Department of Agriculture February 2022 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Central Idaho Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) will hold two virtual meetings by phone and/or video conference. The committee is authorized under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self- Determination Act (the Act) and operates in compliance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The purpose of the committee is to improve collaborative relationships and to provide advice and recommendations to the Forest Service concerning projects and funding consistent with Title II of the Act as well as make recommendations on recreation fee proposals for sites on Salmon-Challis, Caribou Targhee, and Sawtooth National Forests within the counties of Butte, Custer, and Lemhi, consistent with the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act. RAC information and virtual meeting information can be found at the following website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/scnf/workingtogether/ advisorycommittees.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Forest Service is seeking comments from all interested individuals and organizations on the new information collection, Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity User Satisfaction Survey.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on a revision and an extension of a currently approved information collection request associated with the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities grant activity. The purpose of the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities is to support the production and marketing of climate-smart commodities through a set of pilot projects that provide voluntary incentives through partners to producers and landowners, including early adopters, to implement climate-smart production practices, activities, and systems on working lands; measure and quantify, monitor and verify the carbon and greenhouse gas (GHG) benefits associated with those practices; and develop markets and promote the resulting climate-smart commodities. Additional information on the partnerships is available at https://www.usda.gov/climate-solutions/climate-smart-commodit ies.

We are revising our regulations regarding the production or disclosure of official information in legal proceedings (referred to as Touhy regulations). These regulations are being updated to promote consistent processing of Touhy requests among U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA or Department) agencies; clarify the responsibilities of all parties in the Touhy process; and provide additional information about criteria that USDA agencies should consider in the Touhy process.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment on this information collection. This is a revision of a currently approved collection, which FNS employs to determine public participation in the School Breakfast Program.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing its intention to renew the approved information collection regarding business registration requirements. The approval for this information collection will expire on July 31, 2022. FSIS is not making any changes to the approved collection.

The Central Idaho Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) will hold a virtual meeting by phone and/or video conference. The committee is authorized under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self- Determination Act (the Act) and operates in compliance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The purpose of the committee is to improve collaborative relationships and to provide advice and recommendations to the Forest Service concerning projects and funding consistent with Title II of the Act as well as make recommendations on recreation fee proposals for sites on Salmon-Challis, Caribou Targhee, and Sawtooth National Forests within the counties of Butte, Custer, and Lemhi, consistent with the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act. RAC information and virtual meeting information can be found at the following website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/scnf/workingtogether/ advisorycommittees.

This proposed rule would implement a recommendation from the Almond Board of California (Board) to make changes to multiple provisions in the administrative requirements prescribed under the Federal marketing order regulating the handling of almonds grown in California. This action would revise several provisions in the Order's requirements to facilitate the efficient administration of the Order.

The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) published a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) and solicitation of applications in the Federal Register on October 25, 2021, entitled Rural eConnectivity Program (ReConnect Program), announcing its general policy and application procedures for funding under the ReConnect Program established pursuant to the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (which became law on February 15, 2019) which provides loans, grants, and loan/grant combinations to facilitate broadband deployment in rural areas. The purpose of this notice is to inform the public of changes made to the ReConnect program and to correct the October notice. The two changes are extending the application window until 11:59 a.m.. Eastern on March 9, 2022 and potentially increasing total level of funding.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) intention to request approval, from the Office of Management and Budget, for an extension of and revision to the currently approved information collection National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on a revision and an extension of a currently approved information collection request associated with the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA) of 1978.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on an extension of a currently approved information collection to support the Servicing Minor Program Loans.

The U.S Codex Office is sponsoring a public meeting on March 24, 2022. 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 22nd Session of the Codex Committee on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (CCFFV) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, which will convene virtually April 25-May 4, 2022. 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 22nd Session of the CCFFV and to address items on the agenda.

This final rule amends the U.S. Department of Agriculture's civil monetary penalty regulations by making inflation adjustments as mandated by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015.

The United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is inviting manufacturers of automated imaging instrumentation to partner in cooperative research and development efforts to determine broken kernels, whole kernels, and milling yield, in percentage by mass, in short-, medium-, and long- grain milled rice. The goal is to develop a commercially available instrument that can be used in providing official inspection results at AMS field offices and official service provider locations. Manufacturers must be willing to enter into a cooperative research and development agreement that includes mutually agreed upon roles and responsibilities, providing a suitable instrument, and providing technical expertise to facilitate the development of algorithms and/or calibrations. AMS will provide the rice samples and inspection expertise necessary to facilitate method development efforts and assess whether the instrument is fit for the intended purpose.

In accordance with Section 3(d)(1) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announce the completion and availability of a comprehensive river management plan for nine wild and scenic rivers (CRMP for Nine Wild and Scenic Rivers), including Collawash River, Eagle Creek, East Fork Hood River, Fifteenmile Creek, Fish Creek, Middle Fork Hood River, South Fork Clackamas River, South Fork Roaring River, and Zigzag River. Approximately 0.6 miles of South Fork Clackamas River is managed by the BLM; the remaining portion of South Fork Clackamas River and all other eight wild and scenic rivers in this plan are managed by the Forest Service. On January 10, 2022, Mt. Hood National Forest Forest Supervisor, Meta Loftsgaarden, signed a decision notice to adopt the CRMP for Nine Wild and Scenic Rivers on National Forest System lands. Also on January 13, 2022, the BLM Northwest Oregon District's Cascades Field Office Manager John Huston signed a decision to adopt this CRMP on the BLM-administered lands. The CRMP for Nine Wild and Scenic Rivers addresses resource protection, development of lands and facilities, user capacities, and other management practices necessary or desirable to achieve the purposes of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. This CRMP was prepared after consultation with Tribal, State and local governments and the interested public. An environmental assessment (EA) was prepared as part of the CRMP development. This EA has been prepared in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act and other relevant federal laws and regulations. The EA discloses the direct, indirect, and cumulative environmental effects that would result from adopting the CRMP.

This proposed rule would implement a recommendation from the Far West Spearmint Oil Administrative Committee (Committee) to establish salable quantities and allotment percentages for 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 2022-2023 marketing year.

The Virginia Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) will hold a virtual meeting by phone and/or video conference. The committee is authorized under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self- Determination Act (the Act) and operates in compliance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The purpose of the committee is to improve collaborative relationships and to provide advice and recommendations to the Forest Service concerning projects and funding consistent with Title II of the Act, as well as to make recommendations on recreation fee proposals for sites on the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests within Alleghany, Bath, Page, and Smyth Counties, Virginia, consistent with the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act. RAC information and virtual meeting information can be found at the following website: www.fs.usda.gov/main/gwj/workingtogether/ advisorycommittees.

The Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, is making purely technical, clarifying revisions to its existing regulations governing procedures for operating plans and agreements for powerline facility inspection, operation and maintenance, and vegetation management. The revisions are necessary to conform definitions and text in the regulations to revisions made to the proposed implementing directive in response to public comment. These purely technical, clarifying revisions do not formulate standards, criteria, or guidelines applicable to Forest Service programs and therefore do not require public notice and comment under section 14(a) of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974.