Department of Agriculture August 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Risk Management Agency (RMA) is issuing this notice to advise the public that we are reopening the comment period to request comments on the script for interviews of Approved Insurance Providers (AIPs), and on the survey instruments for insurance agents and insured producers, for a new information collection ``Federal Crop Insurance Program Delivery Cost Survey and Interviews'' that is currently under review by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The survey instruments will also serve as the scripts for the interviews of insurance agents and insured producers, respectively. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), RMA has previously sought public comment on an information collection request related to a study of Federal crop insurance program delivery costs. As part of the study RMA plans to conduct interviews with AIPs, insurance agents, and insured producers, and conduct surveys of insurance agents and insured producers. RMA will use the information collected from the interviews, surveys, and other information to construct estimates of the reasonable cost of delivery for the Federal crop insurance program. Copies of the AIP interview scripts and survey questions may be obtained by contacting Kent Lanclos by phone at (202) 205-3933, or by email kent.lanclos@rma.usda.gov. To review the Farmers and Agent's surveys you can go to https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/ PRAViewDocument?refnbr=201212-0563-001.

We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has prepared a supplement to an environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact relative to an oral rabies vaccination field trial in New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Vermont, and West Virginia. Based on its finding of no significant impact, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has determined that an environmental impact statement need not be prepared.

The Rural Housing Service published a document in the Federal Register on June 18, 2013, announcing that it is soliciting competitive applications under its Housing Preservation Grant program. The funding available for the Housing Preservation Grant was incorrectly identified in the notice.

This Notice announces the availability of $5,676,077 for competitive grant funds for the Rural Community Development Initiative (RCDI) program through the Rural Housing Service (RHS), an agency within the USDA Rural Development mission area herein referred to as the Agency. Applicants must provide matching funds in an amount at least equal to the Federal grant. These grants will be made to qualified intermediary organizations that will provide financial and technical assistance to recipients to develop their capacity and ability to undertake projects related to housing, community facilities, or community and economic development. This Notice lists the information needed to submit an application for these funds.

This Notice announces the funds available for loans and grants under the Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program (RMAP) pursuant to 7 CFR part 4280, subpart D for fiscal year (FY) 2013.

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 fourth meeting of the CNAFR and will consist of, but not limited to: Hearing public comments; update of USDA programs and activities; and discussion of committee priorities. This meeting will be open to the public.

The Pacific Southwest Recreation Resource Advisory Committe will meet in Sacramento, California. The Committee is authorized under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (REA) (Pub. L. 108-447) and operates in compliance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) (5 U.S.C. App. II). The purpose of the Committee is to provide advice and recommendations to the Secretary regarding recreation fees on lands and waters managed by the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in California. The meeting is open to the public. The purpose of the meeting is review and make recommendations on fee proposals from the Forest Service and BLM.

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 present proposed projects for discussion and approval.

We are proposing to allow, under certain conditions, the importation of commercial consignments of fresh papayas from Peru into the continental United States. The conditions for the importation of papayas from Peru would include requirements for approved production locations; field sanitation; hot water treatment; procedures for packing and shipping the papayas; and fruit fly trapping in papaya production areas. This action would allow for the importation of papayas from Peru while continuing to provide protection against the introduction of quarantine pests into the continental United States.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's intention to request a revision to and extension of approval of an information collection associated with the regulations to prevent the introduction of highly pathogenic avian influenza, all subtypes, and Newcastle disease into the United States through the importation of birds, poultry, and unprocessed bird and poultry products.

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service proposes to add a system of records to its inventory of records systems subject to the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended. The system of records is the Phytosanitary Certificate Issuance and Tracking System, USDA-APHIS-13. This notice is necessary to meet the requirements of the Privacy Act to publish in the Federal Register notice of the existence and character of record systems maintained by the agency.

This rule decreases the assessment rate established for the Washington Cherry Marketing Committee (Committee) for the 2013-2014 and subsequent fiscal periods from $0.18 to $0.15 per ton of sweet cherries handled. The Committee locally administers the marketing order, which regulates the handling of sweet cherries grown in designated counties in Washington. Assessments upon Washington sweet cherry handlers are used by the Committee to fund reasonable and necessary expenses of the program. The fiscal period begins April 1 and ends March 31. The assessment rate will remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.

The Food and Nutrition Service is correcting this notice, which invites the general public and other public agencies to comment on this proposed information collection. This notice was published in the Federal Register on July 26, 2013. This notice corrects where and to whom the comments are to be sent.

This rule makes a technical correction to the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) regulations to clarify that land with use restrictions that prohibit the production of agricultural commodities, typically through an easement or other deed restrictions, is not eligible for re-enrollment in CRP. This is not a new policy and would not have affected any program determinations for recent CRP sign ups, had this change been specified in the regulations at the time. This amendment will improve the regulations by maintaining consistency with longstanding policy. This rule corrects a provision in the current regulations that allows re-enrollment in CRP of land with easements or other deed restrictions that restrict the production of agricultural commodities. A 2003 interim rule inadvertently added that provision through an incorrect cross-reference, but clearly stated in the preamble that the intent was to exclude land with such easements or deed restrictions from re-enrollment. The purpose of CRP is to cost- effectively assist producers in conserving and improving soil, water, wildlife, and other natural resources by converting environmentally- sensitive acreage from the production of agricultural commodities to a long-term vegetative cover.

We are notifying the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has received a petition requesting amendments to the Animal Welfare Act regulations and standards, including to prohibit licensees from allowing individuals, with certain exceptions, from coming into direct or physical contact with big cats, bears, or nonhuman primates of any age, to define the term ``sufficient distance,'' and to prohibit the public handling of young or immature big cats, bears, and nonhuman primates and the separation of such animals from their dams before the species-typical age of weaning absent medical necessity. We are making this petition available to the public and soliciting comments regarding the petition and any additional issues we should take into account as we consider this petition.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA), as amended, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has prepared a Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for the proposed transfer of approximately 70 acres of land and associated buildings at the Kika de la Garza Subtropical Agricultural Research Center (KSARC) from the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in Weslaco, Texas, to The Texas A&M University System (TAMUS). The KSARC is divided into two separate properties, with the main research station located at 2413 East Highway 83, Weslaco, Texas 77840 and a research farm located at 2301 South International Boulevard, Weslaco, Texas 77840. This notice is announcing the opening of a 30-day public comment period.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is seeking comments from all interested individuals and organizations on an extension with a revision of a currently approved information collection that supports Inventory Property Management. The information is used to evaluate applicant requests to purchase inventory property, determine eligibility to lease or purchase inventory property, and ensure the payment of the lease amount or purchase amount associated with the acquisition of inventory property. The revision to the information addresses the increase in the total amount of burden hours expected related to inventory property requests. The increase is due to an approximately 13 percent increase in the number of inventory properties being held by FSA since the previous approval request, and thus a higher number of responses. No additional forms, response actions or time increases were added as part of the revision.

This notice provides information about the final quarterly assessments for the Tobacco Transition Program (TTP). Through the Tobacco Transition Payment Program (TTPP), which is part of the TTP, eligible former tobacco quota holders and tobacco producers receive payments in 10 annual installments in fiscal years (FY) 2005 through 2014. To fund TTPP, the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) collects quarterly assessments from domestic manufacturers and importers of tobacco products. As specified in the Fair and Equitable Tobacco Reform Act of 2004 (FETRA), the Secretary must ensure the final assessment is collected no later than September 30, 2014. Also, as specified in the TTP regulations, the final two calendar quarterly payments are both due to CCC on September 30, 2014. This notice provides information about the final monthly reporting date by domestic manufacturers and importers, the final date for revisions of volume or tax data by domestic manufacturers and importers of tobacco products, and other information about how the assessment part of TTP will be operated in the final months. TTP will continue to operate as specified in existing regulations, which are not changing with this notice.

The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is issuing this affirmation of a final rule, without change, of an interim rule that amended Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) regulations at Sec. 272.1, to permit SNAP State agencies to share information with local educational agencies (LEAs) administering the National School Lunch Program established under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act or the School Breakfast Program established under the Child Nutrition Act of 1966, in order to directly certify the eligibility of school-age children for receipt of free school lunches and breakfasts based on their receipt of SNAP benefits.

This document sets forth the revised appendices to the Dairy Tariff-Rate Import Quota Licensing Regulation for the 2013 quota year reflecting the cumulative annual transfers from Appendix 1 to Appendix 2 for certain dairy product import licenses permanently surrendered by licensees or revoked by the Licensing Authority.

This rule invites comments on changes to handler reporting and grower diversion requirements prescribed under the marketing order for tart cherries grown in the States of Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin (order). The Cherry Industry Administrative Board (Board) locally administers the order. This rule changes the deadline for submitting the handler reserve plan from November 1 to October 1 and extends the deadline for redeeming or transferring grower diversion certificates from November 1 to June 30 of a given crop year. A crop year is the 12-month period beginning on July 1 of any crop year and ending on June 30 of the following year. These changes will provide the industry with a more complete and timely picture of the available supply earlier in the season and give handlers more time and flexibility in meeting their obligations under volume regulation.