Department of Agriculture May 26, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Notice is hereby given that the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, intends to grant to Britannia Mills Ltd, New York, NY, an exclusive license to U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 10/730,208, ``Methods of Improving Shrink- Resistance of Natural Fibers, Synthetic Fibers, or Mixtures Thereof, or Fabric or Yarn Composed of Natural Fibers, Synthetic Fibers, or Mixtures Thereof'', filed on December 8, 2003.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's intention to request an extension of approval of an information collection associated with plant pest, noxious weed, and garbage regulations.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's intention to initiate a new information collection activity to support the National Animal Health Monitoring System's national Swine 2006 Study.

The Forest Service is proposing to establish a new directive to Forest Service Manual (FSM) 2070 for native plant materials, which will provide direction for the use, growth, development, and storage of native plant materials. Public comment is invited and will be considered in development of the final directive. A copy of the proposed directive is available at https://www.fs.fed.us/rangelands/ whoweare/documents/FSM2070Final2062905.pdf.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), this notice announces the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) intention to request an extension for and revision to a currently approved information collection for pistachios grown in California, Marketing Order No. 983.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), prior to undertaking research and other work associated with revising official grade standards, is soliciting comments on the possible revisions of the United States Standards for Grades of Mushrooms. At a meeting with the Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee, AMS was asked to review the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable grade standards for usefulness in serving the industry. As a result, AMS has identified the United States Standards for Grades of Mushrooms for possible revision. AMS is considering proposed revisions that would allow the standards to be used for open veil types of mushrooms, include small, medium, and large size classifications for open veil types of mushrooms; revise the current size classifications (small to medium and large) as well as an addition of a button and jumbo size for the closed veil types of mushrooms; and eliminate the unclassified category. AMS is seeking comments regarding these changes as well as any other revisions that may be necessary to better serve the industry.

This interim final rule amends the regulations for the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) to implement provisions of the Department of Defense, Emergency Supplemental Appropriation to Address Hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico, and Pandemic Influenza Act, 2006 (Pub. L. 109-149) (2006 Act) providing assistance to nursery, oyster, and poultry producers and non-industrial private forest landowners to rehabilitate public or private oyster reefs or farmland damaged by hurricanes during calendar year 2005.

This notice sets forth the establishment and adjustments to the sugar overall allotment quantity (OAQ) for the 2005-crop year (FY 2006) which runs from October 1, 2005 through September 30, 2006. Although CCC already announced all of the information in this notice, CCC is statutorily required to publish in the Federal Register determinations establishing or adjusting sugar marketing allotments. CCC set the 2005-crop OAQ to 8.600 million short tons raw value (STRV) on August 12, 2005. On August 19, 2005, CCC allocated the cane sector allotment to cane-producing States and cane processors and reassigned an expected cane supply shortfall of 120,000 STRV to imports. On September 29, 2005, CCC increased the OAQ to 8.825 million STRV and reassigned another 276,000 STRV of expected cane shortfall to imports. The next day, CCC announced the FY 2006 beet company allocations. On December 2, 2006, CCC reassigned another 450,000 STRV of an updated cane supply shortfall to imports. On February 2, 2006, CCC increased the OAQ to 9.350 million STRV and reassigned 500,000 STRV of the anticipated domestic supply deficit to imports. The revised FY 2006 cane state allotments and cane and beet sugar processor allocations were announced on March 22, 2006.