Department of Agriculture August 10, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We are adopting as a final rule, with one change, an interim rule that amended the witchweed regulations by adding or removing areas in North Carolina and South Carolina from the list of regulated areas. Based on information provided by the State of South Carolina, this final rule removes one farm from the list of suppressive areas that appeared in the interim rule. This action is necessary to remove restrictions that are no longer necessary on the interstate movement of regulated articles from areas where witchweed has been eradicated.

This decision proposes amending the marketing agreement and order (order) for onions grown in South Texas, and provides growers with the opportunity to vote in a referendum to determine if they favor the changes. The amendments are based on those proposed by the South Texas Onion Committee (committee), which is responsible for local administration of the order. The amendments include: Adding authority to the order to establish supplemental assessment rates on specified containers of onions; authorizing interest and late payment charges on assessments not paid within a prescribed time period; and authorizing the committee to engage in marketing promotion and paid advertising activities. Two additional amendments were proposed by the Department of Agriculture (USDA): Requiring that a continuance referendum be conducted every six years to determine grower support for the order; and, limiting the number of consecutive terms of office a member can serve on the committee. The proposed amendments are intended to improve the operation and functioning of the South Texas onion marketing order program.

This South Gifford Pinchot National Forest Resource Advisory Committee will meet on Thursday, September 6th at the Skamania County Courthouse Annex, 170 NW. Vancouver Ave., Stevenson, Washington. The meeting will begin at 9:30 a.m. and continue until 5 p.m. The purpose of the meeting is to review ongoing Title II and III projects, elect a chair, set an indirect project percentages, and make recommendations on proposals for Title II funding of projects under the Secure Rural Schools and County Self-Determination Act of 2000. All South Gifford Pinchot National Forest Resources Advisory Committee meetings are open to the public. Interested citizens are encouraged to attend. The ``open forum'' provides opportunity for the public to bring issues, concerns, and discussion topics to the Advisory Committee. The ``open forum'' is scheduled to occur at 9:45 a.m. on September 6, 2007. Interested speakers will need to register prior to the open forum period. The committee welcomes the public's written comments on committee business at any time.