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WASHINGTON,
June 15, 2005 -- Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns announced that
farmers, ranchers and others across the country can nominate
eligible candidates for the 2005 elections to serve on USDA's Farm
Service Agency (FSA) county committees beginning June 15. The last
day to file nomination forms is Aug. 1, 2005.
"County
committees play an integral role in the local implementation of
Farm Service Agency programs," said Johanns. "I encourage
all producers, community-based groups and others who care about
American agriculture to participate in the county committee
election process by nominating eligible candidates, especially
minorities and women."
Farmers
who serve on county committees help ensure FSA agricultural
programs adequately serve the needs of local producers. Committees
make decisions on county commodity price-support loan eligibility,
establishment of allotments and yields, conservation programs,
disaster programs, employment and other issues.
To be an
eligible candidate, a person must participate or cooperate in an
FSA program, be of legal voting age and live in the county or area
where the election is being held. USDA will again be implementing
an extensive outreach program to encourage greater participation of
minority and women producers in the county committee election
process.
Individuals
may nominate themselves or others as candidates. In addition,
eligible candidates can be nominated by community-based
organizations, especially groups representing socially
disadvantaged (SDA) farmers or ranchers, before the close of the
nomination period. Nominations and elections are open to all
eligible candidates and voters without regard to race, color,
religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status or disability.
FSA is committed to promoting diversity on its local county
committees so all producers, including minority, female and other
under-represented people, have a say in how the Agency's programs
are administered locally.
On Jan.
18, 2005, USDA issued uniform guidelines for county committee
elections to help ensure that FSA county committees fairly
represent the agricultural producers of a county or multi-county
area, especially SDA producers. SDA persons are African Americans,
Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Hispanics, Asians, Pacific
Islanders, other minorities and women. The guidelines, required by
the 2002 Farm Bill, govern the FSA county committee election
process and are designed to increase participation by minorities
and women. To read the guidelines in their entirety, visit: http://www.fsa.usda.gov/pas/publications/elections/
Among
the key guidelines that are now in effect:
- If no valid nominations are filed, the Secretary of
Agriculture may nominate up to two individuals to be placed on
the ballot.
- County committees must annually review the local
administrative area (LAA) boundaries to ensure the fair
representation of SDA producers in their county or multi-county
area.
- FSA county offices shall actively locate and
recruit eligible candidates identified as SDA farmers and
ranchers as potential nominees for the county committee
elections using any reasonable means necessary, including the
development of partnerships with community-based
organizations.
Producers
should keep in mind several important dates regarding the 2005
county committee elections. Producers can request, fill out and
submit nomination forms from June 15 to Aug. 1, 2005. Ballots will
be mailed to eligible voters by Nov. 4, 2005. The deadline to
return ballots is Dec. 5, 2005. Elected committee members and
alternates take office on Jan. 1, 2006.
The COC
system was first established in 1936 and is authorized by the Soil
Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act. Today, there are more than
8,300 committee members serving three-year terms in more than 2,300
county offices nationwide. Every year, elections are held for
approximately one-third of these seats.
For more information about FSA county committees or to
obtain a nomination form (FSA-669A), visit a local USDA Service
Centers or go online at: http://www.fsa.usda.gov/pas/publications/elections
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