Department of Agriculture 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This is a request for proposals for guaranteed loans under the section 538 Guaranteed Rural Rental Housing Program (GRRHP) pursuant to 7 CFR 3565.4 for Fiscal Year (FY) 2011. The Department of Defense and Full Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011 (Pub. L. 112-20) (April 15, 2011) appropriated approximately $31,000,000 to the Agency for FY 2011 funding for the section 538 program. The commitment of program dollars will be made first to approved and complete applications from prior years NOFA, then to applicants of selected responses in the order they are ranked under this NOFA that have fulfilled the necessary requirements for obligation. Expenses incurred in developing applications will be at the applicant's risk. The following paragraphs outline the timeframes, eligibility requirements, lender responsibilities, and the overall response and application processes. Eligible lenders are invited to submit responses for new construction and acquisition with rehabilitation of affordable rural rental housing. The Agency will review responses submitted by eligible lenders, on the lender's letterhead, and signed by both the prospective borrower and lender. Although a complete application is not required in response to this NOFA, eligible lenders may submit a complete application concurrently with the response. Submitting a complete application will not have any effect on the respondent's NOFA response score.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Tongass National Forest will prepare a supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) to a 2008 programmatic environmental impact statement (PEIS) titled Geothermal Leasing in the Western United States. This analysis is needed for consent determination to allow the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to issue three pending leases to a private geothermal developer. These leases encompass much of Bell Island and a portion of the Cleveland Peninsula on the adjacent mainland in the Alexander Archipelago of Southeast Alaska. The agency invites comments and suggestions on the scope of the analysis to be included in the draft SEIS. In addition, the agency gives notice of this environmental analysis and decision making process so that interested and affected people know how they may participate and contribute to the final decision.

The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) announces its Revolving Fund Program (RFP) application window for Fiscal Year (FY) 2011. In addition to announcing the application window, RUS announces the available funding of $496,000 for RFP competitive grants for the fiscal year. The RFP is authorized under section 306(a)(2)(B) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (Con Act), 7 U.S.C. 1926(a)(2)(B). Under the RFP, qualified private, non-profit organizations receive RFP grant funds to establish a lending program for eligible entities. Eligible entities for the revolving loan fund will be the same entities eligible, under paragraph 1 or 2 of Section 306(a) of the Con Act, 7 U.S.C. 1926(a) or (b), to obtain a loan, loan guarantee, or grant from the RUS Water, Waste Disposal and Wastewater loan and grant programs.

We are amending the livestock exportation regulations to eliminate the requirement for pre-export tuberculosis and brucellosis testing of goats and breeding swine intended for export to countries that do not require such tests. This action will facilitate the exportation of goats and breeding swine by eliminating the need to conduct pre-export tuberculosis and brucellosis testing when the receiving country does not require such testing.

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 possession, use, and transfer of biological agents and toxins that have the potential to pose a severe threat to human and animal health, to animal health, to plant health, or to animal products and plant products.

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 to protect endangered species of terrestrial plants and with regulations concerning procedures related to the forfeiture of plants or other property.

The Madera County Resource Advisory Committee will be meeting in North Fork, California on June 15, 2011. The purpose of the meeting will be to update the committee on the status of projects that were recommended for funding at the March 30, 2011 meeting, and to vote on contingency proposals for funding and as authorized under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (Pub. L. 110-343) for expenditure of Payments to States Madera County Title II funds.

The Northern New Mexico Resource Advisory Committee (NNMRAC) will meet in Albuquerque, New Mexico. 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 review agenda, persentation of appointment certificates to RAC members, monitoring report, proposal presentations by proponents (5 minutes), questions from committee members (3 minutes), review and ranking of project proposals by Category Groups, recommendation for funding of projects to Designated Federal Official, set date for next meeting, provide for public comment.

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 Beaverhead- Deerlodge National Forest's Tri-County Resource Advisory Committee will meet on Thursday June 16, 2011, from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m., in Deer Lodge, Montana. The purpose of the meeting is to review funding proposals for Title II funding.

The Forest Service proposed to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Lost River/Lemhi Grazing Allotments on National Forest System lands managed by the Salmon-Challis National Forest. This project has been cancelled. This notice terminates the environmental analysis process for the Lost River/Lemhi Grazing Allotments.

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 Idaho Panhandle Resource Advisory Committee will meet Friday, June 17, 2011, at 9 a.m. in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho for a business meeting. The business meeting is open to the public.

The Lynn Canal/Icy Straits Resource Advisory Committee will hold a teleconference, June 9, 2011. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss metrics and protocol in the decision-making process and review, discuss, evaluate, and prioritize proposed projects acquired to the May 18th deadline.

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 to prevent the introduction of gypsy moth from Canada into noninfested areas of the United States.

We are amending the brucellosis regulations concerning the interstate movement of swine by adding Texas to the list of validated brucellosis-free States. We have determined that Texas meets the criteria for classification as a validated brucellosis-free State. This action relieves certain restrictions on the interstate movement of breeding swine from Texas.

We are proposing to amend the regulations governing the importation of animals and animal products to add Liechtenstein and Switzerland to the region of Europe that we recognize as low risk for classical swine fever (CSF). We are also proposing to add Liechtenstein to the list of regions we consider free from swine vesicular disease (SVD) and to the list of regions considered free from foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and rinderpest. These proposed actions would relieve some restrictions on the importation into the United States of certain animals and animal products from those regions, while continuing to protect against the introduction of CSF, SVD, FMD, and rinderpest into the United States.

The Kisatchie National Forest Resource Advisory Committee will meet in Pineville, Louisiana. 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 Sabine Resource Advisory Committee will meet in Hemphill, Texas. 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 New Title II Project Proposals.

This notice announces the intention of the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) to suspend a currently approved information collection, the Agricultural Labor Survey, and its associated publication.

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 (OMB) for an extension of the currently approved information collection used to compile and generate grain market news reports.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is announcing that sorghum producers voting in a national referendum from February 1, 2011, through February 28, 2011, have approved the continuation of the Sorghum Promotion, Research, and Information Order (Order).

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the intention of the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) to seek reinstatement of an information collection, the 2012 Census of Agriculture.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's intention to initiate Emergency Epidemiologic Investigations, an information collection to support the National Animal Health Monitoring System.

The Fresno County Resource Advisory Committee will be meeting in Prather, California, June 29, 2011 and July 27, 2011. The purpose of these meetings will be to receive progress and monitoring reports from previously funded projects and accept and review project proposals for the next funding cycle.