(a) Sourcing area applications. The proceeding for determining sourcing areas shall be instituted by receipt of a sourcing area application by the Office of Administrative Law Judges, pursuant to 36 CFR 223.190.

(b) Review of sourcing areas. Informal review of a sourcing area precedes institution of a formal review as follows:

(1) Request by Sourcing area holder. A sourcing area holder who wishes to begin a review of a sourcing area shall send a written request for a review to the Regional Forester of the region in which the manufacturing facility being sourced is located. The request shall state the reason for the request.

(i) Informal review. The Regional Forester shall begin an informal review, pursuant to 36 CFR 223.191(e), based on the written request. If no agreement is reached in the informal review process, the Regional Forester of the region in which the manufacturing facility being sourced is located shall transmit to the Office of Administrative Law Judges any submissions received during the informal review process, within 5 working days of the meeting convened during the informal review (36 CFR 223.191)e)). Agreement is reached when all persons attending the meeting convened by the Regional Forester to resolve differences as to the proper sourcing area, including the Regional Forester, sign the document describing the sourcing area.

(ii) Formal review. Institution by a sourcing area holder of a formal review of the sourcing area occurs if the informal review process does not result in agreement among the parties, and the sourcing area holder submits a sourcing area application to the Office of the Administrative Law Judges, pursuant to 36 CFR 223.190, within 10 working days after the meeting convened by the Regional Forester as part of the informal process.

(2) Initiation of review by agency. If the Forest Service wishes to begin a review of a sourcing area, the Regional Forester of the region in which the manufacturing facility being sourced is located shall begin an informal review, pursuant to 36 CFR 223.191(e). If no agreement is reached in the informal review process, the Regional Forester of the region in which the manufacturing facility being sourced is located shall transmit to the Office of Administrative Law Judges any submissions received during the informal review process, within 5 working days of the meeting convened during the informal review (36 CFR 223.191(e)). Agreement is reached when all persons attending the meeting convened by the Regional Forester to resolve differences as to the proper sourcing area, including the Regional Forester, sign the document describing the sourcing area. Institution by the Forest Service of a formal review of a sourcing area occurs when the Office of Administrative Law Judges receives the papers and documents submitted during the informal review process.