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

SACRAMENTO, January 16, 2009 - The California Department of Food and Agriculture's (CDFA) Pest Exclusion Branch is announcing five vacancies on the Seed Advisory Board.  The board is composed of seven members who are seed labelers and two members that may be seed dealers. These nine members are registered to sell seed under provisions of 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.

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.

The current vacant positions are for two qualified representatives from the field seed industry in the central and northern areas of California, one qualified representative from the vegetable seed industry in the central area of California, and two public members. The successful industry candidates will be appointed to serve three year terms that expire March 31, 2012.

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, February 16, 2009.

For additional information, visit the 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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