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

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), this notice announces that 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 ``Laboratory Approval Programs''.

This document directs that a referendum be conducted among eligible producers of oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, and tangelos grown in Florida to determine whether they favor continuance of the marketing order regulating the handling of oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, and tangelos produced in the production area.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service intends to re-establish the Charter of the Black Hills National Forest Advisory Board (Board). The purpose of the Board is to obtain advice and recommendations on a broad range of forest issues such as forest plan revisions or amendments, forest health including fire management and mountain pine beetle infestations, travel management, forest monitoring and evaluation, recreation fees, and site-specific projects having forest wide implications.

The USDA Forest Service (Forest Service) and the Palmdale Water District (District) will prepare a joint Environmental Impact Statement and Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) for sediment removal and construction of a grade control structure at Littlerock Reservoir, in Los Angeles County, California. The District has submitted an application to the Forest Service for a special use authorization for the project. The Forest Service is the lead Federal agency for the preparation of this EIS/EIR in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and the District is the lead State of California agency for the preparation of the EIS/EIR in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The Littlerock Dam and Reservoir are located on Littlerock Creek, on National Forest System (NFS) lands managed by the Angeles National Forest. The project is approximately 10 miles southwest of the city of Palmdale, California. The Dam and Reservoir are operated and maintained by the District, pursuant to a Forest Service special use permit. The facilities serve both flood control and municipal water storage purposes. The Reservoir also provides recreational opportunities for boating, fishing, swimming, picnicking, and off-highway vehicle riding. The proposed action would construct a grade control structure midway between the dam and the southern end of the Reservoir; remove sediment from the Reservoir to restore original capacity; and maintain capacity by conducting annual sediment removal through the life of the authorization, until 2037. The Forest Service and the District invite written comments on the scope of this proposed project. In addition, the lead agencies give notice of this analysis so that interested and affected individuals are aware of how they may participate and contribute to the final decision.

The Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) is asking persons or governmental agencies interested in providing official services in unassigned areas of Southeast Texas to submit an application for designation.

We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has received a petition from Dow AgroSciences LLC (DAS) seeking a determination of nonregulated status of cotton designated as DAS-8191[Oslash]-7, which has been genetically engineered for resistance to the herbicides 2,4-D and glufosinate. The petition has been submitted in accordance with our regulations concerning the introduction of certain genetically engineered organisms and products. We are making the DAS petition available for review and comment to help us identify potential environmental and interrelated economic issues and impacts that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service may determine should be considered in our evaluation of the petition.

The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS) is proposing to amend its regulations found in 7 CFR part 1940, subpart L for allocating program funds to its State Offices. RBS is proposing to amend 7 CFR part 1940, subpart L to add three programsthe Rural Energy for America Program, the Value-Added Producer Grant program, and the Intermediary Relending Program. In addition, RBS is proposing revisions to its state allocation formulae for existing programs within 7 CFR part 1940, subpart L to account for changes in data reported by the U.S. Bureau of the Census' decennial Census. RBS is also proposing to make various other changes including: revising the weight percentages associated with each of the allocation criteria; providing flexibility in determining when not to make state allocations for a program; restricting the use of the transition formula and changing the limitations on how much program funds can change when the transition formula is used; adding provisions for making state allocation for other RBS programs, including new ones; and providing consistency, where necessary, in the allocation of RBS program funds to State Offices.

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 Census of Horticultural Specialties.

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 for a new information collection: National Organic Program (NOP); Organic Certification Cost-Share Programs.

The El Dorado County Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) will meet in Placerville, California. 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 meetings are open to the public. The purpose of the meeting is to review operational procedures, evaluate project proposals, prioritize a list of projects for funding in FY 2014, and vote to recommend projects for funding.

This proposed rule invites comments on proposed limits to the quantity of Far West Scotch and Native spearmint oil that handlers may purchase from, or handle on behalf of, producers during the 2014-2015 marketing year, which begins on June 1, 2014. The Far West includes Washington, Idaho, Oregon, and designated parts of Nevada and Utah. The salable quantity and allotment percentage for Class 1 (Scotch) spearmint oil would be set at 1,149,030 pounds and 55 percent, respectively. For Class 3 (Native) spearmint oil, the salable quantity and allotment percentage would be set at 1,090,821 pounds and 46 percent, respectively. The Spearmint Oil Administrative Committee (Committee), the agency responsible for local administration of the marketing order for spearmint oil produced in the Far West, recommended these quantities.

This document directs that a referendum be conducted among eligible California walnut growers to determine whether they favor continuance of the marketing order regulating the handling of walnuts grown in California.

This notice announces the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) intention to request approval, from the Office of Management and Budget, for an extension of the currently approved information collection request Web-Based Supply Chain Management Commodity Offer Form, Paperwork Collection Notice. This information collection is necessary to support the procurement of agricultural commodities for domestic nutrition assistance programs. AMS issues invitations to purchase fresh and processed commodities for domestic nutrition assistance programs on a year round basis. The extension of the information collection request is required to continue using our Web- Based Supply Chain Management (WBSCM) system, which allows respondents to submit information electronically. The information collection burden for respondents should not increase.

This rule decreases the assessment rate established for the California Olive Committee (Committee) for the 2014 and subsequent fiscal years from $21.16 to $15.21 per ton of assessable olives handled. The Committee locally administers the marketing order, which regulates the handling of olives grown in California. Assessments upon olive handlers are used by the Committee to fund reasonable and necessary expenses of the program. The fiscal year began January 1 and ends December 31. The assessment rate will remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.

The Forest Service in the Federal Register of March 7, 2014 concerning a notice of meeting for the Del Norte Resource Advisory Committee. The document contained an incorrect date and location.

The National Advisory Committee for Implementation of the National Forest System Land Management Planning Rule (Committee) was re-established on February 3, 2014, in the public interest, to continue providing advice and recommendations on the implementation of the National Forest System Land Management Planning Rule (planning rule). Therefore, the Secretary of Agriculture is seeking nominations for individuals to be considered as Committee members. The public is invited to submit nominations for membership. Further information about the Committee is posted on the Planning Rule Advisory Committee Web site: https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/planningrule/committee.

As directed by the National Forest Management Act, the USDA Forest Service is preparing the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests' revised land management plan (forest plan) and will also prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for this revised forest plan. This notice briefly describes the nature of the decision to be made, a general proposed action based on the preliminary identified need to change the existing plan, and information concerning public participation. It also provides estimated dates for filing the EIS and the name and address of the responsible agency official and the individuals who can provide additional information. Finally, this notice identifies the applicable planning rule that will be used for completing this plan revision. The revised forest plan will supersede the existing forest plan that was approved by the Regional Forester in 1987, and significantly amended in 1994. The existing forest plan will remain in effect until the revised forest plan takes effect.

The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) was established to assist in developing standards for substances to be used in organic production and to advise the Secretary on the implementation of the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (OFPA). Through this Notice, USDA is announcing its intent to renew the Charter of the NOSB; the current charter expires on May 10, 2014. The USDA is also requesting nominations to fill four (4) upcoming vacancies on the NOSB. The positions to be filled are: environmentalist (1 position), producer (1 position), handler (1 position), and retailer (1 position). The Secretary of Agriculture will appoint one person to each of these 4 positions to serve a 5-year term of office that will commence on January 24, 2015, and run until January 24, 2020.

In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) gives notice of deletion of an existing system of records, USDA/OES-1, Enterprise Content Management, and the creation of two new systems of records entitled USDA/OES-2, Correspondence and Document Management System, and USDA/RD-2, Enterprise Content Management.

The Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is sponsoring a public meeting on March 27, 2014. The objective of the public meeting is to provide information and receive public comments on agenda items and draft United States positions to be discussed at the Twenty-eighth session of the Codex Committee on General Principles (CCGP) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), that will take place in Paris, France, April 7-11, 2014. The Under Secretary for Food Safety recognizes the importance of providing interested parties the opportunity to obtain background information on the 28th session of CCGP and to address items on the agenda.

The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) is amending the Farm Storage Facility Loan (FSFL) Program regulations to increase the loan amount, for which additional security or a severance agreement is required, from $50,000 to $100,000. We are making a related change for loans secured with collateral that does not have any resale value. The purpose of these amendments is to make the loan process easier for borrowers, especially producers who may not have additional security, but are unlikely to default on a relatively small loan. Raising the threshold for which additional security is required from $50,000 to $100,000 should help more small producers qualify for a loan between $50,000 and $100,000, and will likely reduce their cost to qualify for such a loan.

The Hiawatha East Resource Advisory Committee will meet in Kincheloe, Michigan. The committee is meeting as authorized under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act (Pub. L. 112- 141) and 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 meetings are open to the public. The purpose of the meetings is to review and vote to recommend projects authorized under title II of the Act.