Department of Agriculture June 28, 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, this notice announces the Office of Management and Budget's approval of a collection of information contained in the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's final rule regarding the possession, use, and transfer of select agents and toxins.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), this notice announces the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) intention to request an extension for and revision to a currently approved information collection for Dried Prunes Produced in California-Prune Handler Compensation Survey, Marketing Order 993.

Notice is hereby given that the USDA Forest Service, together with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), will prepare a joint Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Environmental Impact Report (EIR) in response to applications received from Southern California Edison for construction of a new 25.6-mile 500-kilovolt (kV) transmission line between the proponent's existing 220-kV Antelope and Pardee substations that are located in Los Angeles County, California. The Forest Service is the lead Federal agency for the preparation of this EIS/EIR in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and all other applicable laws, executive orders, regulations, and direction. The CPUC is the lead State of California agency for the preparation of the EIS/EIR in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), California Public Resource Code Division 13, and all other applicable laws and regulations. Both agencies have determined an EIS/ EIR is needed to effectively analyze the proposal and evaluate impacts. The new 500-kV transmission line would replace the existing 100-foot right-of-way 66 kV-line along 17.5 miles of the proposed route. Approximately 13 miles of the Antelope-Pardee 500-kV Transmission Project would be located in a 160-foot right-of-way on National Forest System land (managed by the Angeles National Forest). Approximately three miles of the proposed project would be constructed in a new right-of-way outside of the Angeles National Forest. The proposed project also includes an expansion and upgrade of the Antelope Substation from 220 kV to 500 kV, and the relocation of several existing 66-kV subtransmission lines near the Antelope Substation. The USDA Forest Service and the CPUC invite written comments on the scope of this proposed project. In addition, the agencies give notice of this analysis so that interested and affected individuals are aware of how they may participate and contribute to the final decision.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) finalizes the Nursery Crop Insurance Provisions to make container and field grown practices separate crops; provide coverage for plants in containers that are equal to or greater than 1 inch in diameter; provide separate basic units by share for all coverage levels and basic units by plant type when additional coverage is purchased; permit insureds to select one coverage level for each plant type basic unit when additional coverage is purchased; allow increases to the Plant Inventory Value Report (PIVR) up to 30 days before the end of the crop year; allow acceptance of an application for insurance for any current crop year up to 30 days before the end of the crop year; change the starting and ending dates for the crop year to June 1st and May 31st, respectively; and make other policy changes to improve coverage of nursery plants. FCIC also finalizes the Nursery Peak Inventory Endorsement to reflect changes made in the Nursery Crop Provisions and adds a new Rehabilitation Endorsement to provide a rehabilitation payment for field grown plants to compensate them for rehabilitation costs for plants that will recover from an insured cause of loss.