CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ANNOUNCES VACANCIES ON THE SEED ADVISORY BOARD

SACRAMENTO, December 10, 2007 — The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) Pest Exclusion Branch is announcing six vacancies on the Seed Advisory Board.

The current vacant positions are for four qualified representatives from the vegetable seed industry in the southern, central and coastal areas of California, one qualified representative from the field seed industry located in the southern half of California, and one public member. The successful industry candidates will be appointed to serve three-year terms that expire March 31, 2011. The public member will be appointed to complete the remainder of a term previously set to expire March 31, 2009.

The Seed Advisory Board makes recommendations to the CDFA Secretary on all matters pertaining to seed law and regulations, enforcement, seed laboratory diagnostics and annual budgets required to accomplish the purposes of the California Seed Law.

This board is composed of nine members who are seed labelers registered under the provisions of the California Seed Law and represent the functions of seed production, conditioning, marketing, or utilization.  The board also has two public members. The term of office for board members is three years. The members receive no compensation, but are entitled to payment of necessary traveling expenses in accordance with the rules of the Department of Personnel Administration.

Individuals interested in being considered for these board appointments should send a brief resume to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, Pest Exclusion Branch, 1220 N Street, Room  A387, Sacramento, California 95814, Attention: John Heaton by Monday, December 31, 2007.

For additional information, please visit the CDFA Seed Services Program web page at www.cdfa.ca.gov/phpps/PE/Nursery/Seed.html or contact John Heaton, Senior Agricultural Biologist, Seed Services Program at (916) 654 0435, by fax, (916) 651-1207, or e-mail jheaton@cdfa.ca.gov.

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