Department of Agriculture June 30, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice informs the public that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in Fiscal Year 2006 established a demonstration Rural Development Voucher Program, as authorized under Section 542 of the Housing Act of 1949 as amended, (without regard to Section 542(b)). This notice informs the public that funding is available for the Rural Development Voucher Program. The notice also sets forth the general policies and procedures for use of these vouchers for Fiscal Year 2011. Pursuant to the requirements in the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010, Public Law 111-80 (October 16, 2009) and the Department of Defense and full-year continuing Appropriations Act, 2011 Public Law 112-10 (April 15, 2011), Rural Development Vouchers are only available to low income tenants of Rural Development-financed multifamily properties where the Section 515 loan has been prepaid, either through prepayment or a foreclosure action, prior to the loan's maturity date and after September 30, 2005.

The Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 amended the Lacey Act to provide, among other things, that importers submit a declaration at the time of importation for certain plants and plant products. The declaration requirements of the Lacey Act became effective on December 15, 2008, and enforcement of those requirements is being phased in. We are soliciting public comment on regulatory options that could address certain issues that have arisen with the implementation of the declaration requirement. These options include establishing certain exceptions to the declaration requirement and modifying the Declaration Form PPQ 505 to simplify the collection of information.

As directed by the National Forest Management Act (NFMA), the USDA Forest Service is preparing the Colville, and Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forests revised land management plans and will also prepare an EIS for these revised plans. A Notice of Intent to revise the Colville, Okanogan, and Wenatchee forest plans was published in the Federal Register on March 9, 2004. That Notice also stated our intent to later publish a Notice to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement. This notice briefly describes the purpose and need, the proposed action, the scoping process for the plan revisions (including any scoping meetings), information concerning public participation, estimated dates for filing the EIS and provides the names and addresses of the responsible agency official and the individuals who can provide additional information. This notice also briefly describes the applicable planning rule. The revised land management plans will replace the land management plans previously approved by the Regional Forester. The Colville National Forest land management plan was signed on December 29, 1989, and has been amended 39 times. The Okanogan National Forest land management plan was signed on December 29, 1989, and has been amended 51 times. The Wenatchee National Forest land management plan was signed on March 2 1990, and has been amended 27 times. Most forest plan amendments are project-specific amendments and apply to that project only. Some amendments incorporated new management direction for specific resource areas, such as invasive weeds. Five amendments were incorporated into all the forest plans by the Regional Forester. The land management plans for the Okanogan National Forest and the Wenatchee National Forest were amended by the 1994 Northwest Forest Plan to incorporate standards and guidelines for management of habitat for late-successional and old-growth associated species within the range of the northern spotted owl and an aquatic conservation strategy to maintain and restore the ecological health of watersheds and aquatic ecosystems. These amendments included direction for managing streams and riparian areas, old growth forests, and treatment of invasive species. These amended plans will remain in effect until the revision takes effect. The Okanogan and Wenatchee National Forests were administratively combined in 2000; they will have a single forest plan.