Department of Agriculture 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We are advising the public of our decision to begin issuing permits for the importation into the continental United States of fresh false coriander from Panama. Based on the findings of a pest risk analysis, which we made available to the public for review and comment through a previous notice, we believe that the application of one or more designated phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to mitigate the risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or noxious weeds via the importation of fresh false coriander from Panama.

We are giving notice that the Secretary has established the Advisory Committee on Animal Health for a 2-year period. The Secretary is soliciting nominations for membership for this Committee.

We are amending the Asian longhorned beetle regulations by adding a portion of Worcester County, MA, to the list of quarantined areas and restricting the interstate movement of regulated articles from that area. We are also updating the list of regulated articles in order to reflect new information concerning host plants. These actions are necessary to prevent the artificial spread of the Asian longhorned beetle to noninfested areas of the United States.

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 importation of clementines, mandarins, and tangerines from Chile to prevent the introduction of plant pests.

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 Lolo and Kootenai National Forests' Sanders County Resource Advisory Committee will meet on July 22 at 7 p.m. in Thompson Falls, Montana for a business meeting. The meeting is open to the public.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) will maintain user fees for cotton producers for 2010 crop cotton classification services under the Cotton Statistics and Estimates Act at the same level as in 2009. These fees are also authorized under the Cotton Standards Act of 1923. The 2009 crop user fee was $2.20 per bale, and this rule will continue the fee for the 2010 cotton crop at that same level. This fee and the existing reserve are sufficient to cover the costs of providing classification services for the 2010 crop, including costs for administration and supervision.

This notice announces the timeframe to submit pre-applications for section 514 Farm Labor Housing (FLH) loans and section 516 FLH grants for the construction of new off-farm FLH units and related facilities for domestic farm laborers. The intended purpose of these loans and grants is to increase the number of available housing units for domestic farm laborers. This notice describes the method used to distribute funds, the application process, and submission requirements.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), this notice announces the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) intention to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget, for an extension of and revision to the currently approved information collection in support of the Fair and Equitable Tobacco Reform Act of 2004 (U.S.C. Chapter 518), the Rural Development, Food and Drug Administrative, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for 2002 (Appropriations Act), and the Tobacco Inspection Act and Regulations Governing the Tobacco Standards.

The notice announces the Specialty Crop Committee's Stakeholder Listening Session. The document contained the wrong date for the meeting.

This rule specifies regulations to implement the new Reimbursement Transportation Cost Payment (RTCP) Program for geographically disadvantaged farmers and ranchers authorized by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (the 2008 Farm Bill). The purpose of the RTCP Program is to assist farmers and ranchers in Hawaii, Alaska and insular areas who paid to transport either an agricultural commodity or an input used to produce an agricultural commodity. The payments provided by the RTCP Program are intended to offset a portion of the costs of transporting agricultural inputs and products over long distances. This rule specifies eligibility requirements, payment application procedures, and the method for calculating individual payments.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Rural Housing Service's (RHS) intention to request an extension for a currently approved information collection to measure Rural Development implementation of and compliance with the Equal Treatment Rule (7 CFR part 16) and Executive Order (EO) 13279 Equal Protection of the Laws for Faith-Based and Community Organizations.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Farm Service (FSA) is requesting comments from individuals and organizations on an extension with revision of a currently approved information collection that supports Farm Loan Programs (FLP) for the General Program Administration.

The Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest is proposing to begin charging a $5.00 daily user fee or accept the $20 annual user vehicle sticker at the Wanoka Trailhead based upon other Forest Service multiple use trailhead facilities across the Forest. The Wanoka Trailhead on the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest will provide a much needed trailhead facility for the public to utilize to enjoy the motorized and non-motorized trails and routes north and south of US Highway 2. This site will also assist in helping to increase the amount of visitation to the local communities of Ashland, Drummond, Barnes, Cable, Delta, and Iron River. The funds collected at the Wanoka Trailhead will be used for the year round operation and maintenance of this site. People are invited to comment on this proposal.

Notice is hereby given of the intention of NRCS to issue a series of revised conservation practice standards in the National Handbook of Conservation Practices. These standards include: Animal Mortality Facility (Code 316), Critical Area Planting (Code 342), Composting Facility (Code 317), Grazing Land Mechanical Treatment (Code 548), Hedgerow Planting (422), Irrigation Canal or Lateral (Code 320), Irrigation Land Leveling (Code 464), Irrigation System, Surface, and Subsurface (Code 443), Riparian Herbaceous Cover (Code 390), Rock Barrier (Code 555), Roofs and Covers (Code 367), Runoff Management System (Code 570), Shallow Water Development and Management (Code 646), Streambank and Shoreline Protection (Code 580), Upland Wildlife Habitat Management (Code 645), and Wetland Wildlife Habitat Management (Code 644). NRCS State Conservationists who choose to adopt these practices for use within their State will incorporate them into section IV of their respective electronic Field Office Technical Guide. These practices may be used in conservation systems that treat highly erodible land (HEL) or on land determined to be a wetland. Section 343 of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 requires NRCS to make available for public review and comment all proposed revisions to conservation practice standards used to carry out HEL and wetland provisions of the law.

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) (a) announce the availability of the final Report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010 (Report); (b) solicit written comments on the Report; and (c) provide notice of a public meeting to solicit oral comments on the Report.

This final rule amends Marketing Order No. 930 (order), which regulates the handling of tart cherries grown in Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin. The amendments were proposed by the Cherry Industry Administrative Board (Board), which is responsible for local administration of the order. These amendments will: Authorize changing the primary reserve capacity associated with the volume control provisions of the order; authorize establishment of a minimum inventory level at which all remaining product held in reserves would be released to handlers for use as free tonnage; establish an age limitation on product placed into reserves; revise the nomination and election process for handler members on the Board; revise Board membership affiliation requirements; and update order language to more accurately reflect grower and handler participation in the nomination and election process in districts with only one Board representative.

This is a notice to inform the public of upcoming meetings in Salt Lake City, UT, and Fort Worth, TX, to provide an opportunity for stakeholders to offer their input on the new framework being developed for animal disease traceability. The meetings are being organized by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Additional meetings are currently being planned and will be announced in a future notice.

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: Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute Wilderness Visitor Study.

The Agency published a document in the Federal Register of May 28, 2010, establishing a technical and financial assistance program for qualified microenterprise development organizations to support microentrepreneurs in the development and ongoing success of rural microenterprises. This document corrects the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number assigned to the collection of information approved by OMB for the interim rule.

The Tehama County Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) will meet in Red Bluff, California. Agenda items to be covered include: (1) Introductions; (2) approval of minutes; (3) public comment; (4) Chairman's perspective; (5) project presentations; (6) next agenda.

This final decision maintains the current fluid milk product definition's compositional standard of 6.5 percent nonfat milk solids criterion and incorporates an equivalent 2.25 percent true milk protein criterion for determining if a product meets the compositional standard. The decision also determines how milk and milk-derived ingredients should be priced under all Federal milk marketing orders when used in products meeting the fluid milk product definition. The decision provides exemptions for drinkable yogurt products containing at least 20 percent yogurt (by weight), kefir, and products intended to be meal replacements from the fluid milk product definition. The orders as amended are subject to producer approval by referendum before they can be implemented.

The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) and the Western Area Power Administration (Western) have issued a Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed Deer Creek Station project in Brookings and Duel Counties, South Dakota. The Final EIS was prepared pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) (U.S.C. 4231 et seq.) in accordance with the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), RUS's NEPA implementing regulations (7 CFR part 1794), and Western's NEPA implementing regulations (10 CFR part 1021). Western is the lead federal agency as defined at 40 CFR 1501.5; RUS is a cooperating agency. The purpose of the Final EIS is to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of and alternatives to Basin Electric Power Cooperative's (Basin Electric) application for a RUS loan and a Western interconnection agreement to construct the proposed 300 megawatt (MW) Deer Creek Station in Brookings and Deuel Counties, South Dakota (Project). The proposed facility would include a new natural gas-fired combustion turbine set, a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG), and a steam turbine generator set.

The Tuolumne-Mariposa Counties Resource Advisory Committee will meet on June 14, 2010 at the City of Sonora Fire Department, in Sonora, California. The purpose of the meeting is to hear presentations made by project proponents requesting RAC funding.

This rule finalizes provisions of an interim rule entitled ``Food Stamp Program: Non-Discretionary Quality Control Provisions of Title IV of Public Law 107-171'' published on October 16, 2003, and a proposed rule entitled ``Food Stamp Program: Discretionary Quality Control Provisions of Title IV of Public Law 107-171'' published on September 23, 2005. The Food Stamp Program is now referred to as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) pursuant to the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (Act). This final rule codifies the provisions concerning the Quality Control system in Sections 4118 and 4119 of the Food Stamp Reauthorization Act (FSRA) of 2002. This rule finalizes the liability procedures and the deadlines for completing the quality control review process and announcement of error rates established in the interim rule. It eliminates enhanced administrative funding for low error rates, establishes new time frames for completing individual quality control reviews, establishes procedures for resolving liabilities following appeal decisions, revises the negative case review procedures, and provides procedures for households that separate while subject to the penalty for refusal to cooperate with a quality control review. This rule also adopts several policy changes and technical corrections included in the proposed rule. In addition, this rule affects State agencies' quality control review operations and alters the impact on State agencies of assessment and resolution of potential liabilities for excessive payment error rates and awarding of bonuses for superior performance. Households with cases sampled for quality control review of their cases would be minimally affected by this rule.