REGULATORY:
Direct final rule: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA; The United States Grain Standards Act (USGSA) provides the Secretary with the authority to charge and collect reasonable fees to cover the costs of performing official services and the costs associated with managing the program. The USDA, on behalf of the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), is eliminating the published table of fees in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). Notice of changes to Schedule A Fees will be published in the Federal Register and AMS will make the fee schedule available on the Agency’s public website. Info HERE
Final rule: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA; This final rule amends the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (National List) provisions of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) organic regulations to implement recommendations submitted to the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary) by the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB). This rule changes the use restrictions for seventeen substances allowed for organic production or handling on the National List. This rule also adds sixteen new substances on the National List to be allowed in organic production or handling. In addition, this final rule lists the botanical pesticide, rotenone, as a prohibited substance in organic crop production. This final rule removes ivermectin as an allowed parasiticide for use in organic livestock production and amends our regulations to allow the use of parasiticides in fiber bearing animals. Finally, this rule inserts corrections of instructions and regulation text as listed in the proposed rule. Info HERE
Reinstatement of an information collection; comment request: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s intention to request the reinstatement of an information collection associated with the prohibited, restricted, and controlled importation of animal and poultry products and by-products into the United States. Info HERE
Notice and request for comments: Foreign Agricultural Service and Commodity Credit Corporation, USDA: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Commodity Credit Corporation’s (CCC) intention to request an extension from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for a currently approved information collection process in support of the Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops (TASC) program. Info HERE
Final rule: Federal Crop Insurance Corporation, USDA; The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) finalizes the General and Administrative Regulation Subpart X- Interpretations of Statutory and Regulatory Provisions (Subpart X) to incorporate interpretations of procedures previously issued and administered in accordance with Manager’s Bulletin MGR-05-018, and to provide a mechanism for interpretations of policy provisions that are not codified in the Code of Federal Regulations. The effect of this action is to provide requestors with information on how to request a final agency determination or an interpretation of FCIC procedures within one administrative regulation, and bring consistency and clarity to the processes used and existing provisions. Info HERE
Withdrawal of notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement: Forest Service, USDA; The Klamath National Forest is withdrawing the Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Crawford Vegetation Management Project. The original NOI was published in the Federal Registeron January 27, 2014 (79 FR 4323). Upon further evaluation, there are no expected significant impacts to the human environment associated with the project. As a result, the Klamath National Forest is now preparing an environmental assessment (EA). All comments previously received regarding this project will be retained and considered in the development of the EA. If it is determined that the project may have significant impacts, the EIS process will be reinitiated and a NOI will be published. Info HERE
Notice of plan approval for the Flathead National Forest and plan amendments approval for the Kootenai, Helena-Lewis and Clark, and Lolo National Forests. Forest Service, USDA; Chip Weber, the Forest Supervisor for the Flathead National Forest, Northern Region, signed the record of decision (ROD) for the Flathead National Forest Land Management Plan (Forest Plan). The responsible officials, William Avey, Forest Supervisor for the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest; Chad Benson,Acting Forest Supervisor for the Kootenai National Forest; and Joe Alexander, Acting Forest Supervisor for the Lolo National Forest, signed the ROD for the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem grizzly bear amendments (Amendments). The final RODs document the rationale for approving the Forest Plan and Amendments and are consistent with the reviewing officers’ responses to objections and instructions. Info HERE