January 16, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This proposed rule would permanently remove the 7-day delay in effectiveness when closing the Hawaii-based shallow-set longline fishery as a result of reaching interaction limits for sea turtles. This action would allow immediate closure of the fishery, and would enhance protection of sea turtles.

This document summarizes the results of an Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) review of the Mushroom Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Program under the criteria contained in section 610 of the Regulatory Flexibility Act. Based on this review, AMS has determined that the Mushroom Promotion, Research, and Consumer Information Order should be continued without change.

This rule invites comments on modifications to the administrative rules governing committee representation under the Washington potato marketing order. The marketing order regulates the handling of Irish potatoes grown in Washington, and is administered locally by the State of Washington Potato Committee (Committee). This rule would reestablish districts within the production area, reestablish the Committee with fewer members, and reapportion members among districts. These changes would result in more efficient administration of the program while providing for more effective representation of the Washington fresh potato industry on the Committee.

This rule invites comments on the establishment of final free and restricted percentages for the 2006-2007 crop year. The percentages are 55 percent free and 45 percent restricted and will establish the proportion of cherries from the 2006 crop which may be handled in commercial outlets. The percentages are intended to stabilize supplies and prices, and strengthen market conditions. The percentages were recommended by the Cherry Industry Administrative Board (Board), the body that locally administers the marketing order. The marketing order regulates the handling of tart cherries grown in the States of Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Because EPA received adverse comment, we are withdrawing the direct final rule for Adequacy of Nebraska Municipal Solid Waste Landfill Program, published on November 16, 2006.

On November 15, 2006, NMFS proposed to revise the regulations implementing the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan (ALWTRP) by expanding the southeast U.S. restricted area to include waters out to 35 nautical miles from the South Carolina coast and modifying regulations pertaining to gillnetting within the southeast U.S. restricted area. The proposed action was determined to be necessary to protect northern right whales from serious injury or mortality from entanglement in gillnet gear in their calving area in Atlantic Ocean waters off the Southeastern U.S. With this notice, NMFS is reopening the public comment period for 15 days beginning January 16, 2007.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (``Commission'' or ``CFTC'') is amending Commission regulations to require that notices of exemption or exclusion under Part 4 of the Commission's regulations submitted to National Futures Association (``NFA'') be filed electronically. Under the regulations the Commission is amending, the submission of a notice through NFA's electronic exemption filing system by a person duly authorized to bind the submitter will be permitted in lieu of the manual signature currently required by each of these regulations. In addition, the Commission also is adopting technical amendments that remove the procedure for making filings with the Commission required by Part 4, and revising other sections of Part 4 to refer to filings made with NFA rather than the Commission.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (Office) has established a 21st Century Strategic Plan to transform the Office into a more quality-focused, highly productive, responsive organization supporting a market-driven intellectual property system. One goal of the 21st Century Strategic Plan is the electronic exchange of information and documents between intellectual property offices. Consistent with this goal, the Office is revising the rules of practice to provide for the electronic transfer of certified copies of applications for which priority is claimed under the Paris Convention (priority applications) from other intellectual property offices with which the Office has negotiated priority document exchange agreements. The Office is also revising the rules of practice to permit applicants to request that the Office permit other participating intellectual property offices to electronically retrieve certified copies of United States patent applications without payment of a fee. This electronic exchange of copies of priority documents will benefit applicants by reducing the cost of ordering paper certified copies of priority applications for filing in other participating intellectual property offices, and will benefit participating intellectual property offices by reducing the administrative costs associated with handling paper copies of priority documents and scanning them into their electronic image record management systems.

NMFS is adjusting the A and B season allowances of pollock in Statistical Area 620 of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary because the current A and B season allowances of pollock in Statistical Area 620 of the GOA are incorrectly specified and to ensure the A and B season catch of pollock in Statistical Area 620 of the GOA does not exceed the appropriate amount, based on the best available scientific information for pollock in the GOA. This action is consistent with the goals and objectives of the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska.