Department of Agriculture August 3, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents
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Contact Information for Alfalfa Producers To Determine Proximity to Roundup Ready Alfalfa Fields
We are advising the public that on August 6, 2007, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will begin operating a toll-free telephone number for use by conventional and organic alfalfa farmers and prospective alfalfa farmers to inquire about the proximity of their farms or fields to Roundup Ready alfalfa. This action is being taken in compliance with a judgment and order by the United States District Court for the Northern District of California in Geertson Seed Farms, et al. v. Mike Johanns, Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture, et al., Case No. 06-01075.
Community Connect Broadband Grant Program
The Rural Utilities Service, an agency delivering the United States Department of Agriculture's Rural Development Utilities Program, hereinafter referred to as Rural Development and/or the Agency, is issuing proposed regulations to amend its Community-Oriented Connectivity Broadband Grant Program (Community Connect Broadband Grant Program). The Agency has determined that expanding the resource materials used to determine community eligibility for the program will result in a larger number of eligible communities. In addition, Rural Development has changed the test for economic hardship, allowing the applicant community's median household income to be compared to that of its state, which is also expected to increase the number of eligible applicants. Lastly, the Agency is proposing to amend its regulations to specify operating expenses which are approved for grant funding. This proposed rule is not applicable to Community Connect grant applications filed for funding during fiscal year 2007. In the Rules and Regulations section of this Federal Register, the Agency is publishing this action as a direct final rule without prior proposal because the Agency views this as a non-controversial action and anticipates no adverse comments. If no adverse comments are received in response to the direct final rule, no further action will be taken on this proposed rule and the action will become effective at the time specified in the direct final rule. If the Agency receives adverse comments, a timely document will be published in the Federal Register and all public comments received will be addressed in a subsequent final rule on this action.
Community Connect Broadband Grant Program
The Rural Utilities Service, an agency delivering the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Utilities Program, hereinafter referred to as Rural Development and/or the Agency, amends its regulations for the Community-Oriented Connectivity Broadband Grant Program (Community Connect Grant Program). Since the inception of the Community Connect Grant Program, the Agency has faced the challenge of identifying eligible rural communities. The Agency has reviewed its method of identifying eligible communities and has determined that modifications to the program regulations are required in order to expand the resource material used to identify eligible communities. The use of additional resources should increase the number of communities eligible for grant funding. Additionally, the Agency has changed the test for economic hardship. The current regulations compare an applicant community's per capita personal income to the national per capita personal income. Because of the varying costs of living among the states, it was determined that a better measure of economic distress would be a comparison of the applicant community's median household income to that of its state. This change is also expected to increase the number of eligible grant applicants. Lastly, this rule amends the current regulations by specifying operating expenses which the Agency has approved for grant funding. These changes have been determined to be non controversial and are being enacted as a direct final rule. This rule is not applicable to Community Connect grant applications filed for funding during fiscal year 2007.
Salmon-Challis National Forest, Idaho; Salmon-Challis National Forest Travel Management Plan and Off-highway Vehicle Designation
The USDA, Forest Service will prepare an environmental impact statement to designate a portion of the National Forest roads, trails, and areas open to public motor vehicle use on the Salmon-Challis National Forest (SCNF), and assign the type of use(s) and season of use allowed on each road and trail or portion thereof. Additionally, the Forest Service will designate some previously unauthorized (or user- created) routes for public motor vehicle use and assign the type of use(s) and season of use allowed on each route or portion thereof. Decisions regarding motorized travel do not include motorized travel over snow. A Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) depicting those routes that will be open to public motorized travel on the SCNF will be the primary tool to determine compliance with, and enforcement of, motorized vehicle use designations on the ground. Existing routes and user- created routes not designated as open on the MVUM will be legally closed to motorized travel. The SCNF currently has 980,700 acres open to motorized cross-country travel. Those acres will be closed year- round to motorized cross country travel, excluding over-snow vehicles.
Pinaleño Ecosystem Restoration Project, Safford Ranger District, Coronado National Forest, Graham County, Arizona
In accordance with the President's Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Regulations Implementing the Procedural Provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Coronado National Forest, announces its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate a proposed action to thin dense forests, remove standing dead trees and down woody debris, and use prescribed fire on approximately 3,705 acres in the Pinale[ntilde]o Mountains in Graham County, Arizona, within Townships 8 and 9 South, Ranges 23 and 24 East, Gila and Salt River Meridian. These treatments would be carried out over a 10-year period for the purposes of restoring a fire-adapted ecosystem and aiding in the recovery of the Mount Graham red squirrel population and habitat.
Manti-La Sal National Forest, Utah, EIS for Oil and Gas Leasing
The Manti-La Sal 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 Manti-La Sal National Forest. The Federal Onshore Oil and Gas Leasing Reform Act of 1987 (FOOGLRA) requires the Forest Service to evaluate National Forest System (NFS) 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.
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