Department of Agriculture – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, this notice announces an upcoming meeting of the Grain Inspection Advisory Committee (Committee). The Committee meets no less than once annually to advise the Secretary of Agriculture on the programs and services delivered by the Agricultural Marketing Service (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.

The Fresno and Madera 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). 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 make recommendations on recreation fee proposals for sites on the Sierra National Forest within Fresno and Madera Counties, consistent with the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act.

This notice lists the newspapers that will be used by the ranger districts, national forests and grasslands, and 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, objections, or appeals were timely.

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. The proposed information collection is a request for a revision of a currently approved collection of information relating to the reporting and recordkeeping burden associated with completing, submitting, and maintaining a record of form FNS-339, the Federal-State Supplemental Nutrition Programs Agreement for the administration of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC); the WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (FMNP); and/or the Seniors Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP).

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is announcing the 2025/2026 rates it will charge for voluntary grading, inspection, certification, auditing, and laboratory services for a variety of agricultural commodities including meat and poultry, fruits and vegetables, eggs, dairy products, rice, and cotton and tobacco. The 2025/2026 regular, overtime, holiday, and laboratory services rates will be applied at the beginning of the crop year, fiscal year or as required by law depending on the commodity. Other starting dates are added to this notice based on cotton industry practices. This action establishes the rates for user-funded programs based on costs incurred by AMS. This year, cost-based analyses indicated the need to increase certain user fee rates when current rates are insufficient to cover the costs of providing the service. While cost-saving measures have and will continue to be implemented, user fee rate increases are necessary to offset rising operational costs. In cases where current rates are sufficient to cover the costs of providing the service, user fee rates remain unchanged. Furthermore, AMS is announcing the fees it will charge warehouse operators for voluntary services associated with the administration of the United States Warehouse Act, including the license action fees, service license fees, inspection fees, and annual user fees for warehouse services for fiscal year 2026, which begins October 1, 2025. This year, AMS will minimize the impact on industry by limiting any increases to cover inflationary costs only.

Rural Development (RD), a mission area within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announces its intent to adopt the final environmental impact statement (FEIS) titled "Hydropower License, Sweetheart Lake Hydroelectric ProjectFERC Project No. 13563- 003 Alaska," under the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) adoption provisions of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ).

FSIS is withdrawing the proposed rule and proposed determination titled "Salmonella Framework for Raw Poultry Products."

This final rule reauthorizes the Dairy Forward Pricing Program (DFPP) in accordance with the American Relief Act, 2025 (Relief Act). Establishing new contracts under the DFPP was prohibited between the expiration of the program on September 30, 2024, and publication of this final rule. The Relief Act reauthorizes the DFPP program to allow handlers to enter into new contracts until September 30, 2025. Any forward contract entered prior to the September 30, 2025, deadline is subject to a September 30, 2028, expiration date.

The Northeast Oregon Forests 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. 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 make recommendations on recreation fee proposals for sites on the Malheur, Umatilla, and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests within Baker, Grant, Harney, Morrow, Union, Wallowa, and Wheeler Counties, consistent with the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act.

FSIS is amending the Federal meat inspection regulations to remove the regulation that established a voluntary fee-for-service program for ante-mortem inspection of horses. The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia vacated the voluntary fee-for-service program on March 28, 2007. FSIS is removing the regulation to ensure the Agency's regulations accurately reflect current requirements.

We are advising the public of our intent to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) evaluating the effects of managing grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) damage in Montana. The unique identification number for this project is EISX-005-32-24W-1738675512. This notice proposes issues and alternatives for consideration in the EIS and requests public comments to further delineate the scope of the alternatives, environmental issues, and other issues of public concern to be considered in the EIS. This notice also serves to inform the public that the Department of the Interior's U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks have joined as cooperating agencies in the EIS process.

We are advising the public that we have prepared a pest risk analysis that evaluates the risks associated with the importation of fresh leaves and stems of glasswort (Salicornia europaea L.) for consumption from Israel into the United States. 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 leaves and stems of glasswort from Israel into the United States. We are making the pest risk analysis available to the public for review and comment.

FSIS is announcing that it is delaying the date it will begin sampling not ready-to-eat (NRTE) breaded stuffed chicken products for Salmonella and delaying the date establishments need to reassess their Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plans for these products from May 1, 2025, to November 3, 2025. This additional time is necessary for FSIS to finalize its instructions to inspectors and prepare its inspection program personnel (IPP) and laboratories for the new sampling and testing. In addition, this additional time is necessary for FSIS to provide industry with guidance on holding and controlling products pending FSIS' sampling results.

On April 26, 2024, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) published the "Final Determination: Adoption of Energy Efficiency Standards for New Construction of HUD- and USDA-Financed Housing" notice (Final Determination) in the Federal Register. The Final Determination provides compliance dates for HUD and USDA programs covered by the Final Determination. This notice delays compliance dates by six months over the published compliance dates for covered projects in the following USDA programs: Section 502 (Guaranteed Loans, Direct Loans) and Section 523 (Self Help Loans).

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) intention to extend its current approval from the Office of Management and Budget to collect information for the Regional Food Business Center Program under its Local and Regional Foods Division.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Forest Service is seeking comments from all interested individuals and organizations on the extension with revision of the currently approved information collection, 0596-0225, Timber Sale Contract Operations and Administration.

The Land Between the Lakes Advisory Board will hold a public meeting according to the details shown below. The board is authorized under the Charter for the Land Between the Lakes Advisory Board and operates in compliance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). The purpose of the board is to advise the Secretary of Agriculture on means of promoting public participation for the land and resource management plan for the Recreation Area, environmental education, an annual work plan for recreation and environmental education areas in the Recreation Area. This includes the heritage program (with the non- appropriated amounts in the Land Between the Lakes Management Fund), an annual forest management and harvest plan for the Recreation Area and the Land Between the Lakes Management Fund.

The U.S Codex Office is sponsoring a public meeting on May 1, 2025. The objective of the public meeting is to provide information and receive public comments on agenda items to be discussed at the 34th Session of the Codex Committee on General Principle (CCGP) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), CCGP34 will be held in Lille, France, from June 2-6, 2025. The U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius and the Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs recognize the importance of providing interested parties the opportunity to obtain background information on the 34th Session of the CCGP and to address items on the agenda.