B. - Proceedings involving two 15-A petitions applicable to fruit remained Regulatory impact analyses were prepared for the following marketing order programs: California olives, walnuts, almonds, dried prunes, raisins; California-Arizona lemons and Valencia and navel oranges; Florida tomatoes and celery; hops; spearmint oil; and filberts. Activities under the Milk, Fruit, Vegetable and Tree Nut C. Obligations by State: Following is a distribution of obligations by State for the Marketing Agreements and Orders Program: THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 1982. OFFICE OF TRANSPORTATION WITNESSES C. W. MCMILLAN, ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR MARKETING AND INSPECTION SERVICES MARTIN F. FITZPATRICK, JR., DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF TRANSPORTATION ROBERT TOSTERUD, CHIEF ECONOMIST, OFFICE OF TRANSPORTATION MARK W. SHELDON, CHIEF, BUDGET AND PROGRAM ANALYSIS BRANCH, FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT DIVISION, AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE ROBERT SHERMAN, DEPUTY BUDGET OFFICER, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Mr. HIGHTOWER. We will hear from the Office of Transportation now. Mr. Secretary, we would be happy to hear from you in regard to the requests for the Office of Transportation. Mr. MCMILLAN. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. With me today is Martin Fitzpatrick, Director of the Office of Transportation; Bob Tosterud, Chief Economist for the Office of Transportation; Mark Sheldon, Chief, Budget and Program Analysis Branch, which is part of the Agricultural Marketing Service; and Robert Sherman, Deputy Budget Officer for the Department of Agriculture. Of the various agencies that report to my office, I do not think there is one that is more vital in terms of the mission that needs to be carried out. Due to the cost of diesel fuel, energy costs, deregulation of the railroads, and all of the related matters such as Mrs. Smith's interest in waterway user fees-the Office of Transportation serves a vital and important need to agriculture, and I am proud to have it as one of the agencies reporting to my office. I would, however, like to have Mr. Fitzpatrick present the budget request for fiscal year 1983 for OT. Mr. HIGHTOWER. Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary. We will include in the record biographical sketches of those who have not appeared before. [The biographical sketches follow:] MARTIN F. "BUZZ" FITZPATRICK, JR. Martin F. "Buzz" Fitzpatrick, Jr. serves as Director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Office of Transportation. Prior to joining the Office of Transportation, he served as the legislative director for Senator Roger Jepsen of Iowa, specializing in agricultural transportation matters. Fitzpatrick, a native of Joliet, Illinois, joined Senator Jepsen's staff in January 1979, as assistant for agricultural committee work and later was promoted to legislative director. At the request of Senator Jepsen, he organized transportation hear (173) ings in Iowa and helped establish the Iowa-Houston Grain Transportation Committee to facilitate transportation of grain to the Port of Houston. From 1977 to 1979, Fitzpatrick was organizational director for the Republican party of Virginia, and before that he was on the staff of Rep. George O'Brien of Illinois, focusing on agricultural matters. Fitzpatrick was born in Joliet in 1952, and attended Joliet Catholic High School until going to Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa, where he majored in public policy management. He was selected for inclusion in "Who's Who in American Universities," and was active in student government and fraternity affairs. Fitzpatrick lives in Alexandria, Virginia. MARK SHELDON Mr. Sheldon is a native of Washington State. He holds an undergraduate degree in Economics from the University of Washington and a master's degree from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. Mr. Sheldon first joined USDA in 1968 and is currently a Branch Chief in the Financial Management Division, Agricultural Marketing Service. Mr. HIGHTOWER. Mr. Fitzpatrick, welcome to the Committee. We will be happy to hear from you at this time. DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT Mr. FITZPATRICK. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee. It is a pleasure to appear before this Committee to present the budget and program needs of the Office of Transportation for fiscal year 1983. OT'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS I would like to take a few moments to highlight some of the accomplishments of the Office of Transportation before we present our specific numbers for the fiscal year 1983 budget. The past year has been a significant transition period for the Office of Transportation. Though still a young agency, the Office of Transportation is no longer the patchwork offspring of its parent agencies. The Office of Transportation is now running on its own record. We are proud of that record. Events of the past few years and the Office of Transportation's successes have demonstrated the wisdom in having established a transportation agency within USDA. Without it, I do not believe that USDA could have been as effective as it has been in representing the interests of agriculture within administration councils on such major policy actions as the Motor Carrier Act, the Staggers Rail Act, and as Secretary McMillan mentioned, waterway user charges. Without it, USDA might not have been as responsive or successful in assisting exporters to ship record volumes of commodities to Mexico. History testifies to the fact that without the Office of Transportation, USDA would not have enjoyed the current high level of cooperation with the Department of Transportation on joint funding of research and other projects which benefit agriculture and rural America. The Office of Transportation is both a research and a service organization. One of USDA's traditional transportation functions remains a mainstay of the Office of Transportation's programs, and hat is technical assistance to farmers and shippers experiencing kind of problem. Whether the problem concerns rates, |