Notice2026-18059
Christmas Tree Promotion, Research, and Information Order; Continuance Referendum
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
September 3, 2026
Issuing agencies
Agriculture DepartmentAgricultural Marketing Service
Abstract
This notice directs that a referendum be conducted among eligible producers and importers of Christmas trees to determine whether they favor continuance of the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) regulations regarding the national Christmas tree research and promotion program.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 170 (Thursday, September 3, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 170 (Thursday, September 3, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Page 56612]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-18059]
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Notices
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Federal Register / Vol. 91, No. 170 / Thursday, September 3, 2026 /
Notices
[[Page 56612]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Marketing Service
[Doc. No. AMS-SC-26-1849]
Christmas Tree Promotion, Research, and Information Order;
Continuance Referendum
AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notification of referendum.
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SUMMARY: This notice directs that a referendum be conducted among
eligible producers and importers of Christmas trees to determine
whether they favor continuance of the Agricultural Marketing Service's
(AMS) regulations regarding the national Christmas tree research and
promotion program.
DATES: This referendum will be conducted by express mail and electronic
ballot from October 1, 2026, through October 16, 2026. Ballots
delivered to AMS via express mail or electronic ballot must show proof
of delivery by no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on October 16,
2026. Eligible persons will receive a ballot via express mail and may
cast it either through express mail or electronic ballot. To be
eligible to vote, domestic producers and importers must have produced
or imported 500 or more Christmas trees from September 1, 2025, through
March 15, 2026, and must be subject to assessment under the Christmas
Tree Promotion, Research, and Information Order (Order).
ADDRESSES: Copies of the Order may be obtained from: Referendum Agent,
Market Development Division, Specialty Crops Program, AMS, USDA, 1400
Independence Avenue SW, Room 1406-S, Stop 0244, Washington, DC 20250-
0244; via telephone: (202) 720-8085; or by contacting George Webster
via electronic mail: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#8ccbe9e3feebe9a2dbe9eefff8e9feccf9ffe8eda2ebe3fa"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="2e694b415c494b00794b4c5d5a4b5c6e5b5d4a4f00494158">[email protected]</span></a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: George Webster, Marketing Specialist,
or Alexandra Caryl, Branch Chief, Mid-Atlantic Region Branch, Market
Development Division, Specialty Crops Program; telephone: (202) 720-
8085; email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#773012180510125920121504031205370204131659101801"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="0443616b7663612a5361667770617644717760652a636b72">[email protected]</span></a> or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#1958757c6178777d6b78375a786b6075596c6a7d78377e766f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="32735e574a535c5640531c7153404b5e72474156531c555d44">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the Commodity Promotion,
Research, and Information Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 7411-7425) (the Act),
it is hereby directed that a referendum be conducted to ascertain
whether continuance of the Christmas Tree Promotion, Research, and
Information Order (the Order) (7 CFR part 1214) is favored by a
majority of eligible domestic producers and importers covered under the
program.
The representative period for establishing voter eligibility is
September 1, 2025, through March 15, 2026. Producers who domestically
produced 500 or more Christmas trees and importers who imported 500 or
more Christmas trees into the United States during the representative
period are eligible to vote. Persons who received an exemption from
assessments pursuant to Sec. 1214.53 for the entire representative
period are ineligible to vote. The referendum will be conducted by
express mail and electronic ballot from October 1, 2026, through
October 16, 2026. Further details will be provided in the ballot
instructions.
Section 518 of the Act (7 U.S.C. 7417) authorizes continuance
referenda. Under Sec. 1214.81(b) of the Order, USDA must conduct a
referendum every seven years, at the request of the Board established
in the Order, when 10 percent or more of the number of persons eligible
to vote in a referendum, or at any time as determined by the Secretary.
The program's last continuance referendum was conducted from May 22
through June 2, 2026, to comply with the Order. In that vote, 49.83% of
voters supported its continuation. However, the voting period included
fewer business days than the standard timeframe, and AMS received
numerous late ballots which, under a standard voting window, may have
been counted and potentially changed the outcome. Given these
circumstances, pursuant to section 518(d) of the Act, AMS will conduct
an additional referendum to determine the industry's support for
continuation or termination.
USDA would continue the Order if it is favored by a majority of
eligible domestic producers and importers voting in the referendum. If
not favored, USDA would comply with the suspension and termination
procedures at Sec. 1214.82 and conduct appropriate rulemaking in
accordance with the Order.
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C.
chapter 35), the referendum ballot has been approved by the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) and assigned OMB No. 0581-0268.
Approximately 1,200 persons will be eligible to vote in the referendum.
It will take an average of 15 minutes for each voter to read the voting
instructions and complete the referendum ballot.
Referendum Order
George Webster, Marketing Specialist, and Alexandra Caryl, Branch
Chief, Mid-Atlantic Region Branch, Market Development Division, SCP,
AMS, USDA, Stop 0244, Room 1406-S, 1400 Independence Avenue SW,
Washington, DC 20250-0244, are designated as the referendum agents to
conduct this referendum. The referendum procedures at Sec. Sec.
1214.100 through 1214.108 of the Order, which were issued pursuant to
the Act, shall be used to conduct the referendum.
The referendum agents will mail ballots and voting instructions,
including how to vote electronically, to all known, eligible domestic
producers and importers prior to the first day of the voting period.
Any eligible domestic producer or importer who does not receive a
ballot should contact a referendum agent no later than three days
before the end of the voting period. Ballots delivered to AMS via
express mail or electronic ballot must show proof of delivery by no
later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on October 16, 2026, to be included
in the vote tabulation.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 7411-7425; 7 U.S.C. 7401.
Erin Morris,
Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 2026-18059 Filed 9-2-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P
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