Department of Agriculture February 28, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has prepared an environmental assessment for confined field plantings of rice plants genetically engineered to express the human proteins lactoferrin, lysozyme, or serum albumin. This environmental assessment is available for public review and comment.

The USDA Forest Service published a Notice of Intent in the Federal Register of September 29, 2006, in FR Volume 71, No. 189, on pages 57460-57461, concerning request for comments on a Supplement to the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the 2002 Nebraska National Forest Revised Land and Resource Management Plan for black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) management on the Nebraska National Forest and associated units. Instead of supplementing the Final Enviromental Impact Statement for the 2002 Nebraska National Forest Revised Land and Resource Management Plan, the Agency will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) management on the Nebraska National Forest and associated units. This EIS will tier to and not supplement the Final EIS for the 2002 Revised Nebraska National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan. The proposed action is to amend current management direction in the Nebraska National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan to meet various multiple use objectives by: (1) Specifing the desired range of acres of prairie dog colonies that would be provided on the Nebraska National Forest and associated units; and (2) to be able to use toxicants if the acreage exceeds the desired range and for multiple use objectives. The proposed action would amend Chapter 1, Section H, Standard 1 in the Nebraska National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan, which allows for limited use of rodenticdes in the interior of the Forest. The proposed action would also authorize the site-specific control of prairie dogs forest-wide, including the use of rodenticides, when management thresholds are exceeded for geographic areas. Future prairie dog control would occur based on management thresholds without further NEPA analysis.