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

The Forest Service will prepare a supplemental environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Fishtrap project. The original Fishtrap Record of Decision, signed on November 22, 2005, was litigated in May 2006. The primary issue of the lawsuit was related to treatments intended to maintain and/or enhance old growth stands. As a result of a Court-ordered settlement agreement with Plaintiffs, the Lolo National Forest Supervisor agreed to: (a) Withdraw the project decision; (b) monitor past maintenance/restorative treatments within old growth stands and evaluate the effects of these activities; and (c) prepare a supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS), incorporating this new information, before proceeding with the project. Over the last several months, Lolo National Forest personnel have been monitoring the effects of past maintenance/restorative treatments in old growth stands and are currently evaluating the information they collected. The Fishtrap SEIS will incorporate the results of this monitoring work. The project proposes to implement timber harvest, pre-commercial thinning, prescribed burning, herbicide treatment of noxious weeds, temporary road construction, road improvement work, and road decommissioning in the Fishtrap Creek drainage, Lolo National Forest, Plains/Thompson Falls Ranger District, Sanders County, Montana.

The Willamette National Forest is planning to charge fees at six recreation sites. All sites have recently been reconstructed or amenities are being added to improve services and experiences. Fees are assessed based on the level of amenities and services provided, cost of operation and maintenance, market assessment, and public comment. The fees listed are only proposed and will be determined upon further analysis and public comment. Funds from fees would be used for the continued operation and maintenance of these recreation sites. Gold Butte and Timber Butte Lookouts will be available for overnight rental. A financial analysis is being completed to determine the rental fee but may range between $40 and $80 per night. Lookout rentals offer a unique experience and are a widely popular offering on National Forests. Gold Butte was recently resorted to maintain the lookout's eligibility to the National Register of Historic Places. Fees would continue to help protect and maintain lookouts and their historic integrity. The fee structure at Harralson Horse Camp would change from the required Recreation Pass to a $10 per campsite for overnight use. A fee of $5 per additional vehicle would be required per campsite. Recreation passes such as the Northwest Forest Pass would continue to cover day use fees at the trailhead. Additional amenities are proposed for the facility and may include hitching rails, additional corrals and campsites, and a water system. Improvements allow visitors with horses to safely secure their stock while protecting area resources from degradation. Elk Lake Campground is currently a fee free site. Improvements are being made including designating up to 17 campsites, installing fire rings, picnic tables and adding garbage service. Three new toilets were installed last year. Improvements will address sanitation and safety concerns, and improve deteriorating resource conditions and recreation experiences. A financial analysis is being completed to determine fee rates. The proposed fee to help maintain this site would range between $6 and $8 a campsite, $12-$16 for a double site, and $5 per one additional vehicle per campsite. Whitewater Trailhead would be re-established as a fee site since amenities such as toilets and garbage service have been added, and interpretive signing is being developed for this site. Recreation Passes such as the Northwest Forest Pass would cover day use fees for this trailhead. Northwest Forest Passes are $5 for a daily pass and $30 for an annual pass. The Forest Service proposes to continue charging a $5 per vehicle fee at Upper Arm Day Use Site from October through March. This newly constructed picnic site and formal swimming area opened in June of 2006, and is operated by Santiam Recreation under a concessionaire special use permit from April through September. The concessionaire currently charges a $5 per vehicle fee during the operating season of their permit.

This proposed rule would amend the regulations governing the selection and functions of Farm Service Agency (FSA) State and county committees in accordance with the Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act, as amended (the Act).

This notice informs the public that the Southcentral Alaska Federal Subsistence Regional Advisory Council will hold a public meeting on December 8, 2006, at 3601 C Street, Suite 1030, Anchorage, Alaska. The public is invited to participate and to provide oral testimony.

The Priest Lake Ranger District of the Idaho Panhandle National Forests is proposing fuel reduction and forest restoration activities in the vicinity of the community of Nordman, Idaho and near Reeder Bay along Priest Lake. Priorities for treatment are those forest stands which not only have significant ground fuel accumulations, ladder fuels and/or dense tree canopies, but also are located in a geographically strategic site or are adjacent to private property, developments, public infrastructure or other important resources. The project, as proposed, will reduce hazardous forest fuels in the wildland urban interface (WUI), restore forest health and resilience and will provide additional resource benefits to water resources and grizzly bear core habitat. The USDA Forest Service will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) to disclose the potential environmental effects of implementing project activities on National Forest System lands within the project area.

The Rural Utilities Service, an agency which administers the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development Utilities Programs (USDA Rural Development) has prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) related to possible financial assistance to South Mississippi Electric Power Association (SMEPA) for the proposed construction of one approximately 5.76 acre 230:161:69 kV substation, two approximately 0.1 mile 230 kilovolt (kV) electric transmission lines, one 0.4 mile 69 kV electric transmission line, and one microwave tower on an approximate fourteen (14) acre parcel in Greene County, Mississippi. SMEPA is requesting the USDA Rural Development to provide financial assistance for the proposed project.

George Washington & Jefferson National Forests will begin charging a $15 fee per single campsite and $25 per double campsite for overnight use at White Cedar Horse Camp, which is presently under construction. This new campground will facilitate equestrian use of George Washington & Jefferson National Forests on the Eastern Divide Ranger District. Fee revenue will support operations and maintenance of the campground and future site improvements.

The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) is announcing that the inventoried farmer-stock peanuts will be available for sale as unrestricted use on November 29, 2006 on the Internet at www.theseam.com.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is reopening the comment period for 90 days for the interim final rule for mandatory country of origin labeling (COOL) for fish and shellfish covered commodities that was published in the Federal Register on October 5, 2004 (69 FR 59708). The interim final rule for fish and shellfish became effective on April 4, 2005. The interim final rule imposes requirements on certain retailers and their suppliers to notify their customers of the country of origin and the method of production (wild and/or farm-raised) of specified fish and shellfish products. The interim final rule also specifies recordkeeping responsibilities for affected retailers and their suppliers. AMS requests general comment on the costs and benefits of the interim final rule as well as the specific questions that are listed in this document. All affected persons are hereby given notice of the opportunity to submit written data and views concerning the economic impacts of the interim final rule. AMS will review the submitted comments and information as it promulgates a final rule for mandatory COOL for fish and shellfish. Comments received on issues that are outside the scope of the costs and benefits of the interim final rule will not be considered.

The Caribou-Targhee National Forest will begin charging a $40 fee for the overnight rental of Malad Summit Guard Station. Rentals of other cabins on the Caribou-Targhee National Forest have shown that publics appreciate and enjoy the availability of historic rental cabins. Funds from the rental will be used for the continued operation and maintenance of the Malad Summit Guard Station.

The Soda Springs Ranger District of the Caribou-Targhee National Forest will begin charging a $10 fee for single family overnight camping at the Gravel Creek Campground. There will also be a $5 fee for an extra vehicle. Overnight camping at other campgrounds on the Caribou-Targhee National Forest have shown that publics appreciate and enjoy the availability of developed recreation facilities. Funds from the fee charges will be used for the continued operation and maintenance of the Gravel Creek Campground.

This notice lists the newspapers that will be used by the ranger districts, forests and regional office of the Intermountain Region to publish legal notices required under 36 CFR 215, 217, and 218. The intended effect of this action is to inform interested members of the public which newspapers the Forest Service will use to publish notices of proposed actions and notices of decision. This will provide the public with constructive notice of Forest Service proposals and decisions, provide information on the procedures to comment or appeal, and establish the date that the Forest Service will use to determine if comments or appeals were timely.

We recently published an interim rule amending the foreign quarantine and user fee regulations by removing the exemptions from inspection for imported fruits and vegetables grown in Canada and the exemptions from user fees for commercial vessels, commercial trucks, commercial railroad cars, commercial aircraft, and international air passengers entering the United States from Canada. That interim rule had an effective date of November 24, 2006. We are delaying the effective date of the removal of the user fee exemption for international air passengers until January 1, 2007, and the effective date for the remaining provisions of the rule, including the removal of the exemption from user fees for commercial vessels, commercial trucks, commercial railroad cars, and commercial aircraft entering the United States from Canada, until March 1, 2007. We are making these changes to allow additional time for affected entities to make necessary preparations to comply with the inspection and collection procedures that we will be instituting as a result of the interim rule.

Pursuant to section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969; the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR part 1500); and the Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, gives notice than an environmental impact statement is not being prepared for the Plum Creek Watershed, FRS18, Spencer County, Kentucky.

We are amending the Karnal bunt regulations to remove certain areas or fields in Maricopa and Pinal Counties, AZ, and Archer, Baylor, Knox, McCulloch, San Saba, Throckmorton, and Young Counties, TX, from the list of regulated areas based on our determination that those fields or areas meet our criteria for release from regulation. This action is necessary to relieve restrictions that are no longer necessary.

A national public hearing is being held to consider and take evidence on a proposal seeking to amend the Class I and Class II milk price formulas applicable to all Federal milk marketing orders. Evidence also will be taken at the hearing to determine whether emergency marketing conditions exist that would warrant omission of a recommended decision under the rules of practice and procedure (7 CFR 900.12(d)).

The Prescott National Forest will begin charging a $150 fee for the daily rental of historic Groom Creek Schoolhouse near Prescott, Arizona. Rental of other facilities on the Prescott National Forest and other Arizona National Forests has shown that publics appreciate and enjoy the availability of historic rental facilities. Funds from the rental will be used for the continued operation and maintenance of Groom Creek Schoolhouse.

We are extending the comment period for our notice that announced the receipt of three petitions requesting that we delay implementation of, and reconsider provisions in, a recent final rule establishing a herd certification program and interstate movement restrictions for cervids to control the spread of chronic wasting disease. This action will allow interested persons additional time to prepare and submit comments.

This action withdraws a proposed rule published in the Federal Register on January 12, 2005, (70 FR 2034), to amend the Cotton Board Rules and Regulations by adjusting the total rate of assessment per kilogram for imported cotton for use by the Cotton Research and Promotion Program. Based on a stakeholder comment, the Agricultural Marketing Service believes that the proposed rule may not achieve its intended objectives of effectiveness and efficiency.

The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS), an Agency within the Rural Development mission area, announces the availability of two individual grants: One single $495,000 grant from the passenger transportation funds appropriated for the Rural Business Enterprise Grant (RBEG) program and another single $250,000 grant for Federally Recognized Native American Tribes' (FRNAT) from funds appropriated for the RBEG program. RBS will administer these awards under the RBEG program and 7 U.S.C. 1932(c)(2) for fiscal year (FY) 2007. Historically, Congress has allotted earmark funding for these specific programs. This notice is being issued prior to passage of a final appropriations bill, which may or may not provide an appropriation for these programs, to allow applicants sufficient time to leverage financing, submit applications, and give the Agency time to process applications within the current fiscal year. Each grant is to be competitively awarded to a qualified national organization. These grants are to provide technical assistance for rural transportation and rural transportation to FRNAT's. This notice will be amended should funding in excess of projected levels be received.

Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS) amends its regulations for the Business and Industry (B&I) Guaranteed Loan Program by modifying the regulation regarding personal and corporate guarantors. This action will standardize the guarantor process. The Agency has created a guarantor form which will be used to obtain the personal or corporate guarantee of anyone owning greater than 20 percent interest in the borrower. The effect of this rule is to allow the Agency to use all remedies available to pursue collection from guarantors, including offset under the Debt Collection Improvement Act.

Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969; the Council on Environmental Quality Guidelines (40 CFR part 1500); and the Natural Resources Conservation Service Guidelines (7 CFR part 650); the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), gives notice that the record of decision (ROD) for the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Little Wood River Irrigation District Gravity Pressurized Delivery System, Blaine County, Idaho is available. The ROD was signed and made available via the USDA NRCS Idaho Web site (https:// www.id.nrcs.usda.gov.) on November 7, 2006. A Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) dated April 26, 2004, was published in the Federal Register on May 4, 2004.

This rule decreases the assessment rate established for the Prune Marketing Committee (committee) under Marketing Order No. 993 for the 2006-07 and subsequent crop years from $0.65 to $0.40 per ton of salable dried prunes. The committee locally administers the marketing order which regulates the handling of dried prunes produced in California. Assessments upon dried prune handlers are used by the committee to fund reasonable and necessary expenses of the program. The crop year begins August 1 and ends July 31. The assessment rate will remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.