Search Results for agency_names:"Agriculture Department"

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, announced a second notice about closing the Beattie Gulch Trailhead and McConnell Fishing Access areas in Montana to the discharge of firearms. This notice corrects the mailing address for comments sent by mail and extends the public comment period by another 60 days. The closure aims to protect public health and safety due to the risk posed by firearms near developed facilities and private property. Bow hunting will still be allowed in these areas.

The Department of Agriculture is seeking public comments on a proposed information collection related to estimating daily livestock slaughter under federal inspection. This request is part of the Paperwork Reduction Act process and comments are due by March 1, 2021. The information helps the Agricultural Marketing Service make market outlook projections and maintain statistical data. The data collected from businesses, individuals, and farms is important for making informed marketing decisions, especially because the government is a significant purchaser of meat.

The Department of Agriculture plans to send an information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. They are seeking public comments on the necessity and effectiveness of this information collection and how it could be improved or made less burdensome. The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is proposing a change to the Maple Syrup Inquiry, adding a new yes/no question to gather future planning information from farmers. This data helps in estimating crop production and is important for various agricultural businesses for making market decisions.

The Department of Agriculture has submitted an information collection requirement to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. Public comments are invited on the necessity, utility, and accuracy of the information collection, as well as suggestions to minimize burden, with a deadline of March 22, 2021. This collection relates to a program allowing the Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Risk Management Agency (RMA) to use volunteers for various activities, requiring participants to complete the "Service Agreement and Attendance Record." The information helps document volunteer work for the USDA, particularly for those not receiving compensation.

The Department of Agriculture has submitted a request for review of information collection requirements to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the Paperwork Reduction Act. Public comments are invited on the necessity and utility of the information collection, burden estimates, and suggestions for reducing respondent burden. The request involves the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's efforts to prevent the introduction of animal and bee diseases into the U.S. This includes collections related to the importation of animals, poultry, and bees and requests comments by February 10, 2021.

The Food and Nutrition Service of the USDA announced updates to the Income Eligibility Guidelines for children's meal programs from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026. These guidelines determine who can get free or reduced-price meals and free milk through programs like the National School Lunch Program and are updated to reflect changes in the cost of living. Income is calculated before taxes and includes various sources like wages and benefits, but some federal benefits are not counted as income. The updated guidelines help ensure the programs reach children who need them the most.

The Quality Loss Adjustment (QLA) Program has been established by the Farm Service Agency, under the Department of Agriculture, to assist farmers who experienced eligible crop quality losses due to natural disasters like hurricanes, droughts, and floods in 2018 and 2019. Additionally, the Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus (WHIP+) has been updated to include excessive moisture and droughts from that same period as qualifying disasters. The final rule aligns with the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020, ensuring appropriate disaster relief support is provided and clarifying sugar beet eligibility for compensation. Farmers must provide documentation by March 19, 2021, and comments on this rule are open until March 8, 2021.

The Department of Agriculture is seeking public comments on its information collection for the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program as part of an effort to assess its social, ecological, and economic impacts. The feedback will help with adaptive management and improve future forest restoration projects. People can submit their comments by February 26, 2021, through the reginfo.gov website, where they can find the survey under “Currently under 30-day Review—Open for Public Comments.” The survey targets individuals or households, with an estimated 2,330 respondents expected to participate annually, contributing to a total burden of 320 hours.

The Agricultural Marketing Service is seeking public comments on an extension and revision of an existing information collection under the Packers and Stockyards Act. This information helps monitor the livestock, meat packing, and poultry industries and ensures entities are complying with financial and trade practices. Comments are being accepted until January 31, 2025, and the public can provide input on the necessity, utility, and methods of this data collection. The agency estimates that participating in this collection will require an average of 1.73 hours per response from various stakeholders like livestock auction markets and meat packers.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the US Department of Agriculture has issued a proposed rule recommending changes to pricing in 11 Federal Milk Marketing Orders (FMMOs). These proposed amendments update existing formulas for milk composition, surveyed commodity products, and milk pricing categories, among others, to better reflect current market conditions. The changes are aimed at improving the fairness and accuracy of milk pricing across different regions and market classes. The AMS will seek approval from milk producers before implementing any new rules, with the possibility of terminating the order if it doesn't receive enough support.