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

Rural Business-Cooperative Service programs are administered through USDA Rural Development. USDA Rural Development announces the availability of approximately $1.5 million in competitive cooperative agreement funds. USDA Rural Development hereby requests proposals from 1890 Land-Grant Universities and Tuskegee University (1890 Institutions) for competitively awarded cooperative agreements for projects that support USDA Rural Development's goals and objectives of providing technical assistance for business creation in economically challenged rural communities, for educational programs to develop and improve upon the professional skills of rural entrepreneurs, and for outreach and promotion of USDA Rural Development's programs in small rural communities with the greatest economic need. Project proposals must be designed to overcome currently identified economic problems and lead to sustainable economic development. Project proposals that address both traditional and nontraditional business enterprises are encouraged. This initiative seeks to create a working partnership between USDA Rural Development and the 1890 Institutions through cooperative agreements. A cooperative agreement requires substantial involvement of the Government agency in carrying out the objectives of the project. Cooperative agreements will be awarded to the project proposals receiving the highest scores as determined by a peer review panel of USDA employees knowledgeable of the subject matter. Awards will be made to the extent that funds are available. However, USDA Rural Development is making no commitment to fund any particular project proposal or to make a specific number of awards. Eligible applicants must provide matching funds equal to at least 25 percent of the total project costs.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Rural Business-Cooperative Service's intention to request an extension for a currently approved information collection for the University Value-Added Research Grant.

This rule invites comments on a proposed partial exemption to the minimum grade requirements under the marketing order for tomatoes grown in Florida (order). The Florida Tomato Committee (Committee) locally administers the order. Under the order, Florida tomatoes must meet at least a U.S. No. 2 grade before they can be shipped and sold outside the regulated area. This rule would exempt UglyRipeTM (UglyRipe) tomatoes from the shape requirements associated with the U.S. No. 2 grade. This change would increase the volume of UglyRipe tomatoes that would meet the order requirements, and would help increase shipments and availability of these tomatoes.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) finalizes the Common Crop Insurance Regulations; Basic Provisions to conform to the requirements of section 780 of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2006 (2006 Appropriations Act) regarding written agreements and the use of similar agricultural commodities.

We are adopting as a final rule, without change, an interim rule that amended the brucellosis regulations concerning interstate movement of cattle by changing the classification of Idaho from Class Free to Class A. That action was necessary to prevent the interstate spread of brucellosis.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Rural Housing Service's intention to request an extension for a currently approved information collection in support of the program for rural housing loans.

To assure that any changes to manufacturing allowance factors used in Federal order Class III and Class IV product price formulas are appropriate and reflective of manufacturing costs, the Department of Agriculture (Department) will be reconvening the national hearing held January 24-27, 2006, in Alexandria, Virginia. Additional proposals addressing the Federal order Class III and Class IV price formulas are also requested for further consideration in the reconvened hearing.

The Forest Counties Payments Committee has scheduled a business meeting to discuss how it will provide Congress with the information specified in Section 320 of the Fiscal Year 2001 Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. The meeting is open to the public.

We are proposing to amend the fruits and vegetables regulations to allow the importation into the United States of fresh table grapes from Namibia under certain conditions. As a condition of entry, the grapes would have to undergo cold treatment and fumigation with methyl bromide and would have to be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate with an additional declaration stating that the commodity has been inspected and found free of the specified pests. In addition, the grapes would also be subject to inspection at the port of first arrival. This action would allow for the importation of grapes from Namibia into the United States while continuing to provide protection against the introduction of quarantine pests.

The Tuolumne County Resource Advisory Committee will meet on June 19, 2006 at the City of Sonora Fire Department, in Sonora, California. The purpose of the meeting is to hear 17 presentations made by project proponents. The committee will also review requests for grant extensions and/or changing the focus of approved projects.

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) Presentation of Project Proposals, (5) Status of the Mill Creek Project, (6) How to Allocate Final Funding, (7) Chairman's Perspective, (8) General Discussion, (9) Next Agenda.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, this notice announces the Food Safety and Inspection Service's (FSIS) intention to request an extension of a currently approved information collection regarding exportation, transportation, and importation of meat and poultry products.

Pursuant to the authorities in the Federal Advisory Committees Act (Pub. L. 92-463) and under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (Pub. L. 106-393) the Modoc National Forest's Modoc Resource Advisory Committee will meet Monday, August 7, 2006 and August 28, 2006 in Alturas, California for business meetings. The meetings are open to the public.

Pursuant to the authorities in the Federal Advisory Committees Act (Pub. L. 92-463) and under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (Pub. L. 106-393) the Lassen National Forest's Lassen County Resource Advisory Committee will meet Thursday July 13th and Friday July 14th in Susanville, California for a business meeting. The meetings are open to the public.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is issuing this notice to advise the public that meetings of the Advisory Committee on Beginning Farmers and Ranchers (Committee) will be held to discuss various beginning farmer issues.

This rule revises the regulations covering the storage of commodities owned by the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC). For the most part, these commodities are acquired under various mandatory marketing assistance and price support programs that benefit producers. This rule will consolidate the regulations for all commodities stored by CCC into one set of regulations. In addition, this rule will revise, in some instances, the substantive provisions that are in effect under the existing regulations.

The Ravalli County Resource Advisory Committee will be meeting to have presentations of 2006 projects and hold a short public forum (question and answer session). The meeting is being held 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 meeting is open to the public.

The Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests Resource Advisory Committee will meet in Redmond, Oregon. The purpose of the meeting is to review proposed projects and make recommendations under Title II of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000.

This rule would increase the assessment rate established for the Cherry Industry Administrative Board (Board) for the 2006-2007 fiscal year and subsequent fiscal years from $0.0021 to $0.0066 per pound to fund the Board's administrative expenses and its new research and promotion program. Authorization to assess tart cherry handlers enables the Board to incur expenses that are reasonable and necessary to administer the program. The Board locally administers the marketing order which regulates the handling of tart cherries grown in the States of Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin. The fiscal year begins July 1, 2006 and ends June 30, 2007. The assessment rate will remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.

USDA amends the delegations of authority from the Secretary of Agriculture to the Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services and to the Administrator, Farm Service Agency, for technical assistance determinations for the Conservation Reserve Program.

This provides notice of the Federal Subsistence Board's in- season management actions to protect Chinook and sockeye salmon escapement in the Copper River, while still providing for a subsistence harvest opportunity, and to protect steelhead in Cable Creek and its tributaries. The revised fishing schedule for the Chitina Subdistrict of the Copper River and the closure of the Cable Creek area provide an exception to the Subsistence Management Regulations for Public Lands in Alaska, published in the Federal Register on March 29, 2006. Those regulations established seasons, harvest limits, methods, and means relating to the taking of fish and shellfish for subsistence uses during the 2006 regulatory year.

We are amending the noxious weed and imported seed regulations by adding South African ragwort (Senecio inaequidens DC.) and Madagascar ragwort (Senecio madagascariensis Poir.) to the list of terrestrial noxious weeds and to the list of seeds with no tolerances applicable to their introduction. This action is necessary to prevent the artificial spread of these noxious weeds into the United States.