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

The Oregon Coast Province Advisory Committee will meet at Beazell Center, Kings Valley Highway. The theme of the meeting is Introduction/Overview Business Planning. The agenda includes: Daylight Decisions, Public involvement for BLM's Western Oregon Planning Revision, Forest Service Travel Management Update.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announces the availability of approximately $6,895,000 in block grant funds to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops. State departments of agriculture interested in obtaining grant program funds are invited to submit applications to USDA. State departments of agriculture, meaning agencies, commissions, or departments of a State government responsible for agriculture within the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, are eligible to apply. State departments of agriculture are encouraged to involve industry groups, academia, and community-based organizations in the development of applications and the administration of projects.

The Forest Counties Payments Committee has scheduled a meeting to discuss how it will provide Congress with the information specified in Section 320 of the Fiscal Year 2001 Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. The meeting is open to the public.

The Ravalli County Resource Advisory Committee will be meeting to review 2007 projects, and hold a short public forum (question and answer session). The meeting is being held pursuant to the authorities in the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Public Law 92-463) and under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-393). The meeting is open to the public.

The Tahoe National Forest (TNF) will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement to disclose the impacts associated with the following proposed actions: (1) The addition of approximately 50 miles of existing unauthorized routes to the current system of National Forest System (NFS) trails currently open to the public for wheeled motorized vehicle use. (2) The addition of one 60 acre area, where use of wheeled motorized vehicles by the public would be allowed anywhere within that area. (3) Allowing non-street legal vehicle use on approximately 3 miles of an existing NFS road where such use is currently prohibited, (4) The prohibition of wheeled motorized vehicle travel off designated NFS roads, NFS trails and areas by the public except as allowed by permit or other authorization.

Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969; the Council on Environmental Quality Guidelines (40 CFR Part 1500); and the Natural Resources Conservation Service Guidelines (7 CFR Part 650); the Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, gives notice that an environmental impact statement is not being prepared for the Marysville Irrigation Company, Gravity Pressurized, Irrigation Delivery System, Fremont County, Idaho.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development administers loan and grant programs through the Rural Utilities Service. USDA Rural Development announces the Public Television Digital Transition Grant Program funding level and application window for fiscal year (FY) 2007.

We are amending the Virus-Serum-Toxin Act regulations to specify the actions to be taken by veterinary biologics licensees and permittees upon receipt of notice from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to stop the preparation, distribution, sale, barter, exchange, shipment, or importation of any worthless, contaminated, dangerous, harmful, or unsatisfactory veterinary biological product. After receiving notice from APHIS, licensees and permittees must notify each wholesaler, dealer, jobber, consignee, or other recipient known to have any such product in their possession to stop the preparation, distribution, sale, barter, exchange, shipment, or importation of such product. In addition, licensees and permittees must provide a complete accounting of the remaining inventory of affected serials or subserials of such product in the current possession of known wholesalers, dealers, jobbers, consignees, or other known recipients and provide written documentation concerning the required notification(s) as directed by the Administrator of APHIS. These changes are necessary in order to clarify the regulations, provide for the most expeditious means of disseminating stop distribution and sale notices, and to mitigate the risk that any worthless, contaminated, dangerous, harmful, or unsatisfactory veterinary biological product may cause harm to animals, the public health, or to the environment.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development administers rural utilities programs through the Rural Utilities Service. USDA Rural Development announces its Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) grant, combination loan-grant and loan program application windows for Fiscal Year (FY) 2007, and a new initiative within the combination loan-grant program for the conversion of medical recordkeeping systems to emerging electronic formats. In addition to announcing the application windows, the Agency announces the available funding, and the minimum and maximum amounts for DLT grants, combination loan-grants and loans applicable for the fiscal year.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's intention to request an extension of approval of an information collection associated with the export of animal products from the United States.

This rule establishes final volume regulation percentages for 2006-07 crop Natural (sun-dried) Seedless (NS) raisins covered under the Federal marketing order for California raisins (order). The order regulates the handling of raisins produced from grapes grown in California and is locally administered by the Raisin Administrative Committee (Committee). The volume regulation percentages are 90 percent free and 10 percent reserve. The percentages are intended to help stabilize raisin supplies and prices, and strengthen market conditions.

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is amending its regulations governing how FSA guaranteed farm loan borrowers may obtain a subsidized interest rate on their guaranteed farm loan. This program is known as the interest assistance (IA) program. Changes include deletion of annual review requirements, limitations on maximum subsidy payments and period of assistance, and streamlining of claim submission. The changes are intended to reduce paperwork burden on program participants and agency employees, make IA available to more farmers, reduce the costs of the program, and enhance the fiscal integrity of the program.

The Willamette Province Advisory Committee (PAC) will meet in Salem, Oregon. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss issues pertainent to the implementation of the Northwest Forest Plan and to provide advice to federal land managers in the Province. The topics to be covered at the meeting include status of BLM Resource Management Plan revisions.

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, the National Forest Management Act of 1976, and other regulatory requirements, the Joint Lead Agencies announce the availability of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Northern San Juan Basin Coal Bed Methane Development Project Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for natural gas development in La Plata and Archuleta Counties, Colorado. The Joint Lead Agencies have issued the ROD to document agency decisions, including selection of FEIS Preferred Alternative 7, with specific modifications and requirements for monitoring and mitigation.

The Lake Tahoe Basin Federal Advisory Committee will hold a meeting on April 12, 2007 at the U.S. Forest Service Office, 35 College Drive, South Lake Tahoe, CA, 96150. This Committee, established by the Secretary of Agriculture on December 15, 1998 (64 FR 2876), is chartered to provide advice to the Secretary on implementing the terms of the Federal Interagency Partnership on the Lake Tahoe Region and other matters raised by the Secretary.

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 an extension for and revision to a currently approved information collection for report forms under the Federal milk marketing order program.

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is adopting, as a final rule, without change, an interim final rule changing the reporting requirements currently prescribed under the marketing order for avocados grown in South Florida (order). The order regulates the handling of avocados grown in South Florida and is administered locally by the Avocado Administrative Committee (Committee). This rule continues in effect the action that indefinitely suspended the weekly handler reporting requirements specified under the order. The information from the weekly reports is no longer being used by the industry or the Committee staff and the germane information is available from other sources. This action reduces the reporting burden on handlers, while aligning information collection requirements with the needs of the industry.

This rule suspends the container regulations prescribed under the Washington apricot marketing order by extending the temporary 2006 season suspension indefinitely. 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 indefinite suspension of the container regulations will continue to provide the apricot industry with increased marketing flexibility by allowing handlers to pack and ship apricots in any size, shape, or type of container. After evaluating the impact the temporary 2006 season container regulation suspension has had on the industry, the Committee determined that container regulations no longer contribute to the orderly marketing of the fresh apricot crop.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Farm Service Agency is seeking comments from all interested individuals and organizations on the extension of an approved information collection associated with Farm Loan Programs Account Servicing Policies.

We are amending the cut flowers regulations to establish specific requirements for the importation of cut flowers that are hosts of chrysanthemum white rust (CWR) from countries where the disease is known to occur. We are also amending the nursery stock regulations to update lists of countries where CWR is known to occur. We are making these changes in order to make our cut flowers and nursery stock regulations consistent. This action is necessary because of numerous recent findings of CWR on cut flowers from Europe that pose a risk of introducing CWR in the United States.

We are amending the emerald ash borer regulations by designating the States of Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio, in their entirety, as quarantined areas. This action is necessary to prevent the artificial spread of the emerald ash borer into noninfested areas of the United States. As a result of this action, the interstate movement of regulated articles from those States is restricted.

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 Thursday, April 5, 2007 in Custer, South Dakota for a meeting. The meeting is open to the public.