Notice of Availability of the Draft Programmatic Environmental Assessment for the Farm Service Agency's Conservation Reserve Program
| Citation | 84 FR 52868 |
| Record Number | 2019-21481 |
| Published date | 03 October 2019 |
| Section | Notices |
| Court | Commodity Credit Corporation,Farm Service Agency |
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER
contains documents other than rules or
proposed rules that are applicable to the
public. Notices of hearings and investigations,
committee meetings, agency decisions and
rulings, delegations of authority, filing of
petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are
examples of documents appearing in this
section.
Notices Federal Register
52868
Vol. 84, No. 192
Thursday, October 3, 2019
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Submission for OMB Review;
Comment Request
The Department of Agriculture has
submitted the following information
collection requirement(s) to OMB for
review and clearance under the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,
Public Law 104–13. Comments are
requested regarding; whether the
collection of information is necessary
for the proper performance of the
functions of the agency, including
whether the information will have
practical utility; the accuracy of the
agency’s estimate of burden including
the validity of the methodology and
assumptions used; ways to enhance the
quality, utility and clarity of the
information to be collected; and ways to
minimize the burden of the collection of
information on those who are to
respond, including through the use of
appropriate automated, electronic,
mechanical, or other technological
collection techniques or other forms of
information technology.
Comments regarding this information
collection received by November 4,
2019 will be considered. Written
comments should be addressed to: Desk
Officer for Agriculture, Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs,
Office of Management and Budget
(OMB), OIRA_Submission@omb.eop.gov
or fax (202) 395–5806 and to
Departmental Clearance Office, USDA,
OCIO, Mail Stop 7602, Washington, DC
20250–7602. Copies of the
submission(s) may be obtained by
calling (202) 720–8958.
An agency may not conduct or
sponsor a collection of information
unless the collection of information
displays a currently valid OMB control
number and the agency informs
potential persons who are to respond to
the collection of information that such
persons are not required to respond to
the collection of information unless it
displays a currently valid OMB control
number.
Food and Nutrition Service
Title: Food Program Reporting System
(FPRS).
OMB Control Number: 0584–0594.
Summary of Collection: The Food and
Nutrition Service (FNS) is consolidating
certain programmatic and financial data
reporting requirements under the Food
Programs Reporting System (FPRS), an
electronic reporting system. The
purpose is to give State agencies and
Indian Tribal Organization (ITO)
agencies one portal for the various
reporting required for the programs that
the State and ITO agencies operate.
Need and Use of the Information: The
data collected will be used for a variety
of purposes, mainly program evaluation,
planning, audits, funding, research,
regulatory compliance and general
statistics. The data is gathered at various
times, ranging from monthly, quarterly,
annual or final submissions. Without
the information, FNS would be unable
to meet its legislative and regulatory
reporting requirements for the affected
programs.
Description of Respondents: State,
Local or Tribal Government.
Number of Respondents: 12,708.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting:
Quarterly, Semi-annually, Monthly;
Annually.
Total Burden Hours: 105,670.
Ruth Brown,
Departmental Information Collection
Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2019–21529 Filed 10–2–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–30–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Commodity Credit Corporation
Farm Service Agency
Notice of Availability of the Draft
Programmatic Environmental
Assessment for the Farm Service
Agency’s Conservation Reserve
Program
AGENCY
: Commodity Credit Corporation
(CCC), Farm Service Agency (FSA),
USDA.
ACTION
: Notice of Availability (NOA);
request for comments.
SUMMARY
: FSA, acting on behalf of the
CCC, announces the availability for
review and comment the draft
Programmatic Environmental
Assessment (PEA) assessing the
alternatives to and anticipated
environmental impacts of potential
changes from the Agricultural
Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm
Bill) to the Conservation Reserve
Program (CRP), in compliance with the
National Environmental Policy Act of
1969 (NEPA). The intent of this notice
is to make the draft PEA available for
review and request comments by the
public, other agencies, and Tribes on the
proposed alternatives and their
potential impacts to the human
environment. The feedback we receive
from this notice will be incorporated
into the final PEA, as appropriate, prior
to FSA’s decision.
DATES
: We will consider comments that
we receive by October 27, 2019.
Comments received after this date will
be considered to the extent possible.
ADDRESSES
: The CRP draft PEA is
available at: https://www.fsa.usda.gov/
programs-and-services/environmental-
cultural-resource/nepa/current-nepa-
documents/index.
We invite you to submit comments on
the CRP draft PEA. In your comments,
include the volume, date, and page
number of this issue of the Federal
Register. You may submit comments:
•By mail at Conservation Reserve
Program PEA Comments, c/o Cardno-
GS, 2496 Old Ivy Road, Suite 300,
Charlottesville, VA 22903, or
•Electronically at FPAC.Comments@
usda.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
: Dr.
Robyn Rose, (202) 720–5104. Persons
with disabilities who require alternative
means for communication should
contact the USDA Target Center at (202)
720–2600 (voice).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
: FSA is
assessing mandatory and potential
discretionary changes to CRP resulting
from the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill,
by preparing a PEA to provide FSA
decisionmakers, other agencies, Tribes,
and the public with an analysis that
evaluates effects in appropriate
contexts, describes the intensity of
adverse as well as beneficial impacts,
and addresses cumulative
environmental impacts associated with
proposed programmatic changes to
these programs. CRP was first
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52869
Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 192 / Thursday, October 3, 2019 / Notices
authorized in the Food Security Act of
1985 (Pub. L. 99–198, 99 Stat. 1509–
1514, 16 U.S.C. 3831–3835), and is
governed by regulations in 7 CFR part
1410. CRP is a voluntary program that
supports the implementation of long-
term conservation measures designed to
improve the quality of ground and
surface waters, control soil erosion, and
enhance wildlife habitat on
environmentally sensitive agricultural
land. In return, CCC provides
participants with rental payments and
cost share assistance under contracts
that extend from 10 to 15 years. CRP is
a CCC program administered by FSA
with the support of other Federal, State,
and local agencies and organizations.
More information on CRP is available at:
https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-
and-services/conservation-programs/
conservation-reserve-program/index.
The CRP draft PEA is available at:
https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-
and-services/environmental-cultural-
resource/nepa/current-nepa-documents/
index. The availability of the CRP draft
PEA was announced on September 27,
2019, through an FSA news release; that
announcement started the 30-day public
comment period.
The draft PEA evaluates No Action
and Proposed Action Alternatives to
ensure the full range of mandatory and
potential discretionary alternatives and
impacts are analyzed. The alternatives
and impacts included in the draft PEA
will be amended, as appropriate, based
on input from the public, other
agencies, and Tribes submitted during
this comment period, in the final PEA
and FSA’s decision document, which
will made available at the site listed
above under Addresses.
Robert Stephenson,
Executive Vice President, Commodity Credit
Corporation.
Richard Fordyce,
Administrator, Farm Service Agency.
[FR Doc. 2019–21481 Filed 10–2–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–05–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Housing Service
Rural Utilities Service
Community Facilities Guaranteed Loan
Program Guarantee Fee Rate, Annual
Renewal Fee, Rural Area Definition,
and Funding Priority for Fiscal Year
2020; and Water and Waste Disposal
Programs Guaranteed Rural Area
Definition and Funding Reservation for
Fiscal Year 2020
AGENCY
: Rural Housing Service and
Rural Utilities Service, USDA.
ACTION
: Notice.
SUMMARY
: This notice announces
implementation of several provisions of
the 2018 Farm Bill related to the Rural
Housing Service (RHS) and the Rural
Utilities Service (RUS) agencies of the
Rural Development mission area of the
United States Department of
Agriculture, USDA, sometimes
hereinafter referred to as Agency.
Specifically, it provides notice of the
population change in the rural area
definition for the Community Facilities
(CF) Guaranteed Loan Program and the
Water and Waste Disposal (WWD)
Guaranteed Loan Program and priorities
for each program. It also provides
established fee levels for Fiscal Year
(FY) 2020 for the CF Guaranteed Loan
Program.
This Notice is being issued prior to
enactment of full year appropriation for
FY 2020. The Agency will publish the
amount of funding received in the final
appropriations act on its website at
https://www.rd.usda.gov/newsroom/
fy2020-appropriated-funding.
DATES
: Applicability date: The Agency
will not act on any applications
received under this Notice until
December 2, 2019.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
:
Karla Peiffer, USDA Rural Development,
Community Facilities Program at (515)
238–6668 or via email at karla.peiffer@
usda.gov; or Susan Woolard, USDA
Rural Development, Water and Waste
Disposal Program at (202) 720–9631, or
via email at susan.woolard@usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
:
Congressional Review Act
Pursuant to the Congressional Review
Act (5 U.S.C. 801 et seq.), the Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs
designated this notice as major, as
defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2).
Background
The Agriculture Improvement Act of
2018 (Pub. L. 115–334, 2018 Farm Bill)
was signed into law by the President on
December 20, 2018. The Farm Bill
included several statutory provisions
affecting the CF and WWD Programs.
Rural Area Population Threshold
Section 6402 of the Farm Bill
amended section 343(a)(13) of the
Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act (CONACT) to change
the eligible population threshold in the
definition of ‘‘rural’’ and ‘‘rural area’’ for
the CF and WWD Guaranteed Loan
Programs to 50,000. As a result of this
amended definition, § 343(a)(13)(D)
‘‘Areas Rural in Character’’ is also
applicable to CF and WWD Guaranteed
Loans, but this portion of the definition
has been determined to not be self-
executing and, therefore, will be
implemented through the rulemaking
process consistent with Administrative
Procedure Act requirements. While the
guaranteed programs generally are
available in more highly populated rural
areas, Section 306(a)(24) of the
CONACT was amended to establish a
reservation of funds for CF Guaranteed
Loans for projects in rural areas with a
population of not more than 20,000
inhabitants and to provide a
prioritization for WWD Guaranteed
Loans for rural areas with a population
of not more than 10,000 people.
CF Guaranteed Loans
Section 6402 of the 2018 Farm Bill
amended § 343(a)(13) of the CONACT to
define a rural area for CF Guaranteed
loans as ‘‘an area other than (i) a city or
town that has a population of greater
than 50,000 inhabitants; and (ii) any
urbanized area contiguous and adjacent
to a city or town described in clause
(i).’’ Applications for CF Guaranteed
Loan funds for projects in rural areas
with a population up to 50,000 may be
submitted to RHS in accordance with 7
CFR 3575.52 for processing. Pursuant to
Section 6402 of the 2018 Farm Bill and
Section 306(a)(24) of the CONACT,
guarantee funds appropriated during the
fiscal year (including FY 2020) will be
reserved for projects in rural areas with
a population of not more than 20,000
inhabitants based on the following
reservation of funds schedule:
(1) 100 percent of the first
$200,000,000 so made available;
(2) 50 percent of the next
$200,000,000 so made available; and
(3) 25 percent of all amounts
exceeding $400,000,000 so made
available.
Based on the reservation of funds
schedule outlined above, applications
received where no funds are available
(i.e. applications for projects in areas
with more than 20,000 inhabitants, but
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