Department of Agriculture 2022 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) and the Farm Service Agency (FSA) are requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on an extension of a currently approved information collection. CCC and FSA use the information to determine whether representatives or survivors of a producer are entitled to receive payments earned by a producer who dies, disappears, or is declared incompetent before receiving payments or other disbursements.

The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill) amended several sections of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (RE Act) that are carried out by the Electric Program at the USDARural Utilities Service (RUS). Section 6501 extends refinancing authority to RUS for loans made or guaranteed by the Secretary. Section 6503 ended the Cushion of Credit Payment Program. Section 6505 made several changes to the loan guarantee program authorized under section 313A of the RE Act. Section 6507 permits RUS to include provisions for cybersecurity and grid security improvements.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, this notice announces the National Institute of Food and Agriculture's (NIFA) intention to extend and revise a previously approved information collection, entitled Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP).

The Rural Utilities Service (RUS or Agency), a Rural Development agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is issuing a final rule with comment. The intent of this rule is to revise several regulations to streamline procedures for Electric Program borrowers, including its loan application requirements, approval of work plans and load forecasts, use of approved contracts and system design procedures and reporting requirements.

The Southern Montana Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) will hold a public meeting according to the details shown below. 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 (FACA). 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 the Custer Gallatin National Forest, consistent with the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act. General information and meeting details can be found at the following website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/custergallatin/workingtogether / advisorycommittees/?cid=stelprd3841767.

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, this constitutes notice of the upcoming meeting of the Grain Inspection Advisory Committee (Advisory Committee). The Advisory Committee meets no less than once annually to advise the Secretary on the programs and services delivered by the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) under the U.S. Grain Standards Act. Recommendations by the Advisory Committee help AMS meet the needs of its customers, who operate in a dynamic and changing marketplace.

The Sanders Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) will hold a public meeting according to the details shown below. 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 (FACA). 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 the Lolo National Forest, consistent with the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act. General information and meeting details can be found at the following website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/lolo/workingtogether/advisoryc ommittees/ ?cid=fsm9_021467.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) amends the Common Crop Insurance Regulations, Sugar Beet Crop Insurance Provisions. This rule will reinstate stage guarantees and make the stage removal option permanent to ensure all producers have maximum flexibility to obtain the crop insurance coverage they need for their operation. The changes will be effective for the 2023 and succeeding crop years for counties with a contract change date on or after November 30, 2022, and for the 2024 and succeeding crop years for counties with a contract change date prior to November 30, 2022.

Mammoth Mountain Ski Area (MMSA) has submitted a proposal to the Inyo National Forest (the Forest) to pursue approval of select projects from its 2022 Master Development Plan (MDP) on National Forest System (NFS) lands, in accordance with its existing Special Use Permit (SUP). The Proposed Action includes: new lifts, lift replacements and realignments, additional ski terrain development, new buildings and parking lots for guest and employee use, road reconstruction and construction of a new road, trail construction for pedestrians and bike connectivity, extensions of existing utilities and on-mountain infrastructure, and other infrastructure improvements to support base area development on private parcels. The Inyo National Forest plans to complete a combined environmental impact statement (EIS)/Environmental Impact Report (EIR) with the Town of Mammoth Lakes because a number of projects proposed are entirely on private lands.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Utilities Service (RUS) administers rural utilities programs, including the Telecommunications Program. RUS announces the depreciation rates for telecommunications plant for the period ending December 31, 2021.

This notice is given to invite applications for grants under the Rural Business Development Grant (RBDG) Program for fiscal year (FY) 2023, subject to the availability of funding. This notice is being issued prior to passage of a FY 2023 Appropriations Act in order to allow applicants sufficient time to leverage financing, prepare and submit their applications, and give the Agency time to process applications within FY 2023. Based on FY 2022 appropriated funding, the Agency estimates that approximately $46,000,000 will be available for FY 2023. Successful applications will be selected by the Agency for funding and subsequently awarded to the extent that funding may ultimately be made available through appropriations. An announcement on the website at https://www.rd.usda.gov/newsroom/federal-funding- opportunities will identify the amount available in FY 2023 for RBDG applications. All applicants are responsible for any expenses incurred in developing their applications.

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 an extension, without change, of a currently approved collection for activities associated with administering emergency allotments (EA) waivers. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020, enacted March 18, 2020, includes a general provision that allows the Department of Agriculture to issue EA waivers based on a public health emergency declaration by the Secretary of Health and Human Services under section 319 of the Public Health Service Act related to an outbreak of COVID-19 when a State has also issued an emergency or disaster declaration.

This rulemaking proposes to revise regulations governing the WIC food packages to align them with the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans and reflect recommendations made by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) in its 2017 report, ``Review of WIC Food Packages: Improving Balance and Choice,'' while promoting nutrition security and equity and taking into account program administration considerations. The proposed changes are intended to provide WIC participants with a wider variety of foods that align with the latest nutritional science; provide WIC State agencies with greater flexibility to prescribe and tailor food packages that accommodate participants' special dietary needs and personal and cultural food preferences; provide more equitable access to supplemental foods; and better promote and support individual breastfeeding goals of participants to help establish successful long-term breastfeeding.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) requests public input for NRCS to use to inform how NRCS will implement funds received under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to fund the deployment of climate-smart practices on US farms, ranches, and forestlands through four Farm Bill conservation programs. NRCS is also requesting input on funding to quantify carbon sequestration and carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide emissions at the field scale. NRCS is specifically interested in public input and recommendations that NRCS can use to improve, expand, and/or build on scientifically-designed quantification systems to monitor and quantify improvements in soil carbon, reductions in nitrogen losses, and the reduction, capture, avoidance, or sequestration of carbon dioxide, methane, or nitrous oxide emissions, associated with agricultural production. In implementing the IRA, NRCS is interested in supporting program implementation and improving program delivery by effectively leveraging partners to increase outreach and expand access to underserved producers. This effort will help NRCS identify and prioritize process improvements for the delivery of funding made available under IRA and the overall administration of the NRCS conservation programs. NRCS will look to identify immediate changes that can be implemented for funding available for fiscal year (FY) 2023 and will continue to identify and adopt additional changes in future years.

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 current information collection request associated with the Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP). OCCSP provides cost share assistance to producers and handlers of agricultural products who are obtaining or renewing their certification under the National Organic Program (NOP). Certified operations may receive up to 50 percent of their certification costs paid, up to a maximum of $500 for each of the following scopes: crops, wild crops, livestock, processing/handling, and State organic program fees. Certain State agencies also submit applications to FSA to administer OCCSP in their States.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) intention to request an extension for and revision to a currently approved information collection for Pecans Grown in the States of Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas, Marketing Order No. 986.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing that on February 1, 2023, the Agency will expand its routine verification testing for six Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli that are adulterants (non-O157 STEC; O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, or O145), in addition to the adulterant Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7, to ground beef, bench trim, and other raw ground beef components in addition to raw beef manufacturing trimmings in official establishments. The raw ground beef components to be tested for these six non-O157 STEC, hereafter ``other raw ground beef components,'' are: head meat, cheek meat, weasand (esophagus) meat, product from advanced meat recovery (AMR) systems, partially defatted chopped beef and partially defatted beef fatty tissue, low temperature rendered lean finely textured beef, and heart meat. Currently, FSIS tests only its beef manufacturing trimmings samples for these six non- O157 STEC and E. coli O157:H7. Otherwise, all other raw beef products are tested only for E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella. FSIS also will begin testing for these non-O157 STEC in ground beef samples that it collects at retail stores and in applicable samples it collects of imported raw beef products. Additionally, FSIS is responding to comments regarding the STEC testing expansion and the costs and benefits analysis (CBA), as well as its updated STEC laboratory testing criteria for determining whether a result is positive.

The Forest Service intends to establish the Northwest Forest Plan Area Advisory Committee (the Committee), subject to the Secretary of Agriculture's approval. In accordance with provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), the Committee is being established to provide advice and recommendations on landscape management approaches that promote sustainability, climate change adaptations, and wildfire resilience while providing for increasing use of and demands from National Forest System lands in the Northwest Forest Plan area. The Committee is necessary and in the public interest. Therefore, the Secretary of Agriculture is also seeking nominations for individuals to be considered as committee members. DATES: Written nominations must be submitted electronically or post-marked by January 17, 2023. Nominations must contain a completed application packet that includes the cover letter, resume, references, and completed form AD-755 (Advisory Committee Membership Background Information). The form AD-755 may be obtained from the Forest Service contact person or from the following website: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ ad-755.pdf. The package must be sent to either the email address or mailing address listed in the ADRESSESS. Electronic submission is preferred.

USDA is providing public notice that the Secretary of Agriculture has determined that cost share payments made by the New York Suffolk County SIP are primarily for the purpose of conserving soil and water resources or protecting and restoring the environment. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) was assigned technical and administrative responsibility for reviewing the New York Suffolk County SIP and for making appropriate recommendations for the Secretary's determination of primary purpose. The Secretary's determination permits recipients of cost share payments to exclude such payments from gross income to the extent allowed by the Internal Revenue Service.

The Trinity County Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) will hold a public meeting according to the details shown below. 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 (FACA). 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 Shasta-Trinity National Forest consistent with the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act. General information and meeting details can be found at the following website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/ detail/stnf/workingtogether/advisorycommittees/?cid=fseprd931 588.

The Food and Nutrition Service is delaying the effective date for the interim final rule published in the Federal Register on October 3, 2022, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Requirement for Interstate Data Matching to Prevent Duplicate Issuances.

This rule amends the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (National List) section of the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) organic regulations to implement recommendations submitted to the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary) by the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB). This rule allows low-acyl gellan gum, a food additive used as a thickener, gelling agent, and stabilizer, as an ingredient in processed organic products. This rule also allows paper- based crop planting aids for organic crop production. Finally, this rule replaces the term ``wood resin'' on the National List with the term ``wood rosin'' to reflect the popular spelling of the substance.