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

GIPSA requests comments on the applicants for designation to provide official services in unassigned counties in Texas.

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 Department of Agriculture (USDA) is adopting, as a final rule, without change, an interim final rule which increased the assessment rate established for the Citrus Administrative Committee (Committee) for the 2005-06 and subsequent fiscal periods from $0.006 to $0.008 per \4/5\ bushel carton of oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, and tangelos handled. The Committee locally administers the marketing order which regulates the handling of oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, and tangelos grown in Florida. Assessments upon Florida citrus handlers are used by the Committee to fund reasonable and necessary expenses of the program. The fiscal period began August 1 and ends July 31. The assessment rate will remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.

The Lake County Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) will hold a meeting.

This notice is intended to provide background information about, and solicit public comments on, the use of bilateral workplans by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's Plant Protection and Quarantine program. Bilateral workplans are agreements between Plant Protection and Quarantine, officials of the national plant protection organizations of foreign governments, and, when necessary, foreign commercial entities that specify in detail the phytosanitary measures that will comply with our regulations governing the import or export of a specific commodity.

The Shasta County Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) will meet at the USDA Service Center in Redding, California, May 30 and 31, 2006. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss proposed projects under Title II of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000.

The USDA Forest Service Plumas National Forest will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to eradicate populations of the noxious weed tall whitetop (Lepidium latifolium), along the Middle Fork of the Feather River approximately one-mile southwest of the town of Beckwourth.

This interim final rule adjusts the number of members on the Hass Avocado Board (Board) to reflect changes in the production of domestic Hass avocados in the United States and the volume of Hass avocados imported into the U.S. over the 2003, 2004, and 2005 calendar years, which are three years after assessments commenced. These adjustments are required by the Hass Avocado Promotion, Research, and Information Order (Order). The result of the adjustment is one additional importer member and alternate and one less domestic producer member and alternate of Hass avocados that are subject to assessments. As a result of these changes, the Board membership would be composed of seven domestic producer members and alternates and five importer members and alternates. Currently, the Board is composed of eight domestic producer members and alternates, and four importer members and alternates. These changes to the Board are effective for the Secretary of Agriculture's 2006 appointments.

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 May 18 at 7 p.m. in Thompson Falls, Montana for a business meeting. The meeting is open to the public.

We are extending the comment period for our scientific evaluation titled, ``Evaluation of asymptomatic citrus fruit (Citrus spp.) as a pathway for the introduction of citrus canker disease (Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri).'' This action will allow interested persons additional time to prepare and submit comments.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is publishing this document to inform establishments that prepare meat and poultry products of the need to ensure that they maintain proper control over the use of ingredients, especially those that present a potential public health concern, and over the ingredient labeling of their products. Establishments should ensure that their systems provide such control as part of their next reassessment of their HACCP systems. FSIS invites comments on the matters presented in this document.

Change in Location of May MeetingThe Hood/Willamette Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) will meet on Friday, May 26, 2006. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m., and will conclude at approximately 4 p.m. The meeting will be held at Oregon Department of Forestry Veneta Office; 87950 Territorial Road, Veneta, Oregon; (541) 935-2283. The tentative agenda includes: (1) Election of chairperson; (2) Report on National Forest Counties and Schools Coalition Conference; (3) Tour of the Lane County Work Camp; (4) Decision on overhead rate for 2007 projects; (5) Presentation of 2007 Projects; and (6) Public Forum. The Public Forum is tentatively scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. Time allotted for individual presentations will be limited to 3-4 minutes. Written comments are encouraged, particularly if the material cannot be presented within the time limits for the Public Forum. Written comments may be submitted prior to the May 26th meeting by sending them to Designated Federal Official Donna Short at the address given below.

This Notice announces the availability of the draft Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) for the Emergency Forestry Conservation Reserve Program (EFCRP) of the Commodity Credit Corporation. EFCRP will provide assistance for owners of forest land and timber related to losses from hurricanes during the 2005 calendar year. The draft PEA assesses the environmental impacts of this program and provides a means for the public to voice concerns about and ideas for improving the program. This Notice informs the public of the availability of the draft PEA and solicits public comment.

Pursuant to the authorities in the Federal Advisory Committees Act (Pub. L. 93-463), the Northeast Oregon Forests Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) will meet on June 1-2, 2006 in John Day, Oregon. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the selection of Title II projects under Public Law 106-393, H.4. 2389, the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000, also called the ``Payment to States'' Act.

This notice lists the newspapers that will be used by all Ranger Districts, Grasslands, Forests, and the Regional Office of the Southwestern Region to give legal notice for the availability for comments on projects under 36 CFR part 215, notice of decisions that may be subject to administrative appeal under 36 CFR part 215 or part 217, and for the opportunities to object to proposed authorized hazardous fuel reduction projects under 36 CFR 218.4. Newspaper publication of notices of opportunities to comment, to appeal decisions, or to file objections, is in addition to mailings and direct notice made to those who have participated in the project planning by submitting comments and/or requesting notice.

We are advising the public that an analysis of the prevalence of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in the United States has been prepared by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. We are making the analysis of BSE prevalence in this country available to the public.

Due to technical errors, the following notice supersedes the original Request for Applications, published on April 18, 2006 for Commodity Partnerships for Small Agricultural Risk Management Education Sessions Program at 71 FR 19858-19864. Overview: The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC), operating through the Risk Management Agency (RMA), announces the availability of approximately $500,000 for Commodity Partnerships for Small Agricultural Risk Management Education Sessions (the Commodity Partnerships Small Sessions Program). The purpose of this cooperative partnership agreement program is to deliver training and information in the management of production, marketing, and financial risk to U.S. agricultural producers. The program gives priority to educating producers of crops currently not insured under Federal crop insurance, specialty crops, and underserved commodities, including livestock and forage. A maximum of 50 cooperative partnership agreements will be funded, with no more than five in each of the ten designated RMA Regions. The maximum award for any cooperative partnership agreement will be $10,000. Recipients of awards must demonstrate non-financial benefits from a cooperative partnership agreement and must agree to the substantial involvement of RMA in the project. Funding availability for this program may be announced at approximately the same time as funding availability for similar but separate programsCFDA No. 10.455 (Community Outreach and Assistance Partnerships), CFDA No. 10.456 (Risk Management Research Partnerships), CFDA No. 10.457 (Commodity Partnerships for Risk Management Education), and CFDA No. 10.458 (Crop Insurance Education in Targeted States). Prospective applicants should carefully examine and compare the notices for each program. This Announcement Consists of Eight Parts:

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 Wednesday May 10, 2006 at 6 p.m. at the Forest Supervisor's Office in Libby, Montana for a business meeting. The meeting is open to the public.