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DEPARTMENTAL REGULATION |
NUMBER: 1057-001 |
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SUBJECT: Environmental Services Advisory Committee |
DATE: January
14, 2009 |
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OPI: US Department of Agriculture |
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This regulation establishes the Environmental Services Advisory
Committee (The Advisory Committee) in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee
Act (5 U.S.C. App. II). The purpose of the Advisory Committee is to advise the
Secretary of Agriculture regarding issues related to establishing technical
guidelines that outline science-based methods to measure the environmental services
benefits from conservation and land management activities in order to
facilitate the participation of farmers, ranchers and forest landowners in
emerging environmental services markets.
a. This regulation will expire 2 years after the
date of filing unless renewed by proper authority and appropriate action.
b. The function of the Advisory Committee cannot
be completed in less than 2 years.
a. The Advisory Committee shall
consist of at least 15 and no more than 19 members appointed by the Secretary
of Agriculture. The Director of the USDA
Office of Ecosystem Services and Markets or his or her designee will serve as
the Chair of the Advisory Committee. Officers
or employees of the Department of Agriculture may not serve as members of the
Advisory Committee.
b. The Advisory Committee shall
consist of members with relevant expertise and who represent a diversity of organizations
including at a minimum:
(1) representatives
from state natural resource agencies, environmental quality agencies, agriculture
departments;
(2) tribal
governments;
(3) farmers,
ranchers, and forest landowners representing the various regions of the nation;
(4) conservation
and environmental organizations;
(5) institutions
of higher education;
(6) financial
institutions involved in environmental services trading;
(7) others as
determined by the Secretary.
c. Membership to the greatest
extent possible, shall be selected from geographically diverse locations.
d. The Secretary of Agriculture
shall appoint a Designated Federal Officer (DFO) under sections 10(e) and (f)
of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, (5 U.S.C. App. II).
e. Members will be appointed for
a term of 2 years and may be appointed to successive terms. A vacancy on the Advisory Committee shall be
filled in the same manner in which the original appointment was made.
f. A majority of the Advisory Committee
shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
g. Equal opportunity practices,
in line with USDA policies, shall be followed in all membership appointments to the Advisory 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.
a. Members
of the Advisory Committee will serve without pay, but may be reimbursed for
travel and per diem expenses for official duties as approved by the Chair of
the Board or his designee.
b. The
estimated cost of operating the Advisory Committee is
$150,000 annually. Federal staff support
is estimated to be 1 FTE.
c. At
the Advisory Committee’s request, the Secretary of Agriculture may make
employees available to the Advisory committee for technical and administrative
assistance.
6. NUMBER AND FREQUENCY OF MEETINGS
The Advisory Committee will meet
as often and at such intervals as is necessary to complete its work but no less
than two times per year. All meetings of
the Committee will be open to the public.
7. REPORTS AND SUPPORT
The Advisory Committee shall report to the Secretary of Agriculture
following each of its meetings and more frequently if deemed necessary.
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