November 8, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Section 14204 of the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 (2008 Farm Bill), authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to make grants to assist agricultural employers and farmworkers by improving the supply, stability, safety, and training of the agricultural labor force. Such grants may be made to eligible entities for use in providing services to assist farmworkers who are citizens or otherwise legally present in the United States in securing, retaining, upgrading, or returning from agricultural jobs. The Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010 (2010 Appropriations Act), included an appropriation of $4 million to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Rural Housing Service (RHS) for this program. The delegation of authority and funding for the program has since been transferred to the Office of Advocacy and Outreach (OAO), within Departmental Management of USDA. The purpose of this rulemaking is to establish regulations governing the grants program, including eligibility, application for, evaluation, award and post-award administration of grants made pursuant to the authority granted to the Secretary under Section 14204.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to revise the definition of ``hybrid'' as it relates to birds protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. At present, the definition applies only to hybrids of two species on the list of migratory birds at 50 CFR 10.13. We propose to revise the definition to make it clear that it applies to the offspring of any species listed at 50 CFR 10.13.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Public Law 92-463, as amended, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announces that the meeting of the Planetary Science Subcommittee of the NASA Advisory Council originally scheduled for November 2-3, 2011, at NASA Headquarters, has been postponed due to the recent unexpected and tragic loss of Dr. Ronald Greeley, Subcommittee Chair. A notice was published in the Federal Register at 76 FR 64387 on October 18, 2011 announcing the meeting. NASA regrets any inconvenience due to these extraordinary circumstances. The meeting will be rescheduled for a later date, and notice of the new date will be published in the Federal Register.

On May 25, 1989, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) granted in full Porsche Cars North America's (Porsche) petition for an exemption in accordance with Sec. 543.9(c)(2) of 49 CFR part 543, Exemption from the Theft Prevention Standard for the Porsche 911 vehicle line beginning with model year (MY) 1990. On August 16, 2011, Porsche submitted a petition to modify its previously approved exemption for the Porsche 911 vehicle line and notified the agency that all new successor models within the 911 line will be installed with the proposed antitheft device beginning with MY 2012. NHTSA is granting Porsche's petition to modify the exemption in full, because it has determined that the modified device is also likely to be as effective in reducing and deterring motor vehicle theft as compliance with the parts-marking requirements of the Theft Prevention Standard.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) proposes to establish the approximately 198-square mile ``Middleburg Virginia'' viticultural area in Loudoun and Fauquier Counties in northern Virginia. TTB designates viticultural areas to allow vintners to better describe the origin of their wines and to allow consumers to better identify wines they may purchase. TTB invites comments on this proposed addition to its regulations.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44 U.S.C.3501 et seq.) EPA is issuing a technical amendment to amend the table that lists the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control numbers issued under the Paperwork Reduction Act; Technical Amendment; Community Right-to-Know Toxic Chemical Release Reporting.

NMFS proposes to implement the Comprehensive Ecosystem-Based Amendment 2 (CE-BA 2) to implement the following South Atlantic fishery management plan (FMP) amendments: Amendment 1 to the FMP for Pelagic Sargassum Habitat of the South Atlantic Region (Sargassum FMP); Amendment 7 to the FMP for Coral, Coral reefs, and Live/Hard Bottom Habitats of the South Atlantic Region (Coral FMP); and Amendment 25 to the FMP for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (Snapper-Grouper FMP), as prepared and submitted by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council); as well as Amendment 21 to the FMP for Coastal Migratory Pelagic (CMP) Resources (CMP FMP) as prepared and submitted by the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Councils. If implemented, this rule would modify the fishery management unit for octocorals in the South Atlantic exclusive economic zone (EEZ), establish an annual catch limit (ACL) for octocorals, modify management in special management zones (SMZs) off South Carolina, and modify sea turtle and small tooth sawfish release gear specifications in the South Atlantic region. Through CE-BA 2, NMFS also proposes to designate new Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) and EFH-Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (EFH-HAPCs) for the Snapper-Grouper, Coral and Sargassum FMPs. The intended effects of this rule are to specify an ACL for octocorals, implement management measures to ensure overfishing does not occur for these species but that optimum yield may be achieved, and to conserve and protect habitat in the South Atlantic region.

This final rule reinstates in Department of Energy (DOE) regulations the energy and water conservation standards required by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPACT 2005) for commercial clothes washers (CCWs) until January 1, 2013. In the final rule establishing amended standards for CCW, published in the Federal Register on Friday, January 8, 2010 (75 FR 1122) and applicable as of January 1, 2013, DOE erroneously deleted reference to these EPACT 2005 standards.

NMFS issues this temporary rule to extend the effective date of interim measures to reduce overfishing of gag in the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) implemented by a temporary rule published by NMFS on June 2, 2011. This temporary rule extends the interim measures implemented to reduce overfishing of gag in the Gulf by reducing the commercial quota for gag and, thus, the combined commercial quota for shallow-water grouper species (SWG), establishing a 2-month recreational season for gag, and suspending red grouper multi-use allocation in the Gulf grouper and tilefish individual fishing quota (IFQ) program, as recommended by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council). The intended effect of this rule is to reduce overfishing of the gag resource in the Gulf.

This document informs the public that an appeal of the closing of the East Poland, Maine post office has been filed. It identifies preliminary steps and provides a procedural schedule. Publication of this document will allow the Postal Service, petitioners, and others to take appropriate action.