Department of Agriculture December 6, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice implements section 3011 of the Emergency Agricultural Disaster Assistance Act of 2006 (2006 Act) which authorizes the 2005 Louisiana Sugarcane Hurricane Disaster Assistance Program (2005 Program). The 2005 Program requires the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) to provide compensation totaling $40 million to Louisiana sugarcane producers and processors who suffered economic losses from the cumulative effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in August and September of 2005. CCC will make $29 million in payments for 2005-crop (Fiscal Year 2006) losses to affected sugarcane processors, who shall share these payments with affected producers in a manner reflecting current contracts between the two parties. In addition, CCC will make payments of $10 million to compensate affected sugarcane producers for losses that are suffered only by producers, including losses due to saltwater flooding, wind damage, or increased planting, replanting, or harvesting costs. The funds for ``producer-only losses'' will be paid to processors, who will then disburse payments to affected producers without regard to contractual arrangements for dividing sugar revenue. CCC is reserving $1 million in the event of appeals and will disburse the residual, if any, to processors, who will then disburse payments to producers in a manner reflecting current contracts between the two parties. This notice provides eligibility criteria and application procedures that will be used to conduct this program.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Rural Business-Cooperative Service's (RBS) intention to request an extension for a currently approved information collection in support of the Rural Cooperative Development Grants program.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) published in the Federal Register on November 8, 2006, a document concerning quality control requirements under the California almond marketing order. Language was inadvertently omitted in the regulatory text to specify that the changes apply to all almonds received by handlers beginning August 1, 2006.

In accordance with the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA), recreation fees may be charged for standard amenity sites, expanded amenity sites or special recreation permits. The Medicine Bow- Routt National Forest proposes to charge new fees at two sites: Summit Creek Guard Station and Buffalo Pass Winter Recreation Area.