Department of Agriculture 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) amends the General Administrative Regulations to include provisions regarding the requests by approved insurance providers to implement the premium reduction plan authorized under section 508(e)(3) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (Act) and the approval of the amount of a premium discount to be provided to farmers under the premium reduction plan.

The Colville Resource Advisory Committee will meet on Wednesday, July 27, 2005, at the Spokane Community College, Colville Campus, 985 South Elm Street, Colville, Washington 99114. The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. and conclude at 4 p.m. Agenda items include: (1) welcome, (2) review and approve meeting notes from June 30, 2005, meeting, (3) Fiscal Year 2006 Title II projects review and recommendation to the forest designated Federal official for Pend Oreille County applications; and (4) Public Forum.

This Notice announces the annual adjustments to the ``national average payments,'' the amount of money the Federal Government provides States for lunches, afterschool snacks and breakfasts served to children participating in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs; to the ``maximum reimbursement rates,'' the maximum per lunch rate from Federal funds that a State can provide a school food authority for lunches served to children participating in the National School Lunch Program; and to the rate of reimbursement for a half[pi]pint of milk served to nonneedy children in a school or institution which participates in the Special Milk Program for Children. The payments and rates are prescribed on an annual basis each July. The annual payments and rates adjustments for the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs reflect changes in the Food Away From Home series of the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers. The annual rate adjustment for the Special Milk Program reflects changes in the Producer Price Index for Fluid Milk Products. These payments and rates are in effect from July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2006.

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 Lolo and Kootenai National Forests' Sanders County Resource Advisory Committee will meet on July 21 at 6:30 p.m. in Thompson Falls, Montana for a business meeting. The meeting is open to the public.

The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS) is establishing a program for making grants, loan guarantees, and direct loans to farmers and ranchers (agricultural producers) or rural small businesses to purchase renewable energy systems and make energy efficiency improvements. The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (2002 Act) established the Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvements Program under Title IX, Section 9006. This program will help farmers, ranchers, and rural small businesses to reduce energy costs and consumption.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) proposes to increase Plant Variety Protection (PVP) Office application, search, and certificate issuance fees by 20 percent. The last general fee increase in February 2003 is no longer adequate to cover current program obligations for administrative and information technology needs. The PVP Act of 1970 requires that reasonable fees be collected from applicants seeking certificates of protection in order to maintain the program. Also, a technical amendment would allow applicants to send voucher seed samples directly to the public repository.

Pursuant to the authorities in the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Public Law 92-463) and under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-393) the Kootenai National Forest's Lincoln County Resource Advisory Committee will meet on Wednesday August 3, 2005, at 6 p.m. at the Turner Mountain Ski Lodge 22 miles from Libby, Montana for a business meeting. The meeting is open to the public.

We are correcting errors in the amendatory instructions in our final rule that removed the Plant Protection and Quarantine Treatment Manual from the list of materials incorporated by reference and added treatment schedules and related requirements from that document to our phytosanitary treatments regulations. The final rule was effective and published in the Federal Register on June 7, 2005 (70 FR 33263-33326, Docket No. 02-019-1).

The Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Kootenai National Forest, in conjunction with Montana Department of Environmental Quality, will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) to document the analysis and disclose the environmental impacts of the proposed action to permit the construction, operation and reclamation of the Montanore silver/copper mine project and associated power transmission line. The project is located on public and private islands approximately 18 miles south of Libby, Montana. Mines Management, Inc. submitted a proposed Plan of Operations and an application for a Hard Rock Operating Permit on January 3, 2005, pursuant to Forest Service locatable mineral regulations 36 CFR part 228, subpart A, and the State of Montana Metal Mine Reclamation Act MCA 82-4-301 et. seq. A single EIS evaluating all components of the proposed project will be prepared.

This rule terminates language in Table 3, ``Maximum Defect and Minimum Size Levels,'' of the marketing order regulating pistachios produced in the State of California. This language was erroneously included in Table 3 at the time of promulgation of the order. Removal of the language in the table was unanimously recommended by the Administrative Committee for Pistachios, the committee responsible for local administration of the order.

This Notice announces the availability of funds to be applied to accounts of Alaska dairy farmers. As provided by the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror, and Tsunami Relief, 2005 (2005 Emergency Supplemental Act) (Pub. L. 109-13) $1 million made available by section 786 of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies Appropriations (2005 Appropriations Act)(Pub. L. 108-447) may be applied to accounts of Alaska dairy farmers owed to the Secretary.

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 Big Cedar Creek Watershed Floyd and Polk County, Georgia.

This notice announces that the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) plans to review Marketing Order 929 for cranberries grown in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, Washington, and Long Island in the State of New York, under the criteria contained in section 610 of the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA).

The Mendocino County Resource Advisory Committee will meet July 15, 2005, (RAC) in Colvelo, California. Agenda items to be covered include: (1) Approval of minutes, (2) public comment, (3) sub- committees (4) discussionitems of interest (5) next agenda and meeting date.

The purpose of this notice is to allow 60 days for public comment in the Federal Register preceding submission to OMB. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the intention of the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) to request approval for information collection necessary to allow USDA customers to securely and confidently share data and receive services electronically. Authority for obtaining information from customers is included in the Freedom to E-File Act, the Government Paperwork Elimination Act (GPEA), the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (E-SIGN), and the E-Government Act of 2002. Customer information is collected through the USDA eAuthentication Service, located at https://www.eauth.egov.usda.gov. USDA's eAuthentication Service plays a vital role in the Expanded Electronic Government (e-Government) initiative of the President's Management Agenda. The USDA eAuthentication Service provides the public and government businesses with a single sign-on capability for USDA applications, management of user credentials, and verification of identity, authorization, and electronic signatures. USDA's eAuthentication Service obtains customer information through an electronic self-registration process provided through the eAuthentication Web site. This voluntary online self-registration process enables USDA customers, as well as employees, to obtain accounts as authorized users that will provide single sign-on capability to access USDA Web applications and services via the Internet. The USDA eAuthentication system stems from the Web-based Centralized Authentication and Authorization Facility (WebCAAF), the former USDA authentication system.

On March 1, 2005, the Forest Service published a Notice of Intent to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Bugtown Gulch Mountain Pine Beetle and Fuels Project. This is an authorized project under Section 102(a)(4) of the Healthy Forest Restoration Act of 2003. The Forest Service is modifying the proposed action and decision to be made, name and address of the Responsible Official, the expected dates for filing the draft and final EIS, the significant issues to be addressed and has developed an alternative to the proposed action. The proposed action is modified to include 3 site specific, non-significant Forest Plan amendments and the decision to be made will include whether or not to approve those amendments. The original NOI stated that a non-significant Forest Plan amendment related to big game habitat capability values as modeled by the HABCAP model may be part of the decision. Further analysis determined that amendments for big game HABCAP values would be necessary in both management areas 5.1 and 5.4. In addition, a third amendment to allow a short term reduction in mature, dense habitat within goshawk post fledging area habitat is included as part of the proposed action. The responsible official was listed as the Hell Canyon District Ranger in the March 1, 2005 NOI. Due to the inclusion of Forest Plan amendments to the proposal, the responsible official will be the Forest Supervisor. The draft and final EISs are expected to be filed in August, 2005 and December, 2005, respectively. The original NOI listed several preliminary issues. Further analysis determined that there are 3 significant issues to be addressed with this project and they are: (1) The mountain pine beetle epidemic, (2) fuels and fire risks, and (3) wildlife habitat. One alternative to the proposed action has been developed to address public input concerning post-treatment diversity on the project area landscape. This alternative differs from the proposal by deferring approximately 1,300 acres from all proposed treatments. This alternative does not include a Forest Plan amendment to lower the big game HABCAP values in management area 5.1 as discussed above for the proposed action. However, it does include Forest Plan amendments to lower big game HABCAP values in management area 5.4 and to allow for a short term reduction of dense, mature stands in goshawk post-fledging area habitat as in the proposed action.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. II, the United States Department of Agriculture announces a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture (AC21).

The Tuolumne County Resource Advisory Committee will meet on July 18, 2005, at the City of Sonora Fire Department, in Sonora, California. The purpose of the meeting is to review 15 project submittals based on presentation made by project proponents.

The Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) is proposing to revise the regulations under the United States Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (AMA), as amended, to allow interested persons to specify the quality factor(s) that would be redetermined during an appeal inspection or a Board appeal inspection for grade. Currently, both appeal and Board appeal inspections for grade must include a redetermination (i.e., a complete review or examination) of all official factors that may determine the grade, as reported on the original certificate, or as required to be shown. Requiring that all quality factors be completely reexamined during an appeal or Board appeal inspection for grade is not efficient, is time consuming, and can be costly. Further, a detailed review of the preceding inspection service is not always needed to confirm the quality of the commodity. This proposed action would allow interested parties to specify which quality factor(s) should be redetermined during the appeal or Board appeal inspection service.

The Shasta-Trinity National Forest proposes to authorize a 30- year term permit to Seven Resorts, Inc. to build and operate a resort marina at Turntable Bay located in section 22 & 27, T34N, R4W, MDBM on Shasta Lake. In conjunction with this authorization, Seven Resorts, Inc. (Project Proponent) will relinquish the existing permit for the operation of Digger Bay Marina located in section 12 and 13, T33N, R5W, MDBM on Shasta Lake. The proposed Turntable Bay Marina and associated land-based development will be designed for water-based recreational use on a year-around basis. Proposed water-based facilities include a retail store, public moorage facilities, boat rentals, and service docks (fuel, septic waste, and refuse collection). Proposed land-based improvements include off-ramp lighting, paved access road, paved parking, launch ramp, public restrooms, water supply, sanitary waste disposal system, and power and communications utilities. In addition, a non-significant amendment to the Shasta-Trinity National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan to amend management prescription IV, ``Roaded, High Density Recreation,'' to include the proposed site of the Turntable Bay Marina is proposed. The proposal is within the Shasta Unit of the Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area.

The USDA Forest Service, Craig Ranger District will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to consider a proposal to harvest timber from Suemez Island, located on the Craig Ranger District, Tongass National Forest in southeastern Alaska. The proposed action would harvest up to 40 MMBF of timber from approximately 5,000 acres. Approximately 16.5 miles of road construction is planned. About 3.5 miles of this road would be temporary construction.

The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS) amends its regulations for the Intermediary Relending Program (IRP), 7 CFR 4274, subpart D. This action is needed to correct several problems that RBS has observed in the program operation. The intended effect of this action is to provide clarification and guidance and to allow the program to operate more efficiently and effectively.