Department of Agriculture April 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Agricultural Act of 2014 (the 2014 Act) made several nondiscretionary changes to NRCS conservation programs. These conservation programs have existing regulations that required adjustments. These adjustments include addressing the required review of operating procedures of the State Technical Committee, adding reference of the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) to the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act program regulations, adding reference of RCPP to the Healthy Forests Reserve Program (HFRP), expanding the definition of ``acreage owned by Indian Tribes'' under HFRP, revising and simplifying the Regional Equity provision, and adjusting the Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) Program to correspond with changes to payment provisions under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). Additionally, the Secretary of Agriculture delegated to NRCS administrative responsibility for implementing the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP), and internal NRCS administrative changes warrant updating the appropriate delegated official in the Technical Service Provider (TSP) provision. NRCS published an interim rule with a request for comments on August 1, 2014, to implement changes to these NRCS conservation program regulations that were either necessitated by enactment of the 2014 Act, or required to implement administrative streamlining improvements and clarifications. NRCS received six comments on the interim rule. In this document, NRCS issues a final rule to make permanent these changes and to incorporate two minor mandatory changes in two of the affected parts.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Forest Service (FS) is seeking comments from all interested individuals and organizations on the extension with no revision of a currently approved information collection; Community Forest and Open Space Program. The Agency is in the process of a proposed rule revision that will include a new information collection request; when the revised rule is final, the Agency will merge the new information collection with this information collection.

The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) announces that it is inviting proposals for the 2016 Market Access Program (MAP). The intended effect of this notice is to solicit applications from eligible applicants for fiscal year 2016 and to set out criteria for the award of funds under the program in October 2015. The MAP is administered by personnel of the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).

The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) announces it is inviting proposals for the 2016 Quality Samples Program (QSP). The intended effect of this notice is to solicit applications from eligible applicants for fiscal year 2016 and to set out the criteria for the award of funds under the program in October 2015. QSP is administered by personnel of the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).

In accordance with Section 122(i) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, as amended (CERCLA), 42 U.S.C. 9622(i), notice is hereby given of an Administrative Settlement Agreement and Order on Consent (ASAOC), between the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service (Forest Service) and Williams Express LLC (Williams), under Sections 104, 107 and 122 of CERCLA, regarding the Nacimiento Mine Site located on the Santa Fe National Forest near Cuba, New Mexico. The property that is the subject of this proposed ASAOC is areas where hazardous substances and/or pollutants or contaminants are located on the surface features of the federally owned portion of the Site designated as Operable Unit 1 (OU1). This ASAOC requires Williams perform an Engineering Evaluation and Cost Analysis (EE/CA) report to develop, evaluate, and select cleanup alternatives involving mining waste piles and other surface features located on the federally owned portion of OU1 at the Site. The performance of this work must be approved and monitored by the Forest Service. Also under the ASAOC, Williams will reimburse up to $7,500 of the Forest Service's oversight costs related to the EE/CA. For thirty (30) days following the date of publication of this notice, the United States will receive written comments relating to the ASAOC. The United States will consider all comments received and may modify or withdraw its consent to the ASAOC if comments received disclose facts or considerations that indicate that the settlement is inappropriate, improper, or inadequate. The United States' response to any comments received will be available for public inspection at the USDA, Office of General Counsel, Mountain Region, 740 Simms Street, Golden, Colorado 80401, and the Forest Service's Southwestern Regional Office, 333 Broadway SE., Albuquerque, NM 87102.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Forest Service is seeking comments from all interested individuals and organizations on the renewal of the information collection, Civil Rights Compliance Review RecordFederally Assisted Programs. With this renewal, the Agency has changed the name of the information collections from Equal Opportunity Compliance Review Record to Civil Rights Compliance Review RecordFederally Assisted Programs.

This notice lists the newspapers that will be used by all Ranger Districts, Grasslands, Forests, and the Regional Office of the Southwestern Region to publish legal notices required under 36 CFR parts 218 and 219. The intended effect of this action is to inform interested members of the public which newspapers the Forest Service will use to publish notices of proposed actions, notices of decision, and notices of opportunity to file an objection or appeal. This will provide the public with constructive notice of Forest Service proposals and decisions, provide information on the procedures to comment, appeal, or object, and establish the date that the Forest Service will use to determine if comments, appeals, or objections were timely.

In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) of 1976, the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended, and the National Forest Management Act of 1976, notice is hereby given that the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Pocatello Field Office, Pocatello, Idaho, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service (USFS), Caribou-Targhee National Forest (CTNF), Idaho Falls, Idaho, will jointly prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS). The purpose of this EIS is to analyze the potential effects of approving a proposed lease modification and phosphate mine and reclamation plan (M&RP) (the Proposed Action) on Federal mineral leases held by the J.R. Simplot Company (Simplot), in southeastern Idaho; and to amend the CTNF Revised Forest Plan (2003) in conjunction with the project. In connection with its review of the Proposed Action, the EIS will also consider potential amendments to the CTNF Revised Forest Plan (2003). The BLM, as the Federal lease administrator, will serve as the lead agency and the USFS as the co-lead agency. The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality and the Idaho Department of Lands are cooperating agencies. This notice is announcing the beginning of the scoping process to solicit public comments and identify issues for analysis.

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA, 5 U.S.C. App.), notice is hereby given of a meeting via teleconference on April 17, 2015. A listen-only conference call line will be available from 3:00 p.m. through 4:00 p.m. EST for all who wish to listen in on the proceeding through the following telephone number: 800-369-1617 and enter passcode 5274714.

This rule continues the previous suspension of the marketing order regulating the handling of Irish potatoes grown in Southeastern states (order). Representatives of the Virginia/North Carolina Irish potato industry met and requested that the suspension of all provisions of the order, and the rules and regulations implemented thereunder be continued through March 1, 2017. The request was based on the belief that the industry needs more time to study changes in the industry, and any new developments which could affect the need for, or status of the order. If the industry does not petition to have the order reactivated by the end of the suspension period, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) will propose to terminate the order.