Department of Agriculture 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This rule would revise the list of nonrural areas identified by the Federal Subsistence Board (Board, we, us). Areas determined to be nonrural are not eligible to participate in the Federal Subsistence Management Program on Federal public lands in Alaska. We propose to change Adak's status to rural. We also propose to add Prudhoe Bay and the Kodiak Area, including the City of Kodiak, the Mill Bay area, Womens Bay, Bell's Flats, and the Coast Guard Station to the list of nonrural areas. The following areas would continue to be nonrural, but we propose changes in their boundaries: the Kenai Area; the Wasilla/ Palmer Area, including Point McKenzie; the Homer Area, including Fritz Creek East (except Voznesenka) and the North Fork Road area; and the Ketchikan Area. We propose no other changes in status. However, new information could lead to changes not proposed at this time.

The Mendocino County Resource Advisory Committee will meet August 18, 2006 (RAC) in Willits, California. Agenda items to be covered include: (1) Approval of minutes, (2) Handout Discussion, (3) Public Comment, (4) Financial Report, (5) Sub-committees, (6) Matters before the group, (7) Discussionapproval of projects, (8) Next agenda and meeting date.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Forest Service is seeking comments from all interested individuals and organizations on the revision of a currently approved information collection, National Visitor Use Monitoring.

The Roadless Area Conservation National Advisory Committee (Committee) will meet in Washington, DC. The purpose of this meeting is to review and draft recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture on state petitions for inventoried roadless area management. Petitions to be reviewed include those received from New Mexico, California, and possibly any petitions received between the publication of this notice and meeting dates.

The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) is reopening and extending the comment period for the subject proposed rule. The original comment period for the proposed rule closed August 2, 2006, and CCC is reopening and extending it for 60 days from the date of this notice. CCC also will consider any comments received from August 2, 2006, to the date of this notice. This action responds to requests from the public to provide more time to comment on the proposed rule.

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 Caribou-Targhee National Forests' Eastern Idaho Resource Advisory Committee will meet Thursday, September 21, 2006 in Idaho Falls for a business meeting. The meeting is open to the public.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the Commodity Credit Corporation is seeking comments from all interested individuals and organizations on the extension with revision of a currently approved information collection associated with Rate Quotation for Transportation Services. The CCC is collecting freight rate quotes from the participating Motor Carriers and Intermodal Marketing Companies who transport agricultural products for the Department of Agriculture and using the collected freight rate quotes to establish the lowest cost of movement to meet the transportation needs of CCC.

In a final rule published in the Federal Register on January 4, 2005, we amended the regulations regarding the importation of animals and animal products to establish a category of regions that present a minimal risk of introducing bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) into the United States via live ruminants and ruminant products and byproducts, and we added Canada to this category. We also established conditions for the importation of certain live ruminants and ruminant products and byproducts from such regions. In this document, we are proposing to remove several restrictions regarding the identification of animals and the processing of ruminant materials from BSE minimal-risk regions, as well as BSE-based restrictions on gelatin derived from bovine hides. We do not believe these restrictions are necessary to prevent the introduction of BSE into the United States.

We are proposing to amend the regulations regarding the importation of animal germplasm by removing specific restrictions on sheep semen from regions where scrapie exists and requiring the inclusion of additional information on the international health certificate accompanying sheep and goat semen. Experience and research have convinced us that sheep and goat semen pose a minimal risk of transmitting scrapie. This action would relieve restrictions on imported sheep semen while continuing to provide safeguards against the introduction and dissemination of scrapie.

The Forest Service will prepare a supplement to the final environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Southwest Idaho Ecogroup Revised Land and Resource Management Plan EIS to present additional information concerning terrestrial Management Indicator Species (MIS).

The Forest Service is extending the public comment period an additional 30 days for the notice of proposed directives published in the Federal Register of June 7, 2006 (FR Doc. E6-8839, on pages 32915- 32918) concerning predator damage management in wilderness areas. Guidance to Forest officers in the management of predator damage in wilderness areas is contained in the Forest Service Manual (FSM) Title 2300, Recreation, Wilderness, and Related Resources Management and FSM 2600, Wildlife, Fish, and Sensitive Plant Habitat Management. These proposed directives would conform agency direction regarding predator damage with provisions in an interdepartmental Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services Division and the USDA Forest Service. The MOU, first entered into in 1993, was renewed in 1998, and again in 2004, with minor revisions. Comments received in response to this notice will be considered in development of the final directives for predator damage management on National Forest System lands, including wilderness.

The Siskiyou County Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) will meet in Yreka, California, August 21, 2006. The meeting will include routine business, and discussion and recommendation of project submissions for RAC funding.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), prior to undertaking research and other work associated with revising official grade standards, is soliciting comments on the possible revisions of the United States Standards for Grades of Summer Squash. At a meeting with the Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee, AMS was asked to review the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable grade standards for usefulness in serving the industry. As a result, AMS has identified the United States Standards for Grades of Summer Squash for possible revision. AMS is considering proposed revisions to the U.S. standards that would incorporate grades that describe the quality and size of summer squash currently being marketed. Additionally, definitions would be included for defects not currently in the standards, and the ``Unclassified'' category would be eliminated from the standards. AMS is seeking comments regarding these changes and any other revisions to the summer squash standards that may be necessary to better serve the industry.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), this notice announces the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) intention to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget, for an extension of and revision to the currently approved information collection for the Seed Service Testing Program.

This notice invites eligible States to submit a Standard Form 424, Application for Federal Assistance, and to enter into a Cooperative Agreement with the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) for the Allocation of Organic Certification Cost-Share Funds. The AMS has allocated $1.0 million for this organic certification cost-share program in Fiscal Year 2006. Funds will be available under this program to 15 designated States to assist organic crop and livestock producers certified by the Department of Agriculture (USDA) accredited certifying agents to the National Organic Program (NOP). Eligible States interested in obtaining cost-share funds for their organic producers will have to submit an Application for Federal Assistance, and will have to enter into a cooperative agreement with AMS for the allocation of such funds.

Notice is hereby given that the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) is extending the public comment period for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Highwood Generating Station (HGS), and, as requested, is conducting an additional public hearing. The Draft EIS was prepared pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) (U.S.C. 4231 et seq.) in accordance with the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of NEPA (40 CFR 1500-1508) and RUS regulations (7 CFR 1794). This document has been prepared jointly with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ). The Draft EIS is to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of and alternatives to the Southern Montana Electric Transmission & Generation Cooperative, Inc. (SME) application for a loan guarantee to construct a 250 megawatt (MW) coal-fired power plant near Great Falls, Montana. SME is proposing to use a coal combustion technology known as circulating fluidized bed (CFB). Along with other proposed pollution controls collectively known as Best Available Control Technology (BACT), the HGS would be among the cleanest-burning coal-fired power plants currently operating in the United States. SME also proposes to construct and operate four, 1.5-MW wind turbines to generate supplemental electrical power at the preferred project location eight miles east of Great Falls. Receipt of the Draft EIS was announced by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency in the Federal Register on July 3, 2006 (official date June 30, 2006). Requests for extension of public comment periods may be honored per 40 CFR 1506.10. The initial 45-day public comment period was to end on August 15, 2006. With the 15-day extension, the new deadline for public comments is now August 30, 2006. In addition to the public hearing held in Great Falls, Montana on July 27, an additional hearing will be held in Havre, Montana. The Havre public hearing will be held on August 7, 2006 at the Applied Technology Center Auditorium at MSU Northern, 300 West 11th Street, Havre, MT. An open house will be held from 5-7 p.m., with the hearing beginning at 7 p.m. The hearing will include a presentation summarizing the findings of the Draft EIS and the opportunity for attendees to submit both oral and written comments. In accordance with 40 CFR Section 1503.1, Inviting Comments, the purpose of the meeting will be to solicit comments from interested parties on the Draft EIS for the Highwood Generating Station.

Pursuant to authorities in the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Public Law 92-463) and the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self determination Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-393), the Black Hills National Forest's Custer County Resource Advisory Committee will meet on Tuesday, August 15, 2006 in Custer, South Dakota for a business meeting. The meeting is open to the public.

We are proposing to amend the regulations governing the importation of animal byproducts to require that untanned swine hides and skins from regions with African swine fever and bird trophies from regions with exotic Newcastle disease go directly to an approved establishment upon importation into the United States. We would also set out certain requirements for the importation of untanned bovine, deer, and other ruminant hides and skins into the United States from Mexico to prevent the spread of bovine babesiosis. These proposed requirements would provide for the importation of these articles under conditions intended to prevent the introduction of African swine fever, bovine babesiosis, and exotic Newcastle disease.

The Forest Service published a notice in the Federal Register on May 12, 2006 initiating a 90-day comment period on the Proposed Land Management Plans for the Kootenai and Idaho Panhandle National Forests. The closing date for submitting comments has been extended to September 9, 2006.

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is amending its regulations pertaining to the retention of Preferred Lender Program (PLP) status by lenders in certain situations, and the payment of interest in cases where the lender is unable to take action due to bankruptcy or state redemption laws. This rule will allow PLP lenders, under certain conditions, to retain their PLP status for a period, not to exceed two years, after their loss ratio exceeds the standard established by the Agency. It will also allow for the payment of additional interest on a final loss claim if a bankruptcy prevents the lender from taking liquidation action or a state's mandatory redemption law prevents the lender from disposing of property acquired through foreclosure.

This rule relaxes the minimum grade requirement prescribed under the Washington apricot marketing order for the 2006 shipping season only. The marketing order regulates the handling of fresh apricots grown in designated counties in the State of Washington, and is administered locally by the Washington Apricot Marketing Committee (Committee). This rule relaxes the minimum grade requirement for fresh apricots from Washington No. 1 grade to Washington No. 2 grade. This rule will enable handlers to ship more fruit into fresh market channels, taking into consideration hail damage caused to Washington apricots during the growing season. This change is expected to increase returns to producers and to make more fresh apricots available to consumers.