Department of Agriculture 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the intention of the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) to seek approval to conduct a new information collection, the 2009 On-Farm Renewable Energy Production Survey.

On December 17, 2008, USDA Rural Development published an interim rule with request for comments establishing a unified guaranteed loan platform for the enhanced delivery of four existing Rural Development guaranteed loan programsCommunity Facility; Water and Waste Disposal; Business and Industry; and Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvement Projects. Having considered the comments received on the interim rule and for the reasons explained below, Rural Development is withdrawing the interim rule for Rural Development Guaranteed Loans.

The Eastern Washington Cascades Provincial Advisory Committee and the Yakima Provincial Advisory Committee will meet on October 7, 2009 at the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest Headquarters Office, 215 Melody Lane, Wenatchee, WA. During this meeting information will be shared about the Forest's Travel Management plan and process, the Forest Plan update, and Cabin Users Fee Fairness Act. All Eastern Washington Cascades and Yakima Province Advisory Committee meetings are open to the public.

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).

The Shasta County Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) will meet at the USDA Service Center in Redding, California, on September 24, 2009, from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the Shasta College monitoring program, the project progress report and the Western Shasta RCD proposal. A quorum is not expected in Group C.

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 for permanent, privately owned horse quarantine facilities.

It has been determined by the NRCS State Conservationist for Virginia that changes must be made in the NRCS State Technical Guide specifically in practice standard: 528, Prescribed Grazing. This practice will be used to plan and install conservation practices.

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is adopting, as a final rule, without change, an interim final rule that revised the regulatory period during which minimum grade, size, quality, and maturity requirements are in effect for onions grown in South Texas under Marketing Order No. 959 (order). The interim final rule shortened the regulatory period from March 1 through July 15 to March 1 through June 4. The relaxation in the interim final rule was necessary to enable producers and handlers to compete more effectively in the marketplace.

This rule invites comments on revisions to the nomination procedures and a change to a reporting date under the California date marketing order (order). The order regulates the handling of domestic dates produced or packed in Riverside County, California, and is administered locally by the California Date Administrative Committee (CDAC or committee). This rule would change the method of polling for nominees to the committee and the date on which CDAC Form 6 is due. These changes are expected to assist in the administration of the order by updating and streamlining committee program operations.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing this Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) to assist the Agency in defining the conditions under which it will permit the voluntary claim ``natural'' to be used in the labeling of meat and poultry products. After considering comments on the ``natural'' claim submitted by the public in response to a Federal Register notice that the Agency issued on December 5, 2006, and the comments presented at a public meeting held by the Agency on December 12, 2006, FSIS has decided to solicit additional public input. FSIS has concluded that a further solicitation of comments could produce information that would help to clarify and resolve the issues surrounding the ``natural'' claim. Moreover, additional comment will help FSIS to assess how best to coordinate its regulation of ``natural'' claims with the standards for voluntary marketing claims developed by the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), particularly with AMS's ``naturally raised'' marketing claim standard.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Forest Service is seeking comments from all interested individuals and organizations on the new information collection, ``Secure Rural Schools Act, County Certification of Title III Expenditures.''

This rule implements specific requirements for the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) and the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) authorized by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (2008 Farm Bill). LFP provides payments to eligible livestock producers that have suffered livestock grazing losses due to qualifying drought or fire. For drought, the losses must have occurred on land that is native or improved pastureland with permanent vegetative cover or is planted to a crop planted specifically for grazing for covered livestock due to a qualifying drought during the normal grazing period for the county. For fire, LFP provides payments to eligible livestock producers that have suffered grazing losses on rangeland managed by a Federal agency if the eligible livestock producer is prohibited by the Federal agency from grazing the normal permitted livestock on the managed rangeland due to a qualifying fire. ELAP provides emergency assistance to eligible producers of livestock, honeybees, and farm-raised fish that have losses due to disease, adverse weather, or other conditions, including losses due to blizzards and wildfires, as determined by the Secretary. ELAP assistance is for losses not covered under other Supplemental Agricultural Disaster Assistance Payment programs established by the 2008 Farm Bill, specifically LFP, Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP), and Supplemental Revenue Assistance Program (SURE). Eligible LFP and ELAP losses must have occurred on or after January 1, 2008, and before October 1, 2011. This rule specifies how LFP and ELAP payments are calculated, what losses are eligible, and when producers may apply for payments.

The Forest Service is proposing the Kelsey Peak Timber Sale and Fuelbreak Project to provide timber products to local economies, reduce tree densities, improve watershed conditions and provide defensible space to improve fire protection and human safety. The Kelsey Peak planning area encompasses approximately 19,245 acres; 18,858 acres are National Forest System (NFS) lands and 398 acres are in private ownership. The project would treat approximately 4,789 acres of NFS lands by harvesting timber through thinning on approximately 2,249 acres and create 2,540 acres of fuel corridors.

This is an affirmation by the Department of an interim rule as a final rule, without change amending the WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) regulations to codify three FMNP nondiscretionary provisions mandated in the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004. The three nondiscretionary provisions include the option to authorize roadside stands, a reduction in the required amount of State matching funds, and an increase in the maximum Federal benefit level. These changes are intended to increase State agency flexibility in managing the Program. The first two provisions became effective on October 1, 2004, while the increased maximum Federal FMNP benefit level was effective as of June 30, 2004.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), this notice announces the intention of the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) to request approval for the continuation of information collection necessary to allow USDA customers to securely and confidently share data and receive services electronically. Authority for obtaining information from customers is included in the Freedom to E-File Act, the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (E-SIGN), and the E-Government Act of 2002. Customer information is collected through the USDA eAuthentication Service (eAuth), located at https:// www.eauth.egov.usda.gov. The USDA eAuth provides the public and government businesses with a single sign-on capability for USDA applications, management of user credentials, and verification of identity, authorization, and electronic signatures. USDA's eAuth obtains customer information through an electronic self registration process provided through the eAuth Web site. This voluntary online self registration process enables USDA customers, as well as employees, to obtain accounts as authorized users that will provide single sign-on capability to access USDA Web applications and services via the Internet. The USDA eAuthentication system stems from the Web-based Centralized Authentication and Authorization Facility (WebCAAF), the former USDA authentication system.

On December 15, 2000, the USDA Forest Service published a notice of intent (65 FR 78464-78465) to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) for a proposed invasive plant control project on the Carson and Santa Fe national forests. A draft EIS was completed and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a notice of availability (NOA) in the Federal Register on July 16, 2004 (69 FR 42722). A NOA for the final EIS was published in the Federal Register on November 18, 2005 (70 FR 69967).

The Pacific Northwest Recreation Resource Advisory Committee will meet in Portland, OR. The purpose of the meeting is to review and provide recommendations on recreation fee proposals for facilities and services offered on lands managed by the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management in Oregon and Washington, under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act of 2004.

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).

This rule decreases the assessment rate established for the Prune Marketing Committee (Committee) for the 2009-10 and subsequent crop years from $0.30 to $0.16 per ton of salable dried prunes. The Committee locally administers the marketing order that regulates the handling of dried prunes in California. Assessments upon dried prune handlers are used by the Committee to fund reasonable and necessary expenses of the program. The crop year begins August 1 and ends July 31. The assessment rate will remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.

This final rule amends the marketing order for oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, and tangelos grown in Florida. The amendments were proposed by the Citrus Administrative Committee (committee), which is responsible for local administration of the order. The amendments will modify committee representation by cooperative entities; allow substitute alternates to temporarily represent absent members at committee meetings; authorize the committee to conduct meetings by telephone or other means of communication; and authorize the committee to conduct research and promotion programs, including paid advertising, for fresh Florida citrus. The amendments are intended to improve the operation and administration of the order and provide the industry with additional tools for the marketing of fresh citrus.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is announcing a forthcoming meeting of the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB).

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 for the introduction of organisms and products altered or produced through genetic engineering.

The Rural Business-Cooperative Service published a document in the Federal Register of July 22, 2009, concerning the collection of information.