Department of Agriculture 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) finalizes the Common Crop Insurance Regulations, Arizona-California Citrus Crop Insurance Provisions. The intended effect of this action is to provide policy changes and clarify existing policy provisions to better meet the needs of insured producers, and to reduce vulnerability to program fraud, waste, and abuse. The changes will be effective for the 2015 and succeeding crop years.

A large portion of the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests (GMUG) has experienced mortality from insects and diseases over the past decade. The purpose of the project is to proactively and adaptively respond to declining forest vegetation conditions. The approach is to actively manage vegetation consistent with the goals outlined in the Western Bark Beetle Strategy (July 2011) including: Promoting recovery from the insect outbreak, improving the resiliency of green stands to future disturbances and providing for human safety. Treatments would be carried out on National Forest System (NFS) Lands within the scope of direction provided in the GMUG Revised Land and Resource Management Plan.

This document directs that a referendum be conducted among eligible producers of Vidalia onions grown in Georgia to determine whether they favor continuance of the marketing order that regulates the handling of Vidalia onions produced in the production area.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) has revised eight United States Standards for Grades of Frozen Vegetables. This revision replaces dual grade nomenclature with single letter grade designations. ``U.S. Grade A'' (or ``U.S. Fancy''), ``U.S. Grade B'' (or ``U.S. Extra Standard''), and ``U.S. Grade C'' (or ``U.S. Standard'') become ``U.S. Grade A,'' ``U.S. Grade B,'' and ``U.S. Grade C,'' respectively. This change conforms to recent changes in other grade standards. AMS has also updated contact information for obtaining copies of the grade standards and color standards. These changes bring these grade standards in line with the present quality levels being marketed today and provide guidance in the effective use of these products. The grade standards covered by these revisions are: frozen asparagus, frozen lima beans, frozen speckled butter beans, frozen cooked squash, frozen summer squash, frozen sweetpotatoes, frozen turnip greens with turnips, and frozen mixed vegetables.

The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) announces the intent to purchase raw cane sugar to be offered in exchange for Refined Sugar Re- export Program credits as a follow-up to the notice of sugar purchase and exchange for Re-export Program credits published in the Federal Register on June 18, 2013 (78 FR 36508-36510). CCC will purchase the sugar from domestic sugarcane processors under the Cost Reduction Options of the Food Security Act of 1985, and concurrently exchange such sugar for credits under the Refined Sugar Re-export Program.

The Office of the Chief Scientist of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announces a Plant Breeding Listening Session stakeholder meeting for all interested plant breeding and cultivar development stakeholders.

The Conejos Peak Ranger District, Rio Grande National Forest, proposes to salvage timber stands killed or infested by spruce beetles; reduce fuel loading, particularly adjacent to private lands; cut potential hazard trees along private property, roads, and other infrastructure; and regenerate forested acres, as needed, to move toward the long-term desired conditions described in the Forest Plan.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment on this proposed information collection. This is a new collection for Enhancing Completion Rates for SNAP Quality Control Reviews.

This notice announces the annual adjustments to the national average payment rates for meals and snacks served in child care centers, outside-school-hours care centers, at-risk afterschool care centers, and adult day care centers; the food service payment rates for meals and snacks served in day care homes; and the administrative reimbursement rates for sponsoring organizations of day care homes, to reflect changes in the Consumer Price Index. Further adjustments are made to these rates to reflect the higher costs of providing meals in the States of Alaska and Hawaii. The adjustments contained in this notice are made on an annual basis each July, as required by the laws and regulations governing the Child and Adult Care Food Program.

We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has prepared a preliminary determination regarding a request from GENECTIVE SA, seeking a determination of nonregulated status of maize designated as VCO-01981-5, which has been genetically engineered for resistance to the herbicide glyphosate. We are also making available for public review our plant pest risk assessment, environmental assessment, and preliminary finding of no significant impact for the preliminary determination of nonregulated status.

We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has prepared a preliminary determination regarding a request from the Monsanto Company seeking a determination of nonregulated status of maize designated as MON 87427, which has been genetically engineered with tissue-selective resistance to glyphosate in order to facilitate the production of hybrid maize seed. We are also making available for public review our plant pest risk assessment, environmental assessment, and preliminary finding of no significant impact for the preliminary determination of nonregulated status.

The Education Coordinating Committee, a body of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Science Council announces an Education Listening Session stakeholder meeting for all interested agricultural education stakeholders.