Department of Agriculture September 18, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

On July 25, 2008, the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, proposed to establish a State-specific rule to provide management direction for conserving Colorado roadless areas (73 FR 43544). This proposed rule is estimated to have more than $100,000,000 of economic impact. The proposed rule would satisfy the economic impact and subject matter criteria of 7 U.S.C. 2204e and thus requires a regulatory risk assessment. The Forest Service is seeking comment on the assessment. A copy of the Regulatory Risk Assessment is available at the national roadless Web site https://www.roadless.fs.fed.us.

We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has prepared an environmental assessment concerning authorization to ship for the purpose of field testing, and then to field test, an unlicensed Rabies Vaccine, Live Raccoon Poxvirus Vector. The environmental assessment, which is based on a risk analysis prepared to assess the risks associated with the field testing of this vaccine, examines the potential effects that field testing this veterinary vaccine could have on the quality of the human environment. Based on the risk analysis, we have reached a preliminary determination that field testing this veterinary vaccine will not have a significant impact on the quality of the human environment, and that an environmental impact statement need not be prepared. We intend to authorize shipment of this vaccine for field testing following the close of the comment period for this notice unless new substantial issues bearing on the effects of this action are brought to our attention. We also intend to issue a U.S. Veterinary Biological Product license for this vaccine, provided the field test data support the conclusions of the environmental assessment and the issuance of a finding of no significant impact and the product meets all other requirements for licensing.

We are amending the regulations to remove California from the list of accredited-free States for bovine tuberculosis and reclassify the State as modified accredited advanced. Because two affected cattle herds have been detected in California since November 2007, the State no longer meets our requirements for accredited-free status. This action is necessary to reduce the likelihood of the spread of bovine tuberculosis within the United States.

We are amending the regulations concerning the interstate movement of animals to limit the use of the animal identification number (AIN) with the 840 prefix to animals born in the United States. In addition, we are extending the restrictions on the removal of official identification devices to include devices applied to imported animals in their countries of origin. We are also requiring that if such a device is lost following importation into the United States, the animal may only be retagged with an official identification device using a numbering system other than an AIN beginning with an 840 prefix. These requirements are necessary to enhance our traceback capabilities for both domestic and imported animals in the event of a disease outbreak.

This final rule amends the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (National List) to reflect one recommendation submitted to the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary) by the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) on May 22, 2008. Consistent with the recommendation from the NOSB, this final rule revises the annotation of one substance on the National List, Methionine, to extend its use in organic poultry production until October 1, 2010.