Department of Agriculture 2019 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has prepared an environmental assessment relative to permitting the release of Calophya latiforceps and Pseudophilothrips ichini for the biological control of Brazilian peppertree, a significant invasive weed, within the contiguous United States. Based on the environmental assessment and other relevant data, we have reached a preliminary determination that the release of these control agents will not have a significant impact on the quality of the human environment. We are making the environmental assessment available to the public for review and comment.

The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) announced its general policy and application procedures for funding under the eConnectivity Pilot Program (ReConnect Program) on December 14, 2018, in the Federal Register. The Reconnect Program will provide loans, grants, and loan/ grant combinations to facilitate broadband deployment in rural areas. In facilitating the expansion of broadband services and infrastructure, ReConnect will fuel long-term rural economic development and opportunities in rural America. The awards made under this program will bring high speed broadband to the farms which will allow them to increase productivity. This Notice amends the original application window closing dates that were published in the December 14, 2018, Federal Register Notice and provides the anticipated date that the opening application window will be announced.

With this publication, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) notifies persons about annual requirements for renewing the Application for Registration as required by the United States Grain Standards Act. All persons engaged in the business of buying grain for sale in foreign commerce and in the business of handling, weighing, or transporting grain for sale in foreign commerce in excess of 15,000 metric tons during the preceding or current calendar year must register annually. 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.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's intention to request an extension of approval of an information collection associated with importation of citrus from Peru.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's intention to request the reinstatement of an information collection associated with the regulations for the importation of swine hides, bird trophies, and deer hides.

We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has prepared an environmental assessment concerning authorization to ship for the purpose of field testing, and then to field test, an unlicensed Marek's Disease-Newcastle Disease Vaccine, Serotype 3, Live Marek's Disease Vector. Based on the environmental assessment, risk analysis, and other relevant data, we have reached a preliminary determination that field testing this veterinary vaccine will not have a significant impact on the quality of the human environment. We are making the documents available to the public for review and comment.

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 baby corn and baby carrots from Zambia into the continental United States.

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 location of irradiation treatment facilities in the United States.

The U.S Codex Office is sponsoring a public meeting on February 25, 2019. The objective of the public meeting is to provide information and receive public comments on agenda items and draft United States (U.S.) positions to be discussed at the 31st Session of the Codex Committee on General Principles (CCGP) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, in Bordeaux, France, March 11-15, 2019. The U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius and the Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs recognize the importance of providing interested parties the opportunity to obtain background information on the 31st Session of the CCGP and to address items on the agenda.

The U.S Codex Office is sponsoring a public meeting on April 1, 2019. The objective of the public meeting is to provide information and receive public comments on agenda items and draft United States (U.S.) positions to be discussed at the 13th Session of the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods (CCCF) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, April 29-May 3, 2019. The U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius and the Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs recognize the importance of providing interested parties the opportunity to obtain background information on the 13th Session of the CCCF and to address items on the agenda.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) intention to request for renewal a recordkeeping burden for the information collection for the Export Fruit Acts covering exports of apples and grapes.

This final rule terminates the Federal marketing order regulating the handling of Irish potatoes grown in Southeastern states (Order). The Order has been suspended, at the industry's recommendation, since 2011. Because the industry has not petitioned to have the Order reactivated in accordance with the terms of the suspension, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is terminating the Order.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's intention to request the reinstatement of an information collection associated with regulations for permanent, privately owned horse quarantine facilities.

The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) seeks to prevent firms authorized to participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP or the Program) from delaying administrative actions, such as disqualification or civil money penalties, through submission of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests or appeals. As such, FNS is proposing that FOIA requests and FOIA appeals be processed separately from administrative actions FNS takes against retail food stores. This proposed rule would ensure that retail food stores can no longer use the FOIA process to delay FNS' administrative actions to sanction a retail food store for SNAP violations.

This proposed rule would amend the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (National List) section of the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) organic regulations to implement recommendations submitted to the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary) by the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB). This rule proposes to add elemental sulfur for use as a molluscicide in organic crop production, add polyoxin D zinc salt to control fungal diseases in organic crop production, and reclassify magnesium chloride from an allowed synthetic to an allowed nonsynthetic ingredient in organic handling.

This proposed rule invites comments on a recommendation from the Far West Spearmint Oil Administrative Committee (Committee) to establish salable quantities and producer allotments of Class 1 (Scotch) and Class 3 (Native) spearmint oil produced in Washington, Idaho, Oregon, and designated parts of Nevada and Utah (the Far West) for the 2019-2020 marketing year. This proposed rule would also remove references to past volume regulation no longer in effect.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the U.S. Forest Service (Forest Service) Idaho Panhandle National Forests (IPNF) announce the availability of the Bog Creek Road Project Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and the agencies' respective Draft Records of Decision (ROD). The Final EIS identifies and assesses potential impacts upon the environment of: Repairing and maintaining an approximately 5.6-mile section of the existing Bog Creek Road, which is located in the Selkirk Mountains in Boundary County, Idaho, within approximately two miles of the Canadian border, on land within the Blue-Grass Bear Management Unit (BMU) that is managed by the Forest Service; and closing for motorized use additional roads within the Blue-Grass BMU to comply with the Forest Plan Amendments for Motorized Access Management within the Selkirk and Cabinet-Yaak Grizzly Bear Recovery Zones (Access Amendment) and to reduce road density in the Blue-Grass BMU. The CBP Draft ROD addresses the decision to approve the funding for and implement the repair and maintenance of the Bog Creek Road. The Forest Service Draft ROD addresses the decisions to: Approve CBP's repair and maintenance of Bog Creek Road for administrative use by CBP, the Forest Service, and others; implement the motorized closure of seasonally restricted Forest Service roads to establish grizzly bear core area habitat and meet Access Amendment standards for the Blue- Grass BMU; and implement changes in the seasonally restricted designation of roads in the Blue- Grass BMU. This document provides instructions for filing objections to the Forest Service's Draft ROD.

On June 24, 2010, the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) issued a final rule to establish the regulation for the Special Evaluation Assistance for Rural Communities and Households Program (SEARCH) as authorized by Section 306(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (CONACT). Following final implementation of this final rule, RUS found that the wording for the definition of a rural area is inconsistent with the statute. This document corrects the final regulation.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Rural Housing Service (RHS) invites comments on this information collection for the Housing Preservation Grant (HPG) Program, 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 Rural Development's intention to request an extension for a currently approved information collection in support of the program, Environmental Policies and Procedures.