Department of Agriculture June 27, 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We are advising the public of our determination that the Monsanto Company and Forage Genetics International alfalfa lines designated as events J101 and J163, which have been genetically engineered for tolerance to the herbicide glyphosate, are no longer considered regulated articles under our regulations governing the introduction of certain genetically engineered organisms. Our determination is based on our evaluation of data submitted by Monsanto Company and Forage Genetics International in their petition for a determination of nonregulated status, our analysis of other scientific data, and comments received from the public in response to a previous notice announcing the availability of the petition for nonregulated status and an environmental assessment. This notice also announces the availability of our written determination document and our finding of no significant impact.

We are adopting as a final rule, without change, two interim rules regarding Oriental fruit fly. The first interim rule designated a portion of Orange County, CA, as a quarantined area and provided for the use of spinosad bait spray as an alternative treatment for premises. The second interim rule removed the quarantine on that portion of Orange County, CA, and thus removed the restrictions on the interstate movement of regulated articles from that area. The first interim rule was necessary to prevent the spread of Oriental fruit fly to noninfested areas of the United States, and to provide an alternative to malathion bait spray to treat premises that produce regulated articles within the quarantined area. The second interim rule was necessary to reflect our determination that the Oriental fruit fly had been eradicated from Orange County, CA.

This rule revises the requirements regarding credit for promotion and advertising activities under the administrative rules and regulations of the California almond marketing order (order). The order regulates the handling of almonds grown in California and is administered locally by the Almond Board of California (Board). The order is funded through the collection of assessments from almond handlers. Under the order, handlers may receive credit towards their assessment obligation for certain expenditures for marketing promotion activities, including paid advertising. This rule revises the requirements regarding the activities for which handlers may receive such credit. The changes will expand the credit allowed for certain promotional activities, and help to clarify and simplify the current regulations.

This rule decreases the assessment rate established for the Washington Apricot Marketing Committee (Committee) for the 2005-2006 and subsequent fiscal periods from $2.50 per ton to $1.00 per ton of fresh apricots handled. The Committee locally administers the marketing order which regulates the handling of apricots grown in designated counties in Washington. Authorization to assess apricot handlers enables the Committee to incur expenses that are reasonable and necessary to administer the program. The fiscal period begins April 1 and ends March 31. The assessment rate will remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended or terminated.

This document proposes to adopt as a final rule, order language contained in the interim final rule published in the Federal Register on March 1, 2005, concerning pooling provisions of the Arizona-Las Vegas Federal milk order. This document also sets forth the final decision of the Department and is subject to approval by producers. Specifically, the final decision adopts an amendment that would continue to amend the Producer milk provision which will eliminate the ability to simultaneously pool the same milk on the Arizona-Las Vegas milk order and any State-operated milk order that has marketwide pooling. Other proposals considered at the hearing regarding producer-handlers were addressed in a separate partial recommended decision issued on April 7, 2005.

This notice requests public comment on the documents to be used by the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) in the administration of the Tobacco Transition Payment Program (TTPP) with respect to successor-in-interest contracts, which allow a tobacco quota holder or a tobacco producer who is participating in this program to transfer their rights and obligations to a third-party.