Department of Agriculture December 29, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This rule implements the provisions of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (the 2008 Farm Bill) regarding the direct and counter-cyclical payment program (DCP) for the 2008 through 2012 crop years as well as Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) program payments for the 2009 through 2012 crop years. The 2008 Farm Bill further authorizes payments, with some changes, that were previously authorized under the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (the 2002 Farm Bill) regarding direct and counter-cyclical payments for the crop years 2002 through 2007. The payments provide income support to producers of eligible commodities and are based on historically-based acreage and yields and do not depend on the current production choices of the farmer. In general, the 2008 Farm Bill provides payments to eligible producers of covered commodities and peanuts and beginning in 2009, pulse crops as well. Additionally, the 2008 Farm Bill provides for the establishment of a yield for each farm for any designated oilseed or eligible pulse crop for which a payment yield was not established under the 2002 Farm Bill.

This Notice is to invite applications for loans and grants under the Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant (REDLG) program pursuant to 7 CFR part 4280, subpart A for fiscal year (FY) 2009 subject to the availability of funding. Funding to support $35.8 million in loans and $10 million in grants is currently available. The commitment of program dollars will be made to applicants of selected responses that have fulfilled the necessary requirements for obligation. Expenses incurred in developing applications will be at the applicant's risk.

The Department is issuing this final rule to regulate the sustainable free use, commercial harvest, and sale of special forest products and forest botanical products from National Forest System lands. The rule is needed to promote sustainability in light of the increased public demands for both timber and non-timber special forest products and forest botanical products over the past 10 years. In many cases, these demands are challenging sustainability, particularly in the most heavily used parts of the National Forest System. This rule will help ensure the continued sustainability of special forest products and forest botanical products. The rule also revises 36 CFR 261.6 to reflect new free use and personal use authorizations for special forest products and forest botanical products and to specify the types of contractual documents currently used by the Forest Service. In addition, the Forest Service made minor textual clarifications to section 261.6.