Withdrawal of Certain Proposed Rules and Other Proposed Actions

Federal Register, Volume 83 Issue 3 (Thursday, January 4, 2018)

Federal Register Volume 83, Number 3 (Thursday, January 4, 2018)

Proposed Rules

Pages 474-475

From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov

FR Doc No: 2017-28433

Page 474

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Office of the Secretary

7 CFR Subtitles A and B

9 CFR Chapters I, II, and III

Withdrawal of Certain Proposed Rules and Other Proposed Actions

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of withdrawal.

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SUMMARY: The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is announcing that it has withdrawn certain advance notice of proposed rulemakings (ANPRM) and proposed rules that were either published in the Federal Register more than 4 years ago without subsequent action or determined to no longer be candidates for final action. USDA is taking this action to reduce its regulatory backlog and focus its resources on higher priority actions. The Department's actions are part of an overall regulatory reform strategy to reduce regulatory burden on the public and to ensure the Spring and Fall 2017 Unified Agendas of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions provided the public accurate information about rulemakings the Department intends to undertake.

DATES: The advance notice of proposed rulemakings and proposed rules are withdrawn on January 4, 2018.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Poe, Telephone Number: (202) 720-3323. Email: email protected.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

USDA reviewed its pending proposed rules and other notices that published in the Federal Register more than 4 years ago, and for which no final rule or notice of withdrawal has been issued. The agency identified 14 such regulatory proposals for withdrawal. Additionally, USDA identified two proposed rules for withdrawal because they are not considered candidates for final action at this time.

Although not required to do so by the Administrative Procedure Act or by regulations of the Office of the Federal Register, the agency believes the public interest is best served by announcing in the Federal Register that it has withdrawn these 16 items. Therefore, for the reasons set forth above, USDA announces that it has withdrawn the following documents, published in the Federal Register on the dates indicated in the table below.

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Published

Agency RIN Title action Date FR cite

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FAS..................................... 0551-AA68 Quality Samples Program........ NPRM 8/03/2006 71 FR 43992

FAS..................................... 0551-AA81 Export Sales Reporting Program. NPRM 3/19/2013 78 FR 16819

RUS..................................... 0572-AC21 Project Financing--Renewable ANPRM 6/5/2013 78 FR 33755

Energy Loans.

RUS..................................... 0572-AC32 Rural Determination and NPRM 6/5/2013 78 FR 33757

Financing Percentage.

APHIS................................... 0579-AC28 Viruses, Serums, Toxins, and NPRM 1/31/2007 72 FR 4467

Analogous Products; Detection

of Avian Lymphoid Leukosis

Virus.

APHIS................................... 0579-AC65 Tuberculosis: Require Approved NPRM 7/24/2008 73 FR 43171

Herd Plans Prior to Payment of

Indemnity.

APHIS................................... 0579-AD50 Forfeiture Procedures Under the NPRM 5/21/2013 78 FR 29659

Endangered Species Act and the

Lacey Act Amendments.

APHIS................................... 0579-AD67 Chrysanthemum White Rust ANPRM 8/3/2012 77 FR 46339

Regulatory Status Restrictions.

AMS..................................... 0581-AC83 Farmers' Market Promotion NPRM 1/19/2011 76 FR 3046

Program.

AMS..................................... 0581-AD24 Hardwood Lumber and Hardwood NPRM 11/13/2013 78 FR 68297

Plywood Research and Promotion

Program.

AMS..................................... 0581-AD63 Soybean Promotion, Research, NPRM 7/15/2016 81 FR 45984

and Consumer Information; Beef

Promotion and Research;

Amendments to Allow

Redirection of State

Assessments to the National

Program; Technical Amendments.

FNS..................................... 0584-AC72 National School Lunch Program: NPRM 10/11/2000 65 FR 60502

Reimbursement for snacks in

afterschool care programs.

Forest Service.......................... 0596-AC46 Small Business Administration NPRM 8/1/2006 71 FR 43435

Timber Sale Set-Aside Program.

Forest Service.......................... 0596-AC71 Proposed Directive on NPRM 5/6/2014 79 FR 25824

Groundwater Resource

Management, Forest Service

Manual 2560.

Forest Service.......................... 0596-AC89 Enhancing Policies Relating to ANPRM 9/14/2010 75 FR 55710

Partnerships.

Forest Service.......................... 0596-AD03 Management of Surface ANPRM 12/29/2008 73 FR 79424

Activities Associated with

Outstanding Mineral Rights on

National Forest System Lands

(Directive).

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The withdrawal of these proposals identified in this document does not preclude the Department from reinstituting rulemaking concerning the issues addressed in the proposals listed in the chart. Should we decide to undertake such rulemakings in the future, we will re-propose the actions and provide new opportunities for comment. Furthermore, this notice is only intended to address the specific actions identified in this document, and

Page 475

not any other pending proposals that USDA has issued or is considering. The Department notes that withdrawal of a proposal does not necessarily mean that the preamble statement of the proposal no longer reflects the current position of USDA on the matter addressed. You may wish to review the Department's website (http://www.USDA.gov) for any current guidance on these matter matters.

Dated: December 26, 2017.

Rebeckah Adcock,

Regulatory Reform Officer and Senior Advisor to the Secretary.

FR Doc. 2017-28433 Filed 1-3-18; 8:45 am

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