This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains notices to the public of the proposed

issuance of rules and regulations. The

purpose of these notices is to give interested

persons an opportunity to participate in the

rule making prior to the adoption of the final

rules.

Proposed Rules Federal Register

31289

Vol. 65, No. 96

Wednesday, May 17, 2000

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service

7 CFR Part 360

[Docket No. 98–064–2]

RIN 0579–AB07

Noxious Weed Regulations; Update of

Current Provisions

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health

Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of extension of comment

period.

SUMMARY: We are extending the

comment period for an advance notice

of proposed rulemaking that considers

revising the noxious weed regulations

issued under the Federal Noxious Weed

Act. This action will allow interested

persons additional time to prepare and

submit comments.

DATES: We invite you to comment on

Docket No. 98–064–1. We will consider

all comments that we receive by June

19, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Please send your comment

and three copies to: Docket No. 98–064–

1, Regulatory Analysis and

Development, PPD, APHIS, Suite 3C03,

4700 River Road, Unit 118, Riverdale,

MD 20737–1238.

Please state that your comment refers

to Docket No. 98–064–1.

You may read any comments that we

receive on this docket in our reading

room. The reading room is located in

room 1141 of the USDA South Building,

14th Street and Independence Avenue,

SW., Washington, DC. Normal reading

room hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.,

Monday through Friday, except

holidays. To be sure someone is there to

help you, please call (202) 690–2817

before coming.

APHIS documents published in the

Federal Register, and related

information, including the names of

organizations and individuals who have

commented on APHIS dockets, are

available on the Internet at http://

www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/rad/

webrepor.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.

Polly Lehtonen, Botanist, Permits and

Risk Assessment, PPQ, APHIS, 4700

River Road Unit 133, Riverdale, MD

20737–1236; (301) 734–8896.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

On March 20, 2000, we published in

the Federal Register (65 FR 14927–

14931, Docket No. 98–064–1) an

advance notice of proposed rulemaking

that considers revising the noxious

weed regulations issued under the

Federal Noxious Weed Act.

Comments on the advance notice

were required to be received on or

before May 19, 2000. We are extending

the comment period on Docket No. 98–

064–1 for an additional 30 days. This

action will allow interested persons

additional time to prepare and submit

comments.

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 2803 and 2809; 7 CFR

2.22, 2.80, and 371.2(c).

Done in Washington, DC, this 12th day of

May 2000.

Craig A. Reed,

Administrator, Animal and Plant Health

Inspection Service.

[FR Doc. 00–12436 Filed 5–16–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–34–U

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service

7 CFR Part 1710

RIN 0572–AB52

General and Pre-Loan Policies and

Procedures Common to Insured and

Guaranteed Loans

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service

(RUS) is proposing to amending its

regulations to modify the requirement

that borrowers must seek bids from all

sources if funding is requested for

generation projects equal to or greater

than 10 megawatt or for modifications to

existing plants if it results in an increase

in capacity of 10 percent or more. This

proposed rule will allow RUS to

determine when borrowers must seek

bids from all sources on a case-by-case

basis at the discretion of the

Administrator.

In the final rule section of this

Federal Register, RUS is publishing this

action as a direct final rule without

prior proposal because RUS views this

as a non-controversial action and

anticipates no adverse comments. If no

adverse comments are received in

response to the direct final rule, no

further action will be taken on this

proposed rule and the action will

become effective at the time specified in

the direct final rule. If RUS receives

adverse comments, a timely document

will be published withdrawing the

direct final rule based on this action.

Any parties interested in commenting

on this proposed action should do so at

this time.

DATES: Comments on this proposed

action must be received on or before

June 16, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Submit adverse comments

or notice of intent to submit adverse

comments to F. Lamont Heppe, Jr.,

Director, Program Development and

Regulatory Analysis, Rural Utilities

Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture,

Stop 1522, 1400 Independence Avenue,

SW, Washington, DC 20250–1522.

Telephone (202) 720–9550. RUS

requires a signed original and three

copies of all comments (7 CFR 1700.4).

Comments will be available for public

inspection during regular business

hours (7 CFR 1.27(b)).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wei

M. Moy, Chief, Power Resources &

Planning Branch, Power Supply

Division, Rural Utilities Service, U.S.

Department of Agriculture, Stop 1568,

1400 Independence Avenue, SW,

Washington, DC 20250–1568.

Telephone: (202) 720–1438. FAX (202)

720–1401. E-mail: wmoy@rus.usda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: See the

Supplementary Information provided in

the direct final rule located in the final

rule section of this Federal Register for

the applicable supplementary

information on this section.

Dated: May 5, 2000.

Jill Long Thompson,

Under Secretary, Rural Development.

[FR Doc. 00–11985 Filed 5–16–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–15–P