Department of Agriculture 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is announcing the availability of a draft guidance entitled ``National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Federal Assistance Policy Guide.'' The draft guidance discusses the statutory and regulatory responsibilities of recipients of Federal funds administered by NIFA. This draft guidance compiles and updates the statutory, regulatory, policy guidance previously distributed to Capacity Grant recipients as Administrative Manuals. The draft NIFA Federal Assistance Policy Guide also addresses procedures and policies followed by NIFA in the administration of Federal assistance. NIFA intends to publish a final version of the Policy Guide to reflect any public comments, as well as the requirements of the Agricultural Act of 2014 and USDA's implementation of the Office of Management and Budget ``OMB Uniform Guidance: Cost Principles, Audit, and Administrative Requirements for Federal Awards''.

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 the following information collection for which RUS intends to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) will hold a public meeting on August 1, 2014, beginning at 10:00 a.m. in Room 107A, Whitten Building and lasting until all comments are heard but not later than 5:00 p.m. for interested stakeholders to discuss the issue of incorporating previously excluded mature market products into the BioPreferred Program. USDA is seeking information from stakeholders on how to evaluate products for their eligibility to participate in the BioPreferred Program.

This final rule amends the regulations for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) to phase out the eligibility of women, infants, and children, in accordance with the amendments made by the Agricultural Act of 2014 (the 2014 Farm Bill). Under amendments made to the Agriculture and Consumer Protection Act of 1973 by Section 4102 of the 2014 Farm Bill, women, infants, and children who apply to participate in CSFP on February 7, 2014, or later cannot be certified to participate in the program. Under these amendments the population served by CSFP will only be low-income elderly persons at least 60 years of age. However, Section 4102 also included amendments for a phase-out provision, which requires State and local agencies to continue providing assistance to all women, infants, and children who were certified and receiving CSFP benefits as of February 6, 2014. Those individuals can continue to receive assistance until they are no longer eligible under the program rules in effect on February 6, 2014.

We are amending the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP, the Plan) and its auxiliary provisions by removing the descriptions of specific tests and sanitation procedures from the regulations. Instead, we will require tests to be performed and sanitation to be maintained in a manner approved by the Administrator. Approved procedures will be listed in an NPIP Program Standards document, which we are making available on the NPIP Web site. In addition, we are establishing new compartment classifications for defined subpopulations of primary breeding turkeys, primary egg-type chickens, and primary meat-type chickens. We are also providing new or modified sampling and testing procedures for Plan participants and participating flocks. The changes in this final rule were voted on and approved by the voting delegates at the Plan's 2010 and 2012 National Plan Conferences. These changes will streamline the provisions of the Plan, keep those provisions current with changes in the poultry industry, and provide for the use of new sampling and testing procedures.

The Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), are sponsoring a public meeting on August 12, 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 27th Session of the Codex Committee on Processed Fruits and Vegetables (CCPFV) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), taking place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from September 8- 12, 2014. The Under Secretary for Food Safety and the Agricultural Marketing Service recognize the importance of providing interested parties the opportunity to obtain background information on the 27th Session of CCPFV and to address items on the agenda.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is soliciting nominations for membership on the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF). There are 7 vacancies. Advisory Committee members serve a two-year term, renewable for two consecutive terms. USDA is seeking NACMCF members with scientific expertise in the fields of epidemiology, food technology, microbiology (food, clinical, and predictive), toxicology, risk assessment, infectious disease, biostatistics, and other related sciences. USDA is seeking nominations for NACMCF from persons in academia, industry, State governments, and the Federal Government, as well as all other interested persons with the required experience. Please note that federally registered lobbyists cannot be considered for USDA advisory committee membership. USDA is also seeking nominations for one individual affiliated with a consumer group to serve on the NACMCF. This member will serve as a representative member to provide a consumer viewpoint. This member will not be required to have a scientific background and will not be subject to conflict of interest review. Members can serve on only one USDA advisory committee at a time. All nominees will undergo a USDA background check. With the exception of the consumer representative member, any member who is not a Federal government employee will be appointed to serve as a non-compensated special government employee (SGE). SGEs will be subject to appropriate conflict of interest statutes and standards of ethical conduct. Nominations for membership on the NACMCF must be addressed to the Secretary of USDA and accompanied by a cover letter announcing the nomination, a resume or curriculum vitae, and a completed USDA Advisory Committee Membership Background Information form AD-755 available online at: https://www.ocio.usda.gov/forms/doc/AD-755.pdf. A nomination may be a self-nomination or a nomination on behalf of someone else. The resume or curriculum vitae must be limited to five one-sided pages and should include educational background, expertise, and a list of select publications, if available. For submissions received that are more than five one-sided pages in length, only the first five pages will be reviewed.

We are advising the public that we have prepared pest risk analyses that evaluate the risks associated with importation of chipilin leaves and edible flowers of chufle, izote, and pacaya from Guatemala into the continental United States. Based on these analyses, we have determined that the application of one or more designated phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to mitigate the risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or noxious weeds via the movement of chipilin leaves and edible flowers of chufle, izote, and pacaya from Guatemala. We are making these documents available to the public for review and comment.

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 National Poultry Improvement Plan.

The United States Department of Agriculture announces solicitation for nominations to fill 8 vacancies on the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board. The notice was published in the Federal Register on June 23, 2014.

This final rule revises the procedure currently prescribed for issuing additional allotment base for Class 1 (Scotch) and Class 3 (Native) spearmint oil to new and existing producers under the Far West spearmint oil marketing order (order). The order regulates the handling of spearmint oil produced in the Far West and is administered locally by the Spearmint Oil Administrative Committee (Committee). This action reduces the number of new producers that are issued additional allotment bases each year from three to two for each class of oil; temporarily changes the method by which additional allotment base is allocated to existing producers to take into account small production operations; and amends the requirements for eligibility, retention, and transfer of additional allotment base issued to new and existing producers. Revising the procedure for issuing additional allotment base will help to ensure that new and existing spearmint oil producers have sufficient allotment base to be economically viable in the future.

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is adopting, as a final rule, without change, an interim rule that relaxed the minimum size and grade requirements prescribed for grapefruit under the marketing order for oranges and grapefruit grown the Lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas (order). The interim rule relaxed the minimum size requirement for grapefruit from 3-5/16 inches to 3 inches in diameter and reduced the minimum grade requirement for small-sized grapefruit. This rule provides additional grapefruit to meet market demand, helping to maximize fresh shipments.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Forest Service is seeking comments from all interested individuals and organizations on the extension with no revision of a currently approved information collection, Small Business Timber Sale Set-Aside Program; Appeal Procedures on Recomputation of Shares.

We are reopening the comment period for our proposed rule to amend the user fee regulations by adding new fee categories and adjusting current fees charged for certain agricultural quarantine and inspection services that are provided in connection with certain commercial vessels, commercial trucks, commercial railroad cars, commercial aircraft, and international passengers arriving at ports in the customs territory of the United States. This action will allow interested persons additional time to prepare and submit comments.

Notice is hereby given that the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, intends to grant to Trellis Growing Systems LLC of Fort Wayne, Indiana, an exclusive license to U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 14/267,141, ``METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRIMOCANE MANAGEMENT'', filed on May 1, 2014.

RUS published a notice in the Federal Register on February 18, 1997, at 62 FR 7205 that the Uruguay Round Agreements Act, (108 Stat. 4954, Pub. L. 103-465, December 8, 1994), amended the ``Buy American'' provision, (7 U.S.C. 903 note) of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936, as amended (7 U.S.C. 901 et seq.) (the ``RE Act''). Under the amendment, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is authorized to determine which countries (``eligible countries'') are eligible to have their products receive the same treatment as manufactured and unmanufactured products produced in the United States. This notice revises the list of eligible countries for purchases made by telecommunications borrowers by adding new countries to the list to reflect the March 17, 2014, Federal Register Notice (FRN), ``Agreement on Government Procurement: Effective Date of Amendments, and the April 18, 2014 FRN, ``Agreement on Government Procurement: Effective Date of Amendments for Japan'', published by the Office of the United States Trade Representative. Please refer to the Federal Register notice published February 18, 1997, at 62 FR 7205, for additional information on RUS Buy American requirements.

The Cherokee Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) will meet in Alcoa, Tennessee. The committee is authorized under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act (Pub. L. 112-141) (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 Title II of the Act. The meeting is open to the public. The purpose of the meeting is to review and recommend projects authorized under Title II of the Act.

This proposed rule is a companion document to the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) direct final rule (published today in the ``Rules and Regulations'' section of the Federal Register), amending the Cotton Board Rules and Regulations by decreasing the value assigned to imported cotton for calculating supplemental assessments collected for use by the Cotton Research and Promotion Program. An amendment is required to adjust the value assigned to imported cotton and the cotton content of imported products so that it is the same as those paid on domestically produced cotton. AMS is publishing this amendment as a direct final rule without prior proposal because the agency is contemplated by statute and required by regulation in 7 CFR 1205.510 and anticipates no significant adverse comment. AMS has explained its reasons in the preamble of the direct final rule. If AMS receives no significant adverse comment during the comment period, no further action on this proposed rule will be taken. If, however, AMS receives significant adverse comment, AMS will withdraw the direct final rule and it will not take effect. In that case, AMS will address all public comments in a subsequent final rule based on this proposed rule. AMS will not institute a second comment period on this rule. Any parties interested in commenting must do so during this comment period.

The Forest Resource Coordinating Committee (Committee) will meet via teleconference. The Committee is established consistent with the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 (FACA) (5 U.S.C. App. II), and the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (the Act) (Pub. L. 110-246). Additional information concerning the Committee can be found by visiting the Committee's Web site at: https://www.fs.fed.us/spf/coop/ frcc/.