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

The Hood/Willamette Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) will meet on Friday, September 29, 2006. The meeting and field trip is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. and will conclude at approximately 4:30 p.m. The meeting will be held at the Detroit Ranger Station; 14425 North Santiam Highway SE. (Hwy 22), Detroit, Oregon; (503) 854-3366. The tentative agenda includes: (1) Finalizing Recommendations on 2007 Projects; (2) Public Forum; and (3) Field Trip to Title II Projects. The Public Forum is tentatively scheduled to begin at 9:15 a.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 September 29th meeting by sending them to Designated Federal Official Donna Short at the address given below.

We are amending the Mediterranean fruit fly regulations by removing portions of Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Santa Clara Counties, CA, from the list of quarantined areas and by removing restrictions on the interstate movement of regulated articles from those areas. This action is necessary to relieve restrictions that are no longer needed to prevent the spread of Mediterranean fruit fly into noninfested areas of the United States. We have determined that the Mediterranean fruit fly has been eradicated from these portions of Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Santa Clara Counties, CA, and that the quarantine and restrictions are no longer necessary. These portions of Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Santa Clara Counties, CA, were the last remaining areas in California quarantined for Mediterranean fruit fly. Therefore, as a result of this action, there are no longer any areas in the continental United States quarantined for the Mediterranean fruit fly.

The Trinity County Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) will meet at the Trinity County Office of Education in Weaverville California, September 25, 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.

This document is the tentative partial decision proposing to adopt on an interim final and emergency basis amendments to the transportation credit balancing fund provisions of the Appalachian and Southeast milk marketing orders. Specifically, this document would establish a variable mileage rate factor using a fuel cost adjustor to determine the transportation credit payments of both orders, increase the maximum transportation credit assessment rate for both orders and establish a zero diversion limit standard on all milk receiving transportation credits in both orders. Other proposals concerning producer milk provisions and establishing transportation credit provisions on intra-market order movements of milk within the Appalachian and Southeast marketing areas will be addressed in a separate decision to be issued soon. This decision requires determining if producers approve the issuance of the amended orders on an interim basis.

This document is the final decision proposing to adopt amendments to the Mideast order intended to deter the de-pooling of milk. This final decision is subject to producer approval by referendum.

We are amending the gypsy moth regulations by adding Delaware and Franklin Counties in Ohio and Monroe County in West Virginia to the list of generally infested areas based on the detection of infestations of gypsy moth in those counties. As a result of this action, the interstate movement of regulated articles from those areas will be restricted. This action is necessary to prevent the artificial spread of the gypsy moth to noninfested States.

The Mendocino County Resource Advisory Committee will meet September 15, 2006 (RAC) in Willits, California. Agenda items to be covered include: (1) Approval of minutes; (2) Handout Discussions, (3) Public Comment, (4) Financial Report, (5) Sub-committees, (6) Matters before the group, (7) DiscussionApproval of projects, (8) Next agenda and meeting date.

Pursuant to the authorities in the Federal Advisory Committees Act (Pub. L. 92-463), the Northeast Oregon Forests Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) will meet via teleconference on September 27, 2006. The purpose of the meeting is to meet as a Committee to review proposed projects for fiscal year 2007.

This final rule would amend the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (National List) regulations to reflect recommendations submitted to the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary) by the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) from November 15, 2000, through March 3, 2005. Consistent with the recommendations from the NOSB, this final rule adds thirteen substances, along with any restrictive annotations, to the National List. This final rule also amends the mailing address for where to file a Certification or Accreditation appeal.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the intention of the above-named Agencies to request an extension for a currently approved information collection in support of debt settlement of Community Facilities and Direct Business Program Loans and Grants.

The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) is soliciting comments and views on whether to revise the regulations at 7 CFR part 1435 for the purpose of regulating the marketing of sugar derived from imported beet thick juice.

We are adopting as a final rule, without change, an interim rule that amended the regulations by adding a portion of Middlesex and Union Counties, NJ, to the list of quarantined areas and restricting the interstate movement of regulated articles from those areas. The interim rule also removed the areas within Hudson County, NJ, from the list of quarantined areas and removed restrictions on the interstate movement of regulated articles from those areas. These actions were necessary, respectively, to prevent the artificial spread of the Asian longhorned beetle to noninfested areas of the United States and to remove quarantine restrictions that were no longer necessary.

This notice announces that the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) will hold public meetings of the full Committee and subcommittees on September 18-22, 2006. The Committee will discuss: (1) Determination of Cooking Parameters for Safe Seafood for Consumers, and (2) Assessment of the Food Safety Importance of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis.

The designations of the official agencies listed below will end in March 2007. Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) is asking persons interested in providing official services in the areas served by these agencies to submit an application for designation. GIPSA is also asking for comments on the quality of services provided by these currently designated agencies: Champaign-Danville Grain Inspection Departments, Inc. (Champaign); Detroit Grain Inspection Service, Inc. (Detroit); Eastern Iowa Grain Inspection and Weighing Service, Inc. (Eastern Iowa); Enid Grain Inspection Company, Inc. (Enid); Keokuk Grain Inspection Service (Keokuk); Michigan Grain Inspection Services, Inc. (Michigan); Midsouth Grain Inspection Service (Midsouth); and Omaha Grain Inspection Service, Inc. (Omaha).

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is adopting, as a final rule, without change, an interim final rule revising the quantity of Class 3 (Native) spearmint oil that handlers may purchase from, or handle for, producers during the 2006-2007 marketing year. This rule continues in effect the action that increased the Native spearmint oil salable quantity from 1,007,886 pounds to 1,161,260 pounds, and the allotment percentage from 46 percent to 53 percent. The marketing order regulates the handling of spearmint oil produced in the Far West and is administered locally by the Spearmint Oil Administrative Committee (Committee). The Committee recommended this rule for the purpose of avoiding extreme fluctuations in supplies and prices to help maintain stability in the Far West spearmint oil market.

The Plumas County Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) will hold a meeting on September 29, 2006, in Quincy, CA. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss residual funding and recommend how it might be distributed. The funding is available under the Title II Provisions of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000. Several Cycle 6 projects not yet approved will be included in the discussion and could potentially be recommended to the Plumas (PNF) or Lassen (LNF) National Forest Supervisor for funding. Cost overruns for other projects will also be considered among other alternatives.

The USDA Forest Service, State and Private Forestry, Technology Marketing Unit, located at the Forest Products Laboratory, requests proposals for forest product projects that increase the use of woody biomass from national forest system lands. The woody biomass utilization grant program is intended to help improve forest restoration activities by using and creating markets for small-diameter material and low-valued trees removed from forest restoration activities, such as reducing hazardous fuels, handling insect and diseased conditions, or treating forestlands impacted by catastrophic weather events. These funds are targeted to help communities, entrepreneurs, and others turn residues from forest restoration activities into marketable forest products and/or energy products.

The Lake Tahoe Basin Federal Advisory Committee will hold a meeting on October 3, 2006 at the U.S. Forest Service Office, 35 College Drive, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150. This Committee, established by the Secretary of Agriculture on December 15, 1998 (64 FR 2876), is chartered to provide advice to the Secretary on implementing the terms of the Federal Interagency Partnership on the Lake Tahoe Region and other matters raised by the Secretary.

This 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 imported Hass avocados 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 results 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 will 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.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is seeking comments from all interested individuals and entities on the extension and revision of a currently approved information collection that supports the Certified Mediation Program. The collection of information by mail, phone, fax, in person, and by the internet utilized by FSA to initially determine whether the State meets the eligibility criteria to be a recipient of grant funds, and to determine if the grant is being properly administered. Lack of adequate information to make these determinations could result in the improper administration and appropriation of Federal grant funds.

This notice announces that the fee to be charged for the 2007 tariff-rate quota (TRQ) year for each license issued to a person or firm by the Department of Agriculture authorizing the importation of certain dairy articles which are subject to tariff-rate quotas set forth in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS) will be $150.00 per license.