Department of Agriculture August 14, 2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is announcing the designation of Mid-Iowa Grain Inspection, Inc. (Mid-Iowa), to provide official services under the United States Grain Standards Act (USGSA), as amended.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service, State and Private Forestry, Cooperative Forestry staff, requests applications for the Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program (Community Forest Program or CFP). The Community Forest Program is a competitive grant program whereby local governments, qualified nonprofit organizations, and federally recognized Indian tribes are eligible to apply for grants to establish community forests that provide community benefits through fee simple acquisition of private forest land.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is hosting a virtual public meeting with participation from the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). FSIS will discuss the Agency's commitment to reducing Salmonella contamination associated with FSIS-regulated products and thus saving lives, by leading with science, building relationships, and influencing behavior change. Industry, interested individuals, organizations, and other stakeholders are invited to participate in the meeting and to comment on the data and science that drive FSIS Salmonella reduction efforts.

The Secretary of Agriculture implemented the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), which provides assistance to agricultural producers impacted by the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak, through a final rule published in the Federal Register on May 21, 2020. We were able to reevaluate the payment rates for certain specialty crops based on data that was available from industry in response to the CFAP notice of funding availability, which was published in the Federal Register on May 22, 2020. This document corrects payment rates and categories for those specialty crops that were published in the final rule. It also clarifies eligibility of aquaculture commodities and extends the CFAP application deadline for all applicants until September 11, 2020.

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 extension, without change, of a currently approved collection for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Employment and Training (E&T) Program Activity Report (form FNS-583) and State requests for additional funding only. Requests and recordkeeping for these activities are currently approved under OMB No. 0584-0339, expiration date 01/31/2021. The burden hours and total annual responses remains unchanged. FNS is not seeking public comments on the reporting burden for the FNS-583 because that is under FNS' web-based Food Program Reporting System, OMB Control No: 0584-0594, expiration date 07/31/ 2023.