Department of Agriculture 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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 Lolo and Kootenai National Forests' Sanders County Resource Advisory Committee will meet on July 20 at 7 p.m. in Thompson Falls, Montana for a business meeting. The meeting is open to the public.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing the availability of an updated risk assessment model and report for BSE. The previous risk assessment, released in October 2003, was revised to incorporate information available through December 2003, including the discovery of a BSE-infected cow in Washington State. The revised risk assessment model evaluates the impact of measures implemented after the discovery of the BSE-positive cow and recommendations made by an international BSE panel. FSIS will also hold a technical meeting to discuss the updated risk assessment model and report.

This Notice announces the availability of approximately $6 million of grant funds for the RCDI program through the Rural Housing Service (RHS), an agency within the USDA Rural Development mission area herein referred to as the Agency. Applicants must provide matching funds in an amount at least equal to the Federal grant. These grants will be made to qualified intermediary organizations that will provide financial and technical assistance to recipients to develop their capacity and ability to undertake projects related to housing, community facilities, or community and economic development. This Notice lists the information needed to submit an application for these funds.

This proposed rule would revise the regulations governing inspection and certification for processed fruits, vegetables, and processed products. A projected fee increase ranging from 19 to 26 percent is proposed. Furthermore, it is proposed that an applicant entering into a year round inspection contract with AMS will incur costs for the plant survey and sanitation inspection. Finally, it is proposed that an applicant entering into a year round inspection contract, less than year round (four or more consecutive 40 hour weeks) contract, or lot inspection will incur costs for Sunday differential when an employee works on Sunday. These revisions are necessary in order to recover, as nearly as practicable, the costs of performing inspection services under the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 and to ensure the program's financial stability. Also affected are the fees charged to persons required to have inspections on imported commodities in accordance with the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1937. In addition, various editorial changes are being proposed to enhance clarity.

This Notice announces the annual adjustments to the ``national average payments,'' the amount of money the Federal Government provides States for lunches, afterschool snacks and breakfasts served to children participating in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs; to the ``maximum reimbursement rates,'' the maximum per lunch rate from Federal funds that a State can provide a school food authority for lunches served to children participating in the National School Lunch Program; and to the rate of reimbursement for a half-pint of milk served to nonneedy children in a school or institution which participates in the Special Milk Program for Children. The payments and rates are prescribed on an annual basis each July. The annual payments and rates adjustments for the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs reflect changes in the Food Away From Home series of the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers. The annual rate adjustment for the Special Milk Program reflects changes in the Producer Price Index for Fluid Milk Products. These payments and rates are in effect from July 1, 2006 through June 30, 2007.

This rule clarifies the regulations governing employee conflicts of interest for the successor agencies of the former Farmers Home Administration (FmHA), which was reorganized by the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (Pub. L. 103-354) into the Farm Service Agency (FSA), Rural Business-Cooperative Service, Rural Housing Service and Rural Utilities Service. Since the reorganization, FSA revised its regulations to streamline them and separate them from the other successor agencies. FSA's regulations regarding employee conflicts of interest are now found in regulations published by the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) in 5 CFR part 2635 and regulations published jointly by OGE and FSA in 5 CFR part 8301. To avoid confusion regarding applicability of the regulations, this rule amends 7 CFR part 1900, subpart D to provide specifically that they do not apply to FSA.

The Siskiyou County Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) will meet in Yreka, California, July 17, 2006. The meeting will include routine business, and presentation, discussion, and recommendation of project submissions for RAC funding.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces a public comment period on the information collection requests (ICRs) associated with the Standard Reinsurance Agreement and Appendices II and IV administered by Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC). Appendix I and III are excluded because Appendix I is the program Integrity Statement which does not contain any document submission requirements, and Appendix III contains the Data Acceptance System requirements.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13) and Office of Management and Budget regulations at 5 CFR part 1320 (60 FR 44978, August 29, 1995), this notice announces the intention of the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) to request revision and extension of a currently approved information collection, the Honey Survey.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the intention of USDA Farm Service Agency's (FSA) and Rural Development, henceforth collectively known as Rural Development, or individually as Housing and Community Programs, Business and Cooperative Programs, Utility Programs, to request an extension for a currently approved information collection in support of compliance with applicable acts for planning and performing construction and other development work.

The Forest Service of the Fishlake National Forest gives notice of the intent to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) to document the analysis and disclose the environmental and human effects of oil and gas leasing on lands administered by the Fishlake National Forest. The Federal Onshore Oil and Gas Leasing Reform Act of 1987 (FOOGLRA) requires the Forest Service to evaluate National Forest System lands for potential oil and gas leasing. As the agency responsible for lease issuance and administration, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will participate as a cooperating agency.

We are proposing to amend the fruits and vegetables regulations to allow the importation of shelled garden peas from Kenya into the continental United States. In order to be eligible for importation, the peas would have to be shelled, washed, and inspected and accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate issued by the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service. This action would allow for the importation of shelled peas from Kenya into the continental United States while continuing to protect against the introduction of quarantine pests.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, this notice announces the Food Safety and Inspection Service's (FSIS) intention to request a new information collection regarding data on meat, poultry, exotic animal, and rabbit slaughter for the Agency's electronic Animal Disease Reporting System.

This is to correct a URL address previously published in the Rules and Regulations section on Wednesday, May 17, 2006 (71 FR 28547). The error occurred in a URL in the ADDRESSES section on page 28548. The entire ADDRESSES section with the corrected URL is published below. This interim final rule sets forth how NRCS will implement HFRP to meet the statutory objectives of the program.

The Secretary of Agriculture has determined that cost-share payments made to individuals under the Forest Land Recovery Program (FLRP) are made primarily for the purpose of conserving soil and water resources, restoring the environment, restoring and improving forests, or restoring and providing a habitat for wildlife. This determination permits recipients to exclude certain payments under the FLRP from gross income for Federal income tax purposes to the extent allowed by the Internal Revenue Service.

As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment on the proposed information collection of the FNS-380, Worksheet for Food Stamp Program Quality Control Reviews. This proposed collection is a revision of a collection currently approved under OMB No. 0584-0074.

This proposed 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) on August 17, 2005. Consistent with the recommendations from the NOSB, this proposed rule would add two substances, along with any restrictive annotations, to the National List.

The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) announces, for the 2006 crops of wheat, corn, and other feed grains, the acceptance of collateral for marketing assistance loans, warehouse receipts issued by a warehouse storing such commodity in outside storage, subject to the conditions outlined in this notice. This notice is intended to ensure adequate availability of storage space at harvest for producers seeking warehouse-stored marketing assistance loans for grain.

The Forest Service is publishing for public notice and comment proposed revisions to the agency's national trail classification system (TCS), including the Trail Class Matrix and Design Parameters, and proposed implementing directives. On May 13, 2005, the Backcountry Horsemen of America filed a lawsuit against the Forest Service challenging revision of the TCS without public notice and comment. In an order dated March 29, 2006, the U.S. District Court found that the Forest Service failed to provide public notice and comment as required by the National Forest Management Act, 16 U.S.C. 1612. In accordance with the Court's order, the Forest Service is publishing the proposed revisions to the TCS and proposed implementing directives for public notice and comment.