Department of Agriculture July 13, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Forest Service is seeking comments from all interested individuals and organizations on the draft tables for the 2007 RPA Forest Resources of the United States. These tables will be the basis for analysis of status and trends in the nation's forests and includes data for 1953, 1977, 1987, 1997, and 2007.

This rule would increase the assessment rate established for the Washington Apricot Marketing Committee (Committee) for the 2007- 2008 and subsequent fiscal periods from $1.00 to $1.50 per ton for Washington apricots. The Committee is responsible for local administration of the marketing order regulating the handling of apricots grown in designated counties in Washington. Assessments upon handlers of apricots are used by the Committee to fund reasonable and necessary expenses of the program. The fiscal period for the marketing order begins April 1 and ends March 31. The assessment rate would remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended or terminated.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is removing from the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) its procedural regulations regarding the Kiwifruit Research, Promotion, and Consumer Information Order (Order), a program never implemented.

The Rural Utilities Service (RUS), an agency delivering the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Utilities Programs, hereinafter referred to as Rural Development, is issuing a Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Norborne Baseload Plant (Norborne Plant). The Final 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). The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is a cooperating agency for this Final EIS. Rural Development invites comments on the Final EIS. The purpose of the EIS is to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of and alternatives to the Associated Electric Cooperative, Inc. (AECI) application for Rural Development financing to construct the proposed 660 megawatt (MW) net supercritical pulverized coal (SCPC) fired power plant in Carroll County, Missouri, near the town of Norborne. AECI also proposes to construct new and modified substations, approximately 134 miles of new 345-kV transmission lines, a utility waste landfill, new rail access from existing mainline railroads, and a water supply system consisting of groundwater wells and associated pipeline.

The Coronado National Forest proposes to begin charging a new $200.00 fee for the daily rental of the Headquarters Building adjacent to an existing small rental cabin at Kentucky Camp near Sonoita, Arizona. Rental of the Headquarters Building may eventually expand to include overnight use, but will initially be managed for day-use events. The existing small rental cabin currently rents for an overnight fee of $75.00 a night and can be rented independently of the Headquarters Building. Rental of the cabin and other facilities within the Arizona National Forests has shown that the public appreciates and enjoys the availability of historic rental facilities. Funds from the rentals will be used for the continued operation and maintenance of Kentucky Camp.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is affirming, with changes, the interim final rule ``Prohibition of the Use of Specified Risk Materials for Human Food and Requirements for the Disposition of Non-Ambulatory Cattle,'' which was published in the Federal Register on January 12, 2004. The Agency is also affirming the interim final rule ``Prohibition of the Use of Certain Stunning Devices Used to Immobilize Cattle During Slaughter,'' also published on January 12, 2004. FSIS issued these interim final rules in response to the confirmation on December 23, 2003, of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in an imported dairy cow in Washington State. FSIS is taking this action to make permanent interim measures implemented by the Agency to minimize human exposure to cattle materials that could potentially contain the BSE agent.

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 regulations for the importation of horses, ruminants, swine, and dogs from regions of the world where screwworm is considered to exist.

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 poultry and poultry hatching eggs from the United States.

We are advising the public that we have prepared an environmental assessment for a field release involving a transgenic tobacco line that has been genetically engineered to produce an antimicrobial antibody that binds to a bacterium (Streptococcus mutans) associated with tooth decay in humans. The purpose of this field release is to generate plant biomass from which the antibody will be extracted after harvest. The environmental assessment provides a basis for our conclusion that this field release will not present a risk of introducing or disseminating a plant pest and will not have a significant impact on the quality of the human environment. Based on its finding of no significant impact, we have determined that an environmental impact statement need not be prepared for this field release.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing that it is designating the State of New Mexico as a State to receive Federal inspection with respect to operations and transactions involving meat and poultry products within the State because representatives of the State have requested such designation. In response to the State's request, FSIS will assume responsibility for the meat and poultry inspection programs in the State of New Mexico on August 13, 2007. Therefore, FSIS is amending the Federal meat and poultry products inspection regulations by adding New Mexico to the list of designated States.

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, has decided to subordinate its rights, acquired under the Wetland Reserve Program (WRP), to allow the Gulf South Pipeline Company, LP (Gulf South) to cross NRCS held conservations easements associated with the East Texas to Mississippi Expansion Project (Project) in Madison Parish, Red River Parish, Richland Parish and Ouachita Parish, LA. On September 1, 2006, Gulf South filed, in Docket No. CP04-446-000, an application under section 7(c) of the Natural Gas Act (NGA) for authorization to construct and operate its proposed project. The proposed project consists of 241.9 miles of pipeline, and 110,604 horsepower (hp) of compression that will connect Gulf South's existing facilities in DeSoto Parish, Louisiana to Gulf South's pipeline in Simpson County, Mississippi. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has prepared a final environmental impact statement (EIS) to fulfill requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The purpose of this document was to make public the analysis of the environmental impacts that would likely result from the construction and operation of the proposed Project. The NRCS participated as a cooperating agency in the preparation of the EIS. The project will affect approximately 16 NRCS held Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) easements by creating a 60 ft. permanent right of way (within a 100 ft. construction right of way) that extends for approximately 241.9 miles of which 12.5 miles is over lands encumbered under WRP easements located in Madison, Red River, Richland and Ouachita Parishes, Louisiana. Of the 34,584 acres encumbered by WRP easements in Madison Parish, Louisiana 76.43 acres will be affected; Of the 513 acres encumbered by WRP easements in Red River Parish, Louisiana 4.61 acres will be affected; of the 7,285 acres encumbered by WRP easements in Richland Parish, Louisiana 6.36 acres will be affected; of the 3,716 acres encumbered by WRP easements in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana 1.82 acres will be affected.