Department of Agriculture 2023 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We are advising the public that we have prepared a pest risk analysis that evaluates the risks associated with importation of fresh table beet root (Beta vulgaris L.) for consumption from the United Kingdom into the continental United States, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Based on the analysis, 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 fresh table beet root from the United Kingdom. We are making the pest risk analysis available to the public for review and comment.

We propose to amend the horse protection regulations to provide that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) will screen, train, and authorize qualified persons to conduct inspections at horse shows, horse exhibitions, horse sales, and horse auctions to ensure compliance with the Horse Protection Act (the Act). The proposed actions are intended to strengthen regulatory requirements to protect horses from the practice of soring and eliminate unfair competition as the Act requires.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the intention of the Foreign Agricultural Service to extend the currently approved information collection for the USDA's Pima Agriculture Cotton Trust Fund.

FSIS is amending the poultry products inspection regulations to rescind several regulations related to the inspection and condemnation of poultry carcasses affected with any of the forms of avian leukosis complex.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is amending the Cotton Board Rules and Regulations, increasing the value assigned to imported cotton for the purposes of calculating supplemental assessments collected for use by the Cotton Research and Promotion Program. This amendment is required each year to ensure that assessments collected on imported cotton and the cotton content of imported products will be the same as those paid on domestically produced cotton. In addition, AMS is updating the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) statistical reporting numbers that were amended since the last assessment adjustment in 2022.

We are proposing to update and amend the user fee regulations associated with the agricultural quarantine and inspection (AQI) program. Specifically, we propose to adjust the fees for certain AQI services that are provided in connection with certain commercial vessels, commercial trucks, commercial railroad cars, commercial aircraft, and international passengers arriving at ports in the customs territory of the United States; adjust the caps on prepaid fees associated with commercial trucks and commercial railroad cars; remove certain fee exemptions that are no longer justifiable based upon pathway analyses of risk; and restructure the treatment monitoring fee. We would also revise requirements pertaining to remittances and statements. Specifically, we would require monthly rather than quarterly remittances for the commercial aircraft fee, international air passenger fee, and international cruise passenger fee to make our revenue stream more stable, clarify our requirements, and provide for electronic payments and statements. We would also include in the regulations information on agents responsible for ensuring compliance with paying the user fees and the requirement for entities to notify APHIS in the event they have a change in personnel responsible for fee payments. These proposed changes are necessary to recover the costs of the current level of AQI activity, to account for actual and projected increases in the cost of doing business, to increase fee payer accountability, and to more accurately align fees with the costs associated with each fee service.

The Idaho Panhandle Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) will hold a public meeting according to the details shown below. The committee is authorized under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act (the Act) and operates in compliance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), as amended. The purpose of the committee is to improve collaborative relationships and to provide advice and recommendations to the Forest Service concerning projects and funding consistent with Title II of the Act, as well as to make recommendations on recreation fee proposals for sites on the Idaho Panhandle National Forests within Boundary, Bonner, Kootenai, Shoshone, or Benewah County, consistent with the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act.

The Black Hills National Forest Advisory Board will hold a public meeting according to the details shown below. The Board is authorized under the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974, the National Forest Management Act of 1976, the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, and operates in compliance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), as amended. The purpose of the Board is to provide advice and recommendations on a broad range of forest issues such as forest plan revisions or amendments, forest health including fire, insect and disease, travel management, forest monitoring and evaluation, recreation fees, and site-specific projects having forest-wide implications.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, this notice announces the National Institute of Food and Agriculture's (NIFA) intention to extend and revise a previously approved information collection entitled, ``Research, Education, and Extension project online reporting tool (REEport).'' NIFA is proposing to modify the collection in response to the August 25, 2022, Office of Science and Technology Policy Memorandum and audit findings of the USDA Office of Inspector General.

The Forest Service (Forest Service or Agency), U.S. Department of Agriculture, provides direction to employees through issuances in its Directive System, comprised of the Forest Service Manual and Forest Service Handbooks. The Agency must provide public notice of and opportunity to comment on any directives that formulate standards, criteria, or guidelines applicable to Forest Service programs. Once per quarter, the Agency provides advance notice of proposed and interim directives that will be made available for public comment during the next three months and notice of final directives issued in the last three months.

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, this constitutes notice of the upcoming meeting of the Grain Inspection Advisory Committee (Advisory Committee). The Advisory Committee meets no less than once annually to advise the Secretary on the programs and services delivered by the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) under the U.S. Grain Standards Act. Recommendations by the Advisory Committee help AMS meet the needs of its customers, who operate in a dynamic and changing marketplace.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's intention to request an extension of approval of an information collection associated with the regulations for the importation of bees and related articles into the United States.

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 Honey and Honey Bee surveys. Revision to burden hours may be needed due to changes in the size of the target population, sampling design, and/or questionnaire length. Burden for a second mailing is included.

The Northwest Forest Plan Advisory Committee will hold a public meeting according to the details shown below. The Committee is authorized under the National Forest Management Act (the Act) and operates in compliance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). The purpose of the Committee is to provide advice and pragmatic recommendations regarding potential regional scale land management planning approaches and solutions within the Northwest Forest Plan Area within the context of the 2012 planning rule.

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is announcing a pilot program called ``Application Fast Track'' that will expedite the processing of direct Operating Loans (OL) and Farm Ownership Loans (FO) to family farmers and ranchers if qualified. The Application Fast Track Pilot Program (AFT) provides an alternative underwriting process for applicants that meet certain financial benchmarks. AFT will be available in selected pilot office locations beginning August 7, 2023, and will be available in all locations nationwide beginning January 1, 2024. AFT will run through September 30, 2024. The Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (CONACT) authorizes pilot projects of limited scope and duration to evaluate processes and techniques to improve program efficiency and effectiveness.

This rule amends the regulation that defines two of the seven designated spot markets and changing the names of the affected markets. Specifically, market price data for cotton grown in Oklahoma and Kansas are reassigned from the East Texas/Oklahoma spot market to the West Texas spot market. This action also changes the names of these two markets to describe the markets more accurately.

The Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, is initiating the Land Management Plan revision process for the Malheur, Umatilla, and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests (Blue Mountains Forests), located in northeast Oregon and southeast Washington. This process will result in three revised Land Management Plans to guide all resource management activities on the Blue Mountains Forests for approximately fifteen years. This notice announces the initiation of the assessment phase, the preliminary stage of the plan revision process. Assessments will identify and consider relevant and readily accessible material about ecological, social, and economic conditions and trends in the planning area, including best available scientific information. Findings will be documented in an assessment report. Trends and conditions identified in the assessment will help describe a need to change the existing plans and inform the revision of the three Land Management Plans.