Department of Agriculture August 21, 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Agricultural Air Quality Task Force (AAQTF) will meet to continue discussions on air quality issues relating to agriculture.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), through the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), published in the Federal Register of January 21, 2009, an interim final rule with request for comment amending the program regulations for the Grassland Reserve Program (GRP) to incorporate programmatic changes authorized by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (2008 Act) using Regulation Identification Number (RIN) 0578-AA38. This amendment to the January 21, 2009, interim final rule corrects the RIN to read 0578-AA53, clarifies the nature of the contingent right of enforcement, expands its discussion regarding GRP policy for wind and solar power facilities, and requests comment on how GRP can be used to contribute to the Nation's efforts on energy, climate change, and carbon sequestration. Additionally, USDA seeks public input on the January 21, 2009, interim final rule, as amended. Therefore, USDA reopens the public comment period upon publication of this amendment until September 21, 2009.

We are advising the public that a National Aquatic Animal Health Plan (NAAHP) for the United States is being made available for public review and comment. The NAAHP was developed by a Task Force led by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the U.S. Department Agriculture, the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) of the U.S. Department of the Interior, and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce. It is anticipated that this plan will provide a framework for how APHIS, FWS, and NMFS should develop programs for diseases that affect the health of aquatic animals such as finfish, crustaceans, and mollusks.