Department of Agriculture December 19, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We are advising the public that we are making available for review and comment a Business Plan to Advance Animal Disease Traceability. The Business Plan details recommended strategies and actions to enable existing State and Federal regulated and voluntary animal health programs, industry-administered management and marketing programs, and various animal identification methods to work in harmony with the National Animal Identification System.

We are amending the regulations to increase the user fees for the veterinary diagnostic services to reflect changes in our operating costs and expenses. We are also setting rates for multiple fiscal years. These actions are necessary to ensure that we recover the actual costs of providing these services. We are also providing for a reasonable balance, or reserve, in the veterinary diagnostics user fee account. The Food, Agriculture, and Conservation Act of 1990, as amended, authorizes us to set and collect these user fees.

On November 28, 2007, the USDA Forest Service announced its intent to prepare a travel planning environmental impact statement (EIS). The proposed action would designate a site-specific transportation system and prohibit indiscriminate cross-country traffic. The EIS will analyze the effects of the proposed action and alternatives. This Revised Notice is being published because the due date for scoping comments has been extended to January 11, 2008. The Clearwater National Forest invites comments and suggestions on the issues to be addressed. The agency gives notice of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis and decision-making process on the proposal so interested and affected members of the public may participate and contribute to the final decision.