Department of Agriculture – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Rural Housing Service (RHS or the Agency), a Rural Development (RD) mission area agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), announces the availability of $12.2 million in funding for the Housing Preservation Grant (HPG) program for fiscal year (FY) 2024, which includes approximately $2.2 million that will be made available for disaster assistance. The funds are available to eligible sponsoring organizations for the repair or rehabilitation of housing owned or occupied by low- and very-low-income rural citizens under the HPG Program. This notice announces the opening and closing dates for receipt of preapplications for HPG funds, including the availability of calendar year 2022 disaster assistance, from eligible applicants, as well as submission requirements. Expenses incurred in developing preapplications will be at the applicant's cost.

The Forest Service published a document in the Federal Register of June 10, 2024, concerning the northwest Forest Plan Advisory Committee will hold a public meeting. The document contained incorrect dates for the meeting.

Chad Stewart, Forest Supervisor for the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison (GMUG) National Forests, Rocky Mountain Region, signed the final Record of Decision (ROD) for the Revised Land Management Plan (LMP) for the GMUG National Forests. The final ROD documents the rationale for approving the Revised LMP and is consistent with the Reviewing Officers' responses to objections and instructions.

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 a currently approved information collection associated with qualitative customer and stakeholder feedback on service delivery by the AMS.

We are advising the public that we are recognizing the regions of Tuscany and Umbria, Italy as being free of swine vesicular disease. This recognition is based on a risk evaluation we prepared in connection with this action and made available to the public for review and comment through a previous notice. As a result of this action, live swine, pork, and pork products may safely be imported into the United States from the regions of Tuscany and Umbria, Italy subject to conditions in the regulations. This notice also announces the availability of our final environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact.

We are notifying the public that we are updating the U.S. Department of Agriculture Plants for Planting Manual by recognizing the United Kingdom and 21 European Union Member States as being free from citrus longhorned beetle (CLB) and Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) and removing them from the list of countries where CLB and ALB are present. We are also changing the entry conditions in the manual for imports of certain host plant taxa of CLB and ALB from Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom because they have previously approved genera exempted from the category of plants Not Authorized Pending Pest Risk Analysis. These changes will relieve certain restrictions on imports of host plants of CLB and ALB into the United States from Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom while continuing to mitigate the risk of introducing quarantine pests into the United States.

We are proposing to amend the regulations governing the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP). These amendments would, among other things, condition indemnity for low pathogenicity avian influenza on adherence to biosecurity plans, clarify existing provisions of the regulations, fix editorial errors, and align the regulations more closely with current producer practices. These proposed changes were voted on and approved by the voting delegates at the NPIP's 2022 National Plan Conference.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS or the Agency) is soliciting comments on proposed revisions to its regulations under the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921 (P&S Act or Act). The proposal would prohibit certain payment practices under poultry grower ranking systems (commonly known as tournaments) in contract poultry production for broiler chickens, require live poultry dealers (LPDs) to adopt policies and procedures for operating a fair ranking system for broiler growers, and require LPDs to provide certain information to broiler growers when the LPD requests or requires the grower to make additional capital investments (ACIs). AMS proposes these changes in response to numerous complaints from growers about the use of tournament systems. AMS intends for the proposed regulations to increase transparency and address deception and unfairness in broiler grower payments, tournament operations, and capital improvement systems.

The Forest Service (Forest Service or Agency), U.S. Department of Agriculture, provides direction to employees through issuances in its Directive System, comprised of the Forest Service Manual and Forest Service Handbooks. The Agency must provide public notice of and opportunity to comment on any directives that formulate standards, criteria, or guidelines applicable to Forest Service programs. Once per quarter, the Agency provides advance notice of proposed and interim directives that will be made available for public comment during the next three months; proposed and interim directives that were previously published for public comment but not yet finalized and issued; and notice of final directives issued in the last three months.

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.

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.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Rural Business-Cooperative Service's (RBCS or Agency), announces its intention to request Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval for a revision of a currently approved information collection in support of the Advanced Biofuel Payment Program.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS or the Service) is revising the fee schedule for official inspection and weighing services performed under the United States Grain Standards Act (USGSA), as amended. Specifically, this interim rule announces the new rates for the remainder of fiscal year 2024, and until such time as new fees are set by a final rule. AMS intends to follow this rulemaking with a notice of proposed rulemaking establishing a new regulatory fee formula. The necessary and immediate changes to the current fees will prevent FGIS cessation of services due to insufficient required funding and, most urgently, avoid significant negative impacts to the $54 billion grain export industry. This interim rule will allow FGIS to fully recover the actual costs of providing services and re-establish a 3- to 6-month operating reserve, consistent with the USGSA, and, in doing so, ensure uninterrupted essential grain inspection services that enable U.S. companies to continue exporting and marketing U.S. grain around the world.

The Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests are proposing to establish several recreation fee sites. Recreation fee revenues collected at the proposed recreation fee sites would be used for operation, maintenance, and improvement of the sites. An analysis of nearby recreation fee sites with similar amenities shows the proposed recreation fees that would be charged at the proposed recreation fee sites are reasonable and typical of similar recreation fee sites in the area.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act requirements, FSA is requesting comments from interested individuals and organizations on an extension of a currently approved information collection request associated with the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 (CFAP 2).

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 the Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS or Agency), an agency within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Rural Development (RD), announces its intention to request a revision to a currently approved information collection package for Rural Energy for America (REAP) program. The Agency invites comments on this information collection for which it intends to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's intention to request an extension of approval of an information collection associated with the payment of indemnity claims related to African swine fever.

The Rural Housing Service (RHS or the Agency), a Rural Development (RD) agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), announces that it is accepting applications under the Community Facilities Technical Assistance and Training (TAT) Grant Program for fiscal year (FY) 2024. The funding amount available for FY 24 is $540,000.

The Alpine 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. 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 Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest within Alpine County, consistent with the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), is announcing a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Universal Cotton Standards (Committee). This meeting is being convened to review the Universal Standards for American Upland cotton that are prepared by USDA and make recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture regarding the establishment, revision, or change of the standards.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, this notice announces the Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement's intention to request a new information collection titled "Outreach and Assistance to Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program (2501 Program) Application and Performance Reporting."

The Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, is initiating the assessment phase of the Land Management Plan revision process for the Bridger-Teton National Forest, located in Wyoming. The assessment supports the subsequent planning phase, which will result in a revised land management plan to guide all resource management activities on the Bridger-Teton National Forest. The assessment will identify and consider relevant and readily accessible material about ecological, social, and economic conditions and trends in the planning area and will identify best available scientific information including and Native or Indigenous knowledge. Findings will then help describe the need to change the plan and inform revision of the plan.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) intent to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), for an extension of and revision to the currently approved information collection used in support of the voluntary grading and certification of meat, meat products, shell eggs, poultry products, rabbit products, and Audit Verification and Accreditation Programs (OMB 0581-0128).

This final rule implements a recommendation from the Idaho- Eastern Oregon Onion Committee (Committee) to increase the assessment rate established for the 2023-2024 and subsequent fiscal periods. The assessment rate will remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.