Department of Agriculture November 9, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. App., the Agricultural Research Service is requesting nominations for qualified persons to serve as members of the Secretary's Advisory Committee on Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture (AC21). The charge for the AC21 is two-fold: to examine the long-term impacts of biotechnology on the U.S. food and agriculture system and USDA; and to provide guidance to USDA on pressing individual issues, identified by the Office of the Secretary, related to the application of biotechnology in agriculture.

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 associated with the Agency's Animal Care program. The activity involves surveying customers to determine the effectiveness of Animal Care's educational and outreach efforts.

This document corrects a change made by a final rule published October 31, 2006 amending the regulations for the 2005 Dairy Disaster Assistance Payment Program (DDAP-II). A correction is needed because the final rule of October 31 incorrectly numbered the sections of the new subpart E that was added to 7 CFR part 1430.

The National Forests in North Carolina will begin charging a $3.00 special recreation permit trail fee per day per mountain bike rider and $20.00 per mountain bike rider for a season pass for use of the Woodrun mountain bike trail system. This trail system consists of 24 miles of trails managed primarily for use by mountain bikers. The trail system is managed to protect environmental and cultural resource sites and will facilitate continued mountain bike use within the National Forests in North Carolina on the Uwharrie Ranger District. Fee revenue will support operations and maintenance of the trail system and trailhead and future site improvements.

This proposed rule reflects amendments made by section 102 of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 to the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act regarding substitutes for fluid milk in the National School Lunch Program. This rule would implement a legislative provision on milk substitutes that follows current regulations on menu exceptions for students with disabilities and would add new requirements for substitutions for fluid milk for children with medical or other special dietary needs. Specifically, this proposed rule would establish nutritional standards for nondairy beverage alternatives to fluid milk, as well as requirements for substitutions for fluid milk for non-disabled students with medical or special dietary needs. It would allow the parent or legal guardian of a child with medical or special dietary needs to request a fluid milk substitute. In addition, it would allow schools to select acceptable fluid milk substitutes that meet the nutritional standards established in this proposed rule, and would continue to make school food authorities responsible for substitution expenses that exceed the Federal reimbursement. This rule, as proposed, would ensure consistency among milk substitutes offered in the school lunch and breakfast programs, and would make certain that students who consume nondairy beverage alternates receive important nutrients found in fluid milk.