13929 Delivered-To: hbiden@rosemontseneca.com Received: by 10.216.5.11 with SMTP id 11cs24436wek; Mon, 29 Mar 2010 16:09:40 -0700 (PDT) Received: by 10.150.208.11 with SMTP id f11mr444432ybg.59.1269904178439; Mon, 29 Mar 2010 16:09:38 -0700 (PDT) Return-Path: Received: from VA3EHSOBE002.bigfish.com (va3ehsobe002.messaging.microsoft.com [216.32.180.12]) by mx.google.com with ESMTP id bu28si10894037ibb.8.2010.03.29.16.09.36; Mon, 29 Mar 2010 16:09:38 -0700 (PDT) Received-SPF: neutral (google.com: 216.32.180.12 is neither permitted nor denied by best guess record for domain of lrasky@rasky.com) client-ip=216.32.180.12; Authentication-Results: mx.google.com; spf=neutral (google.com: 216.32.180.12 is neither permitted nor denied by best guess record for domain of lrasky@rasky.com) smtp.mail=lrasky@rasky.com Received: from mail170-va3-R.bigfish.com (10.7.14.248) by VA3EHSOBE002.bigfish.com (10.7.40.22) with Microsoft SMTP Server id 8.1.240.5; Mon, 29 Mar 2010 23:09:35 +0000 Received: from mail170-va3 (localhost.localdomain [127.0.0.1]) by mail170-va3-R.bigfish.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 5DEB010902D7 for ; Mon, 29 Mar 2010 23:09:35 +0000 (UTC) X-SpamScore: -19 X-BigFish: VPS-19(zf7Iz542Na0dJ62a3L9371P7f52jzz1202hzzz2dh6bh2a8h34h61h) X-Spam-TCS-SCL: 0:0 X-FB-SS: 5,5, Received: from mail170-va3 (localhost.localdomain [127.0.0.1]) by mail170-va3 (MessageSwitch) id 1269904170987634_22916; Mon, 29 Mar 2010 23:09:30 +0000 (UTC) Received: from VA3EHSMHS015.bigfish.com (unknown [10.7.14.236]) by mail170-va3.bigfish.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id E3C08508046 for ; Mon, 29 Mar 2010 23:09:30 +0000 (UTC) Received: from mx1.rasky.com (209.104.249.163) by VA3EHSMHS015.bigfish.com (10.7.99.25) with Microsoft SMTP Server (TLS) id 14.0.482.39; Mon, 29 Mar 2010 23:09:21 +0000 Received: from mx03.rasky.com ([192.168.1.8]) by mx1.rasky.com with Microsoft SMTPSVC(6.0.3790.3959); Mon, 29 Mar 2010 19:09:17 -0400 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.3790.4325 Content-Class: urn:content-classes:message MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="----_=_NextPart_001_01CACF94.DAE0B673" Subject: Fw: Fwd: Follow-up with Dept. of Agriculture... Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2010 19:09:16 -0400 Message-ID: X-MS-Has-Attach: yes X-MS-TNEF-Correlator: Thread-Topic: Follow-up with Dept. of Agriculture... thread-index: AcrPVqKnTYWBpP1sRYC4KuXYOzsBFAAPjfdd From: Larry Rasky To: X-OriginalArrivalTime: 29 Mar 2010 23:09:17.0883 (UTC) FILETIME=[DB89C8B0:01CACF94] X-Reverse-DNS: mx1.rasky.com Return-Path: lrasky@rasky.com ------_=_NextPart_001_01CACF94.DAE0B673 Content-Type: multipart/ALTERNATIVE; boundary="----_=_NextPart_002_01CACF94.DAE0B673" ------_=_NextPart_002_01CACF94.DAE0B673 Content-Transfer-Encoding: QUOTED-PRINTABLE Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=utf-8 Better not to forget. Let me know if you don't get attachment.=20 ________________________________ From: tripksck@aol.com=20 To: Larry Rasky=20 Cc: David Tamasi=20 Sent: Mon Mar 29 11:41:29 2010 Subject: Fwd: Follow-up with Dept. of Agriculture...=20 Here is what I sent to Evan on March 3. Trip -----Original Message----- From: tripksck@aol.com To: eryan@ovp.eop.gov Sent: Wed, Mar 3, 2010 5:07 pm Subject: Follow-up with Dept. of Agriculture... Evan: =20 Following up on our conversation the other day about a South Carolina = company's permit request pending before the Department of Agriculture, I = have attached a copy of the letter that House Majority Whip Congressman = Jim Clyburn send to Secretary Vilsack on January 14 regarding the = matter. The Clyburn letter pretty much lays out the case on behalf of = ArborGen, a South Carolina-based biotechnology company conducting = business in the forest products and bio-mass products sector. =20 Bottom-line, several years back ArborGen made application to the USDA's = Biotechnology Regulatory Services for a permit to grow for field trial = purposes genetically modified eucalyptus trees to test their freeze = tolerance. BRS accepted the application, opened a comment period and = received comments in accordance government regulations. Without acting = on ArborGen's request, BRS announced that due to some internal problems = with the initial comment and review period, they would re-open the = comment period for another 30 days begining on or around January 12, = 2010 (Federal Register Docket No. APHIS-2008-0059). The delay in acting = on ArborGen's original application has cost the company dearly in terms = of lost research data and ultimately, the ability to commercially = produce freeze tolerant eucalyptus trees. As Congressman Clyburn's = letter points out, two growing seasons have elapsed since ArborGen first = submitted their application to the USDA and if Biotechnology Regulatory = Services does not act on the current application by the time these trees = begin to flower around March 31 of this year, ArboGen will again be = forced to destroy their freeze tolerrant eucalyptus field trials which = are being conducted in Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina, = Florida and Georgia. If forced to destroy their crop for a third year = because of a lack of timely government action, ArborGen would again face = a huge financial burden and tremendous loss of valuable research. =20 As stated above, Clyburn's letter makes the case well. All he has asked = is that the USDA act on Arborgen's application on or before March 31 = when the field trial trees are estimated to begin flowering (the permit = request would allow the trees to flower otherwise they must be destroyed = to prevent the release of pollen). Considering that the original = application was filed more than 750 days back, it would seem that ample = time has elapsed for the USDA to issue a decision in this time frame. =20 I would therefore ask the Vice President's office contact USDA to ensure = that a decision is made in this matter prior to March 31. ArborGen's = application stands on the merits of their submission so the issue here = is getting a decision made within a more than reasonable time frame so = that ArborGen can go about there business and plan for the future.=20 =20 Thanks for your consideration and let me know if you have any questions = or if I can provide additional information. =20 Sam B. "Trip" King III=20 Post Office Box 11875=20 Columbia, SC 29211=20 (803)312-1900 Cell (803)779-1414 Office Email: tripksck@aol.com The information contained in this transmission is confidential = information intended for the use of the individual or entity named = above. This email may contain information that is confidential and/or = privileged. If the reader of this message is not the intended = recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution = or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have = received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately and = promptly destroy any record of this email. ------_=_NextPart_002_01CACF94.DAE0B673 Content-Transfer-Encoding: QUOTED-PRINTABLE Content-Type: TEXT/HTML; charset=utf-8

Better not to forget. Let me know if you don't get attachment. =


From: tripksck@aol.com =0D
To: Larry = Rasky=0D
Cc: David Tamasi=0D
Sent: Mon Mar 29 = 11:41:29 2010
Subject: Fwd: Follow-up with Dept. of = Agriculture...=0D

Here is what I sent to Evan on March 3.

Trip

-----Original Message-----
From: tripksck@aol.com
To: eryan@ovp.eop.gov
Sent: Wed, Mar 3, 2010 5:07 pm
Subject: Follow-up with Dept. of Agriculture...

Evan:
 
Following up on our conversation the other day about a South = Carolina company's permit request pending before the Department of = Agriculture, I have attached a copy of the letter that House Majority = Whip Congressman Jim Clyburn send to Secretary Vilsack on January 14 = regarding the matter.  The Clyburn letter pretty much lays out the = case on behalf of ArborGen, a South Carolina-based biotechnology company = conducting business in the forest products and bio-mass products = sector.
 
Bottom-line, several years back ArborGen made application to the = USDA's Biotechnology Regulatory Services for a permit to grow for field = trial purposes genetically modified eucalyptus trees to test their = freeze tolerance.  BRS accepted the application, opened a comment = period and received comments in accordance government regulations.  = Without acting on ArborGen's request, BRS announced that due to some = internal problems with the initial comment and review period, they = would re-open the comment period for another 30 days begining on or = around January 12, 2010 (Federal Register Docket No. = APHIS-2008-0059).  The delay in acting on ArborGen's original = application has cost the company dearly in terms of lost research data = and ultimately, the ability to commercially produce freeze tolerant = eucalyptus trees.  As Congressman Clyburn's letter points out, two = growing seasons have elapsed since ArborGen first submitted their = application to the USDA and if  Biotechnology Regulatory Services = does not act on the current application by the time these trees = begin to flower around March 31 of this year, ArboGen will again be = forced to destroy their freeze tolerrant eucalyptus field trials which = are being conducted in Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina, = Florida and Georgia.  If forced to destroy their crop for a = third year because of a lack of timely government action, ArborGen would = again face a huge financial burden and tremendous loss of valuable = research.
 
As stated above, Clyburn's letter makes the case well.  All he = has asked is that the USDA act on Arborgen's application on or before = March 31 when the field trial trees are estimated to begin flowering = (the permit request would allow the trees to flower otherwise they must = be destroyed to prevent the release of pollen).  Considering = that the original application was filed more than 750 days back, it = would seem that ample time has elapsed for the USDA to issue a = decision in this time frame.
 
I would therefore ask the Vice President's office contact USDA to = ensure that a decision is made in this matter prior to March 31.  = ArborGen's application stands on the merits of their submission so the = issue here is getting a decision made within a more than reasonable = time frame so that ArborGen can go about there business and plan for the = future. 
 
Thanks for your consideration and let me know if you have any = questions or if I can provide additional information.
 
Sam B. "Trip" King III
Post Office Box 11875
Columbia, SC 29211
(803)312-1900 Cell
(803)779-1414 Office
Email:  tripksck@aol.com
=

 

 

The information = contained in this transmission is confidential information intended for = the use of the individual or entity named above. This email may contain = information that is confidential and/or privileged.  If the reader of this message = is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any = dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is strictly = prohibited.  If you have = received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately and = promptly destroy any record of this email.

 

------_=_NextPart_002_01CACF94.DAE0B673-- ------_=_NextPart_001_01CACF94.DAE0B673 Content-Transfer-Encoding: BASE64 Content-Disposition: ATTACHMENT; filename=ArborGen_Permit_Letter.pdf Content-Type: APPLICATION/PDF; name=ArborGen_Permit_Letter.pdf X-Apple-Content-Length: 1056364 Content-Description: ArborGen_Permit_Letter.pdf ------_=_NextPart_001_01CACF94.DAE0B673-- conversation-id 114045 date-last-viewed 0 date-received 1269904178 flags 17213621249 remote-id 7494