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

Pursuant to the authorities in the Federal Advisory Committees Act (Pub. L. 92-463) and under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (Pub. L. 106-393) the Alpine County Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) will meet on Tuesday, September 06, 2005 at 18:00 at the Diamond Valley School for business meetings. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss issues relating to implementing the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (Payment to States) and expenditure of Title II funds. The meetings are open to the public.

The United States Grain Standards Act, as amended (Act), provides that official agency designations will be cancelled upon request by the official agency with a 90 day written notice to Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA). The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (Minnesota), designated to provide official inspection and weighing services until September 30, 2006, has requested GIPSA to cancel the designation, covering official domestic services, effective November 9, 2005. Minnesota will continue to provide export services under a delegation agreement with GIPSA. Accordingly, GIPSA is announcing that Minnesota's designation will be canceled, on or about November 9, 2005. GIPSA is asking for applicants for domestic service in the Minnesota area.

This rule would increase the assessment rate and change the assessable unit established for the Kiwifruit Administrative Committee (Committee) for the 2005-06 and subsequent fiscal periods from $0.002 per pound of kiwifruit to $0.045 per 9-kilo volume-fill container or equivalent of kiwifruit. The Committee locally administers the marketing order which regulates the handling of kiwifruit grown in California. Authorization to assess kiwifruit handlers enables the Committee to incur expenses that are reasonable and necessary to administer the program. The fiscal period begins August 1 and ends July 31. The assessment rate would remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended), the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) invites comments on this information collection for which RUS intends to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended), the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) invites comments on this information collection for which RUS intends to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

The USDA Forest Service is proposing to conduct timber harvest, noncommercial thinning, and fuels reduction activities in the eastern half of the Maury Mountains. The proposal includes the connected action of constructing 20.9 miles of road. The project area covers approximately 24,250 acres.

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 Kootenai National Forest's Lincoln County Resource Advisory Committee will meet on Tuesday, September 6, 2005 at 6 p.m. at the Forest Supervisor's Office in Libby, Montana for a business meeting. The meeting is open to the public.

We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has prepared an environmental assessment for a field trial of genetically engineered strains of a bacterium, Erwinia carotovora, the causal agent of tuber soft rot disease in potato. The bacteria have been genetically engineered to disrupt the disease causing pathway. This field trial will allow researchers to better understand the function of each mutated gene under field conditions. This environmental assessment is available for public review and comment.

The FSIS is conducting a review of the regulations established by the Pathogen Reduction/Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) final rule under Section 610 of the Regulatory Flexibility Act, as amended. These provisions require that all Federal agencies review existing regulations that have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities to determine whether the associated impact can be minimized. FSIS is seeking comment from the public, especially from small meat and poultry establishments, on the regulations established by the Pathogen Reduction; Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point Systems (HACCP) final rule.

We are adopting as a final rule, without change, an interim rule that amended the brucellosis regulations concerning the interstate movement of swine by adding Florida to the list of validated brucellosis-free States. The interim rule was based on our determination that Florida meets the criteria for classification as a validated brucellosis-free State. That action relieved certain restrictions on the interstate movement of breeding swine from Florida.

The USDA, Forest Service, will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) in accordance with Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (Pub. L. 91-190) to document the analysis and disclose the environmental effects of the proposed action to reestablish road access provided by Forest Service Road (FSR) 2610 and Park Service Dosewallips Road to National Forest and National Park recreational facilities. The proposed action is to rebuild FSR 2610 through a washout area using a low-water crossing design and to repair damage to the Park's Dosewallips Road, including the portion of road in the vicinity of the Dosewallips River Falls.

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 Chiwapa Creek Watershed, Pontotoc, Lee, and Monroe Counties, Mississippi.

The Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), are sponsoring a public meeting on October 18, 2005. The objective of the public meeting is to provide information and receive public comments on agenda items and draft U.S. positions that will be discussed at the 27th Session of the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), which will be held in Bonn, Germany, November 21- 25, 2005. The Under Secretary for Food Safety and FDA recognize the importance of providing interested parties the opportunity to obtain background information on the 27th Session of CCNFSDU and to address items on the agenda.

This provides notice of the Federal Subsistence Board's in- season management action to protect sockeye salmon escapement in the Copper River, while still providing for a subsistence harvest. The revised fishing schedule for the Chitina Subdistrict of the Copper River 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.

This document corrects the e-mail address for submission of public comments on the proposed rule regarding the Farm Service Agency's (FSA's) Interest Assistance Program published June 22, 2005, and extends the comment period to ensure that all public comments are received by the Agency. The original comment period for the proposed rule closes on August 22, 2005, and FSA is extending it until September 6, 2005. Respondents who sent comments to the earlier e-mail address are encouraged to contact the person named below to find out if their comments were received and re-submit them to the e-mail address below if necessary.

This final rule rewrites the regulations for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) in ``plain language'' to help program operators and the general public better understand program requirements. It also reduces the time and paperwork burden for State and local agencies, increases their flexibility in program operations, and strengthens program accountability. Other changes have been made to incorporate legislative provisions and improve program service and caseload management. This final rule makes the CSFP easier to understand and administer, and more effective and efficient in providing benefits to eligible persons.

The Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), are sponsoring a public meeting on August 30, 2005, to provide draft U.S. positions and receive public comments on agenda items that will be discussed at the Fifth Session of the Codex ad hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Foods Derived from Biotechnology of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), which will be held in Chiba, Japan, September 19-23, 2005. The Under Secretary and FDA recognize the importance of providing interested parties the opportunity to comment on the agenda items that will be debated at this forthcoming Session of the FBT.

The USDA Forest Service will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) to document and disclose the environmental impacts of a proposal to re-issue long term permits for a variety of commercial pack stock related activities to seven existing Resort Special Use Permit holders (commercial service supported by horse) and one existing Outfitter-Guide Special Use Permit Holder. The EIS will also designate a trail system and trail management objective for the Dinkey Lakes Wilderness. The services as proposed would occur on the Sierra National Forest in the Ansel Adams (AA), and John Muir (JM), and the non-wilderness portions of the Sierra National Forest. This EIS tiers to the Record of Decision that will be signed for the Trail and Commercial Pack Stock Management Plan Environmental Impact Statement for all activities and uses proposed in the AA and JM Wildernesses. Current activities provided by pack stations include full service guided trips (guide remains for the entire trip), dunnage trips (transport of material and supplies), spot trips (transport of people and supplies to a location and guide leaving), and day rides.

Notice is hereby given that the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) has made a finding of no significant impact in connection with a request from Basin Electric Power Cooperative (Basin Electric) of Bismarck, North Dakota for assistance from RUS to finance the construction of a natural gas-fired combustion turbine and associated equipment near Groton in Brown County, South Dakota.

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 Indian Creek Watershed Supplemental Watershed Plan and Environmental Assessment Number 1, Pottawattamie County, Iowa.

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 Caney-Coon Creek Watershed Site No. 2, Coal County, Oklahoma.

USDA's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has revised its Food Stamp Program Application for Stores, Form FNS-252 in Fiscal Year (FY) 2004. The form was revised to simplify and streamline information collected from retailers on the application and make it easier to read. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) granted a one year approval of the use of this form. FNS did not begin to use the new form until the fourth quarter of FY 2004 when the new Store Tracking and Redemption Subsystem (STARS II) became operational. We are soliciting public comments on the content, format and design of the revised Form FNS-252. As conditions of clearance for the revised retailer application, OMB is requiring that FNS translate the Form FNS-252 into Spanish and have it in active use within the year. OMB is also requiring FNS to track and report on the completion rates for questions 14c, 15b, 16, and 17b. FNS translated the Form FNS-252, into Spanish and is in the process of working with a contractor to post this information on the FNS website. We expect to have the Spanish version of Form FNS-252 in active use by the end of the fourth quarter of FY 2005. FNS is also in the process of tracking the completion rate of those questions identified by OMB, and referenced above. We will report the results upon resubmission to OMB for approval. Finally, a question asking retailers to provide the number of check-out registers that are in the store was omitted from the revised Form FNS-252 in error. FNS needs this information for program management purposes, and it impacts our ability to accurately provide point-of-sale information to third party processors and State contractors. As a result of this finding, FNS intends to add this question to the revised Form FNS-252.

The USDA intends to reestablish the Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee (Committee). The purpose of the Committee is to examine the full spectrum of issues faced by the fruit and vegetable industry and provide suggestions and ideas to the Secretary of Agriculture on how USDA can tailor its programs to better meet the fruit and vegetable industry's needs. USDA also seeks nominations of individuals to be considered for selection as Committee members.

The Tuolumne County Resource Advisory Committee will meet on August 15, 2005, at the City of Sonora Fire Department, in Sonora, California. The purpose of the meeting is to review carryover funds and allocation amounts, identify projects requiring grant administration costs, and identify projects meeting section 204(f) requirements.