SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

This action has been reviewed and determined not to be a rule or regulation as defined in Executive Order 12866 and Departmental Regulation 1512-1; therefore, the Executive Order and Departmental Regulation do not apply to this action.

In the October 1, 1999, Federal Register (64 FR 53312), GIPSA asked persons interested in providing official services in the geographic areas assigned to Lincoln, Memphis, Omaha, Jamestown, Sioux City, and Tischer to submit an application for designation. Applications were due by October 30, 1999. Lincoln, Memphis, Omaha, Jamestown, Sioux City, and Tischer, the only applicants, each applied for designation to provide official services in the entire area currently assigned to them. Since these official agencies were the sole applicants, GIPSA did not ask for comments on the applicants.

GIPSA evaluated all available information regarding the designation criteria in Section 7(f)(l)(A) of the Act and, according to Section 7(f)(l)(B), determined that Lincoln, Memphis, Omaha, Jamestown, Sioux City, and Tischer are able to provide official services in the geographic areas for which they applied.

The following organizations are designated to provide official services in the geographic areas specified in the October 1, 1999, Federal Register .

Interested persons may obtain official services by calling the telephone numbers listed above.

Authority: Pub. L. 94-582, 90 Stat. 2867, as amended (7 U.S.C. 71 et seq.).