Department of Agriculture March 7, 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents
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Oriental Fruit Fly; Removal of Quarantined Area
We are amending the Oriental fruit fly regulations by removing a portion of Los Angeles County, CA, from the list of quarantined areas and by removing restrictions on the interstate movement of regulated articles from this area. This action is necessary to relieve restrictions that are no longer needed to prevent the spread of the Oriental fruit fly into noninfested areas of the United States. We have determined that the Oriental fruit fly has been eradicated from this portion of Los Angeles County, CA, and that the quarantine and restrictions are no longer necessary.
Withdrawal of Direct Final Rule for Surety Requirements
The Rural Housing Service (RHS) is withdrawing the direct final rule to change the threshold for surety requirements, published on January 7, 2005 (70 FR 1325-26). RHS stated in the direct final rule that if it received adverse comments by March 8, 2005, the agency would publish a timely notice of withdrawal in the Federal Register. RHS subsequently received adverse comments and, therefore, is withdrawing the direct final rule.
2005 Forest Land Recovery Program
The Military Construction Appropriations and Emergency Hurricane Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 (Pub. L. 108-324) makes $10,000,000 available to the Secretary of Agriculture to provide assistance to eligible nonindustrial private forest landowners who suffered losses during 2004, as a result of hurricane, tropical storm, or related events for the purposes of debris removal, replanting of timber, and other related purposes. The USDA Forest Service will administer this program, in partnerhsip with State forestry agencies in the States of Alabama and Florida, where signicant loss and damage to forest resources has occurred.
Announcement of Value-Added Producer Grant Application Deadlines and Funding Levels
The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS) announces the availability of approximately $14.3 million in competitive grant funds for fiscal year (FY) 2005 to help independent agricultural producers enter into value-added activities. RBS hereby requests proposals from eligible independent producers, agricultural producer groups, farmer or rancher cooperatives, and majority-controlled producer-based business ventures interested in a competitively-awarded grant to fund one of the following two activities: (1) Planning activities needed to establish a viable value-added marketing opportunity for an agricultural product (e.g. conduct a feasibility study, develop a business plan, develop a marketing plan); or (2) acquire working capital to operate a value- added business venture that will allow producers to better compete in domestic and international markets. In order to provide program benefits to as many eligible applicants as possible, applications can only be for one or the other of these two activities, but not both. The maximum award per grant is $100,000 for planning grants and $150,000 for working capital grants and matching funds are required.
Notice of Request for Extension of a Currently Approved Information Collection
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Rural Business-Cooperative Service's (RBS) intention to request an extension of a currently approved information collection in support of the program for ``Rural Development Loan Servicing.''
Yakutat Resource Advisory Committee
The Yakutat Resource Advisory Committee will meet in Yakutat, Alaska. The purpose of the meeting is continue business of the Yakutat Resource Advisory Committee. The committee was formed to carry out the requirements of the Secure Rural Schools and Self-Determination Act of 2000. The agenda for this meeting is to review submitted project proposals and consider recommending projects for funding. Project proposals are due by March 7, 2005 to be considered at this meeting.
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Food Stamp Program Redemption Certificate, Form, FNS-278B; Food Stamp Program Wholesaler Redemption Certificate, Form FNS-278-4
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Food and Nutrition Service is publishing for public comment a summary of a proposed information collection. The proposed collection is a revision of a currently approved collection of the Food Stamp Program for which approval expires on February 28, 2005. The Food Stamp Act of 1977, as amended, requires that the Food and Nutrition Service will provide all authorized retail food stores and wholesale food concerns with redemption certificates. The redemption certificates are to be used by all authorized retailers and wholesale firms to present food coupons to insured financial institutions for credit or for cash. Requirements in the Food Stamp Program regulations are the basis for the information collected on Form FNS-278B, Food Stamp Redemption Certificate and Form FNS-278-4, Wholesaler Redemption Certificate. The Food and Nutrition Service is rapidly phasing out the use of paper food coupons. Currently, 99.9 percent of all food stamp benefits are issued electronically. Forty-eight States, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and Puerto Rico have online operating Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) systems. Two States operate offline food stamp EBT systems and issue paper food coupons to recipients who move out of State and have remaining food stamp benefits. Many States have already closed out their coupon inventory completely and more will be doing the same in the upcoming year. Approximately 438,955 Redemption Certificates were processed by retailers and wholesalers in Fiscal Year 2004, and the number continues to decline due to 100 percent EBT implementation. Until all of the paper food coupons issued are redeemed, the Redemption Certificate will remain an essential document to the food stamp redemption process.
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