Department of Agriculture May 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Hiawatha East Resource Advisory Committee will meet in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. 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 review 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 an extension of approval of an information collection associated with regulations governing the importation of tomatoes from Spain, Chile, France, Morocco, and Western Sahara.

In a final rule that was published in the Federal Register on December 15, 2009, and effective on January 14, 2010, we amended the regulations governing the importation of animal byproducts to, among other things, provide specific conditions under which deer and other ruminant hides and skins from Mexico could be imported into the United States in order to protect U.S. livestock from the introduction of bovine babesiosis. It was our intent to indicate that deer and ruminant hides and skins from Mexico may not go to an approved establishment upon importation into the United States rather than comply with the specific conditions established in the final rule. This document corrects that error.

This document informs the public of the next meeting of the Secretary's Advisory Committee on Animal Health. In this document, we provide a new date for the July 2011 meeting, which had been scheduled for the previous week. The meeting is being organized by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to discuss matters of animal health, including the pending proposed rule implementing USDA's traceability framework and establishing an aquaculture subcommittee.

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is establishing the regulation for the Agriculture Priorities and Allocations System (APAS). Food is a critical commodity essential to the national defense (including civil emergency preparedness and response). To avoid civilian hardship during national defense emergencies it may be necessary to regulate the production, processing, storage, and wholesale distribution of food. Through the APAS rule, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will respond to requests to place priority ratings on contracts, or orders of agriculture commodities up through the wholesale levels for agriculture production and equipment, allocate resources, and handle food claims as specified in the Defense Production Act (DPA) of 1950, as amended, if the necessity arises. FSA needs to implement this rule to direct the agriculture commodities and resources to areas of hardship or potential hardship due to national emergencies. For example, APAS is designed to use the DPA authority to help ensure that food is available when and where it is needed most, such as after a hurricane or earthquake. In most cases, there is likely to be no economic impact in filling priority orders because it would generally just be changing the timing in which orders are completed.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing its intention to request a new information collection for a tracking survey associated with the upcoming Food Safety Education Campaign. FSIS is giving the public 30 days to respond instead of the normal 60 days because of the need to expeditiously conduct the tracking survey so that the Food Safety Education Campaign will be able to begin in July as planned.

The Ouachita-Ozark Resource Advisory Committee will meet in Waldron, Arkansas. 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 discuss general information, review proposals, review updates on current or completed Title II projects, and to set next meeting agenda.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), this document 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 for the Child Nutrition Labeling Program.

The Tehama County Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) will meet in Red Bluff, California. The committee is authorized under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act (Pub. L. 110-343) (the Act) and operates in compliance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The purpose of the committee is to improve collaborative relationships and to provide advice and recommendations to the Forest Service concerning projects and funding consistent with the title II of the Act. The meeting is open to the public. The purpose of the meeting is to vote on project proposals and to discuss a project monitoring field visit.

The Prince of Wales Resource Advisory Committee will meet in Kasaan, Alaska, June 1, 2011. This meeting will take place of the May 16, 2011 Resource Advisory Committee Meeting. The committee is authorized under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self- Determination Act (Pub. L. 110-343) (the Act) and operates in compliance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The purpose of the committee is to improve collaborative relationships and to provide advice and recommendations to the Forest Service concerning projects and funding consistent with the title II of the Act. The meeting is open to the public. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss potential projects under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self- Determination Act of 2008.

The Manti-La Sal National Forest Resource Advisory Committee will meet in Price, 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 to consider Secure Rural Schools Act Title II project proposals.

The Department of Agriculture, in consultation with the Department of the Interior, intends to re-establish the Provincial Advisory Committees (PACs) for the provinces in California, Oregon, and Washington. This re-establishment is in response to the continued need for the PACs to provide advice on coordinating the implementation of the Record of Decision (ROD) of April 13, 1994, for Management of Habitat for Late-Succession and Old-Growth Forest Related Species within the Range of the Northern Spotted Owl. The PACs also provide advice and recommendations to promote integration and coordination of forest management activities between Federal and non-Federal entities.

The Delta-Bienville Resource Advisory Committee will meet in Forest, Mississippi. 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 and approve project proposals.

The USDA intends to reestablish the National Genetic Resources Advisory (Council). The purpose of the Council is to formulate recommendations on actions and policies for the collections, maintenance, and utilization of genetic resources; to make recommendations for coordination of genetic resources plans of several domestic and international organizations; and to advise the Secretary of Agriculture and the National Genetic Resources Program Director of new and innovative approaches to genetic resources conservation.

The Eastern Arizona Counties will meet in Springerville, Arizona. The committee is authorized under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act (Pub. L. 110-343) (the Act) and operates in compliance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The purpose of the committee is to improve collaborative relationships and to provide advice and recommendations to the Forest Service concerning projects and funding consistent with title II of the Act. The meeting is open to the public. The purpose of the meeting is to review and recommend funding of project proposals.

The Office of Procurement and Property Management (OPPM) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) proposes to establish and implement procedures for the transfer of excess computers or other technical equipment for the purposes of distribution to a city, town, or local government entity in a rural area.

This rule establishes the quantity of spearmint oil produced in the Far West, by class, that handlers may purchase from, or handle on behalf of, producers during the 2011-2012 marketing year, which begins on June 1, 2011. This rule establishes salable quantities and allotment percentages for Class 1 (Scotch) spearmint oil of 694,774 pounds and 34 percent, respectively, and for Class 3 (Native) spearmint oil of 1,012,983 pounds and 44 percent, respectively. The Spearmint Oil Administrative Committee (Committee), the agency responsible for local administration of the marketing order for spearmint oil produced in the Far West, recommended these limitations for the purpose of avoiding extreme fluctuations in supplies and prices to help maintain stability in the spearmint oil market.

The Department of Agriculture is adopting, as a final rule, without change, an interim rule that added an exemption to the marketing order for Oregon-Washington pears that provides for the sale of fresh pears directly to consumers without regard to regulation. For each customer, the interim rule provided an exemption for consumer- direct sales of up to 220 pounds of fresh pears per transaction, for home use only, made directly at orchards, packing facilities, roadside stands, or farmers' markets without regard to the marketing order's assessment, reporting, handling, and inspection requirements. This action is intended to provide increased marketing flexibility to small pear handlers, while facilitating the sale of fresh, local pears directly to consumers.

This proposed rule invites comments on changes to the delinquent assessment requirements in effect under the marketing order for Vidalia onions grown in Georgia (order). The order regulates the handling of Vidalia onions grown in Georgia and is administered locally by the Vidalia Onion Committee (Committee). This rule would establish a late payment charge of 10 percent on unpaid assessments that are 10 days past due and would increase the interest rate applied to delinquent assessments from 1 percent to 1.5 percent per month. This action would improve handler compliance with the assessment and reporting provisions of the order and would help reduce the Committee's collection expenditures.

The West Virginia Resource Advisory Committee will meet in Elkins, West Virginia. 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 for the committee to consider new project proposals .

The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is amending Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) regulations that secure civil rights protections for SNAP households and applicants. The nondiscretionary change complies with an amendment made to the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 which specifically enumerates four statutory protections that must be complied with by State agencies in administering SNAP. This nondiscretionary change to the regulations is not expected to have an implementation impact on SNAP State agencies, as they have been subject to such statutes for several years.

We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has received a petition from Syngenta Biotechnology, Inc., seeking a determination of nonregulated status for cotton designated as event COT67B, which has been genetically engineered to express a protein to protect cotton plants from lepidopteran insect damage. The petition has been submitted in accordance with our regulations concerning the introduction of certain genetically engineered organisms and products. We are soliciting comments on whether this genetically engineered cotton is likely to pose a plant pest risk. We are making available for public comment the Syngenta petition, our plant pest risk assessment, and our draft environmental assessment for the proposed determination of nonregulated status.

We are adopting as a final rule, with one change, an interim rule that amended the plum pox virus (PPV) regulations by removing portions of Adams County, PA, from the list of quarantined areas and by adding portions of Niagara, Orleans, and Wayne Counties, NY, to the list of quarantined areas and restricted the interstate movement of regulated articles from these quarantined areas. The interim rule was necessary to prevent the spread of PPV from the quarantined areas of New York to uninfected areas of the United States and to relieve restrictions in Pennsylvania that are no longer necessary.

The Agricultural Air Quality Task Force (AAQTF) will meet to continue discussions on critical air quality issues in relation to agriculture. Special emphasis will be placed on obtaining a greater understanding about the relationship between agricultural production and air quality. The meeting is open to the public, and a draft agenda is included in this notice.

Notice is hereby given that the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, intends to grant to the Washington State Crop Improvement Association of Pullman, Washington, an exclusive license to the lentil variety named ``Morena.''