Department of Agriculture December 14, 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The purpose of this request for proposals is to solicit proposals from potential partners who seek to enter into partnership agreements with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) through either the Agricultural Water Enhancement Program (AWEP) or the Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative (CCPI) in order to provide assistance to producers who enroll in an eligible conservation program. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is responsible for both AWEP and CCPI. For fiscal year (FY) 2011, applicants are strongly encouraged to use the proposal templates available for download at: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/AWEP/ for AWEP and https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/CCPI/ for CCPI. To request a paper version of either proposal template, partners may send a written request to Gregory K. Johnson, Director, Financial Assistance Programs Division, Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Room 5239 South Building, Washington, DC 20250. Both AWEP and CCPI were established by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (2008 Act). AWEP and CCPI are voluntary conservation initiatives that enable the use of certain conservation programs, combined with resources from eligible partners who have entered into partnership agreements with NRCS, to provide financial and technical assistance to owners and operators of agricultural and nonindustrial private forest lands. Through the FY 2011 AWEP, NRCS will make Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) funds available to eligible producers in approved AWEP project areas. Through the FY 2011 CCPI, NRCS will make EQIP, Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), and Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP) funds available to eligible producers in approved CCPI project areas consistent with the project proposal. CCPI opportunities concerning the Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative will be announced through a separate notice.

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is adopting, as a final rule, with changes, the provisions of an interim rule that suspended, for the 2010-2011 season only, the minimum quality, maturity, pack, marking, and inspection requirements currently prescribed for russet potato varieties under the Washington potato marketing order. The marketing order regulates the handling of Irish potatoes grown in Washington, and is administered locally by the State of Washington Potato Committee (Committee). This rule continues in effect the action that suspended regulation for russet potatoes for the 2010-2011 season and established temporary reporting requirements for russet potato handlers during the suspension. These changes are needed to reduce overall industry expenses and increase net returns to producers and handlers while allowing the industry to explore alternative marketing strategies. Changes to the interim rule clarify that assessment reports are required for russet potatoes handled beginning on July 24, 2010, and restore regulatory text that was inadvertently deleted from the regulation when the interim rule was published.