Department of Agriculture 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The mountain pine beetle epidemic is continuing to cause large areas of mortality to lodgepole pine throughout the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests. Adjacent private lands are experiencing mortality along shared boundaries and an increasing number of homeowner associations are taking preventive steps to provide defensible space around their properties and reduce overhead hazard trees.

Pursuant to the authorities in the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463) and under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act of 2000 (Pub. L. 106-393), the Salmon-Challis National Forest's Central Idaho Resource Advisory Committee will conduct a business meeting which is open to the public.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Leasing and Underground Mining of the Greens Hollow Coal Lease Tract, Sanpete and Sevier Counties, Utah and by this Notice is announcing the opening of the comment period.

The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) is amending regulations as required by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (the 2008 Farm Bill) to administer the sugar loan and sugar marketing allotment program through 2012. The 2008 Farm Bill generally extends the existing sugar program with some changes, including new loan rates for raw cane sugar and beet sugar, new provisions to guarantee domestic suppliers an 85 percent market share, and revised procedures for granting new allocations for new entrants.

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 related to peer review of scientific information disseminated to the public by the Agency.

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 the bovine tuberculosis regulations.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App 2, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announces a meeting of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board.

We are amending the swine health protection regulations to clarify the applicability of the regulations regarding the treatment of garbage that consists of industrially processed materials. This interim rule makes clear that such materials are subject to the same treatment requirements as other regulated garbage, except for materials that meet the definition of processed product that we are adding to the regulations. This action is necessary to ensure that garbage fed to swine has been treated to inactivate disease organisms that pose a risk to the U.S. swine industry.

The Eastern Washington Cascades Provincial Advisory Committee and the Yakima Provincial Advisory Committee will meet on Thursday, April 23, 2009 at the Sunnyslope Fire Station, 206 Easy Street, Wenatchee, WA and on May 27 at the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest Headquarters office, 215 Melody Lane, Wenatchee, WA. Both meetings will begin at 9 a.m. and continue until 3 p.m. During the April 23, 2009 meeting, Provincial Advisory Committee members will receive information about Lynx habitat studies, livestock grazing permit system, motorized law enforcement program, and volunteer work on the forest. During the May 27, 2009 meeting information will be shared about the Forest's Travel Management plan and process. All Eastern Washington Cascades and Yakima Province Advisory Committee meetings are open to the public.

Pursuant to the authorities in the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463) and under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (Pub. L. 110-343) the Nez Perce and Clearwater National Forests' North Central Idaho Resource Advisory Committee will meet Wednesday, April 22, 2009, in Lewiston, Idaho for a business meeting. The meeting is open to the public.

The National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council will meet in Cincinnati, Ohio, May 6-7, 2009. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss emerging issues in urban and community forestry and hear public input related to urban and community forestry.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended), the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) invites comments on this information collection for which RUS intends to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended), the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) invites comments on this information collection for which it intends to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipient claims are established and collected against households that receive more benefits than they are entitled to receive. This rulemaking corrects and clarifies provisions of the final rule on recipient claims published at 65 FR 41752, July 6, 2000. The purposes of this proposed rulemaking are to remove a definition and several provisions that were made obsolete by the final rule; correct the typographical errors; correct the omission of the requirement that a copy of the claims management plan be submitted to the FNS Regional Office for informational purposes; reinforce current practices and requirements in the areas of fair hearings, fees, due dates, delinquent claims, retention, claim referrals, negligence and fraud; make conforming changes needed as a result of a subsequent rulemaking pertaining to a sponsor's responsibility for overissuances of an alien household; and to remove an overpayment exception that is no longer applicable to the program.

The Research, Education, and Extension Office (REEO) of the Research, Education, and Economics (REE) Mission Area of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) is requesting written stakeholder input on the preparation of a roadmap for agricultural research, education, and extension at USDA. The preparation of the Roadmap is mandated by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act (FCEA) of 2008. By this notice, the Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics has been designated to act on behalf of the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary) in soliciting public comment from interested parties regarding the preparation of the Roadmap.

The Farm Service Agency (FSA), on behalf of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), is holding public meetings to solicit comments on the Farm Storage Facility Loan (FSFL) Program. The comments received at the public meetings will be considered in the development and preparation of a Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) for FSFL. The purpose of the PEA is to assist in providing USDA decision- makers and the public with an analysis of the environmental benefits and potential impacts associated with implementing various changes to FSFL consistent with the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 (the 2008 Farm Bill). CCC administers the FSFL program and is now conducting a comprehensive review of the current policies, achievements, and potential future program changes. The meetings provide an opportunity for the public to voice any concerns they may have about the program and any ideas for improving it in the future consistent with the 2008 Farm Bill.

We are amending the regulations regarding the interstate movement of animals to add sheep and goats to the approved livestock facility agreement. Livestock facilities that handle sheep and goats in interstate commerce must meet the requirements for approval including complying with this agreement to utilize certain provisions in our scrapie regulations that reduce the movement requirements for sheep and goats moving to or from these establishments. Such facilities may include stockyards, livestock markets, buying stations, concentration points, or any other premises where sheep and goats in interstate commerce are assembled. Our approval will be contingent on the facility operator meeting certain minimum standards and other conditions related to the receipt, handling, and release of sheep and goats at the facility, as well as complying with certain animal identification and recordkeeping requirements. These standards and other conditions will serve, in part, to support our regulations relating to the interstate movement of sheep and goats in order to control the spread of scrapie, a serious disease of sheep and goats.

We are proposing further amendments that would establish a herd certification program to eliminate chronic wasting disease from farmed or captive cervids in the United States. Under the 2006 Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) rule, participating deer, elk, and moose herds would have to follow CWD Herd Certification Program requirements for animal identification, testing, herd management, and movement of animals into and from herds. This document proposes additional changes to the program regarding recognition of State bans on the entry of farmed or captive cervids for reasons unrelated to CWD, the number of years an animal must be monitored for CWD before it may move interstate, interstate movement of cervids that originated from herds in proximity to a CWD outbreak, herd inventory procedures, and several other matters. These actions are intended to help eliminate CWD from the farmed or captive cervid herds in the United States.

The Tahoe National Forest is proposing to charge a new fee at one developed recreation site. Fees are assessed based on the level of amenities and services provided, cost of operation and maintenance, market assessment, and public comment. The fee listed is only proposed and final determination will be made upon further analysis and public comment. Funds from the fee would be used for the operation and maintenance of this recreation site.

We are proposing to amend the regulations to add the Republic of Korea to the list of regions that are considered free of rinderpest and foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). We are taking this action because we have conducted an evaluation and determined that the Republic of Korea is free of rinderpest and FMD. We are also proposing to add the Republic of Korea to the list of regions that are subject to certain import restrictions on meat and meat products because of their proximity to or trading relationships with rinderpest- or FMD-affected countries. These actions would update the disease status of the Republic of Korea with regard to rinderpest and FMD while continuing to protect the United States from an introduction of those diseases by providing additional requirements for meat and other animal products imported into the United States from the Republic of Korea.

This final rule establishes regulations for seasons, harvest limits, methods, and means related to taking of fish for subsistence uses during the 2009-10 and 2010-11 regulatory years. The Federal Subsistence Board completes the biennial process of revising subsistence fishing and shellfishing regulations in odd- numbered years and subsistence hunting and trapping regulations in even-numbered years; public proposal and review processes take place

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC), operating through the Risk Management Agency (RMA), announces the availability of approximately $900,000 (subject to availability of funds) for Commodity Partnerships for Small Agricultural Risk Management Education Sessions (the Commodity Partnerships Small Sessions Program). The purpose of this cooperative partnership agreement program is to deliver training and information in the management of production, marketing, and financial risk to U.S. agricultural producers. The program gives priority to educating producers of crops currently not insured under Federal crop insurance, specialty crops, and underserved commodities, including livestock and forage. A maximum of 90 cooperative partnership agreements will be funded, with no more than nine in each of the ten designated RMA Regions. The maximum award for any cooperative partnership agreement will be $10,000. Awardees must demonstrate non- financial benefits from a cooperative partnership agreement and must agree to the substantial involvement of RMA in the project. Funding availability for this program may be announced at approximately the same time as funding availability for similar but separate programs CFDA No. 10.455 (Community Outreach and Assistance Partnerships), and CFDA No. 10.458 (Crop Insurance Education in Targeted States). Prospective applicants should carefully examine and compare the notices for each program.

This rule finalizes regulations to administer the Specialty Crop Block Grant ProgramFarm Bill (SCBGP-FB) to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops. This action finalizes eligibility and application requirements and grant administration procedures for the SCBGP-FB consistent with the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (Farm Bill) amendments to the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004. This program is separate from the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP).

Pursuant to section 102(2) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) subparts 1500- 1508, and 43 CFR subpart 1610.5-5 (Planning Regulations), notice is hereby given that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Grand Staircase- Escalante National Monument intends to prepare an amendment to the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Management Plan (MMP) with an associated environmental impact statement (EIS) in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service as lead agency. The Dixie National Forest published a Notice of Intent in the Federal Register to initiate this proposal on February 21, 2008, but did not include the BLM's Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (GSENM) Notice of Intent into its heading. The publication of this Federal Register notice is to make the public aware that this action also applies to a possible land use plan amendment to the MMP. Discussion of the GSENM amendment was in the body of the original Federal Register notice, but was not evident in the title. The public is now provided a second opportunity to review and provide comments on this possible amendment to the BLM's MMP based on the planning criteria identified in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION below.