Department of Agriculture November 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Council for Native American Farming and Ranching
Document Number: 2012-28938
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-11-30
Agency: Department of Agriculture
This notice announces a forthcoming meeting of The Council for Native American Farming and Ranching (CNAFR) a public advisory committee of the Office of Tribal Relations (OTR). Notice of the meetings are provided in accordance with section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended, (5 U.S.C. Appendix 2). This will be the second meeting of the CNAFR and will consist of, but not limited to: Hearing public comments; update of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) programs and activities; discussion of committee priorities; and the creation of Sub-committees. This meeting will be open to the public.
Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest; Nevada and California Greater Sage Grouse Bi-State Distinct Population Segment Forest Plan Amendment Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
Document Number: 2012-28936
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-11-30
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Forest Service
In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), and the Resources Planning Act of 1974, as amended by the National Forest Management Act 1976 (NFMA), the Forest Service (FS) intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to amend the Toiyabe National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan and the Carson City and Battle Mountain Resource Management Plans. This notice is announcing the beginning of the scoping process to solicit public comments and identify issues. The FS is the lead agency on the EIS. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is participating as a cooperating agency to insure the NEPA can be used to adequately cover their RMP amendment. This analysis will be the basis of three records of decision. The development of this EIS will be coordinated across management units of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, BLM Carson City District, and BLM Battle Mountain District and include areas in western Nevada and eastern California. These management units include the Bridgeport Ranger District and Carson Ranger Districts of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, BLM Carson City and Battle Mountain Districts. These management units include areas identified as habitat for the Greater Sage Grouse Bi- State Distinct Population Segment.
Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request
Document Number: 2012-28834
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-11-28
Agency: Department of Agriculture
Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request
Document Number: 2012-28833
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-11-28
Agency: Department of Agriculture
Electronic Import Inspection Application and Certification of Imported Products and Foreign Establishments; Amendments To Facilitate the Public Health Information System (PHIS) and Other Changes To Import Inspection Regulations
Document Number: 2012-28751
Type: Proposed Rule
Date: 2012-11-27
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service
The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is proposing to amend the meat, poultry, and egg products import regulations to provide for the Agency's Public Health Information System (PHIS) Import Component. The PHIS Import Component, launched on May 29, 2012, provides an electronic alternative to the paper-based import inspection application and imported product foreign inspection and foreign establishment certificate processes. In addition, the Agency is proposing to delete the discontinued ``streamlined'' import inspection procedures for Canadian product and to require Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) at official import inspection establishments. In addition to the proposed regulatory amendments outlined above, FSIS is announcing its intention to discontinue its practice of conducting imported product reinspection based on a foreign government's guarantee to replace a lost or incorrect foreign inspection certificate and is clarifying its policy of addressing imported product that is not presented for reinspection.
Eligibility of the Republic of Korea To Export Poultry Products to the United States
Document Number: 2012-28746
Type: Proposed Rule
Date: 2012-11-27
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service
The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is proposing to add the Republic of Korea (Korea) to the list of countries eligible to export poultry products to the United States. Reviews by FSIS of Korea's laws, regulations, and inspection implementation show that its poultry inspection system requirements are equivalent to the Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA) and its implementing regulations. Under this proposal, slaughtered poultry or parts or other products thereof processed in certified Korean establishments would be eligible for export to the United States. All such products would be subject to re- inspection at United States ports-of-entry by FSIS inspectors.
Solicitation of Input From Stakeholders Regarding the Youth Farm Safety Education and Certification Competitive Grants Program
Document Number: 2012-28522
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-11-26
Agency: Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture
The Youth Farm Safety Education and Certification (YFSEC) program is authorized under Extension Activities, Smith-Lever 3(d) Programs. By this notice, NIFA is designated to act on behalf of the Secretary of Agriculture in soliciting public comment from interested persons regarding program and funding priorities for the Youth Farm Safety Education and Certification Program.
Information Collection; Flathead and McKenzie Rivers and McKenzie National Recreational Trail Visitor Surveys
Document Number: 2012-28511
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-11-26
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Forest Service
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Forest Service is seeking comments from all interested individuals and organizations on an extension with no revisions of a currently approved information collection, Flathead Wild and Scenic River Visitor Survey and McKenzie River Visitor Survey.
Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request
Document Number: 2012-28510
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-11-26
Agency: Department of Agriculture
Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request
Document Number: 2012-28506
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-11-26
Agency: Department of Agriculture
White River National Forest; Eagle County, CO; Vail Mountain Recreation Enhancements Projects EIS
Document Number: 2012-28202
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-11-26
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Forest Service
Vail Mountain Ski Resort (Vail) recently submitted a proposal to the White River National Forest (WRNF) for new and enhanced activities within its Forest Service-administered Special Use Permit (SUP) area. The WRNF has accepted this proposal, and is initiating a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis to document and disclose potential impacts. The Proposed Actionthe Vail Mountain Recreation Enhancements Projectis built on the goal of fostering enhanced opportunities for, and appreciation of, natural resource-based recreation on public lands administered by the WRNF. The proposed projects are designed to take advantage of existing lift and guest service infrastructure across Vail's SUP area and proposed non-ski- based activities are designed to suit a wide range of visitors to the WRNF and the Vail Valley.
Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, Okanogan County, WA; Bannon, Aeneas, Revis, and Tunk Grazing Allotments Environmental Impact Statement
Document Number: 2012-28420
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-11-23
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Forest Service
The USDA Forest Service will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to disclose the environmental effects of issuing Term Grazing Permits to continue authorizing cattle grazing on all or portions of four existing grazing allotments: Bannon, Aeneas, Revis, and Tunk; herein after referred to as BART. The issuance of Term Grazing Permits would continue to authorize grazing at current permitted cattle numbers and seasons of use.
North Slope Federal Subsistence Regional Advisory Council Meeting
Document Number: 2012-28297
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-11-21
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior
This notice informs the public that the North Slope Federal Subsistence Regional Advisory Council (Council) will hold a public meeting by teleconference on December 7, 2013. The public is invited to participate and to provide oral testimony. The purpose of the Council is to provide recommendations and information to the Federal Subsistence Board, to review policies and management plans, and to provide a public forum for subsistence issues.
Bristol Bay Federal Subsistence Regional Advisory Council Meeting
Document Number: 2012-28296
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-11-21
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior
This notice informs the public that the Bristol Bay Federal Subsistence Regional Advisory Council (Council) will hold a public meeting by teleconference on December 3, 2012. The public is invited to participate and to provide oral testimony. The purpose of the Council is to provide recommendations and information to the Federal Subsistence Board, to review policies and management plans, and to provide a public forum for subsistence issues.
Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request
Document Number: 2012-28203
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-11-20
Agency: Department of Agriculture
Designation of Product Categories for Federal Procurement
Document Number: 2012-28045
Type: Rule
Date: 2012-11-19
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Office of Procurement and Property Management
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is amending the Guidelines for Designating Biobased Products for Federal Procurement, to add 12 sections to designate product categories within which biobased products will be afforded Federal procurement preference, as provided for under section 9002 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, as amended by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (referred to in this document as ``section 9002''). USDA is also establishing minimum biobased contents for each of these product categories.
Hispanic-Serving Agricultural Colleges and Universities (HSACU)
Document Number: 2012-27739
Type: Rule
Date: 2012-11-16
Agency: Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture
This rule updates our regulations to show a list of institutions that are granted HSACU certification by the Secretary and are eligible for HSACU programs for the period starting October 1, 2012 and ending September 30, 2013.
Notice of Intent To Request Revision and Extension of a Currently Approved Information Collection
Document Number: 2012-27634
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-11-16
Agency: Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the intention the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) to request revision and extension of a currently approved information collection, the Agricultural Prices Surveys. Revision to burden hours will be needed due to changes in the size of the target population, sampling design, and/or questionnaire length.
Notice of Intent To Request Revision and Extension of a Currently Approved Information Collection
Document Number: 2012-27633
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-11-16
Agency: Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the intention of the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) to request revision and extension of a currently approved information collection, the Vegetable Surveys Program. Revision to burden hours will be needed due to changes in the size of the target population, sampling design, and/or questionnaire length. Some of the vegetable production surveys will incorporate sampling of the total population of producers, while the processing surveys will involve a total enumeration of the entire population. Changes are being made to some of the questionnaires to accommodate changes in the industry and to make the questionnaires easier for the respondent to complete. This should help to reduce respondent burden and improve the overall response rates.
Notice of Intent To Request Revision and Extension of a Currently Approved Information Collection
Document Number: 2012-27632
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-11-16
Agency: Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the intention the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) to request revision and extension of a currently approved information collection, the Cold Storage Survey. Revision to burden hours will be needed due to changes in the size of the target population, expected increases in response rates, and modes of data collection. The questionnaires have had some minor modifications to accommodate changes in the products stored by the industry, and to make the questionnaires easier to complete. The target population for cold storage operators (both mandatory and voluntary samples) will be contacted for this data on a monthly basis. Fruit storage operations are contacted on a monthly basis. The capacity survey is conduced once every other year of all operations with refrigerated storage capacity. Most of these surveys are voluntary; the one exception is for operations that store certain manufactured dairy products that are required by Public Law No. 106-532 and 107-171 to respond.
Community Connect Broadband Grant Program
Document Number: 2012-27631
Type: Proposed Rule
Date: 2012-11-16
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Rural Utilities Service
The Rural Utilities Service (RUS), a Rural Development agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), hereinafter referred to as RUS or the Agency, amends its regulations for the Community-Oriented Connectivity Broadband Grant Program (Community Connect Grant Program). The purpose of this regulatory change is to provide the Agency the ability to target limited resources to geographical as well as technological areas of need. This rule is not applicable to Community Connect grant applications filed for funding prior to the publication of a Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) under this regulation.
Prince of Wales Resource Advisory Committee
Document Number: 2012-27453
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-11-13
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Forest Service
The Prince of Wales Resource Advisory Committee cancelled the Resource Advisory Committee meeting to be held on September 28, 2012. The purpose of this meeting was to discuss potential projects under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2008.
Solicitation of Input From Stakeholders Regarding the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP)
Document Number: 2012-27396
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-11-09
Agency: Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture
The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is soliciting stakeholder input on the administration of the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) authorized under section 1415A of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3151a). The purpose of this program is for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to enter into agreements with veterinarians under which the veterinarians agree to provide, for a specific period of time as identified in the agreement, veterinary services in veterinarian shortage situations. As part of the stakeholder input process, NIFA is inviting comments regarding the current procedures and processes in place for the VMLRP. Input collected will be used to modify and improve processes for subsequent calls of shortage situation nominations and request for applications.
Information Collection Request, Servicing Minor Program Loans
Document Number: 2012-27395
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-11-09
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on an extension of a currently approved information collection to support the FSA Farm Loan Programs (FLP).
Information Collection: Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act
Document Number: 2012-27393
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-11-09
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on the extension of a currently approved information collection associated with the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA) of 1978.
National Organic Program; Periodic Residue Testing
Document Number: 2012-27378
Type: Rule
Date: 2012-11-09
Agency: Agricultural Marketing Service, Department of Agriculture
This final rule clarifies a provision of the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 and the regulations issued thereunder that requires periodic residue testing of organically produced agricultural products by accredited certifying agents. The final rule amends the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Organic Program (NOP) regulations to make clear that accredited certifying agents must conduct periodic residue testing of agricultural products that are to be sold, labeled, or represented as ``100 percent organic,'' ``organic,'' or ``made with organic (specified ingredients or food group(s)).'' The final rule expands the amount of residue testing of organically produced agricultural products by clarifying that sampling and testing are required on a regular basis. The final rule requires that certifying agents, on an annual basis, sample and conduct residue testing from a minimum of five percent of the operations that they certify. This action will help further ensure the integrity of products produced and handled under the NOP regulations.
Sitka Resource Advisory Committee
Document Number: 2012-27272
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-11-09
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Forest Service
The Sitka Resource Advisory Committee will meet in Sitka, Alaska. 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 this meeting, is to nominate a new Chairman, revise charter and discuss monitoring of projects.
Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request
Document Number: 2012-27149
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-11-07
Agency: Department of Agriculture
Cancellation of Indianapolis Grain Inspection & Weighing Service, Inc. Designation; Selection of Interim Provider; Opportunity for Designation in the Indianapolis, IN Area; Correction
Document Number: 2012-27079
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-11-06
Agency: Department of Agriculture
The USDA, Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration published a document in the Federal Register on October 31, 2012, concerning persons or governmental agencies interested in providing official services in the area presently assigned to Indianapolis to submit an application for designation. The document contained an incorrect date.
San Bernardino National Forest, Mountaintop Ranger District, CA, Santa Ana Watershed Hazardous Fuels Reduction and Forest Health Project
Document Number: 2012-27030
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-11-06
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Forest Service
The Mountaintop Ranger District, San Bernardino National Forest proposes to reduce fire risk and improve forest health within approximately 19,850 acres around the Barton Flats area of the upper Santa Ana Watershed under the authority of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act (HFRA) of 2003. To meet the primary purposes of providing for firefighter safety and community protection, it is proposed to create shaded fuelbreaks along private property boundaries adjacent to communities, along roads, and ridge tops that are strategically important as defensible fire-fighting zones. Outside of these fuelbreaks, it is proposed to reduce the potential for stand- replacing wildfire by reducing tree densities and removing excess fuels, while at the same time maintaining essential forest structure required by wildlife. The proposed action includes the long-term maintenance of the treatments proposed to meet the desired conditions.
Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Gulf Coast Pipeline Project
Document Number: 2012-26979
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-11-06
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service
This notice represents the Record of Decision (ROD) regarding the Natural Resources Conservation Service's (NRCS's) decision to subordinate its rights, acquired under the Wetland Reserve Program, to allow the Gulf Coast Segment (Gulf Coast Pipeline Project) of the TransCanada Keystone Pipeline, LP to cross one NRCS held conservation easement in Fannin County, Texas associated with this approximately 480 mile pipeline from Cushing, Oklahoma, to Nederland, Texas. This is in accordance with agency policy CPM-440, Part 514, Circular 7, Infrastructure Policy on Easements, dated September 6, 2007.
Request for Extension and Revision of a Currently Approved Information Collection for the National Farmers Market Questionnaire
Document Number: 2012-26956
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-11-05
Agency: Agricultural Marketing Service, Department of Agriculture
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 National Farmers Market Manager Questionnaire.
Information Collection Activity; Comment Request
Document Number: 2012-26889
Type: Notice
Date: 2012-11-05
Agency: Department of Agriculture, Rural Utilities Service
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 RUS intends to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
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