Department of Agriculture – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), is announcing a meeting of the Grain Inspection Advisory Committee (Committee). The Committee meets no less than once annually to advise the Secretary on the programs and services delivered by the AMS under the U.S. Grain Standards Act. Recommendations by the Committee help AMS meet the needs of its customers, who operate in a dynamic and changing marketplace.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act requirement, the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) and the Farm Service Agency (FSA) are requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on an extension with revision of a currently approved information collection that supports CCC and FSA loan programs. The information collection is necessary to gather data regarding the applicant which is required on a financing statement, and to obtain the applicant's permission to file a financing statement prior to the execution of a security agreement.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, FSIS is announcing its intention to renew an approved information collection regarding requirements for animal disposition reporting in the Public Health Information System. There are no changes to the existing information collection. The approval for this information collection will expire on September 30, 2024.

The United States Department of Agriculture (Department) is seeking nominations for the Southern Region Recreation Resource Advisory Committee (Southern Region Recreation RAC) pursuant to the authority of the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act and the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), as amended. The Southern Region Recreation RAC will provide recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture on recreation fees on lands and waters managed by the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management in the regions covered by each committee. The Southern Region Recreation RAC will be governed by the provisions of FACA. Duration of the Southern Region Recreation RAC is for two years unless renewed by the Secretary.

In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), the National Forest Management Act of 1976 (NFMA), and the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended (MLA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Price Field Office, and U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service (USDA Forest Service) Manti-La Sal National Forest, as co-lead agencies, intend to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in response to a Lease by Application (LBA) for the Little Eccles Federal Coal Lease Tract (UTU- 92226) of 120 acres and a Lease Modification Application (LMA) to add 640 acres to the Flat Canyon Lease Tract (UTU-77114). This notice is announcing the beginning of the scoping process to solicit public comments and identify issues. The EIS will evaluate potential impacts of leasing and underground mining of Federal coal reserves contained in both lease tracts.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Rural Housing Service (RHS) announces its' intention to request a revision of a currently approved information collection and invites comments on this information collection.

The United States Department of Agriculture (Department) is seeking nominations for the Eastern Region Recreation Resource Advisory Committee (Eastern Region Recreation RAC) pursuant to the authority of the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act and the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), as amended. The Eastern Region Recreation RAC will provide recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture on recreation fees on lands and waters managed by the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management in the regions covered by each committee. The Eastern Region Recreation RAC will be governed by the provisions of FACA. Duration of the Eastern Region Recreation RAC is for two years unless renewed by the Secretary.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the intention of the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) to request revision and extension of a currently approved information collection, the Mink Survey. A revision to burden hours will be needed due to changes in the size of the target population, sampling design, and/or questionnaire length.

The Agricultural Marketing Service of the USDA is soliciting information about potential amendments to the electronic or digital link disclosure option as it pertains to the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard (Standard).

In a final rule published in the Federal Register on September 14, 2023, and effective on October 16, 2023, we amended the regulations governing the importation of equines to better align our regulations with international standards, as well as to clarify existing policy or intent, and correct inconsistencies or outdated information. However, in amending the regulations for horses that are refused entry, we neglected to account for rare and specific situations in which an imported horse's death during travel can be determined to be unrelated to foreign animal disease risk. Additionally, in aiming to improve the readability of the regulations governing equines imported from Canada, we inadvertently changed the regulations to incorrectly read that certificates for horses from Canada must be issued and endorsed, rather than issued or endorsed, by a salaried veterinarian of the Canadian Government. This document corrects those errors.

This proposed rule invites comments on implementing a recommendation from the South Texas Onion Committee (Committee) to reestablish the districts in the production area and reapportion representation on the Committee. This rulemaking would reduce the number of districts from two to one and reapportion membership to reflect changes in the industry, provide equitable representation on the Committee, and create the opportunity for more producers and handlers to serve on the Committee.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Iowa State Office announces its intent to prepare a watershed plan for the Clarke County Water Supply project, which is located approximately 27.2 miles upstream of the confluence with the South River in the proximity of Osceola, Iowa. The proposed watershed plan will examine alternative solutions to the limited availability of a reliable water supply. The Clarke County Water Supply project includes the cities of Osceola, Murray, and Woodburn, Iowa, and the Clarke County rural service area. NRCS is requesting comments to identify significant issues, potential alternatives, information, and analyses relevant to the proposed action from all interested individuals, Federal and State agencies, and Tribes.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, FSIS is announcing its intention to renew an approved information collection regarding voluntary recalls from commerce of meat, poultry, and egg products. There are no changes to the existing information collection. The approval for this information collection will expire on September 30, 2024.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment on this proposed information collection. This is a new information collection for the contract of the study titled "Evaluating the Interview Requirement for SNAP Certification." The purpose of this collection is to help FNS describe the effects of waiving the interview requirement, including SNAP agency processes and staff experiences with implementing the no-interview demonstration, analyzing the differences in outcomes for SNAP applicants and recipients, and identifying key lessons to inform future policy or implementation.

This notice lists the newspapers that will be used by the ranger districts, national forests, and the regional office of the Pacific Northwest Region to publish legal notices required under the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). The intended effect of this action is to inform interested members of the public which newspapers the Forest Service will use to publish notices of proposed actions and notices of decision. This will provide the public with constructive notice of Forest Service proposals and decisions; provide information on the procedures to comment, object or appeal; and establish the date that the Forest Service will use to determine if comments or appeals/ objections were timely.

We are advising the public that we have prepared pest risk analyses that evaluate the risks associated with the importation of leaves and stems of rosemary and leaves and stems of tarragon from Ethiopia into the continental United States. Based on the analyses, we have determined that the application of one or more designated phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to mitigate the risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or noxious weeds via the importation of rosemary and tarragon from Ethiopia. We are making the pest risk analyses available to the public for review and comment.

Pursuant to the Privacy Act of 1974 and Office of Management and Budget Circular No. A-108, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) gives notice that an agency component, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), proposes to modify an existing system of records notice titled, APHIS Animal Health Surveillance and Monitoring System, USDA/APHIS-15. Among other changes, the system will be renamed Animal Health, Disease, and Pest Surveillance and Management System, USDA/APHIS-15. This system is used by APHIS to collect, manage, and evaluate animal health data for disease and pest control and surveillance programs.

This notice announces that the Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS or the Agency), a Rural Development (RD) agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), invites applications for grants under the Socially Disadvantaged Groups Grant (SDGG) program for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024. This notice is being issued to allow applicants sufficient time to leverage financing, prepare and submit their applications, and give the Agency time to process applications within FY 2024. A total of $3,000,000 in grant funding will be available for FY 2024. Successful applications will be selected by the Agency for funding and subsequently awarded to the extent that funding may ultimately be made available through appropriations. All applicants are responsible for any expenses incurred in developing and submitting their applications.

The Rural Utilities Service (RUS or Agency), a Rural Development agency of the United States Department of Agriculture, is issuing this notice to announce it will be utilizing its long-standing statutory authority to consider operating loans under an initiative known as Consumer Oriented Operating Loans (COOL). COOL funding may be approved at the discretion of the RUS Administrator to finance operations for current system borrowers to meet financing needs where the borrower faces hardship circumstances involving unique, transitory, or exigent conditions. To qualify for COOL financing borrowers will commit to create environmental benefits to end users/consumers and invest in additional new carbon pollution-free electricity and/or energy efficiency measures. RUS estimates $50 million will be available for this program in fiscal year 2024.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) is soliciting information about potential additions to or subtractions from the List of Bioengineered Foods (List) as it pertains to the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard (Standard).