The United States Secretary of Agriculture is the head of the United States Department of Agriculture. The current acting secretary is Charles F. Conner after the resignation of Mike Johanns. Former North Dakota Governor Ed Schafer has been nominated to become the next Secretary of Agriculture.The department includes several organizations. The 297,000 mi2 (770,000 km²) of national forests and grasslands are managed by the United States Forest Service. The safety of food produced that are produced in the United States and sold here is ensured by the United States Food Safety and Inspection Service. The Food Stamp Program works with the states to provide food to low-income people. Advice for farmers and gardeners is provided by the United States Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service.The line of succession for the Secretary of Agriculture is as follows:Deputy Secretary of AgricultureUnder Secretary of Agriculture for Farm and Foreign Agriculture ServicesUnder Secretary of Agriculture for Marketing and Regulatory ProgramsUnder Secretary of Agriculture for Rural DevelopmentUnder Secretary of Agriculture for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer ServicesUnder Secretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and EnvironmentUnder Secretary of Agriculture for Research, Education, and EconomicsUnder Secretary of Agriculture for Food SafetyGeneral Counsel of the Department of AgricultureAssistant Secretary of Agriculture for AdministrationAssistant Secretary of Agriculture for Congressional Relations Secretaries of Agriculture