Competitive Market Analysis: Chestnut Producers

In 2004, a nationwide survey of chestnut (Castanea spp.) producers in the United States was conducted. Results show that the U.S. chestnut industry is in its infancy. The majority of chestnut producers have been in business less than 10 years and are just beginning to produce commercially. Volume of production is low (<1.5 million lb). U.S. chestnut producers are mainly part-timers or hobbyists with small, manually harvested operations. The majority of respondents sell fresh chestnuts. Demand exceeds supply, and prices often exceed $3.50/lb. Barriers to success in the chestnut business include the lack of information for producers, retailers, and consumers, 5- to 10-year time lag to get a return on investment, and shortage of available chestnut nursery stock of commercial cultivars. There are also concerns related to pest and disease control and market uncertainties. Lengthy quarantines for cultivars from other countries and lack of chemicals registered for use with chestnuts can also be considered barriers to success. Chestnut grower associations, universities, and state and federal agencies must join their efforts to fund and support chestnut research and industry development.

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The Inclusion of Persons With Disabilities in U.S. Foreign Policy

Journal of Disability Policy Studies ◽

10.1177/1044207320959765 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 104420732095976

Author(s):

Valerie L. Karr ◽

Ashley Van Edema ◽

Megan McCloskey ◽

Krista Geden ◽

Jim Murphy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

International Development ◽

Peace Corps ◽

The United States ◽

Federal Agencies ◽

Foreign Assistance ◽

Persons With Disabilities ◽

Department Of State ◽

Assistance Programs ◽

Accountability Measures ◽

The U.S

Persons with disabilities living in developing countries look to the United States—the world’s largest contributor to Official Development Assistance (ODA) by volume—as a steadfast supporter of inclusion. This case study examined disability inclusion within the current policies and practices of four federal agencies responsible for either funding or executing U.S. foreign assistance activities. The agencies of interest were the U.S. Department of State (DOS), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Peace Corps (PC), and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). Core areas of investigation were (a) agency disability policies and guidance, (b) the inclusion of persons with disabilities in foreign assistance programs, (c) the employment of persons with disabilities within federal agencies, and (d) physical accessibility of federal agencies. Key findings show that while some progress has been made in regard to the inclusion of persons with disabilities in U.S. foreign aid, a persistent lack of formal accountability measures impedes the inclusion of persons with disabilities diffusing responsibility and results within and across agencies.

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The U.S. Federal Market as an Early Adopter of SMRs

ASME 2014 Small Modular Reactors Symposium ◽

10.1115/smr2014-3331 ◽

2014 ◽

Author(s):

William J. Barattino ◽

Scott Foster ◽

James Spaulding

Keyword(s):

Federal Government ◽

Department Of Defense ◽

Prime Power ◽

The United States ◽

Federal Agencies ◽

Military Bases ◽

Private Ownership ◽

Early Adopter ◽

Energy Usage ◽

The U.S

The Federal Government accounts for about 2% of energy usage within the United States, with electricity accounting for approximately one-fifth of this usage. The Department of Defense (DOD) is the largest energy consumer across all Federal Agencies, accounting for nearly half of total use and has implemented programs to assure sustainable energy supplies for meeting mission critical operations. As prototype systems of Small Modular Reactors mature during the remainder of this decade, there is growing interest at senior levels of government to use the secure confines of military bases for electricity generated with SMRs to service power requirements of the DOD base and possibly the surrounding communities. This paper explores the potential for using DOD as an early adopter of SMRs from perspectives of the size of the market and adaptability of the current procurement process for private ownership of SMRs on military bases. Such an approach is shown to be consistent with DOD Sustainability objectives, as well as ensuring a continuation of the projected erosion of diversity mix for prime power generation within the U.S. A review of contract types for energy services are evaluated from the perspective of including SMRs. Required modifications for SMRs to be a part of this energy mix for Federal Agencies are presented.

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ESA Section 7: Time for a Refresh in the Pre-Spill Planning Consultation Process

International Oil Spill Conference Proceedings ◽

10.7901/2169-3358-2017.1.173 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2017 (1) ◽

pp. 173-192

Author(s):

Stacey L. Crecy ◽

Melissa E. Perera ◽

Elizabeth J. Petras ◽

John A. Tarpley

Keyword(s):

Endangered Species ◽

Oil Spill ◽

Environmental Protection Agency ◽

The United States ◽

Federal Agencies ◽

Coast Guard ◽

Service Agency ◽

Consultation Process ◽

Oil Spill Response ◽

The U.S

ABSTRACT #2017-373 Federal agencies involved in oil spill response in the U.S. are required to comply with several environmental compliance laws. Where a Federal agency is operating in a way that may affect endangered species in the area, Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) requires the agency to “consult” with the two Federal agencies responsible for protecting those species and habitats – the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, nonprofit organizations filed several lawsuits against the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (the “Action Agencies”) for failure to comply with the ESA during oil spill contingency planning. In one case, a settlement required the Action Agencies to consult with the NMFS and USFWS (together, called the “Services”) on the plan to use oil spill dispersants in California waters. Perhaps responding to these developments, several Regional Response Teams across the country initiated or made plans to review the status of their ESA Section 7 consultations. These efforts have varied in cost, scope, composition of agency representatives involved, and success in completing a consultation for a variety of reasons. There have been numerous challenges for USCG and EPA in meeting the ESA Section 7 consultation requirements for oil spill planning. First, the most recent framework for cooperation between the Action Agencies and the Services regarding consulting on oil spill planning and response activities is contained in an Interagency Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed in 2001. Although the agreement is still valid, some parts have been identified as outdated or in need of clarification. Secondly, there are no direct funding mechanisms or dedicated personnel assigned to the Action Agencies to work on pre-spill ESA Section 7 consultations. Third, recommendations and consultation outcomes can vary between Service agencies as well as internally within each Service agency due to a high level of regional autonomy. In 2015, the National Response Team (NRT) formed a new, interagency subcommittee to improve the Federal Action Agencies’ ability to comply with environmental laws such as the ESA with respect to oil spill response and pre-spill planning. A workgroup of the NRT Subcommittee was formed to specifically address pre-spill ESA Section 7 consultation processes. The workgroup includes regional and national representatives from the Action Agencies and the Services. In addition to strengthening relationships and understanding among the participating agencies, the workgroup has identified gaps in the 2001 MOA and is in the process of developing tools and templates on how to conduct pre-spill ESA Section 7 consultations to help fill some of the existing gaps. The workgroup ultimately hopes to facilitate the development of updated, complete, efficient, and consistent ESA Section 7 consultations across the nation.

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In Different Tongues: Making Room for Cultural Differences in the Negotiated Rulemaking Process

International Negotiation ◽

10.1163/138234002761384972 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. 209-233

Author(s):

◽

Keyword(s):

Environmental Protection Agency ◽

Cultural Sensitivity ◽

The United States ◽

Federal Agencies ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Theory And Practice ◽

Cultural Recognition ◽

Negotiated Rulemaking ◽

Indian Nations ◽

The U.S

AbstractThis article explores the ethical impact of cultural recognition within the regulatory negotiation (reg-neg) process as it is currently being used by federal agencies in the United States. The authors use a blend of theory and practice to explore the ethical necessity, feasibility, and practicality of including cultural guidelines within the reg-neg process. Using the findings from extensive prior research on negotiated rulemaking at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a foundation, we illustrate the lessons learned from years of regulatory negotiations conducted by the pioneer of reg-neg. We then show how these lessons have been brought under an umbrella of ``cultural recognition'' within the consensus-based regulatory negotiation being used to improve relations between American Indian nations and the U.S. government. We discuss the ethical and practical implications of incorporating cultural sensitivity into the reg-neg process.

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Forecasting type-specific seasonal influenza after 26 weeks in the United States using influenza activities in other countries

10.1101/705855 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

S. B. Choi ◽

J. Kim ◽

I. Ahn

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Time Series ◽

Deep Learning ◽

Seasonal Influenza ◽

Prediction Models ◽

Time Lag ◽

The United States ◽

Surveillance Data ◽

Influenza Surveillance ◽

The U.S

AbstractTo identify countries that have seasonal patterns similar to the time series of influenza surveillance data in the United States and other countries, and to forecast the 2018–2019 seasonal influenza outbreak in the U.S. using linear regression, auto regressive integrated moving average, and deep learning. We collected the surveillance data of 164 countries from 2010 to 2018 using the FluNet database. Data for influenza-like illness (ILI) in the U.S. were collected from the Fluview database. This cross-correlation study identified the time lag between the two time-series. Deep learning was performed to forecast ILI, total influenza, A, and B viruses after 26 weeks in the U.S. The seasonal influenza patterns in Australia and Chile showed a high correlation with those of the U.S. 22 weeks and 28 weeks earlier, respectively. The R2 score of DNN models for ILI for validation set in 2015–2019 was 0.722 despite how hard it is to forecast 26 weeks ahead. Our prediction models forecast that the ILI for the U.S. in 2018–2019 may be later and less severe than those in 2017–2018, judging from the influenza activity for Australia and Chile in 2018. It allows to estimate peak timing, peak intensity, and type-specific influenza activities for next season at 40th week. The correlation for seasonal influenza among Australia, Chile, and the U.S. could be used to decide on influenza vaccine strategy six months ahead in the U.S.

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Makeup Trends on Television Newscasts in the U.S. during the 20th century: Exploring High-Definition Television, Journalists, and Appearance

The International Visual Culture Review ◽

10.37467/gka-visualrev.v2.2084 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2 ◽

pp. 27-36

Author(s):

Paola Andrea Albarran

Keyword(s):

Academic Research ◽

The United States ◽

High Definition ◽

Standard Definition ◽

High Definition Television ◽

Cultural Approach ◽

Lack Of Information ◽

Television Journalists ◽

Historical Issues ◽

The U.S

This study is an exploration of the shift from standard definition (SDTV) to high-definition (HDTV) on television newscasts in the United States. This paper examines how this major historic shift affected the thinking, behavior, and trends of female newscasters when using makeup to see what themes arose. Despite the ubiquity of female newscasters, academic research into the influence of HD broadcasting and makeup appearance is limited. Due to this lack of information, the present study provides a cultural approach to examining historical information about this switch. News West 9 broadcasted in Midland-Odessa and interviews to a female newscaster, a news director, and a makeup artist who experienced this shift are utilized to address the historical issues facing high-definition broadcasting during this time.

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Factors of Global Competitiveness of American LNG

Outlines of global transformations politics economics law ◽

10.23932/2542-0240-2019-12-6-3 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 12 (6) ◽

pp. 43-70

Author(s):

S. V. Zhukov ◽

A. О. Maslennikov ◽

M. V. Sinitsyn

Keyword(s):

Natural Gas ◽

Time Lag ◽

The United States ◽

Production Costs ◽

Global Competitiveness ◽

Long Run ◽

Wide Range ◽

The World ◽

Gas Market ◽

The U.S

The United States started lique fied natural gas (LNG) export in 2016 and just in two years became the world’s fourth largest exporter of LNG. There is a high probability that in the near future the U.S. will emerge as the third largest LNG exporter after Australia and Qatar. The article focuses on the factors, which ensure global competitiveness of U.S. LNG until 2030. The authors show that: first, the first wave of American export LNG projects significantly speeded up restructuring of contract system in the world gas trade as well as suppor ted development of a more flexible mechanism of natural gas pricing; secondly, production costs of the associated natural gas in the U.S. are relatively low and it is highly probable to expect Henry hub gas price to stabilize at around 2.5 dollars per MMBTU in the long run, what gives the American gas producers potential capability to significantly improve their global competitiveness by means of production and transportation costs reduction; fourthly, new waves of U.S. LNG export will not necessa rily be linked to the Henry Hub index, but to a wide range of price indicators, inclu ding the Brent oil price. With increasing flows of globally competitive Ameri can LNG entering the market, transformation of the institutional structure, contracts system and price mecha nism that have been unfold in the world LNG trade for the last ten to fifteen years became irreversible. That creates prerequisites for rapid formation of the world LNG market as well as with a some time lag of a global gas market.

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Return on Investment and Economic Evaluation

The Practical Playbook ◽

10.1093/med/9780190222147.003.0019 ◽

2015 ◽

pp. 225-232

Author(s):

Steven M. Teutsch ◽

Denise Koo ◽

Scott D. Grosse

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Professionals ◽

Return On Investment ◽

The United States ◽

Federal Agencies ◽

Community Members ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Public Health Professionals ◽

Primary Care Clinicians ◽

The Right

Drawing on the experiences of hundreds of public health and primary care clinicians from across the United States, this book explains why population health is receiving so much attention from policy makers in states and federal agencies, the practical steps that clinicians and public health professionals can take to work together to meet the needs of their community, signs that you are on the right track (or not) and how to sustain successes to the benefit of patients, community members, and the health care and public health teams that care for them.

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PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN U.S. OIL POLLUTION PLANNING AND PREPAREDNESS POLICY

International Oil Spill Conference Proceedings ◽

10.7901/2169-3358-2008-1-41 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 2008 (1) ◽

pp. 41-44

Author(s):

Gary Yoshioka ◽

Julie Reber ◽

Ryan Thompson ◽

Joan Tilghman

Keyword(s):

Web Sites ◽

Oil Pollution ◽

The United States ◽

Executive Branch ◽

Federal Agencies ◽

Regulatory Agencies ◽

Final Rule ◽

Public Policy Decisions ◽

First Time ◽

The U.S

ABSTRACT Regulatory agencies in the United States represent the Executive Branch of the Federal Government in implementing and enforcing rules, and these agencies are required to follow certain procedures when writing those rules. At a minimum, the agency must publish a notice explaining the proposed rule, request comments, and state the basis and purpose of the final action. This paper provides examples of instances where an agency has revised the rule as a result of comments received or has otherwise been responsive to the commenter'S argument. For example, with regard to oil pollution planning and preparedness policy, commenters on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency'S proposed revisions to the Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) plan rule raised the idea of a minimum container size for applicability of the SPCC rule and EPA included such a minimum for the first time in the final rule, thus reducing the burden of the rule for many facilities. Federal agencies are required to request public comments on the issues presented in their proposed rules to enable the agencies to evaluate the new or revised provisions. With agencies now accepting electronic comments through web sites, regulated parties can easily participate in this process. As this paper shows, many agencies that regulate oil pollution planning and preparedness are very responsive to suggestions, and members of the regulated community have an opportunity to influence public policy decisions in this area.

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