A comprehensive summary of today’s judicial, legislative, and regulatory developments in agriculture and food. Email important additions HERE.

REGULATORY: AMS, FWS, FSIS, NOAA

Agricultural Marketing Service

Final rule implementing a recommendation from the California Desert Grape Administrative Committee to increase the assessment rate established for the 2021 and subsequent fiscal periods. Info here.

Fish and Wildlife Service

Proposed rule to designate critical habitat for the federally threatened rufa red knot under the Endangered Species Act. Info here.

Food Safety and Inspection Service

Proposed rule to amend FSIS’s regulations to establish a uniform time period requirement for the filing of appeals of certain Agency inspection decisions or actions. Info here.

Final rule amending FSIS’s regulations to define yak and include it among “exotic animals” eligible for voluntary inspection under 9 CFR part 352. Info here.

Notice announcing FSIS’s intention to request a new information collection to reduce overtime and holiday inspection fees for small and very small meat, poultry, and egg products establishments. Info here.

Notice in the American Rescue Plan Act, enacted on March 11, 2021, Congress provided the FSIS with $100 million in budget authority to reduce the costs of overtime inspection for small and very small official meat and poultry establishments and egg products plants. FSIS will implement this provision by reducing overtime and holiday inspection fees for small establishments by 30 percent and very small establishments by 75 percent. Info here.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Notice announcing an inseason action in the 2021 ocean salmon fisheries. This inseason action modifies the commercial salmon fisheries in the area south of Cape Falcon in the Oregon Klamath Management Zone from Humbug Mountain to the Oregon/California border. Info here.