67326 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 247 / Wednesday, December 24, 1997 / Notices

1Source—USDA, NASS, ASB.

Total Burden Hours: 11,778.

Agricultural Marketing Service

Title: The National Organic Program.

OMB Control Number: 0581–New.

Summary of Collection: Information is

required to accredit agents who will

serve as inspectors of organically

produced agricultural products and will

document adherence to the established

standards.

Need and Use of The Information:

Information will be used by the

Agricultural Marketing Service to certify

inspection agents on an annual basis.

Description of Respondents: Farms;

Individuals or households; Business or

other for-profit; State, Local or Tribal

Government.

Number of Respondents: 187,651.

Frequency of Responses:

Recordkeeping; Reporting: Annually.

Total Burden Hours: 377,171.

Donald Hulcher,

Departmental Clearance Officer.

[FR Doc. 97–33589 Filed 12–23–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

[FV–96–327]

United States Standards for Grades of

Canned Apples

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service,

USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The Agricultural Marketing

Service (AMS) is soliciting comments

on its proposal to change the United

States Standard for Grades of Canned

Applies. Specifically, AMS is proposing

to lower the recommended drained

weight for canned apples packed in No.

10 cans. This change would allow more

equitable utilization of processed apples

across domestic growing regions and

will help the apple industry to meet it

market needs.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on

or before February 23, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be

submitted to Randle A. Macon,

Processed Products Branch, Fruit and

Vegetable Programs, Agricultural

Marketing Service, U.S. Department of

Agricultural, Room 0709, South

Building; STOP 0247, P.O. Box 96456;

Washington, D.C. 20090–6456; faxed to

(202) 690–1087; or e-mailed to

RandlelAlMacon@usda. gov.

Comments should reference the date

and page number of this issue of the

Federal Register. All comments

received will be made available for

public inspection at the address listed

above during regular business hours.

The current United States Standards

for Grades of Canned Apples, along with

the proposed changes, are available

either through the afore-mentioned

address or by accessing AMS’s Home

Page on the Internet at the following

address: www.ams.usda.gov/standards/

frutcan.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Contact Randle A. Macon at (202) 720–

4693.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section

203(c) of the Agricultural Marketing Act

of 1946, as amended, (7 U.S.C. 1622 (c))

directs and authorizes the Secretary of

Agriculture ‘‘To develop and improve

standards of quality, condition,

quantity, grade, and packaging and

recommend and demonstrate such

standards in order to encourage

uniformity and consistency in

commercial practices * * *’’. AMS is

committed to carrying out this authority

in a manner that facilitates the

marketing of agricultural commodities

and make copies of official standards

available upon request. The United

States Standards for Grades of Canned

Apples no longer appear in the Code of

Federal Regulations but are maintained

by the Department of Agriculture

(USDA).

AMS is proposing to change the

United States Standards for Grades of

Canned Apples using the procedures it

published in the August 13, 1997,

Federal Register and that appear in Part

36 of Title 7 of the Code of Federal

Regulations (7 CFR Part 36).

AMS received petitions from

Independent Food Processors Company

of Sunnyside, Washington; and Snokist

Growers of Yakima, Washington,

requesting the revision of the United

States Standards for Grades of Canned

Apples. The two petitioners represent a

significant part of the Pacific Northwest

apple industry. The Pacific Northwest

apple industry provides almost half of

the apples produced domestically.1

The petitions request that the

recommend drained weight of 96

ounces for apples packed in No. 10 size

cans, in the U.S. Standards for Grades

of Canned Apples, is difficult to obtain

and puts Pacific Northwest processors at

an economic disadvantage in bidding

for government and non-government

contracts. The reasons given for this

disparity are that the varietal types of

apples and the growing conditions in

the Northwest region are different from

other apple producing regions around

the country. The petitioners state that to

meet the standard when packing certain

varieties of apples, the cans are overfilled.

This condition may cause damage to

the sliced apples which may cause the

slices to be graded as less than ‘‘Grade

A.’’ To meet USDA requirements for

drained weight, some processors may be

required to put more product into the

can, causing economic hardship,

damage to the product, and sometimes

loss of the integrity of the can seal. If the

seal’s integrity is lost during processing,

the product’s wholesomeness is

jeopardized.

The remedies recommended by the

petitioners, though similar in purpose,

are different. Snokist Growers of

Yakima, Washington, recommends a

reduction in the recommended drained

weight for apples packed in No. 10 size

cans, from 96 ounces to 92 ounces.

Independent Food Processors Company

of Sunnyside, Washington, recommends

the elimination of the recommended

drained weight for apples packed in No.

10 size cans, from the U.S. Standards for

Grades of Canned Apples. If that is not

possible the petitioner recommends the

incorporation of a ‘‘fill weight program’’

in the U.S. Standards for Grades of

Canned Apples to ensure that the

‘‘recommended fill of container’’

requirement is met with a reduction in

the recommended drained weight for

apples packed in No. 10 size cans, from

96 ounces to 85 ounces.

USDA has reviewed the petitions and

data submitted, and has gathered

additional information from relevant

government agencies and industry

sources including growers, processors,

and buyers. Based on this information,

USDA has found that there may be a

disparity between the drained weights

for canned apples from Pacific

Northwest processors and those from

other sections of the country. Though a

variation in drained weights may exist,

our review has shown that the

difference is not great enough to warrant

the changes to the Standards

recommended by Independent Food

Processors Company of Sunnyside,

Washington.

Based on these findings, the USDA

has agreed with the recommendation

from Snokist Growers of Yakima,

Washington, and is proposing to lower

the recommended drained weight for

apples packed No. 10 size cans, from 96

ounces to 92 ounces in the U.S.

Standards for Grades of Canned Apples.

This change would allow a more

equitable marketing environment for the

domestic canned apple industry.
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 247 / Wednesday, December 24, 1997 / Notices 67327

A 60-day comment period is provided

for interested persons to comment on

this change to the Standards.

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1621–1627.

Dated: December 18, 1997.

Robert C. Keeney,

Deputy Administrator, Fruit and Vegetable

Programs.

[FR Doc. 97–33590 Filed 12–23–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–02–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

[TM–97–00–200]

Notice of Program Continuation

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service,

USDA.

ACTION: Notice inviting applications for

Fiscal Year 1998 Grant Funds under the

Federal-State Marketing Improvement

Program.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that

the Federal-State Marketing

Improvement Program (FSMIP) was

allocated $1,200,000 in the Federal

budget for fiscal year 1998. Funds

remain available for this program. States

interested in obtaining funds under the

program are invited to submit proposals.

While only State Departments of

Agriculture or other appropriate State

Agencies are eligible to apply for funds,

State Agencies are encouraged to

involve industry organizations in the

development of proposals and the

conduct of projects.

DATES: Applications will be accepted

through June 19, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Proposals may be sent to Dr.

Larry V. Summers, FSMIP, Staff Officer,

Transportation and Marketing,

Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS),

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Room

4006 South Building, P.O. Box 96456,

Washington, D.C. 20090–6456.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr.

Larry V. Summers, 202) 720–2704.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: FSMIP is

authorized under Section 204(b) of the

Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7

U.S.C. 1621 et seq.). The program is a

matching fund program designed to

assist State Departments of Agriculture

or other appropriate State Agencies in

conducting studies or developing

innovative approaches related to the

marketing of agricultural products.

Other organizations interested in

participating in this program should

contact their State Department of

Agriculture’s Marketing Division to

discuss their proposal.

Mutually acceptable proposals are

submitted by the State Agency and must

be accompanied by a completed

Standard Form (SF)–424 with SF–424A

and SF–424B attached. FSMIP funds

may not be used for advertising or, with

limited exceptions, for the purchase of

equipment or facilities. Guidelines may

be obtained from your State Department

of Agriculture or the above AMS

contact.

States are encouraged to submit

proposals for projects which will:

(1) Assist in identifying and

expanding market opportunities for U.S.

agricultural products, both domestically

and internationally, through the

development and market testing of new

or improved products and value-adding

services;

(2) Address agricultural marketing

issues and concerns of particular

importance to relatively small, limitedresource farms and rural enterprises;

and,

(3) Encourage the development of

marketing practices and technologies

aimed at improving the quality of

agricultural products or the

sustainability of natural resources and

the environment.

Proposals addressing other marketing

objectives or issues also will receive

consideration.

FSMIP is listed in the ‘‘Catalog of

Federal Domestic Assistance’’ under

number 10.156 and subject Agencies

must adhere to Title VI of the Civil

Rights Act of 1964, which bars

discrimination in all Federally assisted

programs.

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1621–1627.

Dated: December 18, 1997.

Eileen S. Stommes,

Deputy Administrator, Transportation and

Marketing.

[FR Doc. 97–33591 Filed 12–23–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–02–U

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Newspapers Used for Publication of

Legal Notice of Appealable Decisions

for Intermountain Region, Utah, Idaho,

Nevada, and Wyoming

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: This notice lists the

newspapers that will be used by all

ranger districts, forests, and the

Regional Office of the Intermoutain

Region to publish legal notice of all

decisions subject to appeal under 36

CFR parts 215 and 217. The intended

effect of this action is to inform

interested members of the public which

newspapers will be used to publish

legal notices of decisions, thereby

allowing them to receive constructive

notice of a decision, to provide clear

evidence of timely notice, and to

achieve consistency in administering

the appeals process.

DATES: Publication of legal notices in

the listed newspapers will begin with

decisions subject to appeal that are

made on or after March 1, 1996. The list

of newspapers will remain in effect

until October 1996 when another notice

will be published in the Federal

Register.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Donald W. Murphy, Regional Appeals

Manager, Intermountain Region, 324

25th Street, Ogden, UT 84401, phone

(801) 625–5274.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

administrative appeal procedures 36

CFR parts 215 and 217, of the Forest

Service require publication of legal

notice in a newspaper of general

circulation of all decisions subject to

appeal. This newspaper publication of

notices of decisions is in addition to

direct notice to those who have

requested notice in writing and to those

known to be interested and affected by

a specific decision.

The legal notice is to identify: The

decision by title and subject matter; the

date of the decision; the name and title

of the official making the decision; and

how to obtain copies of the decision. In

addition, the notice is to state the date

the appeal period begins which is the

day following publication of the notice.

The timeframe for appeal shall be

based on the date of publication of the

notice in the first (principal) newspaper

listed for each unit.

The newspapers to be used are as

follows:

Regional Forester, Intermountain

Region

For decisions made by the Regional

Forester affecting National Forests in

Idaho:

The Idaho Statesman, Boise, Idaho

For decisions made by the Regional

Forester affecting National Forests in

Nevada:

The Reno Gazette-Journal, Reno,

Nevada

For decisions made by the Regional

Forester affecting National Forests in

Wyoming:

Casper Star-Tribube, Casper, Wyoming

For decisions made by the Regional

Forester affecting National Forests in

Utah: