Department of Agriculture 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest Resource Advisory Committee will conduct a meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah. 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 continue the review of project submittals.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is announcing its intent to establish a Wholesale Pork Reporting Negotiated Rulemaking Committee (Committee). The Committee will attempt to reach consensus on proposed language that AMS will publish as a proposed rule in the Federal Register. The Committee will include representatives of parties who would be affected by a final rule. AMS solicits comments on this initiative and requests interested parties to nominate representatives for membership on the Committee.

The USDA, Forest Service, will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) on a proposed action to promote development of large tree structural conditions and to improve forest health and fuel conditions within the 25,700-acre West Bend planning area. The planning area is located to the west of Bend, Oregon, bounded on the east side by the urban interface of Bend, and on the west by the Bend Watershed Roadless Area. The planning area is entirely within public lands managed by the Deschutes National Forest, except for a 588-acres inholding of privately-owned land. An analysis has been initiated that takes a landscape approach to managing the vegetation to meet objectives for resilient forest, fuels and fire behavior, wildlife habitat, and aesthetics. Methods that would be used to reduce tree density and hazardous fuels are: non-commercial and commercial thinning, mechanical shrub treatment, prescribed burning, arid invasive plant treatment with herbicide. The alternatives will include the proposed action, no action, and, if necessary, additional alternatives that respond to issues generated through the scoping process. The agency will give notice of the full environmental analysis and decision-making process so interested and affected public may participate and contribute to the final decision.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is establishing January 1, 2014, as the uniform compliance date for new meat and poultry product labeling regulations that are issued between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2012. FSIS periodically announces uniform compliance dates for new meat and poultry product labeling regulations to minimize the economic impact of label changes.

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 the Agency intends to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is issuing a final rule for the Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP). This final rule sets forth how NRCS, using the funds, facilities, and authorities of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), will implement WHIP in response to changes made by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (2008 Act). NRCS published an interim final rule with request for comment in the Federal Register on January 16, 2009, an amendment was published on March 12, 2009, with a request for public comment, and another amendment was published on July 15, 2009, with a request for public comment. NRCS is publishing a final rule that addresses the comments received on the interim final rule and to clarify policies to improve program implementation.

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 review 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.

The Big Horn County Resource Advisory Committee will meet in Greybull, Wyoming. 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 second meeting and to vote on initial project proposals.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's intention to request extension of approval of an information collection associated with regulations for the interstate movement of regulated articles to prevent the spread of South American cactus moth.

The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) is amending regulations as required by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (the 2008 Farm Bill) to remove a provision concerning CCC fees for administrative costs to collect commodity assessments. The 2008 Farm Bill prohibits CCC from collecting these fees. As a result of this amendment, CCC, rather than States or commodity associations, will absorb the administrative costs of implementing and modifying commodity assessment collections.

This rule increases the assessment rate established for the California Date Administrative Committee (Committee) for the 2010-11 and subsequent crop years from $0.75 to $1.00 per hundredweight of dates handled. The Committee locally administers the marketing order that regulates the handling of dates grown or packed in Riverside County, California. Assessments upon date handlers are used by the Committee to fund reasonable and necessary expenses of the program. The crop year begins October 1 and ends September 30. The assessment rate will remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.

We are giving notice that the Secretary of Agriculture has reestablished the General Conference Committee of the National Poultry Improvement Plan (Committee) for a 2-year period. The Secretary of Agriculture has determined that the Committee is necessary and in the public interest.

The Ashley Resource Advisory Committee will meet in Vernal, Utah. 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 conduct introductions, finalize guidelines for committee functions, capture, record and provide feedback about preliminary project ideas, discuss project ideas and receive public comment on the meeting subjects and proceedings.

The Nevada and Placer Counties Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) will meet in Nevada City, 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 discuss projects submitted for funding and the expenditure of Title II funds benefiting National Forest System lands in Nevada and Placer Counties.

The Fresno County Resource Advisory Committee will be meeting in Prather, California, January 12, 2011 and in Clovis, California, January 26, 2011. The purpose of the January 12 meeting will be to review new project proposals that were submitted by the January 7, 2011 deadline. The purpose of the meeting on January 26 will be to vote and approve projects to be funded under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (Pub. L. 110-343).

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 Salmon-Challis National Forest's Central Idaho Resource Advisory Committee will conduct a business meeting which is open to the public.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is amending the Federal meat inspection regulations to provide that establishments that slaughter livestock or prepare livestock carcasses and parts may inflate carcasses and parts with air if they develop, implement, and maintain written controls to ensure that the procedure does not cause insanitary conditions or adulterate the product. FSIS is requiring establishments to incorporate these controls into their Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plans or Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (Sanitation SOPs) or other prerequisite programs. In addition, FSIS is amending its regulations to remove the approved methods for inflating livestock carcasses and parts by air and to remove the requirement that establishments submit requests to FSIS for approval of air inflation procedures not listed in the regulations. FSIS is also adding a paragraph in the regulations to make clear that the current prohibition against injecting compressed air into the skulls of cattle remains in force.

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 Kootenai National Forest's Lincoln County Resource Advisory Committee will meet on Wednesday, December 1, 2010 at 6 p.m. at the Forest Supervisor's Office in Libby, Montana for a business meeting. The meeting is open to the public.

The Humboldt Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) will meet in Eureka, California. The committee meeting is authorized under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act (Pub. L. 110- 343) and in compliance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act.

We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has prepared an environmental assessment relative to the control of Arundo donax (giant reed, Carrizo cane). The environmental assessment considers the effects of, and alternatives to, the release of Arundo scale into the continental United States for use as a biological control agent to reduce the severity of Arundo donax infestations. We are making the environmental assessment available to the public for review and comment.