Department of Agriculture May 13, 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Laramide Resources (USA) Inc. has submitted a Plan of Operations (the Plan) proposing to develop and conduct underground uranium mining operations on their mining claims on La Jara Mesa on the Mount Taylor Ranger District of the Cibola National Forest. La Jara Mesa is located approximately 10 miles northeast of the town of Grants in Cibola County, New Mexico. The mine portal facilities would be located on claims controlled by the applicant on national forest lands at the base of the La Jara Mesa at an elevation of 7,300 feet in the NE\1/4\, Section 15, T12N, R9W, NMPM. The mineralized zones that would be accessed from the portal are located in portions of Sections 1, 2, 11, 12, 13, and 14, T12N, R9W, NMPM. The escape shaft would be located on Forest Service administered lands on top of La Jara Mesa in Section 11, T12N, R9W, NMPM. The Cibola National Forest will prepare an environmental impact statement to assess the development of a uranium exploration and mining operation on the Mount Taylor Ranger District.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (OASCR) is seeking comments from all interested individuals and organizations on a new information collection. This notice announces the OASCR's intention to request approval for a new information collection aimed at standardizing and consolidating the race, ethnicity, sex, national origin, disability and age (RESNODA) data for agencies within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that serve agricultural producers and landowners. This information collection will assist the USDA agencies in the compilation of program application and participation rate data for socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers for programs that serve agricultural producers and landowners. USDA continues to seek ways to improve delivery of program services and benefits, fulfill various civil rights responsibilities, and increase participation for those who are eligible to receive benefits and assistance.

The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP). BCAP is a new program authorized by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (the 2008 Farm Bill). The EIS will assess the potential environmental impacts of alternatives for administration and implementation of BCAP. Through this notice and public meetings, CCC is requesting the public to provide comments and inputs on the preliminary proposed program alternatives and environmental concerns associated with the implementation of BCAP.