Department of Agriculture May 13, 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has revised an environmental assessment for confined field tests of rice plants genetically engineered to express the protein lysozyme and has included information on an additional field test site. This environmental assessment is available for public review and comment.

The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS) announces the availability of approximately $5.952 million in competing Rural Cooperative Development Grant (RCDG) funds for fiscal year (FY) 2005. Of this amount, up to $1.488 million will be reserved for applications that focus on assistance to small, minority producers through their cooperative businesses. This action will comply with legislation that authorizes grants for establishing and operating centers for rural cooperative development. The intended effect of this notice is to solicit applications for FY 2005 and award grants on or before September 15, 2005. The maximum award per grant is $300,000 and matching funds are required.

The Department of Agriculture, Forest Service has initiated the process to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Canadian River Tamarisk Control Project on the Cibola National Forest, Kiowa National Grassland. The proposed action would restore the hydrologic function of the Canadian River by eradicating tamarisk (salt cedar) along the river corridor and tributaries, covering 16 miles (approximately 540 acres) that occur on Federal administrative lands. This proposal includes the use of a helicopter to aerially apply the herbicide imazapyr (common trade names Arsenal and Habitat) along with an approved surfactant and drift control agent, and/or use mechanical treatments and backpack sprayers to apply the same herbicide to cut stumps in designated areas. The objective is to eradicate tamarisk from this section of the Canadian River and promote the re-establishment of native riparian vegetation and habitat conditions for wildlife. Salt cedar has actively invaded the riparian area along the Canadian River, replacing native plants and wildlife. The Canadian River supplies irrigation water to thousands of acres of agriculture land, provides for recreational opportunities, and is home to several indigenous wildlife species. Tamarisk is listed by both the State of New Mexico Department of Agriculture and the Federal government as a noxious weed. The State of New Mexico has identified tamarisk as a species that is causing an ecological crisis in several river systems throughout the state, including the Canadian River. Land owners both above and below the National Grassland segment of the Canadian River are in the process of treating their lands to control tamarisk using the same types of treatment methods. This effort would be coordinated with those other treatment efforts within this watershed. Tamarisk is known to cause a change in ecological conditions that tend to eliminate native species and reduce water delivery, due to its ability to transpire large amounts of water during the growing season. Herbicide treatments have been shown to be an effective and efficient method for eradicating tamarisk and returning the riparian habitat to a healthy functioning ecosystem that is beneficial to both the biotic and human environments. The Canadian River Canyon has been identified as an inventoried roadless area. The Canadian River also has eligibility status as a scenic river under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, and outstanding remarkable values would be protected until a decision is made on the future use of the river and adjacent lands or until an action is taken by Congress to designate the river as such.

The Department of Agriculture is revising Subpart B of Title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, Protection of Inventoried Roadless Areas, by adopting a new rule that establishes a petitioning process that will provide Governors an opportunity to seek establishment of or adjustment to management requirements for National Forest System inventoried roadless areas within their States. The opportunity for submitting State petitions is available for 18 months following the effective date of this final rule. Under this final rule, submission of a petition is strictly voluntary, and management requirements for inventoried roadless areas would be guided by individual land management plans until and unless these management requirements are changed through a State-specific rulemaking. Elsewhere in this part of today's Federal Register, the Department is announcing the establishment of a national advisory committee in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App. II) to assist the Secretary with the implementation of this rule. The preamble of this rule includes a discussion of the public comments received on the proposed rule published July 16, 2004 (69 FR 42636) and the Department's responses to the comments.