Department of Agriculture 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This amendment expands the scope and applicability of the Department's uniform rules of practice governing adjudicatory proceedings to include actions initiated under the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990.

This notice is announcing that the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) will sponsor a public meeting on April 9-10, 2008. The purpose of the meeting is to have a discussion with stakeholders on recent spikes in recalls and illnesses related to Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7, provide updates on FSIS initiatives related to E. coli O157:H7, review perspectives, research progress, and build a foundation for establishing solutions to address the challenges this pathogen causes.

We are proposing to relieve certain restrictions regarding the movement of Hass variety avocados. Specifically, we are proposing to amend our domestic quarantined regulations to provide for the interstate movement of Hass avocados from Mexican fruit fly and sapote fruit fly quarantined areas in the United States with a certificate if the fruit is safeguarded after harvest in accordance with specific measures. We are also proposing to amend our foreign quarantined regulations to remove trapping and bait spray treatment requirements related to Anastrepha spp. fruit flies for imported Hass avocados from Michoacan, Mexico. These actions are warranted in light of research demonstrating the limited host status of Hass avocados to various species of fruit flies in the genus Anastrepha, including Mexican fruit fly and sapote fruit fly. By amending our domestic and foreign quarantined regulations, we would make our domestic and foreign requirements for movement of Hass avocados consistent with each other and would relieve restrictions for Mexican Hass avocado producers. In addition, this action would provide an alternative means for Hass avocados to be moved interstate if the avocados originate from a Mexican fruit fly or sapote fruit fly quarantined area in the United States.

This notice lists the updated quantity trigger levels for products, which may be subject to additional import duties under the safeguard provisions of the WTO Agreement on Agriculture. This notice also includes the relevant period applicable for the trigger levels on each of the listed products.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended), the Rural Utilities Service an agency delivering the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Utilities Programs, invites comments on this information collection for which approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) will be requested.

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 to prevent the interstate spread of plant pests from Hawaii and U.S. territories.

The Klamath National Forest will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) to document and publicly disclose the environmental effects of implementing mechanical, manual, and prescribed burn treatments in the Eddy Gulch Late-Successional Reserve (LSR).

The South Tahoe Greenway Shared-Use Trail is a California Tahoe Conservancy (Conservancy) proposed Class I or better trail that will link Meyers, California to Stateline, Nevada, generally following the former Caltrans U.S. Highway 50 Bypass Corridor. The trail will form the backbone of the bike trail network in South Lake Tahoe and link residential and lodging uses to jobs, schools, shopping, and recreation and community areas. The trail implements specific goals and policies of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA), the USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (USFS), and Conservancy to provide a non-motorized alternative transportation corridor through South Lake Tahoe. Approximately 0.5 mile of the trail corridor will cross National Forest System lands in approximately six locations.

The Rural Housing Service, hereinafter referred to as Housing and Community Facilities Programs (HCFP), announces the availability of housing funds for fiscal year (FY) 2008. This action is taken to comply with 42 U.S.C. 1490p, which requires that HCFP publish in the Federal Register notice of the availability of any housing assistance.

The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS) announces the dollar amount available for grants is up to $300,000 per application for Rural Economic Development Grants with the aggregate amount of grant funds not to exceed $10,000,000 during fiscal year 2008.

The National Forests in Mississippi is proposing new fees for two motorized trails. Rattlesnake Bay ATV Trail is located on the De Soto Ranger District, De Soto National Forest within Perry County, MS. This site has a trailhead with a restroom, designated improved parking, and bulletin board with trail map. This trail is 31 miles long. Bethel Motorcycle Trail is located on the De Soto Ranger District, De Soto National Forest within Harrison County, MS. This site has a trailhead with designated improved parking, picnic tables, grills, and bulletin board with trail map. This trail is 15 miles long. The Forest Service proposes to charge $5 per operator per day for use of these trails. Funds received from these fees would be used for continued operation and maintenance of these trails and would allow additional amenities to be added in the future. The purpose of this notice is to solicit public input on this proposal. Please contact us or provide written comments (contact information below) within 6 months from the date of this publication.

This action announces the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) review of the Pork Promotion, Research, and Consumer Information Program (Program), which is conducted under the Pork Promotion, Research, and Consumer Information Order (Order), under the criteria contained in section 610 of the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA).

We are adopting as a final rule, without change, an interim rule that amended the regulations concerning the importation of animals and animal products by adding Armenia to the list of regions where African swine fever exists. We took that action because outbreaks of African swine fever had been confirmed in various locations in the northern portion of Armenia. The interim rule was necessary to prevent the introduction of African swine fever into the United States.

This rule proposes to amend the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) regulations to implement provisions from the Agriculture Risk Protection Act of 2000, the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2002, and the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2008, that authorize reimbursement to eligible States for a meal (normally a supper) served by at-risk afterschool care programs. The eligible States are Delaware, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. The intent of this proposed rule is to conform CACFP regulations to statutory amendments that provide an additional meal for at-risk children through age 18 who are participating in afterschool programs in the eligible States. The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) implemented the statutory mandates through written policy guidance upon enactment of the statutory provisions.

Business and Cooperative Programs are administered through USDA Rural Development. USDA Rural Development announces the availability of approximately $1.5 million in competitive cooperative agreement funds. USDA Rural Development hereby requests proposals from 1890 Land-Grant Universities and Tuskegee University (1890 Institutions) for competitively awarded cooperative agreements for projects that support USDA Rural Development's goals and objectives of providing technical assistance for business creation in economically challenged rural communities, for educational programs to develop and improve upon the professional skills of rural entrepreneurs, and for outreach and promotion of USDA Rural Development's programs in small rural communities with the greatest economic need. Project proposals must be designed to overcome currently identified economic problems and lead to sustainable economic development. Project proposals that address both traditional and nontraditional business enterprises are encouraged. This initiative seeks to create a working partnership between USDA Rural Development and the 1890 Institutions through cooperative agreements. A cooperative agreement requires substantial involvement of the Government agency in carrying out the objectives of the project. Cooperative agreements will be awarded to the project proposals receiving the highest scores as determined by a peer review panel of USDA employees knowledgeable of the subject matter. Awards will be made to the extent that funds are available. However, USDA Rural Development is making no commitment to fund any particular project proposal or to make a specific number of awards. Eligible applicants must provide matching funds equal to at least 25 percent of the total project costs.

The Hayfork District of the Shasta Trinity National Forest is proposing to use vegetation treatments to improve forest health, reduce risks from fire and provide forest products on approximately 1,658 acres within the upper Salt Creek watershed on the South Fork Management Unit of the Shasta Trinity National Forest. Prescribed treatments are expected to produce approximately 4.8 million board feet or 10,600 hundred cubic feet (ccf) of merchantable sawtimber, and an estimated 4,710 bone dry tons of biomass. The Forest Service will analyze these vegetation treatments within the constraints of the Shasta Trinity National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan, 1995. The proposed Salt project is in Trinity County, 10 air miles south of Hayfork, California and 3 air miles east of Post Mountain, California. The project area is within the Hayfork Adaptive Management Area (AMA), and Management Area 19, Indian Valley/Rattlesnake, of the Shasta-Trinity Land and Resource Management Plan (USFS 1995, p. 4-64 & 65). Treatment areas in T29N, R11W sections 4-9, T29N, R12W sections 1, 2 and 12, T30N, R11W sections 31 and 32, and T30N, R12W sections 25, 26, 35, and 36 M.D.M.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the Farm Service Agency and Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) at Kansas City Commodity Office (KCCO) are seeking comments from all interested individuals and organizations on an extension with revision of a currently approved information collection associated with the Long Term Contracting System. This collection is necessary for the procurement of agricultural commodities by KCCO for domestic feeding programs. Vendors bidding on long-term invitations complete and submit their offers on-line through the Long Term Contracting System (LTCS), which records the system date/time that the offer was submitted and ensures that the data remains secured within the system until bid opening time.

The Ravalli County Resource Advisory Committee will be meeting to review 2007 projects, hold a short public forum (question and answer session), and presentation on Fuel treatment Effects on Fire Behavior. The meeting is being held pursuant to the authorities in the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Public Law 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.

This notice informs the public that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has established a demonstration USDA Rural Development Voucher Program, as authorized under section 542 of the Housing Act of 1949 as amended, (without regard to section 542(b)), which is being administered by the USDA. This notice informs the public that USDA shall make $4,965,000.00 available for this purpose, as appropriated under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008. The notice also sets forth the general policies and procedures for use of these vouchers.

This notice announces that the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) plans to review the Regulations (Other than Rules of Practice) under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act, 1930, as amended, under the criteria contained in section 610 of the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA).

This NEPA analysis began as an environmental assessment in 2006, then as Interdisciplinary Team discussions took place, it was recognized that completion of an environmental impact statement (EIS) would be more appropriate. The project is analyzing the action to continue to permit livestock (domestic sheep and goats) grazing within the North San Juan Sheep and Goat Allotments Analysis Area (hereinafter referred to as the Analysis Area) under an Adaptive Management strategy.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Forest Service is seeking comments from all interested individuals and organizations on the reinstated information collection, National Woodland Owner Survey.

On November 5, 2007, the Federal Register published a Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the North Zone Range 08 Analysis on the Black Hills National Forest (72 FR 62428-62429). The responsible officials for this analysis have decided that the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement is not warranted for this project. An Environmental Assessment will be prepared for the North Zone Range 08 analysis. The responsible officials will document their rationale in a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) to be subsequently prepared. The FONSI will accompany the Decision Notice for this project. The Notice of Intent is hereby cancelled.