---
kind: "section"
citation: "7 C.F.R. § 1.626"
title: "7"
number: "1.626"
heading: "What will the Forest Service do with any hearing requests?"
url: "https://uscodex.org/cfr/7/1.626"
---

# §1.626. What will the Forest Service do with any hearing requests?

- (a) **Case referral.** Within 55 days after the deadline in § [1.621(a)(2)](/cfr/7/1.621.md?p=a-2) or [35](/cfr/7/35.md) days after the expiration of any stay period under [§ 1.624](/cfr/7/1.624.md), whichever is later, NFS will refer the case for a hearing as follows:
  - (1) If the hearing is to be conducted by USDA, NFS will refer the case to the OALJ.
  - (2) If the hearing is to be conducted by another Department, NFS will refer the case to the hearings component used by that Department.
- (b) **Content.** The case referral will consist of the following:
  - (1) Two copies of any preliminary condition under [§ 1.620](/cfr/7/1.620.md);
  - (2) The original and one copy of any hearing request under [§ 1.621](/cfr/7/1.621.md);
  - (3) The original and one copy of any notice of intervention and response under [§ 1.622](/cfr/7/1.622.md);
  - (4) The original and one copy of any answer or notice in lieu of answer under [§ 1.625](/cfr/7/1.625.md); and
  - (5) **The original and one copy of a referral notice under paragraph (c) of this section.**
- (c) **Notice.** At the time NFS refers the case for a hearing, it must provide a referral notice that contains the following information:
  - (1) The name, address, telephone number, and facsimile number of the Department hearings component that will conduct the hearing;
  - (2) The name, address, and other contact information for the representative of each party to the hearing process;
  - (3) An identification of any other hearing request that will be consolidated with this hearing request; and
  - (4) **The effective date of the case referral to the appropriate Department hearings component.**
- (d) **Delivery and service.**
  - (1) NFS must refer the case to the appropriate Department hearings component by one of the methods identified in § [1.612(b)(1)(i)](/cfr/7/1.612.md?p=b-1-i) and [(b)(1)(ii)](/cfr/7/1.612.md?p=b-1-ii).
  - (2) The Forest Service must serve a copy of the referral notice on FERC and each party to the hearing by one of the methods identified in § [1.613(c)(1)](/cfr/7/1.613.md?p=c-1) and [(c)(2)](/cfr/7/1.613.md?p=c-2).

## Notes

### Authority

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 797(e), 811, 823d.

### Source

Source: 80 FR 17181, Mar. 31, 2015, unless otherwise noted.

### Authority

Authority: 5 U.S.C. 301, unless otherwise noted.