Department of Agriculture June 20, 2018 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This final rule implements a recommendation from the Almond Board of California (Board) to revise the adjusted kernel weight computation currently prescribed under the Marketing Order for almonds grown in California. In addition, this action allows adjustments to the calculated percentages for foreign material, excess moisture, or inedible kernels so that the sum of the percentages for the specified measurements equals 100 percent.

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.

James Melonas, the Forest Supervisor for the Santa Fe National Forest, Southwest Region, signed the final Record of Decision (ROD) for the amendment to the Santa Fe National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan Amendment). The final ROD documents the rationale for approving the Forest Plan Amendment and is consistent with the Reviewing Officer's response to objections and instructions.

The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) announces its Household Water Well System (HWWS) Grant Program funds availability and solicitation of applications application window for fiscal year (FY) 2018. RUS will make available $993,000 in grant funds to qualified private non-profit organizations to establish lending programs for homeowners to borrow up to $11,000 to construct or repair household water wells for an existing home. The HWWS Grant Program is authorized under 7 U.S.C. 1926e. Regulations may be found at 7 CFR part 1776. The Agency encourages applications that will support recommendations made in the Rural Prosperity Task Force report to help improve life in rural America which can be found at www.usda.gov/ruralprosperity. Applicants are encouraged to consider projects that provide measurable results in helping rural communities build robust and sustainable economies through strategic investments in infrastructure, partnerships and innovation. Key strategies include:

This document contains corrections to the proposed rule published on May 4, 2018, regarding a new national mandatory bioengineered food disclosure standard. Corrections are made to the notice of proposed rule making's (NPRM) Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis to clarify that the proposed rule, if finalized, is not expected to have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities, but that comments are sought on the analysis and that USDA is not certifying that the proposed rule would have no significant adverse impact on a substantial number of small businesses.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is extending the comment period for our request for information on how we can provide better customer service and remove unintended barriers to participation in our regulatory programs published in the Federal Register on July 17, 2017. This action will allow interested persons additional time to prepare and submit comments.