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

The Siskiyou Resource Advisory Committee will meet on Friday, April 1, 2005 to discuss topics including orientation with new members, roles and responsibilities, overview of Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act, 2005 meeting schedule, electing a chair and use of overhead funds (12.5%). The meeting will be held at the Cave Junction City Hall, 222 W. Lister Street, Cave Junction, Oregon. It begins at 10 a.m., ends at 2 p.m.; the open public comments begin at 11:30 a.m. and ends at noon. Written comments may be submitted prior to the meeting and delivered to Designated Federal Official, Scott Conroy at the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, P.O. Box 520, Medford, Oregon 97501.

Deciding Officers in the Eastern Region will publish notice of decisions subject to administrative appeal under 36 CFR parts 215 and 217 in the legal notice section of the newspapers listed in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice. As provided in 36 CFR 215.5(a) and 36 CFR 217.5(d), the public shall be advised through Federal Register notice, of the principal newspaper to be utilized for publishing legal notices of decisions. Newspaper publication of notice of decisions is in addition to direct notice of decisions to those who have requested notice in writing and to those known to be interested in or affected by a special decision. In addition, the Responsible Official in the Eastern Region will also publish notice of proposed actions under 36 CFR part 215 in the newspapers that are listed in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice. As provided in 36 CFR part 215(a), the public shall be advised, through Federal Register notice, of the principal newspapers to be utilized for publishing notices on proposed actions.

The Agricultural Marketing Service is withdrawing from the notice of hearing that appeared in the Federal Register of February 17, 2005 (70 FR 8043), to consider proposals to amend certain provisions of the Mideast Federal milk marketing order, a proposal regarding producer-handler regulation. Due to unforeseen circumstances, Proposal 10, which would modify the producer-handler definition will not be heard at this time. The proposal to amend the producer-handler definition will be addressed at a future hearing. The date, time and location of the future hearing has yet to be determined. All other proposals as originally published in the February 17, 2005, notice of hearing will still be addressed.

We are amending the emerald ash borer regulations by adding areas in Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio to the list of areas quarantined because of emerald ash borer. As a result of this action, the interstate movement of regulated articles from those areas is restricted. This action is necessary to prevent the artificial spread of the emerald ash borer from infested areas in the States of Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio into noninfested areas of the United States.

Pursuant to the authorities in the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463) and the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self- Determination Act of 2000 (Pub. L. 106-393), the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest's Madison-Beaverhead Resource Advisory Committee will meet on Tuesday, March 22, 2005, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. in Alder, Montana, for a business meeting. The meeting is open to the public.

The Ketchikan Resource Advisory Committee will meet in Ketchikan, Alaska, April 14, 2005. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss potential projects under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000.

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).