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

The Colville Resource Advisory Committee will meet on Thursday, June 30, 2005, at the Spokane Community College, Colville Campus, Dominion Room 985 South Elm Street, Colville, Washington. The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. and conclude at 4 p.m. Agenda items include: (1) Welcome and introduction of new members serving on the Colville Resource Advisory Committee. (2) Review and approve meeting notes from July 29, 2004, meeting (3) Fiscal Year 2006 Title II projects review and recommendation to the forest designated Federal official on Stevens, Ferry and Pend Oreille Counties applications; and (4) Public Forum.

This provides notice of the Federal Subsistence Board's in- season management actions to protect sockeye salmon escapement in the Copper River, while still providing for a subsistence harvest opportunity and to provide for a more efficient harvest method for chinook salmon in the Stikine River. The revised fishing schedule for the Chitina Subdistrict of the Copper River and net mesh size revision will provide an exception to the Subsistence Management Regulations for Public Lands in Alaska, published in the Federal Register on March 21, 2005. Those regulations established seasons, harvest limits, methods, and means relating to the taking of fish and shellfish for subsistence uses during the 2005 regulatory year.

We are advising the public that the Plant Protection and Quarantine program of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will hold a meeting to exchange information and receive input on the proposed Phytosanitary Certificate Issuance and Tracking System, which will improve the efficiency of the Federal phytosanitary certificate issuance process.

Pursuant to the authorities in the Federal Advisory Committees Act (Public Law 92-463) and under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (Pub. L. 106-393) the Modoc National Forest's Modoc Resource Advisory Committee will meet Monday, July 11th, 2005, August 1st, 2005 and August 29th, 2005 in Alturas, California for business meetings. The meetings are open to the public.

This rule would change the peanut quality and handling standards (Standards) to require that domestic and imported peanuts be dried to 18 percent moisture or less prior to inspection and to 10.49 percent or less prior to storing or milling. Virginia-type peanuts used for seed must be dried to 18 percent or less prior to inspection and to 11.49 percent or less prior to storing or milling. The Standards and the Peanut Standards Board (Board) were established by the Department of Agriculture (USDA), pursuant to section 1308 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. The Board suggested changing the peanut quality and handling standards to allow handlers and importers to receive or acquire high moisture peanuts to promote the development of new drying technologies, increase efficiencies and reduce costs to the industry.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) is revising the United States Standards for Grades of Kale. Specifically, AMS is revising the standards to allow percentages to be determined by count rather than weight and the application of tolerances for packages which contain less than 15 specimens. Additionally, AMS is revising the standards to allow the standards to be used for kale leaves and bunches of leaves in addition to kale plants. The revisions will bring the standards for kale in-line with current marketing practices, thereby improving their usefulness in serving the industry.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is amending the poultry products inspection regulations by terminating the designation of the State of North Dakota under sections 1 through 4, 6 through 10, 11(b), 11(c), and 12 through 22 of the Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA). FSIS has concluded that North Dakota is in a position to administer a State poultry inspection program, which is at least equal to the Federal poultry products inspection program.

This rule would increase the assessment rate established for the Almond Board of California (Board) for the 2005-06 and subsequent crop years from $0.025 to $0.030 per pound of almonds received. Of the $0.030 per pound assessment, 60 percent (or $0.018 per pound) would be available as credit-back for handlers who conduct their own promotional activities. The Board locally administers the marketing order which regulates the handling of almonds grown in California. Authorization to assess almond handlers enables the Board to incur expenses that are reasonable and necessary to administer the program. The crop year begins August 1 and ends July 31. The assessment rate would remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.

This notice announces a series of public forums that senior officials of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) will hold to obtain public input for the development of the 2007 Farm Bill. The 2002 Farm Bill, officially entitled the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (the 2002 Act; Publ. L. 107-171), authorizes many of the programs operated by USDA such as the farm price and income support programs and expires with the 2007 crop year. Many other key programs specified in the 2002 Act expire at the end of fiscal year 2007. New legislation will need to be enacted prior to the expiration of the 2002 Act. USDA intends to develop recommendations for the new farm bill and believes that public input is essential to the process by which these recommendations will be developed. This process requires an assessment of the performance of current programs operated under the 2002 Act as well as of possible alternative programs for the next farm bill. The public forums will be held at various locations in the United States during 2005. The dates, locations, and times of the forums will be announced by USDA press release (available at https://www.usda.gov). The public will be invited to attend the forums and to present oral comments. The primary topics addressed at the forums will reflect various concerns affecting rural America such as commodity, conservation, and rural economic development issues. However, some forums will be dedicated to other important programs authorized by the farm bill such as food assistance, research, and education programs. Topics for these discussions will be announced via USDA press release. In addition, this notice provides the public the opportunity to comment in writing on key issues that USDA expects to address in the development of its recommendations. USDA will review the public comments received, including any analyses, reports, studies, and other material submitted with the comments, that address the questions specified below.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is amending 7 CFR part 3052 to implement the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) revisions to Circular No. A-133. These amendments increase the threshold for audit from $300,000 to $500,000; increase the threshold for cognizant agency for audit from $25 million to $50 million; make related technical changes to facilitate the determination of cognizant agency for audit; and provide for Federal agency reassignment of oversight agency for audit.

This final rule amends the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) regulations to implement a provision of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 which stipulates that the agreement between a sponsoring organization and family or group day care home participating in the CACFP is permanent and remains in effect until terminated by either party. This change will reduce the administrative workload and paperwork burden of sponsoring organizations, by eliminating the periodic renewal of agreements with their family or group day care homes.

The North Gifford Pinchot National Forest Resource Advisory Committee will meet on Friday, July 15, 2005 at the Packwood Community Center, 12935 US Hwy 12, Packwood, Wash. The meeting will begin at 9:30 a.m. and continue until 4 p.m. The purpose of the meeting is to: Review ongoing Title II and III projects, elect a chairperson, set an indirect project percentage and to review and make recommendations on 17 proposal for Title II funding of Forest projects under the Secure Rural Schools and County Self-Determination Act of 2000. All North Gifford Pinchot National Forest Resource Advisory Committee meetings are open to the public. Interested citizens are encouraged to attend. The ``open forum'' provides opportunity for the public to bring issues, concerns, and discussion topics to the Advisory Committee. The ``open forum'' is scheduled to occur at 9:40 a.m. Interested speakers will need to register prior to the open forum period. The committee welcomes the public's written comments on committee business at any time.

The South Gifford Pinchot National Forest Resource Advisory Committee will meet on Thursday, July 7, 2005 at the Skamania County Courthouse Annex, 170 NW. Vancouver Ave., Stevenson, Wash. The meeting will begin at 10 a.m. and continue until 1 p.m. The purpose of the meeting is to review ongoing Title II and III projects, elect a chair, and set an indirect project percentage, under the county payments law under the Secure Rural Schools and County Self-Determination Act of 2000. All South Gifford Pinchot National Forest Resource Advisory Committee meetings are open to the public. Interested citizens are encouraged to attend. The ``open forum'' provides opportunity for the public to bring issues, concerns, and discussion topics to the Advisory Committee. The ``open forum'' is scheduled to occur at 10:15 a.m. Interested speakers will need to register prior to the open forum period. The committee welcomes the public's written comments on committee business at any time.

Pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969; the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR part 1500); and the Natural Resources Conservation Service Regulations (7 CFR part 650); the Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, gives notice that an environmental impact statement is not being prepared for the rehabilitation of Floodwater Retarding Structure (FRS) No. 18A of the Little Elm and Laterals Watershed of the Trinity River Watershed, Collin County, Texas.

Pursuant to the authorities in the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463) and under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (Pub. L. 106-393), the Boise and Payette National Forests' Southwest Idaho Resource Advisory Committee will conduct a business meeting, which is open to the public.

The Dakota Prairie Grasslands (DPG) proposes to use an integrated approach to treat and control noxious weeds on approximately 35,000 acres of existing infestation sites, and 8,000 acres of new or previously unknown acres in a manner consistent with Dakota Prairie Grasslands Land and Resource Management Plan direction and applicable laws. The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will analyze the methods to be used in an integrated approach, and disclose the environmental effects of the proposal and alternatives.

The Rogue/Umpqua Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) will meet on Thursday and Friday, July 14 and 15, 2005, at 1215 SW. G Street in Grants Pass, Oregon. The purpose of the meeting is to review and make recommendations for funding fiscal year 2006 projects with Title II funds from the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000. Presentations for projects in Klamath, Jackson and Josephine counties will occur on Thursday. Presentations for projects in Douglas and Lane counties will take place on Friday. The RAC will also be updated on the status of projects from the last four years. The meetings are scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. and conclude at approximately 5 p.m. each day. Public comments are welcome between approximately 9:50 a.m. to 10:20 a.m. on Thursday and at approximately 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on Friday. Written public comments may be submitted prior to the meetings by sending them to Designated Federal Official Jim Caplan at the address given below.

The Siskiyou County Resource Advisory Committee will meet in Yreka, California, June 20, 2005. The meeting will include routine business, a discussion of larger scale projects, and the recommendation for implementation of submitted project proposals.

This rule sets out regulations governing the use of designated marketing associations in connection with the making of marketing assistance loans for peanuts and the making of loan deficiency payments in lieu of such loans. These regulations reflect current procedures under broader regulations that precede this rule and specify when storage credit begins for loans handled by designated marketing associations.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is amending the Federal meat and poultry products inspection regulations to establish a general definition and standard of identity for standardized meat and poultry products that have been modified to qualify for use of an expressed nutrient content claim in their product names. These products will be identified by an expressed nutrient content claim, such as ``fat free,'' ``low fat,'' and ``light,'' in conjunction with an appropriate standardized term, e.g., ``low fat bologna.'' FSIS is taking this action to: Assist consumers in maintaining healthy dietary practices by providing for modified versions of standardized meat and poultry products that have reductions of certain constituents that are of health concern to some consumers, such as fat, cholesterol, and sodium; increase regulatory flexibility and support product innovation, and provide consumers with an informative nutrition labeling system.

The Wrangell-Petersburg Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) will meet from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. on Friday, July 22, and from 8 a.m. until 12 noon, Saturday, July 23, 2005, in Petersburg, Alaska. The purpose of this meeting is to train new RAC appointees and update continuing members on information pursuant to Title II, Public Law 106-393, H.R. 2389, the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000, also called the ``Payments to States'' Act. This meeting is open to the public.

The Tuolumne County Resource Advisory Committee will meet on June 20, 2005 at the City of Sonora Fire Department, in Sonora, California. The purpose of the meeting is to review 10 project submittals based on presentations made by project proponents.