Department of Agriculture July 2018 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Shasta-Trinity National Forest is withdrawing its Notice of Intent issued on April 22, 2011, for preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the I-5 Corridor Fuels Reduction Project. No significant issues were identified during this scoping period or any other opportunity to comment. Upon further evaluation, it also appears that there are no potential significant impacts to the human environment associated with the project. As a result, the Forest is withdrawing its intent to prepare an EIS and 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 notice of intent will be published.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment on this proposed information collection for the Assessment of Mandatory Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Employment &Training (E&T) Programs. This collection is a new information collection. This study will help identify how specific E&T processes and services affect a participant's likelihood of participating or being sanctioned, with particular attention to potential leakage points, such as initial referral, intake, and orientation. This study also will describe what data exists on how well mandatory programs help SNAP participants gain skills, certificates and credentials and gain stable, well-paying employment.

This rule implements a recommendation from the Citrus Administrative Committee (Committee) for an increase of the assessment rate established for the 2017-18 and subsequent fiscal periods. The assessment rate will remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.

This proposed rule invites comments on a recommendation to change the container requirements under the marketing order for oranges and grapefruit grown in the Lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas. This action would remove five containers from the list of authorized containers and add seven new containers to the list. This change would also modify the descriptions of two authorized containers.

This proposed rule would adjust the number of members on the United Soybean Board (Board) to reflect changes in production levels that have occurred since the Board was last reapportioned in 2015. As required by the Soybean Promotion, Research, and Consumer Information Act (Act), membership on the Board is reviewed every 3 years and adjustments are made accordingly. This proposed change would result in an increase in Board membership for five States, increasing the total number of Board members from 73 to 78. These changes would be reflected in the Soybean Promotion and Research Order (Order) and would be effective for the 2019 appointment process.

The Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests are proposing to charge new fees at Pocket Recreation Picnic Area on the Conasauga Ranger District and Raven Cliffs Trailhead on the Chattooga River Ranger District. Both sites are proposed at $5.00 for a day and both would accept the suite of America the BeautifulNational Parks and Federal Recreational Lands passes.

The National Forests in Florida are proposing to charge new fees at four campgrounds for $10 per night and one day use area for $5 per vehicle. All sites have recently been reconstructed, or amenities are being added to improve services and experiences. 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 would be used for the continued operation and maintenance of these recreation sites.

The USDA Forest Service invites the public to share their input on a proposed fee to access the Blacksburg Shooting Range on the Eastern Divide Ranger District. The George Washington and Jefferson National Forest is proposing a $10 daily fee or $75 annual fee for access to this public shooting range. A special recreation permit fee for the Blacksburg Shooting Range would be an investment in its future, providing a sustainable source of revenue to help ensure its availability to the American public. The public is invited to comment on this proposal. Comments received on these proposals, including names and addresses of those who comment, will be considered part of the public record and available for public inspection.

We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has prepared a supplemental environmental assessment (EA) relative to an oral rabies vaccination field trial in New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Vermont, and West Virginia. The supplemental EA analyzes expanding the field trial for an experimental oral rabies vaccine for wildlife to additional areas in Ohio and West Virginia. The proposed field trial is necessary to evaluate whether the wildlife rabies vaccine will produce sufficient levels of population immunity against raccoon rabies. We are making the supplemental EA available to the public for review and comment.

On June 3, 2016, the Rural Business-Cooperative Service promulgated changes to its Guaranteed Loanmaking and Servicing Regulations. Following final implementation of this final rule, RBS found that conforming amendments for adoption for the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) had not been included. This technical correction makes amendments to allow REAP to continue to use procedures and forms from the revised Guaranteed program.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the intention of the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) to request revision and extension of a currently approved information collection, the Mink Survey. The target population will be pulled from the NASS List Frame of operations with positive historical data. The frame is updated with the names of new operations that are found in trade magazines or grower's association's lists. The questionnaires that NASS is planning to use are the same as what was used in previous years. Any additional changes to the questionnaires would result from requests by industry data users.