Department of Agriculture 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We are advising the public that a supplemental environmental impact statement will be prepared by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to analyze methyl bromide usage associated with regulatory requirements for importing solid wood packing material into the United States. That document will serve as a supplement to the Importation of Solid Wood Packing Material Final Environmental Impact Statement, August 2003.

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) soliciting applications for competitive cooperative agreement funds for Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 to initiate a credit outreach initiative targeted to American Indian farmers, ranchers and youth residing primarily on Indian reservations within the contiguous United States. FSA anticipates the availability of $1,166,400 in funding. FSA requests proposals from eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, land-grant institutions and federally-recognized Indian tribal governments interested in a competitively-awarded cooperative agreement to create and implement a mechanism that will provide credit outreach and promotion, pre-loan education, one-on-one loan application preparation assistance and other related services as proposed by the successful applicant that are specific to FSA's Agricultural Credit Programs. The successful applicant must provide evidence that it has the capability to put in place a data tracking system that thoroughly records all credit outreach-specific related activities and has the ability to provide detailed statistical information on an ad hoc basis. This database must also be functional on a real-time basis as well as being available online through the Internet. This request for proposals is made prior to passage of a final appropriations bill to allow applicants sufficient time to submit proposals, give the Agency maximum time to process applications, and permit continuity of this program. If actual funding differs from that anticipated ($1,166,400) based on historical funding levels, then the Agency will publish a separate Notice of Funds Availability.

The Ravalli County Resource Advisory Committee will be meeting to discuss 2006 projects and to listen to speakers. The meeting is being held pursuant to the authorities in the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Public Law 92-463) and under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-393). The meeting is open to the public.

This rule adopts without change the interim rule, published on July 27, 2005, which added a provision to the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) regulations authorizing for-profit centers providing child care or outside-school-hours care to participate based on the income eligibility of 25 percent of children in care for free or reduced price meals. This provision, which has been available nationwide through annual appropriation acts since December 2000, was permanently established by the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004. This rule permits the ongoing participation of for-profit centers in the CACFP based on the income eligibility of children in care for free or reduced price meals.

This notice is to advise Commodity Vendors, Steamship Lines, and Freight Forwarders that the Farm Service Agency (FSA) will hold training sessions on the agency's newly redesigned Export Bid Entry System (EBES) and the Freight Bid Entry System (FBES), and invite the participation of interested parties.

The Glenn/Colusa County Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) will meet in Willows, California. Agenda items covered include: (1) Introductions, (2) Approval of Minutes, (3) Public Comment, (4) Status of Funding, (5) General Discussion (6) Plan Schedule for the Next Year, (7) Next Agenda.

We are adopting as a final rule, without change, an interim rule that amended the imported fire ant regulations by designating as quarantined areas all of 2 counties in Arkansas and all or portions of 21 counties in Tennessee. As a result of that action, the interstate movement of regulated articles from those areas is restricted. The interim rule was necessary to prevent the artificial spread of imported fire ant to noninfested areas of the United States.

We are seeking nominations for people to serve on GIPSA's Grain Inspection Advisory Committee. The Grain Inspection Advisory Committee meets twice annually to advise GIPSA on the programs and services we deliver under the U.S. Grain Standards Act. Recommendations by the committee help us to better meet the needs of our customers who operate in a dynamic and changing marketplace.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-113) and Office of Management and Budget regulations at 5 CFR part 1320 (60 FR 44978, August 29, 1995), this notice announces the intention of the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) to seek approval to conduct a new information collection, the Generic Clearance for Survey Research Studies.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), this notice announces the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) intention to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), for an extension for and revision to a currently approved information collection for Poultry Market News Programs.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) will increase, by approximately 10 percent, the hourly fees charged for Federal dairy grading and inspection services. Dairy grading and inspection services are voluntary and are financed through user-fees assessed to participants in the program. These revisions are necessary in order to recover, as nearly as practicable, the increase in salaries of Federal employees and increases in Agency costs, and to ensure that the Dairy Grading Branch operates on a financially self-supporting basis.

The United States Department of Agriculture announces a conference call meeting of the Scientific Review Panel at the National Animal Disease Center, Ames, Iowa.

The Rural Utilities Service, an agency which administers the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development Utilities Programs (hereinafter ``USDA Rural Development'' or the ``Agency,'') is amending its regulations to update the seismic safety requirements of the Agency. These amendments will provide Agency borrowers (including Rural Telephone Bank borrowers), grant recipients, and the public with updated rules for compliance with seismic safety requirements for new building construction using loan, grant, or guaranteed funds of the Agency, or funds provided through lien accommodations or subordinations approved by the Agency. In the final rule section of this Federal Register, USDA Rural Development is publishing this action as a direct final rule without prior proposal because it views this as a non-controversial action and anticipates no adverse comments. If no adverse comments are received in response to the direct final rule, no further action will be taken on this proposed rule and the action will become effective at the time specified in the direct final rule. If USDA Rural Development receives adverse comments, a timely document will be published withdrawing the direct final rule and all public comments received will be addressed in a subsequent final rule based on this action.

In accordance with legislation implementing the results of the Uruguay Round of negotiations under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, we are informing the public of international standard- setting activities of the World Organization for Animal Health, the Secretariat of the International Plant Protection Convention, and the North American Plant Protection Organization, and we are soliciting public comment on the standards to be considered.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Rural Business-Cooperative Service's (RBS) intention to request an extension for a currently approved information collection in support of the program for the National Sheep Industry Improvement Center (NSIIC) authorized in 7 U.S.C. 2008j.

The Southwest Washington Province Advisory Committee will meet on Thursday, November 9, 2006, at the Gifford Pinchot National Forest Headquarters, 10600 NE. 51st Circle, Vancouver, WA 98682. The meeting will begin at 9:30 a.m. and continue until 4 p.m. The purpose of the meeting is to share information and receive feedback on: Gifford Pinchot National Forest's Recreation Site Facilities Master Plan effort; Invasive Plant environmental impact statement; Special Forest Products; and to share information among Committee members. All Southwest Washington Province Advisory Committee meetings are open to the public. Interested citizens are encouraged to attend. The ``open forum'' provides an opportunity for the public to bring issues, concerns, and discussion topics to the Advisory Committee. The ``open forum'' is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Interested speakers will need to register prior to the open forum period. The committee welcomes the public's written comments on Committee business at any time.

This notice solicits written comments and suggestions on the membership qualifications for Federal Subsistence Regional Advisory Councils established under Subsistence Management Regulations. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) requires that advisory councils be constituted with a balanced membership. The current Federal regulations set a goal of 70 percent subsistence users to 30 percent sport and commercial users on the Federal Subsistence Regional Advisory Councils. This notice is the first step in an administrative action with respect to that regulation, made necessary because of an order entered by the U.S. District Court for Alaska. Because the U.S. District Court has enjoined application of the current 70/30 percent goal after 2006, it is necessary to give further reconsideration to alternative methods for assuring balance in membership for Regional Advisory Councils in time to make any decision applicable to the 2007 appointments. Therefore, no extension of the review deadline will be granted.

We are proposing to remove vapor heat treatment as an approved treatment for bell pepper, eggplant, Italian squash, and tomato moved interstate from Hawaii. This action is necessary because these four commodities can serve as hosts for the solanum fruit fly, which has been detected in Hawaii. Vapor heat treatment is not an approved treatment for that pest. We are also proposing to provide for the use of irradiation as an approved treatment for all Capsicum spp. (peppers) and Curcurbita spp. (squash) moved interstate from Hawaii. This action would relieve unnecessary restrictions on the interstate movement of peppers and squash and allow a greater variety of Capsicum spp. and Curcurbita spp. to be moved interstate from Hawaii.

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is issuing a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) consistent with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 with respect to the implementation of the following Disaster Assistance Programs: (1) Hurricane Indemnity Program, (2) Feed Indemnity Program, (3) Livestock Indemnity Program, (4) Tree Indemnity Program, and (5) Aquaculture Grant Program as well as (6) the 2006 Livestock Assistance Grant Program.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is proposing to amend the guidelines for designating biobased products for Federal procurement, to add 10 sections to designate the following 10 items within which biobased products would be afforded Federal procurement preference, as provided for under section 9002 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002: Bath and tile cleaners; clothing products; concrete and asphalt release fluids; cutting, drilling, and tapping oils; de-icers; durable films; firearm lubricants; floor strippers; laundry products; and wood and concrete sealers. USDA also is proposing minimum biobased content for each of these items. Once USDA designates an item, procuring agencies are required generally to purchase biobased products within these designated items where the purchase price of the procurement item exceeds $10,000 or where the quantity of such items or the functionally equivalent items purchased over the preceding fiscal year equaled $10,000 or more.

The Agricultural Marketing Service's Continuance Referendum shows that cultivated blueberry producers and importers favor the continuation of the Blueberry Promotion, Research, and Information Order (Order). The Continuance Referendum was held from August 1, 2006, through August 22, 2006. The Department of Agriculture (Department) will continue the Order if it is favored by a majority of producers and importers voting, who also represent a majority of the volume of blueberries represented in the referendum. The results of the continuance referendum shows 86.9% (293) of producers and importers, who also represent 93.9% (100,685,843 pounds) of the volume of blueberries represented in the referendum, favor the continuance of the Order.

The USDA, Forest Service, Eldorado National Forest will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) for a proposal to treat approximately 4,637 acres of selected plantations on the Georgetown and Pacific Ranger Districts. The proposal will involve mechanical precommercial thinning and control of competitive vegetation using mechanical and chemical treatments.