Department of Agriculture March 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Tehama County Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) will meet in Red Bluff, California. Agenda items to be covered include: (1) Introductions, (2) Approval of Minutes, (3) Public Comment, (4) Project Proposals/Possible Action, (5) Chairman's Perspective, (6) General Discussion, (7) Next Agenda.

The Siskiyou County Resource Advisory Committee will meet in Yreka, California, April 17, 2006. The meeting will include routine business and review, discussion, and recommendation of submitted project proposals.

This rule amends the sugar program regulations of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC). The provisions for transferring sugar marketing allocation when a mill closes and growers request to move their allocation are amended. A regulatory deadline, the 20th of each month, for the program's information reporting requirements is added. Also, each cane processor, cane refiner and beet processor will be required to provide an annual report prepared by a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) that verifies the company's data submitted to CCC.

The Forest Service is extending the comment period 30 days beyond the date of March 30, 2006 identified in the Federal Register, Volume 71, No. 39, Tuesday, February 28, 2006, pg. 10004-10006.

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 Black Hills National Forests' Crook County Resource Advisory Committee will meet Monday, April 10th, 2006 in Sundance, Wyoming for a business meeting. The meeting is open to the public.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is seeking comments from all interested individuals and organizations on the extension of a currently approved information collection associated with Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 (AFIDA).

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) proposes to increase the hourly fees charged for voluntary Federal meat grading and certification services performed by the Meat Grading and Certification (MGC) Branch. The hourly fees would be adjusted by this action to reflect the increased cost of providing service and to ensure that the MGC Branch operates on a financially self-supporting basis.

The Forest Service will prepare a supplement to the final Environmental Impact Statement to document and clarify the analysis of environmental effects, primarily in the following resource areas: air quality, rare plants and noxious weeds, economics, fire and fuels, hydrology, recreation, soils, vegetation, and wildlife. Additional maps will be included to provide further information to the public.

The Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) proposes to revise the United States Standards for Soybeans to change the minimum test weight per bushel from a grade determining factor to an informational factor. Even though an informational factor, test weight per bushel will be reported on official certificates unless requested otherwise. GIPSA also proposes to change the reporting requirements for test weight per bushel in soybeans from whole and half pounds with a fraction of a half pound disregarded to reporting to the nearest tenth of a pound. Additionally, GIPSA proposes to clarify the reporting requirements for test weight in canola. These changes would further help to ensure market-relevant standards and grades and to clarify reporting requirements.

The South Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) will meet at the Snoqualmie Ranger District Office in North Bend, WA to review and select Title II projects for FY 2007.

An Opal Creek Scenic Recreation Area Advisory Council meeting will convene in Stayton, Oregon on Thursday, April 27, 2006. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m., and will conclude at approximately 8:30 p.m. The meeting will be held in the South Room of the Stayton Community Center located on 400 West Virginia Street in Stayton, Oregon. The Opal Creek Wilderness and Opal Creek Scenic Recreation Area Act of 1996 (Opal Creek Act) (Pub. L. 104-208) directed the Secretary of Agriculture to establish the Opal Creek Scenic Recreation Area Advisory Council. The Advisory Council is comprised of thirteen members representing state, county and city governments, and representatives of various organizations, which include mining industry, environmental organizations, inholders in Opal Creek Scenic Recreation Area, economic development, Indian tribes, adjacent landowners and recreation interests. The council provides advice to the Secretary of Agriculture on preparation of a comprehensive Opal Creek Management Plan for the SRA, and consults on a periodic and regular basis on the management of the are. Tentative agenda items include new advisory council member introductions, roles and responsibilities, current project updates and future projects. A direct public comment period is tentatively scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. Time allotted for individual presentations will be limited to 3 minutes. Written comments are encouraged, particularly if the material cannot be presented within the time limits of the comments period. Written comments may be submitted prior to the April 27th by sending them to Designated Federal Official Paul Matter at the address given below.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Farm Service Agency's (FSA) is seeking comments from all interested individuals and organizations on the extension with revision of a currently approved information collection associated with Highly Erodible Land Conservation and Wetland Conservation certification requirements. This information is collected in support of the conservation provisions of Title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985, as amended by the Food, Agriculture, Conservation and Trade Act of 1990, the Federal Agriculture, Improvement and Reform Act of 1996, and the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (the Statute).

We are proposing to make several changes to the exotic Newcastle disease domestic quarantine regulations, including adding an option for the movement of pet birds; adding restrictions on the interstate movement of live ratites out of quarantined areas; harmonizing the domestic and foreign regulations regarding the movement of dressed carcasses of dead birds and dead poultry, including one change to the importation regulations; providing for the use of alternative procedures for treating manure and litter and for composting; and adding an additional surveillance period after the conditions for removing quarantine are met before quarantine is removed. We have concluded that these proposed changes are necessary based on our experiences during the eradication programs for the 2002- 2003 outbreaks of exotic Newcastle disease in California, Arizona, Nevada, and Texas. In the event of an exotic Newcastle disease outbreak, these changes would help to ensure that exotic Newcastle disease does not spread from quarantined areas and that exotic Newcastle disease is eradicated within quarantined areas.

This document updates the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) schedule for reviewing its regulations under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA). Included in this schedule all regulations that warrant periodic review irrespective of whether specific regulations meet the threshold requirement for mandatory review established by the RFA.

We are adopting as a final rule, without change, three interim rules regarding emerald ash borer (EAB). The first interim rule established regulations restricting the interstate movement of regulated articles from areas quarantined because of EAB and designated 13 counties in Michigan as quarantined areas. The second and third interim rules amended the regulations by adding areas in Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio to the list of areas quarantined because of EAB. As a result of those actions, the interstate movement of regulated articles from the quarantined areas is restricted. The interim rules were necessary to prevent the artificial spread of EAB from infested areas in the States of Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio into noninfested areas of the United States.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended), the Rural Utilities Service, an agency delivering the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Utilities Programs, invites comments on this information collection for which approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) will be requested.

The Forest intends to supplement the May 2003 ``Cayuga Project'' Final Environmental Impact Statement. The supplement would clarify and add more detail to the cumulative effects analysis regarding certain Regional Forester Sensitive Species that may be affected by the actions considered in the original Environmental Impact Statement.

The United States Standards for Grades of Canned Fruits for Salad, and United States Standards for Grades of Canned Fruit Cocktail are revised to reflect the change in the character classification for Grade ``B'' canned pears made previously in the United States Standards for Grades of Canned Pears.

The Glenn/Colusa County Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) will meet in Willows, California. Agenda items to be covered include: (1) Introductions, (2) Approval of Minutes, (3) Public Comment, (4) Web site Update, (5) Project Proposal/Possible Action, (6) General Discussion (7) Next Agenda.