Department of Agriculture February 21, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) is revising the United States Standards for Grades of Watermelons. Specifically, AMS is revising the standard to include a definition for seedless watermelons and a variance to the size requirements. This action is being taken based on a request by the National Watermelon Association (NWA). This change will bring the standards for watermelons in line with current marketing practices, thereby, improving the usefulness of the standards in serving the industry.

Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969; the Council on Environmental Quality Guidelines (40 CFR part 1500); and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (formerly the Soil Conservation Service) Guidelines (7 CFR part 650); the Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Robert Jones, State Conservationist, finds that neither the proposed action nor any of the alternatives is a major federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment, and determine that an environmental impact statement is not needed for the Harding Lake, Aquatic Habitat Enhancement Project.

The Department is adopting final regulations for recovering costs associated with processing applications for special use authorizations to use and occupy National Forest System lands and monitoring compliance with these special use authorizations. This final rule provides the agency with the regulatory authority to implement provisions in several statutes that authorize the Forest Service to collect fees to recover administrative costs associated with managing special uses on National Forest System lands. The provisions of this rule apply to applications and authorizations for use of National Forest System lands, including situations in which the land use fee may be waived or exempted, such as facilities financed or eligible to be financed with a loan pursuant to the Rural Electrification Act of 1936, as set forth in Public Law 98-300, and applications and authorizations involving Federal, State, and local governmental entities. The provisions of this rule do not apply to applications and authorizations for noncommercial group uses; applications and authorizations for recreation special uses, identified in Forest Service Handbook 2709.11, Chapter 50, by use codes 111 through 165, requiring 50 hours or less to process or monitor; and other uses specifically exempted by law or regulation. The rates established in this rule are the same as those adopted by BLM in its final right-of-way rule published in the Federal Register (70 FR 20969, Apr. 22, 2005).