Department of Agriculture March 28, 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Agricultural Act of 2014 (referred to as the 2014 Farm Bill) extends the authorization, with some changes, of many Farm Service Agency (FSA) programs and Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) programs administered by FSA. This document announces to producers the continuation of the following programs and notes specific changes as mandated by the 2014 Farm Bill: The 2014 crop Marketing Assistance Loans (MAL), Loan Deficiency Payments (LDP), Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP), Sugar Program, Milk Income Loss Contract Program (MILC), and Dairy Indemnity Payment Program (DIPP). The 2014 Farm Bill also continues, with modifications, the Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) eligibility provisions and payment limits that apply to many FSA and CCC programs. As specified in the 2014 Farm Bill, producers must submit annual acreage reports of all cropland on a farm to qualify for MAL and LDP benefits, and most commodity programs. All of the programs listed above will be continued under existing regulations, except as specified in this document. This document will be followed by amendments to the applicable regulations to implement changes required by the 2014 Farm Bill.

We are amending the Asian longhorned beetle regulations by removing portions of Middlesex and Union Counties, NJ, from the list of quarantined areas based on our determination that those areas meet our criteria for removal. This action is necessary to relieve restrictions that are no longer necessary. With this change, there are no longer any areas in New Jersey that are quarantined because of Asian longhorned beetle.

A Plan of Operation has been submitted by Rare Element Resources, Inc., for the purpose of constructing and operating a rare earth elements mine in the Black Hills National Forest, Bearlodge District in Crook County, Wyoming. The Bear Lodge Project proposed action consists of the Bull Hill Mine, the Miller Creek access road, the power line, and ongoing mineral exploration. The connected action, the Upton hydrometallurgical processing plant and the tailings storage facility are located 45 miles away on private lands outside of Upton in Weston County, Wyoming. Notice is hereby given that the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Black Hills National Forest, will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to determine and analyze the effects of construction and operation of a proposed rare earth elements mine and continued mineral exploration within mining claims held by Rare Element Resources, Inc. on National Forest System (NFS) land. While the Upton Plant is a connected action, there is no federal authorization for private land and therefore will not be analyzed in detail. The Bear Lodge Project proposed action consists of the following components: Construction and operation of an open-pit mine operation at Bull Hill and associated support facilities, including, but not limited to, a Physical Upgrade (PUG) plant, access route, waste rock facility and sedimentation ponds, located approximately 12 miles (or 6 air miles) north of Sundance, Wyoming; Access road along County Roads 208, 266 and 8 and NFS Roads 854 and 851. A 69kV, above ground transmission line crossing approximately 1.5 miles NFS lands, while the remainder of the 13-mile line would be on private and State of Wyoming lands; and The continuation of mineral exploration by drilling, trenching and bulk sampling located on lands surrounding the proposed mine. The Bear Lodge Project connected action includes: Construction and operation of a hydrometallurgical (Hydromet) plant for further concentration and recovery of the rare earth elements into a rare earth carbonate concentrate product on private land outside the city limits of Upton, Wyoming. This plant is recognized as a connected action, but will not be analyzed in detail in the EIS;