Department of Agriculture 2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Foreign Agricultural Service's (FAS) intention and Commodity Credit Corporation's (CCC) intention to request on behalf of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) a revision from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for a currently approved information collection process in support of the USDA's Regional Agricultural Promotion Program.

The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS or the Agency), a Rural Development (RD) agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), invites applications for grants under the Rural Cooperative Development Grant (RCDG) program for fiscal year (FY) 2024. This notice is being issued to allow applicants sufficient time to leverage financing, prepare and submit applications, and give the Agency time to process applications within FY 2024. Successful applications will be selected by the Agency for funding and subsequently awarded. All applicants are responsible for any expenses incurred in developing their applications.

In a final rule published in the Federal Register on December 29, 2022, and effective on January 30, 2023, we amended the regulations governing domestic quarantines for various plant pests by removing lists of quarantined areas and regulated articles from the regulations in order to maintain these lists on web pages maintained by the Agency. However, in the regulations governing black stem rust, we incorrectly stated that the web page listing articles determined to be rust- resistant only listed species and varieties of the genus Berberis, rather than species and varieties of the genera Berberis, Mahoberberis, and Mahonia. Therefore, we are amending the paragraph to correct the omission.

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 is a new collection for the study "Assessment of Administrative Costs of Electronic Healthy Incentives Projects (eHIP)." This study will calculate costs incurred by eHIP, which will provide incentives through EBT integration to increase purchase of healthy foods (e.g., fruits and vegetables) by Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants.

This notice lists the newspapers that will be used by the Ranger Districts, Forests, and Regional Office of the Alaska Region to publish legal notices required under Forest Service regulations. The intended effect of this action is to inform interested members of the public which newspapers the Forest Service will use to publish notices of proposed actions and notices of decision. This will provide the public with constructive notice of Forest Service proposals and decisions; provide information on the procedures to comment, object, or appeal; and establish the date that the Forest Service will use to determine if comments, appeals, or objections were timely.

To comply with a court order, the Secretaries, through the Federal Subsistence Board (Board), initiated regulatory proceedings to identify those submerged lands within the Tongass National Forest that did not pass to the State of Alaska at statehood and, therefore, remain Federal public lands subject to Federal subsistence provisions. This rule adds to the list of submerged parcels in the Federal subsistence regulations that have been identified through agency review. The purpose of this rule is to complete regulatory proceedings addressing submerged public lands within the Tongass National Forest, as directed by the Court, and will result in increased subsistence harvest opportunities for rural Alaskans. This final rule will also make nonsubstantive changes to present the list of submerged parcels in a tabular format.

The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS, Agency), a Rural Development (RD) agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), published in the Federal Register, a Notice of Solicitation of Applications for the Rural Innovation Stronger Economy (RISE) program for fiscal year (FY) 2024 on January 2, 2024 that invited applications for funding subject to the availability of funding. However, the Agency did not receive any funding for FY24, so it will not be accepting applications this cycle.

We are advising the public that we have added Kosovo and Mozambique 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 Kosovo or Mozambique, as a result of the confirmation of HPAI in these countries.

FSIS is announcing the availability of a guideline to assist meat (including Siluriformes fish and fish products) and poultry establishments in meeting the regulatory requirements for calculating the correct retained water percentage in raw livestock, poultry, and Siluriformes fish carcasses and parts resulting from post-evisceration processing, and the proper labeling of these products. FSIS is also announcing when the Agency will start verifying that establishments are correctly calculating retained water in applicable product. The guideline clarifies the methods an establishment may use to collect and use data to determine the amount of retained water in a product covered by its retained water protocol (RWP). In addition, it provides specific information on protocol development, process control, and air-chilled product claims.

The Rural Housing Service (RHS or Agency), a Rural Development (RD) agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is proposing to update its regulations on how credit reports are obtained for the purposes of determining eligibility and feasibility for Multifamily Housing (MFH) Programs.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, ERS is proposing a new information collection to study consumer's willingness to pay to prevent health effects of foodborne illness, "Foodborne Illness Prevention Valuation Survey."

This proposed rule would implement a recommendation from the California Olive Committee (Committee) to decrease the assessment rate established for the 2024 fiscal year and subsequent fiscal years. The proposed assessment rate would remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.

The Northwest Forest Plan Advisory Committee will hold a public meeting according to the details shown below. The committee is authorized under the National Forest Management Act and operates in compliance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). The purpose of the committee is to provide advice and pragmatic recommendations regarding potential regional scale land management planning approaches and solutions within the Northwest Forest Plan area within the context of the 2012 Planning Rule.

The Prince William Sound 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 Chugach National Forest within boroughs associated with the Prince William Sound RAC, consistent with the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will hold a public meeting of the Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Advisory Committee (UAIPAC). UAIPAC will convene to discuss proposed recommendations for the Secretary of Agriculture on the development of policies and outreach relating to urban, indoor, and other emerging agriculture production practices. UAIPAC is authorized under the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill) and operates in compliance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Rural Housing Service (RHS) announces its' intention to request an extension of a currently approved information collection and invites comments on this information collection.

The Rural Housing Service (RHS or Agency), a Rural Development (RD) agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), announces that it is accepting applications for subsequent Section 514 Off-Farm Labor Housing (Off-FLH) loans and subsequent Section 516 Off- FLH grants to improve, repair, or make modifications to existing Off- Farm Labor Housing Properties for fiscal year 2024. This Notice describes the method used to distribute funds, the application process, and submission requirements.

The Rural Housing Service (RHS or Agency), a Rural Development (RD) agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is updating its regulations and implementing changes related to the administration of property reserve accounts under the Multi-Family Housing (MFH) section 515, Rural Rental Housing (RRH), and section 514, 516 Farm Labor Housing (FLH) programs. This final rule will increase flexibility in project refinancing for additional capital improvements needed at MFH section 515, RRH, and section 514, 516 FLH properties.

The Chief of the Forest Service, Department of Agriculture, has determined that it is in the substantial overriding public interest (SOPI) to redetermine pulpwood rates and extend up to two years certain National Forest System timber sales and sale of property stewardship contracts. This finding applies to timber sale and sale of property stewardship contracts that were awarded before March 13, 2024, and, upon award, to contracts with a bid opening prior to March 13, 2024, subject to specified exceptions. Contracts with 20 percent or more of the included product listed as pulpwood with required removal will qualify for a pulpwood rate redetermination and may qualify for an extension under this SOPI finding. The SOPI determination is due to a combination of factors impacting the national economy and the pulp, paper, and chips markets. The intended effect of pulpwood rate redeterminations and extensions of certain timber and sale of property contracts is to allow timber purchasers and contractors time to navigate through the market conditions; to minimize contract defaults, mill closures, and bankruptcies; to sustain employment opportunities, and to minimize the time-consuming and often difficult process of collecting default damages. Without a vibrant forest products industry, the Forest Service cannot manage the land to meet the multiple forest management and restoration objectives nationwide as intended and funded by Congress.

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 a currently approved collection.