The purpose of this section is to give notice that certain authorities have been delegated by the Secretary of USDA agencies for implementation. New Secretarial delegations covering the Rural Development Act were effective May 31, 1973, and were published in the Federal Register June 7, 1973 (38 FR 14944-14953). These are as follows:

(a) Title I (38 FR 14948). Responsibility delegated to the Assistant Secretary for Rural Development. The responsibility for administering loan and grant authorities is redelegated to the Farmers Home Administration, except the responsibility for administering loan authorities with respect to rural electrification and telephone facilities and service which has been redelegated to the Rural Electrification Administration.

(b) Titles II (38 FR 14945-14948), III (38 FR 14945-14948), and V (38 FR 14945-14948. Responsibility delegated to the Assistant Secretary for Conservation, Research and Education and redelegated as follows:

(1) Titles II (38 FR 14951-14952) and III (38 FR 14951-14952) to the Administrator, Soil Conservation Service.

(2) Title V (38 FR 14949-14950) to the Administrators, Cooperative State Research Service and the Extension Service respectively.

(c) Title IV (38 FR 14945-14948). Responsibility delegated to the Assistant Secretary for Conservation, Research and Education and redelegated (38 FR 14950-14951) to the Chief of the Forest Service.

(d) Title VI, section 603 (38 FR 14948). Responsibility delegated to Assistant Secretary for Rural Development and redelegated (38 FR 14953) to the Administrator, Rural Development Service.

The Rural Development Act recognizes that many Federal departments and agencies of the executive branch of government administer programs and provide services which are applicable to the needs of rural communities. Section 603 of the Rural Development Act charges the Secretary of Agriculture with providing governmentwide leadership for, and with coordinating a nationwide rural development program. In such coordination, the Secretary shall seek measures that will achieve effective integration of relevant Federal services in rural areas as provided by Agriculture agencies and other Departments and agencies. This section also requires that the Secretary shall establish goals and report to the Congress on progress in complying with specified purposes of the Act. The Federal Regional Council will play a major role in coordination at the field level. An organic Act of the Department (7 U.S.C. 2201) has been amended to require the Secretary to add Rural Development to those purposes for which he is authorized to acquire and diffuse useful information.