Christmas Tree Producers and Importers Vote on Program Continuance

Legal Status This site displays a prototype of a “Web 2.0” version of the daily
Federal Register. It is not an official legal edition of the Federal
Register, and does not replace the official print version or the official
electronic version on GPO’s govinfo.gov.

The documents posted on this site are XML renditions of published Federal
Register documents. Each document posted on the site includes a link to the
corresponding official PDF file on govinfo.gov. This prototype edition of the
daily Federal Register on FederalRegister.gov will remain an unofficial
informational resource until the Administrative Committee of the Federal
Register (ACFR) issues a regulation granting it official legal status.
For complete information about, and access to, our official publications
and services, go to About the Federal Register on NARA's archives.gov.

The OFR/GPO partnership is committed to presenting accurate and reliable
regulatory information on FederalRegister.gov with the objective of
establishing the XML-based Federal Register as an ACFR-sanctioned
publication in the future. While every effort has been made to ensure that
the material on FederalRegister.gov is accurately displayed, consistent with
the official SGML-based PDF version on govinfo.gov, those relying on it for
legal research should verify their results against an official edition of
the Federal Register. Until the ACFR grants it official status, the XML
rendition of the daily Federal Register on FederalRegister.gov does not
provide legal notice to the public or judicial notice to the courts.

Legal Status

Notice

Christmas Tree Promotion, Research, and Information Order; Continuance Referendum

A Notice by the Agricultural Marketing Service on 04/22/2026

• 1.

1.

• Document Details Published Content - Document Details Agencies Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service Agency/Docket Number Doc. No. AMS-SC-26-0232 Document Citation 91 FR 21396 Document Number 2026-07828 Document Type Notice Page 21396
  (1 page) Publication Date 04/22/2026 Published Content - Document Details

• PDF Official Content

  • View printed version (PDF) Official Content

• Document Details Published Content - Document Details Agencies Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service Agency/Docket Number Doc. No. AMS-SC-26-0232 Document Citation 91 FR 21396 Document Number 2026-07828 Document Type Notice Page 21396
  (1 page) Publication Date 04/22/2026 Published Content - Document Details

• Document Dates Published Content - Document Dates Dates Text This referendum will be conducted by mail and electronic ballot from May 22, 2026 through June 2, 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 June 2, 2026. Eligible persons will receive a ballot through the mail and may cast it either through 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). Published Content - Document Dates

• Table of Contents Enhanced Content - Table of Contents This table of contents is a navigational tool, processed from the
  headings within the legal text of Federal Register documents.
  This repetition of headings to form internal navigation links
  has no substantive legal effect.

  -

  -

  -

  -

  Enhanced Content - Table of Contents

• Public Comments Enhanced Content - Public Comments This feature is not available for this document.

Enhanced Content - Public Comments
- Regulations.gov Data Enhanced Content - Regulations.gov Data Additional information is not currently available for this document.

Enhanced Content - Regulations.gov Data

- Sharing Enhanced Content - Sharing Shorter Document URL https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2026-07828 Email Email this document to a friend Enhanced Content - Sharing

• Print Enhanced Content - Print
  • Enhanced Content - Print
• Other Formats Enhanced Content - Other Formats This document is also available in the following formats:

JSON Normalized attributes and metadata XML Original full text XML MODS Government Publishing Office metadata More information and documentation can be found in our developer tools pages.

Enhanced Content - Other Formats
- Public Inspection Public Inspection This PDF is FR Doc. 2026-07828 as it appeared on Public Inspection on
04/21/2026 at 8:45 am.

It was viewed
22
times while on Public Inspection.

If you are using public inspection listings for legal research, you
should verify the contents of the documents against a final, official
edition of the Federal Register. Only official editions of the
Federal Register provide legal notice of publication to the public and judicial notice
to the courts under 44 U.S.C. 1503 & 1507. Learn more here.

Public Inspection
Published Document: 2026-07828 (91 FR 21396) This document has been published in the Federal Register. Use the PDF linked in the document sidebar for the official electronic format.

Document Headings Document headings vary by document type but may contain
the following:

1. the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document
2. the number of the CFR title and the number of each part the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly related to
3. the agency docket number / agency internal file number
4. the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions See the Document Drafting Handbook for more details.

Department of Agriculture

Agricultural Marketing Service

1. Doc. No. AMS-SC-26-0232 # AGENCY:

Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.

ACTION:

Notification of referendum.

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 mail and electronic ballot from May 22, 2026 through June 2, 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 June 2, 2026. Eligible persons will receive a ballot through the mail and may cast it either through 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: George.Webster@usda.gov.

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: George.Webster@usda.gov or Alexandra.Caryl@usda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Pursuant to the Commodity Promotion, Research, and Information Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 7411-7425) (Act), it is hereby directed that a referendum be conducted to ascertain whether continuance of the Christmas Tree Promotion, Research, and Information Order (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 31, 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 § 1214.53 for the entire representative period are ineligible to vote. The referendum will be conducted by express mail and electronic ballot from May 22, 2026 through June 2, 2026. Further details will be provided in the ballot instructions.

Section 518 of the Act (7 U.S.C. 7417) authorizes continuance referenda. Under § 1214.81(b) of the Order, USDA must conduct a referendum every seven years, at the request of the Board established in the Order, 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 in 2019; therefore, a referendum must be held in 2026 to comply with the Order.

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 § 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 §§ 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 June 2, 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. 2026-07828 Filed 4-21-26; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410-02-P

Published Document: 2026-07828 (91 FR 21396)