Department of Agriculture – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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. This information collection, the FNS-245, Negative Case Action Review Schedule, is designed to collect quality control (QC) data and serve as the data entry form for negative case action QC reviews in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Revisions to the form, its instructions, and burden hours are within.

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 (OMB) for an extension of the currently approved information collection "Plan for Estimating Daily Livestock Slaughter Under Federal Inspection" (OMB 0581-0050).

The Rural Housing Service (RHS or Agency), a Rural Development (RD) agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is amending the current regulation for the Off-Farm Labor Housing (Off- FLH) program to clarify the grant agreement term and adopt the period of performance as required by Federal award information requirements. The Agency expects the changes to clarify for applicants and grantees their obligations and requirements as Federal award recipients.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA, the Department) is issuing a public notice of its intent to rescind an Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Privacy Act system of records notice, National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN), USDA/APHIS-5. This system of records notice is rescinded because it has been incorporated into another system of records notice published by the Department.

The Hood-Willamette 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. 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 Mt. Hood and Willamette National Forests within Clackamas, Douglas, Hood River, Jefferson, Lane, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, and Wasco Counties, consistent with the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is reopening the comment period for 30 days due to impacts of recent hurricanes to allow the public to provide comments on the specified conservation practice standards to be revised in the National Handbook of Conservation Practices (NHCP) published on September 24, 2024.

We are notifying the public that we are removing three Acer spp. (Acer buergerianum, A. palmatum, and A. pseudosieboldianum) dwarf plants from the Republic of Korea from our lists of taxa of plants for planting whose importation into the United States is not authorized pending pest risk analysis, thereby allowing the importation of such Acer spp. into the continental United States, subject to certain conditions. We are taking this action in response to a request from this country and after determining that the plants can be imported, under certain conditions, without resulting in the introduction into, or the dissemination within, the United States of a plant pest.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's intention to request approval of a new information collection associated with a study to understand livestock producers' perceptions of predator damage management methods and their willingness to continue using such methods.

Notice is hereby given that the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) has prepared a Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Central Electric Power Cooperative's (the Applicant/Central Electric) proposed McClellanville 115-kilovolt (kV) Transmission Project (Project) in South Carolina, to meet RUS's responsibilities under National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and their implementing regulations related to providing financial assistance to Central Electric for its share in constructing the proposed transmission line and associated infrastructure. The U.S. Forest Service, Francis Marion National Forest, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are cooperating agencies in the preparation of the EIS. The Final EIS analyzes the environmental impacts of constructing, operating, and maintaining a new 23.3-mile, 115-kV transmission line along the Jamestown corridor (Proposed Action), and two other alternatives, that includes the Jamestown Alternative (a variation of the Proposed Action) and the Charity Alternative. It also addresses comments received during the comment period for the Supplemental Draft EIS, which was prepared in 2019. As part of its broad environmental review process, RUS must consider the effect of the Project on historic properties in accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act (section 106) and its implementing regulation, "Protection of Historic Properties". This Notice of Availability also serves as a notice of proposed wetland and floodplain actions.

This notice announces the members of the Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Senior Executive Service (SES) and Senior Level (SL) and Scientific or Professional (ST) Performance Review Boards. Agriculture has two PRBs with representatives from each USDA Mission Area. The PRB provides a written recommendation to the Secretary for final approval of each executive's performance rating, performance- based pay adjustment, and performance award. The PRBs are advised by the Office of Human Resources Management, Office of General Counsel, and Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights to ensure compliance with laws and regulations.

The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS or the Agency), a Rural Development (RD) agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is issuing a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to announce acceptance of grant, guaranteed loan, and combined grant and guaranteed loan applications under the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). This notice announces the deadlines, dates, and times that applications must be received in order to be considered for REAP funds. The NOFO is being issued for Fiscal Years (FY) 2025, 2026, and 2027. The notice will not be applied retroactively to any applications previously filed. Applications received the date following the publication of this notice through September 30, 2027, will be evaluated and scored according to the provisions listed in this notice, unless otherwise amended via a subsequent notice.

The Wenatchee-Okanogan 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 Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest within Okanogan, Chelan, Kittitas, and Yakima Counties, consistent with the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act.

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 associated with SNAP benefit storage and expungement provisions of the 2008 and 2018 Farm Bills. This collection is an extension, without change, of a currently approved collection. This collection is for providing SNAP households advance or concurrent notice of State agency action to store unused SNAP benefits offline due to three or more months of account inactivity and for those households to seek reinstatement of benefits prior to permanent expungement. This collection is also for providing SNAP households advance or concurrent notice prior to the State agency expunging unused SNAP benefits from the household's Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) account due to nine months of account inactivity.

The Rural Housing Service (RHS or the Agency), a Rural Development agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is issuing this notification to extend the period to waive two regulatory requirements for the Section 502 Direct and Guaranteed Manufactured Housing program, while the Agency completes the rulemaking to remove regulatory barriers to assist eligible applicants by improving the ease of the pilot program (pilot) use for very low to moderate-income homeowners that seek to purchase more affordable housing. This continues to support the current Administration's Housing Supply Action Plan which seeks to boost new financing mechanisms to build and supply quality affordable housing units. This document briefly discusses the waivers the Agency intends to continue and provides contact information for additional details about the pilot.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) intention to request a revision of a currently approved information collection and invites comments on this information collection.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces Rural Development's (RD) intention to request a revision of a currently approved information collection and invites comments on this information collection.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the intention of the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) to seek approval to conduct a new information collection to gather data related to the use of agroforestry practices.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is announcing the certification of the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries and the Washington State Department of Agriculture to provide official inspection services at the export port locations listed in table 1, below, under the delegated authority of the United States Grain Standards Act (USGSA or Act), as amended. AMS is also announcing the designation of official agencies to provide official services (at other than export port locations) in the geographic areas listed in table 2, below.

This amendment to NIFA regulations updates the list of institutions that are granted Hispanic-Serving Agricultural Colleges and Universities (HSACU) certification by the Secretary and are eligible for HSACU programs for the period starting July 1, 2024, and ending July 1, 2025.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS or Service) proposes to amend its user fee regulations to establish standardized formulas the agency would use to calculate hourly and unit fees. The proposed changes would allow FGIS to charge reasonable fees sufficient to cover the costs of providing official services and re-establish a 3-to 6-month operating reserve, as required by the United States Grain Standards Act (USGSA). This proposed rulemaking would also make specified conforming changes and minor technical changes to the regulations to correct two typographical errors.

This United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) amends the Agriculture Acquisition Regulation (AGAR) to align the AGAR with changes to acquisition law, regulations, and internal USDA policies since the AGAR's last major revision in 1996.

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.

This notice lists the newspapers that will be used by the ranger districts, national forests, and regional office of the Pacific Southwest Region to publish legal notices required under Agency 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 projects and activities implementing land management plans. Notices published in newspapers of record may notify the public of Forest Service proposals, provide information on the procedures to comment or object, and establish the date that the Forest Service will use to determine if comments or objections were timely.

This document revises the delegations of authority from the Secretary of Agriculture and general officers of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to reflect changes and additions to the delegations as summarized below.