Department of Agriculture 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Gallatin National Forest's Gallatin County Resource Advisory Committee will meet in Bozeman, Montana. The committee is meeting as authorized under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act (Pub. L 110-343) and in compliance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The purpose is to hold the first meeting of the newly formed committee.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Forest Service is seeking comments from all interested individuals and organizations on the extension with revision of a currently approved information collection entitled, Volunteer Application for Natural Resources Agencies.

The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (the Act), amends section 231 of the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000, which established the Value-Added Producer Grant Program. This program will be administered by the Rural Business-Cooperative Service. Under the proposed program, grants will be made to help eligible producers of agricultural commodities enter into or expand value-added activities including the development of feasibility studies, business plans, and marketing strategies. The program will also provide working capital for expenses such as implementing an existing viable marketing strategy. The Agency proposes to implement the program to meet the goals and requirements of the Act.

This interim rule establishes the Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program. This interim rule provides technical and financial assistance in the form of loans and grants to qualified Microenterprise Development Organizations (MDOs) to support microentrepreneurs in the development and ongoing success of rural microenterprises.

We are proposing to amend our regulations for the importation of Hass avocados originating in Michoacan, Mexico, into the United States by adding the option to ship avocados to the United States in bulk shipping bins when safeguarding is maintained from the packinghouse to the port of first arrival in the United States and by making it clear that the avocados may be shipped by land, sea, or air. We are also proposing to allow avocados from multiple packinghouses that participate in the avocado export program to be combined into one consignment. We are proposing these actions in response to requests from the Government of Mexico and inquiries from a U.S. maritime port. These actions will allow additional options for shipping Hass avocados from Mexico to the United States and allow Mexican exporters to ship full container or truck loads from multiple packinghouses while continuing to provide an appropriate level of protection against the introduction of plant pests.

The Northern New Mexico Resource Advisory Committee will meet in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The committee is meeting as authorized under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (Pub. L. 110-343) and in compliance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. Appendix 2 Sec. Sec. 1-15, October 6, 1972, as amended 1976, 1980 and 1982). The purpose is to hold the first meeting of the newly formed committee.

This rule would increase the assessment rate established for the Cherry Industry Administrative Board (Board) for the 2010-2011 fiscal period from $0.0066 to $0.0075 per pound of assessable tart cherries. The Board locally administers the marketing order which regulates the handling of tart cherries grown in Michigan, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin. Assessments upon tart cherry handlers are used by the Board to fund reasonable and necessary expenses of the program. The 2010-2011 fiscal period year begins October 1, 2010. The assessment rate would remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.

We are advising the public of our decision to begin issuing permits for the importation into the continental United States of fresh male summer squash flowers from Israel. 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 male summer squash flowers from Israel.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing the availability of a compliance guide on mobile slaughter units. FSIS will post this compliance guide on its Significant Guidance Documents Web page https://www.fsis.usda.gov/Significant_Guidance/index.asp. FSIS encourages those who own or manage mobile slaughter units to avail themselves of this guidance document in meeting the pertinent regulatory requirements. FSIS is also soliciting comments on this compliance guide. The Agency will consider carefully all comments submitted and will revise the guide as warranted.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is seeking comments from all interested individuals and organizations on a revision of a currently approved information collection request. This information collection is necessary to support the procurement of agricultural commodities for domestic nutrition assistance programs. AMS issues invitations to purchase fresh and processed commodities for domestic nutrition assistance programs on a year round basis. The revision to the information collection request is required for the implementation of a new system named Web Based Supply Chain Management (WBSCM) that will allow respondents to submit information electronically. It will replace the existing computer request for information collected with and a similar set of computer requested data in WBSCM. The information collection burden for respondents should not increase.

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 the currently approved information collection used to compile and generate cattle, swine, lamb, and boxed beef market news reports under the Livestock Mandatory Reporting Act of 1999.

The designations of the official agencies listed below will end on December 31, 2010. We are asking persons or governmental agencies interested in providing official services in the areas presently served by these agencies to submit an application for designation. In addition, we are asking for comments on the quality of services provided by the following designated agencies: Columbus Grain Inspection, Inc. (Columbus); Gulf Country Grain Inspection Service, Inc. (Gulf Country); and Northeast Indiana Grain Inspection, Inc. (Northeast Indiana).

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is establishing a new part 417 on nonprocurement debarment and suspension at 2 CFR Chapter 4 that adopts and supplements the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance at 2 CFR part 180 as USDA's policies and procedures for nonprocurement debarment and suspension. Part 417 of 2 CFR replaces the existing USDA implementation of the governmentwide common rule on nonprocurement debarment and suspension at 7 CFR part 3017, and 7 CFR part 3017 is removed. This action also modifies exclusions from covered transactions and codifies a statutory permanent debarment provision. This action also finalizes an earlier proposed rule to eliminate an appeal to a USDA administrative law judge (ALJ) of a suspension or debarment decision. USDA also makes adjustments to its current exclusions from covered transactions. Finally, this interim rule implements Section 14211 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, Public Law 110-246 (7 U.S.C. 2209j), which requires the Secretary to debar permanently from participation in USDA programs those convicted of having knowingly committed fraud in USDA programs.

Due to emergency maintenance issues on May 14, 2010, the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) is extending, by one day, the deadline for submitting Public Notice Requests (PNRs) on pending applications filed under Second Round Notice of Funds Availability (Second Round NOFA) for the Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP), published in the Federal Register at 75 FR 3820 (January 22, 2010). Such technical issues also affected the application window for satellite, rural library broadband, and technical assistance projects under BIP's Request for Proposals (RFP), published in the Federal Register at 75 FR 25185 (May 7, 2010). As a result, PNRs on pending Second Round NOFA applications must be filed by May 24, 2010, at 11:59 p.m. Central Time (CT); and applications for satellite, rural library broadband, and technical assistance projects must be postmarked by June 8, 2010.

The Modoc County Resource Advisory Committee will meet in Alturas, CA. The committee is meeting as authorized under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act (Pub. L. 110-343) and in compliance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The purpose of the meeting is to review Resource Advisory Committee Project Applications.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Forest Service is seeking comments from all interested individuals and organizations on the extension with revision of a currently approved information collection; Financial Information Security Request Form.

The Amador County Resource Advisory Committee will meet in Jackson, California. The committee is meeting as authorized under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act (Pub. L 110- 343) and in compliance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The purpose of the meeting is to develop committee operating guidelines, discuss guidelines for submitting projects, and set the dates for the next meetings.

The Rural Housing Service published a document in the Federal Register on April 27, 2010, announcing that it is soliciting competitive applications under its Housing Preservation Grant program. The set-aside funding for the Rural Economic Area Partnership Zones was excluded from the notice and the listing for the Rural Development Ohio State Office telephone number, and TDD number and West Virginia State

The Ravalli County Resource Advisory Committee will meet in Hamilton, Montana. The purpose of the meeting is to review projects.

The Eleven Point Resource Advisory Committee will meet in Winona, Missouri. The committee is meeting as authorized under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act (Pub. L. 110- 343) and in compliance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The purpose of the meeting is to initiate review of proposed forest management projects so that recommendations may be made to the Forest Service on which should be funded through Title II of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act of 2000, as amended in 2008.

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 and revision to the currently approved information collection Cotton Classing, Testing, and Standards.

We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has prepared an environmental assessment relative to the control of Asian citrus psyllid (Diaphorina citri Kuwayama). The environmental assessment considers the effects of, and alternatives to, the release of an insect, Tamarixia radiata, into the continental United States for use as a biological control agent to reduce the severity of Asian citrus psyllid infestations. We are making the environmental assessment available to the public for review and comment.

This notice announces the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration's (GIPSA) intention to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for an extension of a currently approved information collection in support of the reporting and recordkeeping requirements under the ``Clear Title'' regulations as authorized by section 1324 of the Food Security Act of 1985, as amended (Act). This approval is required under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA).