Department of Agriculture August 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This final rule informs the public that the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is removing the Program to Assess Organic Certifying Agencies from the Code of Federal Regulations. This action removes unnecessary regulations from the CFR. Since the publication of the organic regulations, the Program to Assess Organic Certifying Agencies is no longer applicable or necessary.

The Nicolet Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) will meet in Crandon, Wisconsin. 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 Title II of the Act. The meeting is open to the public. The purpose of the meeting is to review and approve project submissions.

We are amending the bovine tuberculosis regulations regarding State and zone classifications by reclassifying the State of California as accredited-free. We have determined that the State meets the criteria for accredited-free status. This action relieves certain restrictions on the interstate movement of cattle and bison from the State of California.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Forest Service is seeking comments from all interested individuals and organizations on the new information collection, Cooperative Wildland Fire Management and Stafford Act Response Agreements.

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.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App., the United States Department of Agriculture announces the solicitation for nominations to fill vacancies on the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board and its subcommittees. There are 7 vacancies on the NAREEE Advisory Board, 3 vacancies on the Specialty Crop Committee, 4 vacancies on the National Genetics Advisory Council, and 6 vacancies on the Citrus Disease Committee.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Rural Business-Cooperative Service's (RBS) intention to request an extension for a currently approved information collection in support of the Rural Cooperative Development Grants program.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is revising 41 U.S. Standards for Grades of fresh fruits and vegetables, fruits and vegetables for processing, nuts, and specialty crops by removing the ``Unclassified'' category from each standard. This revision brings these grade standards in line with other recently amended standards and current terminology. The change also updates the standards to more accurately represent today's marketing practices and provide the industry with greater flexibility.

This rule establishes a marketing agreement and order (order) for pecans grown in the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas. The order provides authority to collect industry data and to conduct research and promotion activities. In addition, the order provides authority for the industry to recommend grade, quality and size regulation, as well as pack and container regulation, subject to approval by the Department of Agriculture (USDA). The program will be financed by assessments on handlers of pecans grown in the production area and will be locally administered, under USDA oversight, by a Council of seventeen growers and shellers (handlers) nominated by the industry and appointed by USDA.

James Pe[ntilde]a, the Regional Forester for the Pacific Northwest Region, has prepared a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and draft Record of Decision (ROD) for the establishment of two Research Natural Areas (RNA) as part of the Lower Joseph Creek Restoration Project. The draft ROD authorizes establishment of both the Horse Pasture Ridge and Haystack Rock RNAs. The FEIS and draft ROD are available on the forest's Web site at https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=43379. A hardcopy of the document(s) and/or further information is available by contacting the person listed under the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section below. The draft ROD is subject to objection under 36 CFR part 219, subpart B. A written notice of objection, including any attachments, must be submitted (regular mail, express delivery, messenger service, fax, email, or hand delivery) within 60 days of the publication date of the notice in the newspaper of record, the Oregonian. The newspaper notice is the exclusive means for calculating the time to file an objection (36 CFR 219.56(b)(3)). An electronic scan of this notice was posted on the Web site noted above. Those wishing to object to the draft ROD should not rely upon dates or timeframe information provided by any other source. Any objection must be submitted to Glen Casamassa, Associate Deputy Chief, who is the Objection Reviewing Officer, at one of the addresses listed in the ADDRESSES section below. The objection process provides an opportunity for members of the public who have participated in the planning process for the forest plan amendment to have any unresolved concerns reviewed by the Forest Service prior to a final decision by the Responsible Official. Under 36 CFR 219.53(a), objections will be accepted only from those individuals or organizations who have previously submitted substantive formal comments related to this amendment of the Wallowa- Whitman National Forest Plan during previous opportunities for public comment provided. Objections must be based on previously submitted substantive comments attributed to the objector, unless the objection concerns an issue that arose after the opportunities for public comment (36 CFR 219.53(a)). In addition, objections must meet the content requirements of 36 CFR 219.54(c), which can be found in SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. All objections are open to public inspection and will be posted to the Forest Service Web site (https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/ ?project=43379). A notice of objections received will be published in the newspaper of record, the Oregonian, within 10 days after the close of the objection filing 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). Committee information can be found at the following Web site at https://www.fs.fed.us/spf/coop/frcc/.

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service proposed to alter an existing system of records in its inventory of record systems subject to the provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended. The system of records is Veterinary ServicesRecords of Accredited Veterinarians, USDA-APHIS-2. The system, as proposed, has been adopted; however, we received one comment, which is addressed in this notice.

We are giving notice that the Secretary of Agriculture intends to renew the charter for the Secretary's Advisory Committee on Animal Health for a 2-year period. The Secretary has determined that the Committee is necessary and in the public interest.

This final rule addresses recommendations submitted to the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary) by the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) following their April 2015 meeting. These recommendations pertain to the 2016 sunset review of substances on the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (National List). Consistent with the recommendations from the NOSB, this final rule removes five nonorganic nonagricultural substances from the National List for use in organic handling: Egg white lysozyme, cyclohexylamine, diethylaminoethanol, octadecylamine, and tetrasodium pyrophosphate when their use exemptions (allowances) expire on September 12, 2016.

The Ketchikan Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) will meet in Ketchikan, Alaska. The committee is authorized under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act (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. RAC information can be found at the following Web site: https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/pts.

This rule implements a recommendation from the Peanut Standards Board (Board) to revise the minimum quality and handling standards for domestic and imported peanuts marketed in the United States (Standards). The Board advises the Secretary of Agriculture regarding potential changes to the Standards and is comprised of producers and industry representatives. This rule revises the minimum quality, positive lot identification, and reporting and recordkeeping requirements under the Standards. It also makes numerous other changes to better reflect current industry practices and revises outdated language. The Board believes these changes will make additional peanuts available for sale, help increase efficiencies, and reduce costs to the industry.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended, (5 U.S.C. App.), the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), is announcing a meeting of the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) to assist the USDA in the development of standards for substances to be used in organic production and to advise the Secretary of Agriculture on any other aspects of the implementation of Organic Foods Production Act.