Department of Agriculture September 29, 2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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.

The United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is proposing a revision to the method of interpretation for determining ``sample grade criteria,'' in the Bean Inspection Handbook, as it pertains to the class ``Blackeye beans,'' in the U.S. Standards for Beans under the United States Agricultural Marketing Act (AMA). Stakeholders in the dry bean processing/handling industry requested that AMS amend the definition of sample grade in the Blackeye bean inspection instructions by revising the unit of measurement for the factor Insect Webbing or Filth and removing clean-cut weevil-bore as a sample grade factor. Clean-cut weevil-bore will be considered a damage factor only. To ensure that the Blackeye bean class standard remains relevant, AMS invites interested parties to comment on whether revising the inspection instructions facilitate the marketing of Blackeye beans. This action does not revise or amend the Grade and Grade Requirements for the class Blackeye Beans in the U.S. Standard for Beans.

The United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is proposing a revision to the method of interpretation for determining ``whole peas,'' in the Pea and Lentil Inspection Handbook, as it pertains to the class ``Split Peas,'' in the U.S. Standards for Split Peas under the United States Agricultural Marketing Act (AMA). Stakeholders in the pea processing/ handling industry requested AMS to amend the interpretation of whole peas in the Split Pea inspection instructions by increasing the percent requirement for the factor whole peas. To ensure that the Split Pea class standard remains relevant, AMS invites interested parties to comment on whether revising the inspection instruction facilitates the marketing of Split Peas. This action does not revise or amend the Grade and Grade Requirements for the class Split Peas in the U.S. Standard for Split Peas.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service is issuing this final rule to implement certain changes to the Small Tracts Act, which was enacted in the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, also known as the 2018 Farm Bill. These statutory changes create two new categories of lands eligible for conveyance outside of the National Forest System under the Small Tracts Act: parcels 40 acres or less that are physically isolated, inaccessible, or have lost National Forest System character; and parcels of ten acres or less that are not eligible for conveyance under previous eligibility conditions and are encroached on by a permanent habitable improvement for which there is no evidence that the encroachment was intentional or negligent.