Farm Service Agency – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) announces its intention to prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP). The SEIS will assess the potential environmental impacts of alternatives for administration and implementation of the ECP. FSA administers this program and is now conducting a comprehensive review of its current policies, achievements, and potential future program changes. FSA will be analyzing a range of ECP program alternatives. The SEIS also provides a means for the public to have opportunities to voice any opinions they may have about the program, and any ideas for improving it in the future. This Notice of Intent (NOI) informs the public that FSA is requesting public comment and describes in general the description of preliminary ECP Alternatives that will be analyzed in the Draft SEIS.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the intention of the Farm Service Agency (FSA) to request a revision and extension of an information collection currently used in support of the FSA Aerial Photography Program. The FSA Aerial Photography Field Office (APFO) uses the information from this form to collect the customer and photography information needed to produce and ship the various products ordered.

This advance notice of proposed rulemaking seeks comments with respect to the manner in which so-called ``combination'' or ``flex'' leases are viewed by the Department of Agriculture in the administration of various programs that are administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA) and the Risk Management Agency (RMA). This includes those programs of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) that are administered by FSA on behalf of CCC and those programs of the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) that are administered by RMA on behalf of FCIC. Changes have occurred within agriculture that relate to the types of leases. A traditional crop share lease is a lease where the landlord receives a share of the crop production in full satisfaction of the rent. A traditional cash lease is a lease where the tenant pays the landlord a set cash amount regardless of the quantity of the tenant's production of a crop. New types of leases may contain traits of both a share lease and a cash lease. Accordingly, existing program provisions may not accurately and appropriately take these new lease types into consideration.

This final rule provides the change mandated by the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act, 2007 (the 2007 Emergency Supplemental). The 2007 Emergency Supplemental provided $16 million for the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) and required that the Adjusted Gross Income Limitation (AGI) apply to the distribution of the funds.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is seeking comments from all interested individuals and organizations on the revision of currently approved information collection associated with the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP).

We are issuing this notice to advise the public that meetings of the Advisory Committee on Beginning Farmers and Ranchers (Committee) will be held to discuss various beginning farmer issues.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Agencies intention to request an extension for a currently approved information collection in support of the programs for Form RD 1940-59, ``Settlement Statement.''

The Rural Housing Service (Agency) is proposing to amend its regulations to be consistent with other federal agencies. The current thermal standards for existing single family housing can impose an unnecessary financial burden on the borrower. Removing the thermal standards for existing single family housing will provide consistency with HUD existing single family housing thermal standards. This change will not affect the thermal standards for new construction; such requirements are generally prescribed by adopted building and model energy codes. Construction materials and building techniques have improved tremendously during the last thirty years, creating many alternatives to achieve thermally efficient homes. Removing the Agency's imposed thermal standards for existing single family housing will give a borrower the opportunity to allocate money towards other improvements which may result in higher cost savings. The rule will not result in any increase in costs or prices to consumers; non-profit organizations; businesses; Federal, State, or local government agencies; or geographic regions.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the intent of the Farm Service Agency (FSA) to request an extension of the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval of previously approved information collection which supports FSA, Farm Loan Programs (FLP) loan making and servicing applications. This renewal does not involve any revisions to the program regulations.

The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS), an agency within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Rural Development proposes to implement 7 CFR part 4284, subpart B in order to have an all-inclusive processing and servicing regulation. USDA Rural Development intends to provide a more user-friendly regulation that will be a better resource for public understanding and improvement in program administration.

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is amending its regulations governing how FSA guaranteed farm loan borrowers may obtain a subsidized interest rate on their guaranteed farm loan. This program is known as the interest assistance (IA) program. Changes include deletion of annual review requirements, limitations on maximum subsidy payments and period of assistance, and streamlining of claim submission. The changes are intended to reduce paperwork burden on program participants and agency employees, make IA available to more farmers, reduce the costs of the program, and enhance the fiscal integrity of the program.

This action proposes to clarify and simplify the number of days' interest that may be paid on loss claims. The liquidation provisions currently provides a timeframe for the interest payment based upon ``the date of the decision to liquidate'' which is often difficult to determine. In addition, the Agency is clarifying the application for payment after liquidation and the guaranteed lender's responsibility for future recoveries.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is seeking comments from all interested individuals and entities on the revision and extension of currently approved information collection that supports the Direct Loan Program. The collection of information from loan applicants and commercial lenders is used to determine eligibility and financial feasibility when the applicant requests direct loan assistance.

This final rule sets forth the Farm Service Agency (FSA) regulations for the 2005 Section 32 Hurricane Disaster Programs in response to emergency agricultural situations caused by the 2005 hurricanes Dennis, Katrina, Ophelia, Rita, and Wilma in certain counties in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Texas. The rule establishes four hurricane disaster programs to provide funds to eligible producers who suffered eligible losses, and a grant program that will provide funds to the respective States to enable them to assist aquaculture producers having losses related to the aforementioned hurricanes. This final rule also sets forth provisions related to the 2006 Livestock Assistance Grant Program.

This action amends the servicing regulations that apply when it is determined that unauthorized recipients have received financial assistance under USDA Business, Cooperative, and Community Facility loan and grant programs. The changes make clear that the first demand letter notifying the recipient of the Agency's determination serves as the initial step in the Agency's collection efforts, and that it may serve as the basis for the recipient's appeal rights. The terms of the first demand letter remain in full force and effect, unless the demand letter is subsequently amended in writing by the Agency after discussions with the recipient or modified as a result of judicial proceedings.

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) soliciting applications for competitive cooperative agreement funds for Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 to initiate a credit outreach initiative targeted to American Indian farmers, ranchers and youth residing primarily on Indian reservations within the contiguous United States. FSA anticipates the availability of $1,166,400 in funding. FSA requests proposals from eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, land-grant institutions and federally-recognized Indian tribal governments interested in a competitively-awarded cooperative agreement to create and implement a mechanism that will provide credit outreach and promotion, pre-loan education, one-on-one loan application preparation assistance and other related services as proposed by the successful applicant that are specific to FSA's Agricultural Credit Programs. The successful applicant must provide evidence that it has the capability to put in place a data tracking system that thoroughly records all credit outreach-specific related activities and has the ability to provide detailed statistical information on an ad hoc basis. This database must also be functional on a real-time basis as well as being available online through the Internet. This request for proposals is made prior to passage of a final appropriations bill to allow applicants sufficient time to submit proposals, give the Agency maximum time to process applications, and permit continuity of this program. If actual funding differs from that anticipated ($1,166,400) based on historical funding levels, then the Agency will publish a separate Notice of Funds Availability.

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is issuing a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) consistent with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 with respect to the implementation of the following Disaster Assistance Programs: (1) Hurricane Indemnity Program, (2) Feed Indemnity Program, (3) Livestock Indemnity Program, (4) Tree Indemnity Program, and (5) Aquaculture Grant Program as well as (6) the 2006 Livestock Assistance Grant Program.

This action removes regulations rendered obsolete by expiration of their statutory authority and the ending of their respective programs. There are no impacts on past or current program operations.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is seeking comments from all interested individuals and entities on the extension and revision of a currently approved information collection that supports the Certified Mediation Program. The collection of information by mail, phone, fax, in person, and by the internet utilized by FSA to initially determine whether the State meets the eligibility criteria to be a recipient of grant funds, and to determine if the grant is being properly administered. Lack of adequate information to make these determinations could result in the improper administration and appropriation of Federal grant funds.

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) announces, for the 2006 crops of wheat, corn, and grain sorghum, the conditions under which temporary storage space may be licensed under the United States Warehouse Act (USWA).

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is seeking comments from all interested individuals and organizations on the extension with revision of a currently approved information collection associated with Highly Erodible Land Conservation and Wetland Conservation certification requirements. This information is collected in support of the conservation provisions of Title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985, as amended by the Food, Agriculture, Conservation and Trade Act of 1990, the Federal Agriculture, Improvement and Reform Act of 1996, and the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (the Statute).

This rule clarifies the regulations governing employee conflicts of interest for the successor agencies of the former Farmers Home Administration (FmHA), which was reorganized by the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (Pub. L. 103-354) into the Farm Service Agency (FSA), Rural Business-Cooperative Service, Rural Housing Service and Rural Utilities Service. Since the reorganization, FSA revised its regulations to streamline them and separate them from the other successor agencies. FSA's regulations regarding employee conflicts of interest are now found in regulations published by the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) in 5 CFR part 2635 and regulations published jointly by OGE and FSA in 5 CFR part 8301. To avoid confusion regarding applicability of the regulations, this rule amends 7 CFR part 1900, subpart D to provide specifically that they do not apply to FSA.

The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) announces, for the 2006 crops of wheat, corn, and other feed grains, the acceptance of collateral for marketing assistance loans, warehouse receipts issued by a warehouse storing such commodity in outside storage, subject to the conditions outlined in this notice. This notice is intended to ensure adequate availability of storage space at harvest for producers seeking warehouse-stored marketing assistance loans for grain.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Agencies' intention to request an extension for a currently approved information collection in support of 7 CFR part 1951, subpart F, ``Analyzing Credit Needs and Graduation of Borrowers.''

This interim final rule amends the regulations for the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) to implement provisions of the Department of Defense, Emergency Supplemental Appropriation to Address Hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico, and Pandemic Influenza Act, 2006 (Pub. L. 109-149) (2006 Act) providing assistance to nursery, oyster, and poultry producers and non-industrial private forest landowners to rehabilitate public or private oyster reefs or farmland damaged by hurricanes during calendar year 2005.