Department of Agriculture 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is adopting, as a final rule, without change, an interim final rule that modifies the term of office provision of the Mango Promotion, Research, and Information Order (Order) so that the term of office and term limit for the two wholesaler and/or retailer positions of the National Mango Board (Board) be the same as that of other members. Specifically, the amendment modifies the term of office from one year to three years, and modifies the term limit for these positions from a maximum of three consecutive one-year terms to a maximum of two consecutive three-year terms in order to conform to the requirements of the commodity Promotion, Research, and Information Act of 1996 (Act).

This notice invites State and local agencies involved in the administration of The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) and the general public to comment on the intent of the Department to modify the data sources used to calculate the formula for allocating TEFAP commodities and administrative funds among State agencies. Data sources currently used to allocate these resources have been used for a number of years. However, more accurate, reliable, and up-to-date data sources for gauging poverty and unemployment and, ultimately, each State's need for TEFAP commodities and administrative funds, are now available. Therefore, unless comments reveal a significant disadvantage to implementing these changes, the Department intends to allocate TEFAP commodities and administrative funds for fiscal year 2008 using these new data sources.

Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. App., the Agricultural Research Service is requesting nominations for qualified persons to serve as members of the Secretary's Advisory Committee on Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture (AC21). The charge for the AC21 is two-fold: To examine the long-term impacts of biotechnology on the U.S. food and agriculture system and USDA; and to provide guidance to USDA on pressing individual issues, identified by the Office of the Secretary, related to the application of biotechnology in agriculture.

The meeting room is changed for the Forestry Research Advisory Council. The meeting will take place in Berkeley, California, November 15-16, 2007. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss emerging issues in forestry research.

The Forest Service is reopening the comment period for an additional 30 days and invites written comments on this proposed rule. The proposed rule was published in the Federal Register on May 10, 2007 (72 FR 26578), and should be referenced when preparing responses. This proposed rule would allow, if necessary, a criminal citation to be issued for unauthorized mineral operations on National Forest System lands.

The Pacific Southwest Recreation Resource Advisory Committee (Recreation RAC) will hold its first meeting in Sacramento, California. The purpose of this initial meeting is to receive an orientation of the Recreation Enhancement Act, RRAC roles and responsibilities and to develop the process for making recommendations concerning recreation fee proposals on lands managed by the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management in California.

The Ravalli County Resource Advisory Committee will be meeting to choose monitors for the projects that were awarded and a presentation on Education Weed Trunks. The meeting is being held pursuant to the authorities in the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463) and under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self- Determination Act of 2000 (Pub. L. 106-393). The meeting is open to the public.

We are advising the public of our decision to begin issuing permits for the importation into the continental United States of husked, silk-free baby corn from Kenya. Based on the findings of a pest risk analysis, which we made available to the public for review and comment through a previous notice, we believe that the application of one or more designated phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to mitigate the risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or noxious weeds via the importation of husked, silk-free baby corn from Kenya.

We are advising the public of our decision to begin issuing permits for the importation of eggplant and okra from Ghana into all areas of the United States and the importation of peppers from Ghana into the continental United States. Based on the findings of a pest risk analysis, which we made available to the public for review and comment through a previous notice, we believe that the application of one or more designated phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to mitigate the risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or noxious weeds via the importation of eggplant, okra, and peppers from Ghana.

This final rule revises regulations at Title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, part 223, on noncompetitive disposal of timber and other forest products based on the Secretary of Agriculture's determination that extraordinary conditions exist. A notice with request for comment on an interim final rule was published in the Federal Register on June 16, 2006. The Forest Service made appropriate changes to the rule in response to the public comments.

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is adopting, as a final rule, without change, an interim final rule that established final volume regulation percentages for 2006-07 crop Natural (sun-dried) Seedless (NS) raisins covered under the Federal marketing order for California raisins (order). The order regulates the handling of raisins produced from grapes grown in California and is locally administered by the Raisin Administrative Committee (Committee). The volume regulation percentages are 90 percent free and 10 percent reserve. The percentages are intended to help stabilize raisin supplies and prices, and strengthen market conditions.

Notice is hereby given that the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) is extending the public comment period for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Dry Fork Station and Hughes Transmission Line. The Draft 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 parts 1500 through 1508) and RUS regulations (7 CFR part 1794). The Draft EIS is to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of and alternatives to the Basin Electric Power Cooperative, Inc. (Basin Electric) application for a loan guarantee to construct a generation facility referred to as the Dry Fork Station, consisting of a single maximum net 385 Megawatt (MW) unit, at a site near Gillette, Wyoming, along with other proposed pollution controls collectively known as Best Available Control Technology (BACT). In addition, Basin Electric also proposes to construct and operate 136 miles of 230 kilovolt (kV) transmission line in Campbell and Sheridan counties, referred to as the Hughes Transmission Project. Basin Electric is not, however, requesting a loan guarantee from RUS for this action. However, the Hughes Transmission Project is evaluated as a connected action for this EIS because the Dry Fork Station would interconnect with it if the Station is built. The Draft EIS was filed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on August 24, 2007. Requests for extension of public comment periods may be honored per 40 CFR 1506.10. The initial 45-day public comment period was to end on October 15, 2007. With the 30-day extension, the new deadline for public comments is now November 19, 2007.

On August 17, 2006, the Under Secretary of Natural Resources and Environment created the Rose Purchase Unit. This purchase unit comprises 160 acres, more or less, within Calhoun County, Alabama. Establishment of this purchase unit was effective August 17, 2006.

This rule amends the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (National List) regulations to reflect recommendations submitted to the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary) by the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) from November 17, 2005 through October 19, 2006. The amendments addressed in this final rule pertain to the continued exemption (use) and prohibition of 168 substances in organic production and handling. Consistent with the recommendations from the NOSB, this final rule renews 165 exemptions and prohibitions on the National List (along with any restrictive annotations) and removes 3 exemptions from the National List.

The analysis area of 11,855 acres is located in the Upper Greys River watershed on the Greys River Ranger District of the Bridger-Teton National Forest. It is approximately 20 miles southeast of Afton, Wyoming on the west slope of the Wyoming Range. All lands within the 11,855 acre analysis area are National Forest System lands, within Lincoln County, Wyoming. The legal description includes portions of: T30N, R116W and T29N, R116W.

This notice pertains to user fees charged for agricultural quarantine and inspection services provided in connection with certain commercial vessels, commercial trucks, commercial railroad cars, commercial aircraft, and international airline passengers arriving at ports in the customs territory of the United States. The purpose of this notice is to remind the public of the user fees for fiscal year 2008 (October 1, 2007, through September 30, 2008).

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is adopting, as a final rule, without change, an interim final rule which decreased the assessment rate established for the Washington-Oregon Fresh Prune Marketing Committee (Committee) for the 2007-2008 and subsequent fiscal periods from $1.75 to $1.00 per ton of prunes handled. The Committee locally administers the marketing order, which regulates the handling of fresh prunes grown in designated counties in Washington and in Umatilla County, Oregon. Assessments upon fresh prune handlers are used by the Committee to fund reasonable and necessary expenses of the program. The fiscal period begins April 1 and ends March 31. The assessment rate will remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is announcing a forthcoming meeting of the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB).

The Sierra National Forest, Bass Lake Ranger District is proposing to conduct a comprehensive series of treatments centered on a Wildland Urban Intermix area known as the community of Sugar Pine. Strategically Placed Area Treatments (SPLATs) have been initially identified to provide a means to reduce the intensity and spread of wildland fires across the landscape and near communities. Additional treatments within these SPLATs have been identified where forest stands are densely stocked and thinning is needed. This thinning is needed to reduce inter-tree competition and improve tree vigor and increase stand resistance to drought conditions, insect and disease attack. The effects of implementing the treatments called for in the final decision will be studied by the University of California as they relate to fire and fuels, water quality and quantity, wildlife (specifically the Pacific Fisher) and public involvement. Depending on the results of this study, future management actions on other similar ecosystems may be changed. This approach to monitoring and feedback is called Adaptive Management and is a primary reason for the descriptive title.

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 swine health protection program.

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 payment of indemnity for the voluntary depopulation of captive cervid herds known to be affected with chronic wasting disease.

The Forest Service proposes to designate which routes (roads and trails) and areas on federal lands administered by the Forest Service within the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests (Forests) are open to motorized travel. In doing so, the agency will comply with the requirements of the Forest Service 2005 Travel Management Rule. The Forest Service will produce a Motorized Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) that reveals those routes and areas on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests that are open to motorized travel. The MVUM will be the primary tool used to determine compliance and enforcement with motor vehicle use designations on the ground. Existing routes, user-created routes and areas not designated as open on the MVUM will be legally closed to motorized travel except as allowed by permit or other authorization. Cross-country motorized travel will be prohibited except by special permit. The decisions on motorized travel do not include over-snow travel or existing winter-use recreation.