Department of Agriculture August 2021 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We are giving notice that the General Conference Committee of the National Poultry Improvement Plan will be holding a virtual public meeting.

We are advising the public that we added the Republic of Croatia, the Republic of Senegal, and the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria to the list of regions that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service considers to be affected by highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). These actions follow our imposition of HPAI-related restrictions on avian commodities originating from or transiting the Republic of Croatia, the Republic of Senegal, and the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, as a result of the confirmation of HPAI in the Republic of Croatia, the Republic of Senegal, and the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria.

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is implementing a new Heirs' Property Relending Program (HPRP) authorized in the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (the 2018 Farm Bill). HPRP provides loans to eligible entities to relend with the purpose of assisting heirs with undivided ownership interests resolve ownership and succession issues on farms that are owned in common by multiple heirs. The loan funds may be used by an ultimate recipient to purchase and consolidate fractional interests held by other heirs in jointly-owned property to pay for costs and fees associated with developing and implementing a succession plan, and to pay for costs associated with buying out fractional interests held in tenancy in common by other heirs in jointly-owned property to clear the title (for example closing costs, appraisals, title searches, surveys, preparing documents, mediation, and legal services). FSA is also amending the Farm Loan Programs (FLP) regulations to revise its rules related to loan making and servicing to improve program delivery and consolidate value-added oversight activities.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Forest Service is seeking comments from all interested individuals and organizations on the renewal with revisions of a currently approved information collection, Forest Products Removal Permits and Contracts. The revision pertains to the inclusion of the sale of Christmas trees through Rec.gov. The agency began providing that option in calendar year 2020, and the public may now buyand printa Christmas tree permit online versus traveling to a Forest Service office. The option to purchase a permit in-person is still available.

The U.S. Codex Office is sponsoring a public meeting on September 20, 2021. 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 27th Session of the Codex Committee on Fats and Oils (CCFO) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, which will convene virtually, October 18-26, 2021. The U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius and the Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs recognize the importance of providing interested parties the opportunity to obtain background information on the 27th Session of the CCFO and to address items on the agenda.

We are announcing to the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service intends to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) evaluating the impacts that may result from the approval of a petition for nonregulated status for blight-tolerant Darling 58 American chestnut (Castanea dentata) from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry. The trees have been developed using genetic engineering to express an oxalate oxidase enzyme from wheat as a defense against the fungal pathogen Cryphonectria parasitica, making Darling 58 American chestnut tolerant to chestnut blight. Issues to be addressed in the EIS include the potential environmental impacts to managed natural and non- agricultural lands, the physical environment, biological resources, human health, socioeconomics, federally listed threatened or endangered species, and cultural or historic resources. We are requesting public comments to further delineate the scope of the alternatives and environmental and interrelated economic issues and impacts to be considered in the EIS.

The Subcommittee on Aquaculture (SCA) is a statutory subcommittee that operates under the Committee on Environment of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) under the Office of Science and Technology Policy in the Executive Office of the President [National Aquaculture Act of 1980 (Pub. L. 96-362. 94 Stat. 1198, 16 U.S.C. 2801, et seq.) and the National Aquaculture Improvement Act of 1985 (Pub. L. 99-198, 99 Stat. 1641)]. In October 2018, the SCA established a Science Planning Task Force charged with documenting Federal science and technology opportunities and priorities for aquaculture by revising and updating the National Strategic Plan for Federal Aquaculture Research (2014-2019). Similarly, in February 2019, the SCA established a Regulatory Efficiency Task Force charged with developing a new plan for interagency science and technology coordination to improve regulatory efficiency, research and technology development, and economic growth. The Task Forces are seeking public comment on Science and Regulatory Efficiency strategic plans to determine if their respective topics are adequately covered. In addition, in May of 2020, the SCA established an Economic Development Task Force charged with developing a strategic plan for economic development through aquaculture. Separately from SCA, the National Aquaculture Act of 1980 requires select federal agencies to develop a National Aquaculture Development Plan (NADP). Last completed in 1983, the NADP describes aquaculture associated technologies, problems, and opportunities in the United States and its territories. It recommends actions to solve problems and analyzes the social, environmental, and economic impacts of growth in aquaculture. The SCA plans to update the NADP using the Science and Regulatory Efficiency plans described here, with the addition of the Economic Development plan currently in process.

On June 30, 2021, the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation revised the Area Risk Protection Insurance (ARPI) Regulations and Common Crop Insurance Policy (CCIP) Basic Provisions. That final rule inadvertently failed to revise the applicable crop year in the introductory text of the ARPI policy. This document makes the correction.

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. This collection is a Reinstatement, with change, of a previously approved collection for which approval has expired (OMB Number 0584-0530, Discontinued: 10/31/ 2020); for the Fourth Access, Participation, Eligibility, and Certification Study Series (APEC IV).

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. This collection is a revision of the currently approved collection for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Nutrition Assessment and Tailoring Study (WIC NATS) [OMB Control Number 0584- 0663]. The revision adds data collection from in-person site visits, where the data collection activities planned for the currently approved remote site visits will be replicated for use with 30 WIC clinic sites for in-person site visits once WIC clinic sites safely resume in-person operations.

This document announces the renewal of substances listed on the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (National List) within the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) organic regulations. This document reflects the outcome of the 2021 and 2022 sunset review processes and addresses recommendations submitted to the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary), through the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), by the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB).

The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) revised the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) regulation in the final rule published in the Federal Register on October 9, 2020, in response to public comments. Changes were published in the final rule that revised the definition for resource-conserving crop. As part of a recent review, a technical error in the definition of ``resource-conserving crop'' was discovered. This document corrects the error. In addition, there was an inadvertent error and the definition for ``resource- conserving crop rotation'' needs to be reinstated; the definition remains unchanged from the interim rule as published in the Federal Register on November 12, 2019.

The U.S Codex Office is sponsoring a public meeting on September 9, 2021. 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 8th Session of the Ad hoc Codex Intergovernmental Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance (TFAMR) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, which will convene virtually, October 4-9, 2021 with the report adoption on October 13, 2021. The U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius and the Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs recognize the importance of providing interested parties the opportunity to obtain background information on the 8th Session of the TFAMR and to address items on the agenda.