Department of Agriculture 2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, FSIS is announcing its intention to renew an approved information collection regarding the labeling requirements for mechanically tenderized beef products. There are no changes to the existing information collection. The approval for this information collection will expire on June 30, 2024.

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to the provisions of the rules and regulations of the Department of Agriculture and the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), the Office of Tribal Relations is announcing a meeting of the Tribal Advisory Committee. The committee is authorized under the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (the 2018 Farm Bill) and operates in compliance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The purpose of the committee is to provide advice and guidance to USDA on matters related to Tribal and Indian affairs.

The Chippewa National Forest Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) will hold a public meeting according to the details 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. 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 on the Chippewa National Forest within Beltrami, Cass, and Itasca counties.

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

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announces that soybean producers may request a referendum to determine if producers want the Secretary to conduct a referendum on the Soybean Promotion and Research Order (Order), as authorized under the Soybean Promotion, Research, and Consumer Information Act (Act). Participation in the Request for Referendum is voluntary. Producers should participate only if they wish to request a referendum on the program. If at least 10 percent (not in excess of one-fifth of which may be producers in any one State) of the 413,358 eligible producers, as determined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), participate in the Request for Referendum, a referendum would be held within 1 year from that determination. If results of the Request for Referendum indicate that a referendum is not supported, a referendum would not be conducted. The results of the Request for Referendum will be published in a notice in the Federal Register.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announces the availability of the Final Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the AMS Organic Market Development Grant Program.

This proposed rule would implement a recommendation from the Citrus Administrative Committee (Committee) to increase the assessment rate established for the 2023-2024 fiscal year and subsequent fiscal periods from $0.015 to $0.02 per 4/5-bushel carton or equivalent for Florida citrus handled under the marketing order. The proposed assessment rate would remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service is revising the land management plan for the Lolo National Forest and preparing an environmental impact statement (EIS). This notice announces the Forest Service's intent to prepare an EIS and initiates the scoping period on the proposed action. This notice describes the documents available for review and how to obtain them; summarizes the need for change to the existing land management plan; provides information concerning public participation and collaboration, including the process for submitting comments; provides an estimated schedule for the planning process, including the time available for comments; and how to obtain additional information.

This rule implements a recommendation from the California Walnut Board (Board) to decrease the assessment rate established for the 2023-2024 and subsequent marketing years. The assessment rate will remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.

The National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council will hold a public meeting according to the details shown below. The Council is authorized under the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act (the Act) and operates in compliance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). The purpose of the Council is to develop a national urban and community forestry ten-year action plan, evaluate and report annually on the implementation of that plan to the Secretary, and develop criteria for and submit recommendations to the Forest Service's National Urban and Community Forestry Challenge Cost- share Grant Program.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (Department's) National Agricultural Library (NAL) announces a second public feedback period to receive public comments, recommendations, and suggestions on the Department's planned response to White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) guidance on access to the results of federally-funded research. The Department's plan and policies apply to the results of research funded wholly or in part by any USDA component agency. This effort to obtain input regarding implementation of federal public access requirements will be carried out through an online submission mechanism. This second public feedback period is to allow opportunity for feedback from interested parties not widely heard from during the first period, including but not limited to members of the public; principal investigators; research institutions, including minority-serving institutions; research libraries; data repositories; and data scientists. Responses received during the first comment period have already been reviewed and will be considered along with comments received during the second comment period. If you need a reasonable accommodation or language access services to leave a written comment, please contact Cynthia Parr, National Agricultural Library, at Cynthia.Parr@usda.gov, or 301-837-8917. Written Comments: Submission of written interested party input will be open upon publishing of this Notice through 5 p.m. Eastern time February 28, 2024, via the Federal eRulemaking portal as described below.

Susan Eickhoff, the Forest Supervisor for the Ashley National Forest, Intermountain Region, signed the final record of decision (ROD) for the Ashley National Forest revised Land Management Plan (LMP). The final ROD documents the rationale for approving the revised LMP and is consistent with the Reviewing Officer's responses to objections and instructions.

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, and Oregon and parts of Nevada and Utah (Far West) for the 2024- 2025 marketing year. This proposed rule would also remove references to past volume regulation no longer in effect.

The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS or the Agency), an agency of the Rural Development (RD) mission area within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), is issuing a proposed rule with request for comments to adopt changes from the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill). These proposed changes include the merger of the Guidelines for Designating Biobased Products for Federal Procurement and the Voluntary Labeling Program for Biobased Products into one streamlined regulation, Biobased Markets (BioPreferred) Program. The plain language summary of the proposal is available on Regulations.gov in the docket for rulemaking.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) requests comments from the publicincluding the food industry and research communityto help inform future policy and decisions about potentially updating Thrifty Food Plan (TFP) cost estimates for the State of Hawaii. Specifically, FNS invites comments and ideas about food price data for the State of Hawaiiincluding communities in the State outside of the County of Honoluluthat may be available, potentially accessible to FNS, and of sufficient quality, format, sample size, and recent period to be used potentially by FNS to make cost adjustments for the State of Hawaii to the TFP pursuant to section 3(u)(2) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, as amended. Comments must be received on or before March 4, 2024.

The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS or the Agency), a Rural Development (RD) agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), announces acceptance of applications under the Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) program for Fiscal Year (FY)2024, subject to the availability of funding. This Notice is being issued prior to the FY 2024 appropriations act to allow Applicants sufficient time to leverage financing, prepare and submit their applications, and give the Agency time to process applications within FY 2024. Based on FY 2023 appropriated funding, the Agency estimates that approximately $30 million will be made available for FY 2024. 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. Applicants are responsible for any expenses incurred in developing their applications.

The Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail (PNT) Advisory Council will hold public meetings according to the details shown below. The Council is authorized under the National Trails System Act (the Act) and operates in compliance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). The purpose of the Council is to advise and make recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture, through the Chief of the Forest Service, on matters relating to the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail as described in the Act.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announces the availability of the Final Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the AMS Local Meat Capacity Grant Program.

We are advising the public that we have prepared a pest risk analysis that evaluates the risks associated with importation of fresh rhizomes of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) for consumption from Mexico into the United States. Based on the analysis, we have determined that the application of one or more designated phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to mitigate the risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or noxious weeds via the importation of fresh rhizomes of turmeric from Mexico. We are making the pest risk analysis available to the public for review and comment.

In accordance with the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA), the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) Oil Spill Final Programmatic Damage Assessment Restoration Plan and Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision, and the Consent Decree referenced below, the Federal and State natural resource trustee agencies for the Mississippi Trustee Implementation Group (MS TIG) have prepared and are making available to the public the ``Mississippi Trustee Implementation Group Final Restoration Plan 4 and Environmental Assessment: Restoration of Wetlands, Coastal, and Nearshore Habitats; Nutrient Reduction (Nonpoint Source), and Provide and Enhance Recreational Opportunities'' (Final RP4 and EA); and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). The Final RP4 and EA analyzes projects to partially restore wetlands, coastal, and nearshore habitats; reduce nutrient pollution (nonpoint source); and provide and enhance recreational opportunities to compensate for lost recreational use in the Mississippi Restoration Area resulting from the DWH oil spill. The Final RP4 and EA evaluates a reasonable range of project alternatives under OPA, the OPA Natural Resources Damage Assessment (NRDA) regulations, and NEPA and the NEPA implementing regulations, and selects seven projects for funding and implementation. A No Action alternative is also evaluated for each of the restoration types. The estimated cost to implement MS TIG's proposed action (seven preferred alternatives) is $26.4 million. Of this amount, $18,500,000 will be funded from the Wetlands, Coastal and Nearshore Habitats restoration allocation, $5,000,000 from the Nutrient Reduction restoration allocation, and $2,853,000 from the Recreational Use restoration allocation.

The Rural Housing Service (RHS or Agency), a Rural Development (RD) agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), proposes to amend its regulation to implement changes related to the smoke alarm requirements for properties that receive funding from the MFH Section 515 Rural Rental Housing and the Section 514/516 Farm Labor Housing Direct Loan and Grant programs. These proposed changes are intended to align the Agency's smoke alarm requirements with the new qualifying smoke alarm standards set forth in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 (Act). The Act requires each unit of federally assisted housing to contain hardwired or 10-year non- rechargeable, sealed, tamper-resistant, battery-powered smoke alarm devices.