Department of Agriculture March 26, 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is proposing to raise user fees for cotton producers for 2009 crop cotton classification services under the Cotton Statistics and Estimates Act. These user fees also are authorized under the Cotton Standards Act of 1923. The 2008 user fee for this classification service was $2.00 per bale. This proposal would raise the fee for the 2009 crop to $2.20 per bale. The proposed fee and the existing reserve are sufficient to cover the costs of providing classification services, including costs for administration and supervision.

The Siskiyou County Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) will host a workshop for the public in local communities to provide information and expertise to those who may want to submit project proposals to the RAC. Following the time allowed on the agenda for the workshop, the RAC will meet to conduct routine business consistent with the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) finalizes the Common Crop Insurance Regulations Tobacco Crop Provisions. The amended provisions removed the Quota Tobacco Crop Insurance Provisions, and revised the Guaranteed Tobacco Crop Insurance Provisions, and changed the title of the Guaranteed Tobacco Crop Insurance Provisions to Tobacco Crop Insurance Provisions. The intended effect of this action is to provide policy changes and clarify existing policy provisions to better meet the needs of insured producers. The changes will apply for the 2010 and succeeding crop years.

The Colorado Recreation Resource Advisory Committee will tentatively meet in Denver, CO. The purpose of the meeting is to continue to provide the new committee members with the information they need to be effective committee members and review several fee proposals. These fee proposals will tentatively include fee increases for Christmas Tree cutting permits for the Grand Mesa/Uncompahgre/ Gunnison National Forests and the Mud Springs Campground located in the Grand Junction Field Office Area of the BLM. A new fee for the North Fruita Desert Campground also located in the Grand Junction Field Office Area of the BLM will also be reviewed.

This final rule amends the regulations to administer the Food for Progress (FFPr) Program and the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program (McGovern-Dole Program) by making revisions to provide greater clarity with respect to all aspects of the program, with specific emphasis on the eligibility requirements that a participant must meet and the actions that must be undertaken by a participant in order to receive assistance under these programs, including the reports that are filed by program participants with the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS). This final rule also amends the Agriculture Acquisition Regulation (AGAR), to specify the criteria that is used in determining whether a commodity that is procured under these programs and under domestic feeding programs administered by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is considered to be a product of the United States. The purpose of these amendments is to improve the efficiency of the programs and make it clearer to participants what they must do to meet eligibility requirements.