Department of Agriculture March 1, 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) proposes to increase the fees and charges for Federal voluntary egg, poultry, and rabbit grading. These fees and charges need to be increased to cover the increase in salaries of Federal employees, salary increases of State employees cooperatively utilized in administering the programs, and other increased Agency costs.

The Bugtown Gulch Mountain Pine Beetle and Fuels project area is approximately 16,000 acres in size, with 13,500 acres of National Forest lands and 2,500 acres of private land. The project proposes prevention, suppression and salvage strategies to reduce the beetle infestation and minimize adverse effects to resources and includes fuel treatments to lessen the potential for widespread high intensity wildfire. There are approximately 49 structures on private land within the project area and another 35 within 1 mile of the project boundary. Between 1999 and 2004, Mountain Pine Beetle (MPB) mortality in the project areas has increased 14-fold. The beetle population, based on the number of dead trees, continues to increase an average of 2-3 times per year in the project area and is spreading. Some pine stands have already suffered 50-75% mortality. The Acting Black Hills National Forest, Forest Supervisor, Brad Exton, has determined that a mountain pine beetle epidemic is occurring in the project area and that the epidemic could pose significant threats to forest resources in the project area, including wildlife habitat, forest products and watershed health. Currently, approximately 85% of the project area is ponderosa pine stands in a high risk condition for mountain pine beetles susceptibility. This includes approximately 718 acres within the Wabash timber sale which is under contract, but not yet harvested. This project is an ``authorized project'' under Title I of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act (HERA). We will be utilizing expedited procedures authorized by this act to complete project planning and decisionmaking.

This order amends the Producer milk provision of the Arizona- Las Vegas milk marketing order to eliminate the ability to simultaneously pool the same milk on the order and on a State-operated order that provides for marketwide pooling. More than the required number of producers on the Arizona-Las Vegas order have approved the issuance of the interim order as amended.

GIPSA announces the designation of Eastern Iowa Grain Inspection and Weighing Service, Inc., (Eastern Iowa) to provide Class X or Class Y weighing services under the United States Grain Standards Act, as amended (Act).