Department of Agriculture September 7, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The USDA Forest Service, together with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), will prepare a joint Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Environmental Impact Report (EIR) in response to applications received from Southern California Edison for construction of a series of transmission system improvements to deliver electricity from new wind energy projects in eastern Kern County. The proposed project would be located in Kern, Los Angeles, and San Bernardino counties. The purpose of the project is to provide the electrical facilities necessary to integrate levels of new wind generation in the Tehachapi Wind Resource Area, and accommodate solar and geothermal projects currently being planned or expected in the future. It would also improve the reliability of the transmission grid in the Antelope Valley and address existing constraints in the transmission system south of the Lugo Substation in Hesperia, California. The Forest Service is the lead Federal agency for the preparation of this EIS/EIR in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and all other applicable federal laws, executive orders, regulations, and direction. The CPUC is the lead State of California agency for the preparation of the EIS/EIR in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), California Public Resource Code Division 13, and all other applicable state laws and regulations. Both agencies have determined an EIS/EIR is needed to effectively analyze the proposal and evaluate impacts. The proposed project involves several types of transmission upgrades, including: (1) Constructing new 500-kV transmission lines; (2) constructing o new single-circuit 220-kV transmission lines; (3) rebuilding existing 220-kV lines to 500-V standards; (4) rebuilding existing single-circuit transmission lines to double-circuit transmission lines; (5) relocating several existing 66-kV subtransmission lines; (6) constructing a new 500-kV substation; and (7) upgrading five existing substations. Approximately 46 miles of the project would be located in a 200- to 400-foot right-of-way on National Forest System land (managed by the Angeles National Forest) and approximately 3 miles would require expanded right-of-way within the Angeles National Forest. The USDA Forest Service and the CPUC invite written comments on the scope of this proposed project. In addition, the agencies give notice of this analysis so that interested and affected individuals are aware of how they may participate and contribute to the final decision.

This rule invites comments on changes to the reporting requirements established under the California pistachio marketing order (order). The order regulates the handling of pistachios grown in California and is administered locally by the Administrative Committee for Pistachios (committee). These changes would modify one existing committee form and add a new form to a currently-approved information collection. The information collected would require handlers to report production and producer data, enabling the committee to obtain better information for preparing its annual marketing policy statement and conducting committee nominations and periodic referenda under the marketing order for California pistachios. This proposal announces the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) intention to request revisions to a currently-approved information collection issued under the order. These changes are intended to enhance the efficient operation of the program.

This rule decreases the assessment rate established for the California Date Administrative Committee (committee) for the 2007-08 and subsequent crop year from $0.95 to $0.75 per hundredweight of dates handled. The committee recommended decreasing the assessment rate to reduce its cash reserve levels. The committee locally administers the marketing order which regulates the handling of dates grown or packed in Riverside County, California. Assessments upon date handlers are used by the committee to fund reasonable and necessary expenses of the program. The crop year begins October 1 and ends September 30. The assessment rate will remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.