Department of Agriculture 2018 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) an agency delivering the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Utilities Programs invites comments on this information collection for Review Rating Summary, RUS Form 300 which approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) will be requested.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Commodity Credit Corporation's (CCC) intention to request an extension from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for a currently approved information collection process in support of the Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops (TASC) program.

The Klamath National Forest is withdrawing the Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Crawford Vegetation Management Project. The original NOI was published in the Federal Register on January 27, 2014 (79 FR 4323). Upon further evaluation, there are no expected significant impacts to the human environment associated with the project. As a result, the Klamath National Forest is now preparing an environmental assessment (EA). All comments previously received regarding this project will be retained and considered in the development of the EA. If it is determined that the project may have significant impacts, the EIS process will be reinitiated and a NOI will be published.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) finalizes the General and Administrative Regulation Subpart X- Interpretations of Statutory and Regulatory Provisions (Subpart X) to incorporate interpretations of procedures previously issued and administered in accordance with Manager's Bulletin MGR-05-018, and to provide a mechanism for interpretations of policy provisions that are not codified in the Code of Federal Regulations. The effect of this action is to provide requestors with information on how to request a final agency determination or an interpretation of FCIC procedures within one administrative regulation, and bring consistency and clarity to the processes used and existing provisions.

The United States Grain Standards Act (USGSA) provides the Secretary with the authority to charge and collect reasonable fees to cover the costs of performing official services and the costs associated with managing the program. The USDA, on behalf of the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), is eliminating the published table of fees in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). Notice of changes to Schedule A Fees will be published in the Federal Register and AMS will make the fee schedule available on the Agency's public website.

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 regulations for the importation of tomatoes from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama.

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 required by the Lacey Act for the importation of certain plants and plant products.

This rule establishes the new national mandatory bioengineered (BE) food disclosure standard (NBFDS or Standard). The new Standard requires food manufacturers, importers, and other entities that label foods for retail sale to disclose information about BE food and BE food ingredients. This rule is intended to provide a mandatory uniform national standard for disclosure of information to consumers about the BE status of foods. Establishment and implementation of the new Standard is required by an amendment to the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946.

We are giving notice that the Secretary of Agriculture has renewed the charter of the General Conference Committee of the National Poultry Improvement Plan (Committee) for a 2-year period. The Secretary of Agriculture has determined that the Committee is necessary and in the public interest.

In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) proposes to modify a system of records, USDA/OCRE-1, which will be renamed USDA/OASCR-1, Civil Rights Enterprise System (CRES). The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (OASCR) maintains CRES, which contains program discrimination complaints, alleging unlawful discrimination arising within programs or activities conducted or assisted by USDA. Records relating to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) complaints alleging unlawful discrimination against USDA employees or applications for employment are maintained in CRES also; however, those records are covered by EEOC/GOVT-1, EEO in the Federal Government Complaint and Appeal Records. The revised notice also conveys updates to the system location, categories of records, routine uses (one of which permits records to be provided to the National Archives and Records Administration), storage, safeguards, retention and disposal, system manager and address, notification procedures, records access, and contesting procedures.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development administers rural utilities programs through the Rural Utilities Service (RUS). RUS invites comments on the following information collection for which the Agency intends to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

The Ozark-St. Francis National Forests in Arkansas, will be implementing new fees at Richland Creek Campground at $10 per night for a single site or $20 per night for a double site. This site has had additional amenities added to improve services and experiences that include new grills, tables, lantern poles, tent pads, parking spaces, new toilet, water system upgrades and trashcans. In addition, most sites are now fully accessible for wheelchairs. Fees are assessed based on the level of amenities and services provided, cost of operation and maintenance, market assessment and public comment. Funds from fees will be used for the continued operation and maintenance as well as improvements to the facilities within the campground.

We are amending the regulations regarding the branding of bovines imported into the United States from Mexico. We are taking this action at the request of the Government of Mexico to address issues that have arisen with the branding requirement for these bovines. These changes will help prevent inconsistencies in branding that can result in bovines being rejected for import into the United States.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is announcing the designation of D.R. Schaal Agency, Inc. (Schaal) to provide official services under the United States Grain Standards Act (USGSA), as amended. The realignment of offices within the U.S. Department of Agriculture authorized by the Secretary's Memorandum dated November 14, 2017, eliminates the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) as a standalone agency. The grain inspection activities formerly part of GIPSA are now organized under AMS.

This proposed rule invites comments on a recommendation from the Processed Pear Committee (Committee) to change the Committee's membership structure. This action would remove the second alternate member position from the Committee structure, leaving ten member positions and one alternate position for each respective member.

We are advising the public that we have prepared a pest risk analysis that evaluates the risks associated with importation of fresh guava fruit from Taiwan into the continental United States. Based on the analysis, we have determined that the application of one or more phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to mitigate the risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or noxious weeds via the importation of fresh guava fruit from Taiwan. We are making the pest risk analysis available to the public for review and comment.

The Helena-Lewis & Clark National Forest is proposing to implement a new fee at the newly acquired AT&T cabin with a proposed fee of $45 per night. This fee is only proposed and will be determined upon further analysis and public comment.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), this notice announces AMS's intention to request that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approve a 3-year extension and revision to a currently approved information collection; a voluntary customer survey concerning the delivery of official inspection, grading, and weighing services authorized under the United States Grain Standards Act (USGSA) and the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (AMA). OMB approved this information collection as OMB 0580-0018 under Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards (GIPSA). Due to the realignment of offices authorized by the Secretary's memorandum dated November 14, 2017, which eliminated the GIPSA as a standalone agency, the grain inspection activities formerly part of GIPSA are now under the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and assigned a new OMB control number of 0581-0310. This voluntary survey gives customers who are primarily in the grain, oilseed, rice, lentil, dry pea, edible bean, and related agricultural commodity markets an opportunity to provide feedback on the quality of services they receive and provides AMS with information on new services that customers wish to receive. Customer feedback assists Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS) with enhancing the value of services and service delivery provided by the official inspection, grading, and weighing system.