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

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the intention of the Risk Management Agency (RMA) to request an extension for and revision to a currently approved information collection for projects listed in the Abstract of this document.

The Forest Service will prepare a supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) for the Frenchtown Face Ecosystem Restoration Project. The project includes timber harvest, prescribed burning, road management changes, weed spraying, and stream channel restoration. The Notice of Availability of the Draft EIS was published in the Federal Register on July 23, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 141, Page 43981), and the notice of the Final EIS on March 24, 2006. The Record of Decision on this project was administratively appealed to the Regional Forester per 36 CFR part 215. The Regional Forester reversed the decision on June 26, 2006, citing an inadequate soils analysis. A SEIS is being prepared to further address soils issues for this project.

The Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are sponsoring a public meeting on February 22, 2007. The objective of the public meeting is to provide information and receive public comments on agenda items and draft United States positions that will be discussed at the Twenty-Eighth Session of the Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling (CCMAS) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), which will be held in Budapest, Hungary March 5-9, 2007. The Under Secretary for Food Safety and The Food and Drug Administration recognize the importance of providing interested parties the opportunity to obtain background information on the 28th Session of CCMAS and to address items on the agenda.

The Forest Service is proposing a revision to the Land Management Plan (hereafter referred to as the Proposed Plan) for the Uwharrie National Forest (UNF). This notice provides: 1. Information on how to view and/or obtain copies of the Proposed Plan and the Comprehensive Evaluation Report. 2. Information on how the public can comment on the Proposed Plan, when those comments are due and, how comments can be submitted; 3. Who to contact for more information.

We are amending the pine shoot beetle regulations by adding the entire State of Iowa and two counties, Morris and Somerset, in New Jersey to the list of quarantined areas. We are taking this action following the detection of pine shoot beetle in these areas. This action is necessary to prevent the spread of pine shoot beetle, a pest of pine trees, into noninfested areas of the United States.

This rule sets forth the Commodity Credit Corporation regulations for the 2006 Emergency Agricultural Disaster Assistance. The rule establishes seven disaster programs to provide funds to eligible producers in counties affected by the 2005 hurricanes Katrina, Ophelia, Rita, Wilma, or a related condition. To be eligible, counties must have been designated a major disaster or emergency area by the President or declared a natural disaster by the Secretary of Agriculture. Counties contiguous to such counties will also be eligible.

The Eastern Washington Cascades Provincial Advisory Committee and the Yakima Provincial Advisory Committee will meet on Friday, February 23, 2007 at the Okanogan and Wenatchee National Forest Headquarters office, 215 Melody Lane, Wenatchee, WA. This meeting will begin at 9 a.m. and continue until 4 p.m. During this meeting Provincial Advisory Committee members will discuss Roadless Area considerations and potential Wilderness recommendations in conjunction with Forest Plan Revision for the Okanogan and Wenatchee National Forests. All Eastern Washington Cascades and Yakima Province Advisory Committee meetings are open to the public.

This notice lists the newspapers that will be used by all Ranger Districts, Forests, and the Regional Office of the Pacific Southwest Region to publish legal notices of all decisions subject to appeal under 36 CFR parts 215 and 217 and to publish notices for public comment and notice of decision subject to the provisions of 36 CFR part 215. Further these newspapers will become the newspapers of record for planning as defined in 36 CFR 219.16 and by notification required under 36 CFR part 218. The intended effect of this action is to inform interested members of the public which newspapers will be used to publish legal notices for public comment or decisions; thereby allowing them to receive constructive notice of a decision, to provide clear evidence of timely notice, and to achieve consistency in administering the appeals and objection processes.

On April 29, 2004 (69 FR 23492-93), the Forest Service (FS) and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) published in the Federal Register a Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare a Supplement to the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Gypsy Moth Management in the United States: a Cooperative Approach. The expected date for filing the Draft Supplemental EIS (SEIS) with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was March 2005 and February 2006 for the Final SEIS. On March 13, 2006 (71 FR 12674-75), the FS and APHIS published a Revised NOI in the Federal Register modifying the expected date for filing the Draft SEIS with the EPA to September 2006 and August 2007 for the Final SEIS. Through this revised NOI, the FS and APHIS are extending the expected filing dates with the EPA for the Draft and Final SEIS.

Notice is hereby given of a public hearing to receive evidence on proposed amendments to Marketing Agreement and Order No. 930 (order), which regulate the handling of tart cherries grown in Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin. Seven amendments are proposed by the Cherry Industry Administrative Board (Board), which is responsible for local administration of the order. These proposed amendments would: Authorize changing the primary reserve capacity associated with the volume control provisions of the order; authorize establishment of a minimum inventory level at which all remaining product held in reserves would be released to handlers for use as free tonnage; establish an age limitation on product placed into reserves; revise the voting requirements necessary to approve a Board action; revise the nomination and election process for handler members on the Board; revise Board membership affiliation requirements; and update order language to more accurately reflect grower and handler participation in the nomination and election process in Districts with only one Board representative. In addition, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) proposes to make any such changes as may be necessary to the order or administrative rules and regulations to conform to any amendment that may result from the hearing. The proposals are intended to provide additional flexibility in administering the volume control provisions of the order, and to update Board nomination, election, and membership requirements. These proposed amendments are intended to improve the operation and administration of the order.

Through this action, the Rural Housing Service (RHS) is adopting homeownership education requirements. The lack of homeownership education is a well-known barrier to successful homeownership for many families. The intended effect of this action is to assure that first time homeowners financed under the Section 502 Direct program are well prepared for homeownership by assuring that they receive homeownership education.

We are advising the public that an environmental assessment has been prepared for a proposed field release involving a transgenic safflower line that has been genetically engineered to express, within the seeds, a carp growth hormone fused to an Arabidopsis oleosin. The purpose of this field release is to obtain a seed increase of material harvested in Chile for future use as a supplement in aquaculture meal. We are making the environmental assessment available to the public for review and comment.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is withdrawing the notice soliciting comments on its proposal to amend the voluntary United States Standards for Grades of Mushrooms. After reviewing and considering the comments received, the Agency has decided not to proceed with this action.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is withdrawing the notice soliciting comments on its proposal to amend the voluntary United States Standards for Grades of Oranges (California and Arizona) and/or United States Standards for Grades of Grapefruit (California and Arizona). After reviewing and considering the comment received, the Agency has decided not to proceed with this action.

The Forest Service will revise the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Plan (hereafter referred to as the Forest Plan). This notice describes the documents available for review and how to obtain them; summarizes the need to change the Forest Plan and the initial scope of revision based upon management review and determination; provides information concerning public participation and collaboration; and includes the names and addresses of agency officials who can provide additional information.

This notice lists the newspaper that will be used by all Ranger Districts, Forests, Grasslands, and the Regional Office of the Northern Region to publish legal notices for pubic comment and decisions subject to appeal and predecisional administrative review under 36 CFR 215, 217, and 218. The intended effect of this action is to inform interested members of the public which newspapers will be used to publish legal notices for public comment or decisions; thereby allowing them to receive constructive notice of a decision, to provide clear evidence of timely notice, and to achieve consistency in administering the appeals process.

We are advising the public that we are making available for review and comment three documents related to the National Animal Identification System: A Draft User Guide, a Program Standards and Technical Reference document, and a technical specification document for the animal tracking databases.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended), the Rural Utilities Service an agency delivering the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Utilities Programs, invites comments on this information collection for which approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) will be requested.