
and typically involve specific transactions between identified parties)
such as a lease, license, permit, contract, claim, grant, agreement, or
related litigation with USDA in which the committee or subcommittee
member has a direct financial interest. This includes the requirement
for committee or subcommittee members to immediately disclose to the
Designated Federal Officer (DFO) (for discussion with USDA's Office of
Ethics) any specific party matter in which the member's immediate
family, relatives, business partners or employer would be directly
seeking to financially benefit from the committee's recommendations.
All members will receive ethics training to identify and avoid any
actions that would cause the public to question the integrity of the
committee's advice and recommendations. Members who are appointed as
``Representatives'' are not subject to Federal ethics laws because the
appointment allows them to represent the point(s) of view of a
particular group, business sector or segment of the public.
Members appointed as ``Special Government Employees'' (SGEs) are
considered intermittent Federal employees and are subject to Federal
ethics laws. SGE's are appointed due to their personal knowledge,
academic scholarship, background or expertise. No SGE may participate
in any activity in which the member has a prohibited financial
interest. Appointees who are SGEs are required to complete and submit a
Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE-450 form) via the
FDonline e-filing database system. Upon request USDA will assist SGEs
in preparing these financial reports. To ensure the highest level of
compliance with applicable ethical standards USDA will provide ethics
training to SGEs on an annual basis. The provisions of these paragraphs
are not meant to exhaustively cover all Federal ethics laws and do not
affect any other statutory or regulatory obligations to which advisory
committee members are subject.
USDA Equal Opportunity Statement
Equal opportunity practices, in line with USDA policies, will be
followed in all membership appointments to the committee. To ensure
that the recommendations of the committee have taken 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.
The USDA prohibits discrimination in all of its programs and
activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex
(including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age,
marital status, familial or parental status, income derived from a
public assistance program, political beliefs, genetic information, or
reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program
or activity conducted or
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funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs).
USDA Non-Discrimination Policy
In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, USDA, its
Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or
administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on
race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including
gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital
status, family or parental status, income derived from a public
assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for
prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or
funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and
complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.
Individuals who require alternative means of communication for
program information (for example, braille, large print, audiotape,
American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or
USDA TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and text telephone (TTY))
or dial 711 for Telecommunicaions Relay Service (both voice and text
telephone users can initiate this call from any phone). Additionally,
program information may be made available in languages other than
English.
To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA
Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at <a href="https://www.usda.gov/oascr/how-to-file-a-program-discrimination-complaint">https://www.usda.gov/oascr/how-to-file-a-program-discrimination-complaint</a> and
at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in
the letter all the information requested in the form. To request a copy
of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form
or letter to USDA by mail to: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of
the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue SW,
Washington, DC 20250-9410 or email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#105f515350656374713e777f663e45435451"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="622d232122171106034c050d144c37312623">[email protected]</span></a> is an equal
opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
Dated: May 3, 2023.
Cikena Reid,
Committee Management Officer, USDA.
[FR Doc. 2023-10217 Filed 5-12-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-16-P
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