Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 1 / Friday, January 2, 1998 / Notices 51

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Janet M. Hart, at 202–720–8525.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:This action

has been reviewed and determined not

to be a rule or regulation as defined in

Executive Order 12866 and

Departmental Regulation 1512–1;

therefore, the Executive Order and

Departmental Regulation do not apply

to this action.

In the August 1, 1997, Federal

Register (62 FR 41335), GIPSA asked

persons interested in providing official

services in the geographic areas

assigned to Lima and Virginia to submit

an application for designation.

Applications were due by September 2,

1997. Lima and Virginia, the only

applicants, each applied for designation

to provide official services in the entire

area currently assigned to them.

Since Lima and Virginia were the

only applicants, GIPSA did not ask for

comments on the applicants.

GIPSA evaluated all available

information regarding the designation

criteria in Section 7(f)(1)(A) of the Act

and, according to Section 7(f)(1)(B),

determined that Lima and Virginia are

able to provide official services in the

geographic areas for which they applied.

Effective February 1, 1998, and ending

January 31, 2001, Virginia is designated

to provide official services in the

geographic area specified in the August

1, 1997, Federal Register. Effective

February 1, 1998, and ending January

31, 1999, Lima is designated to provide

official services in the geographic area

specified in the August 1, 1997, Federal

Register.

Interested persons may obtain official

services by contacting Lima at 419–223–

7866 and Virginia at 757–494–2464.

Authority: Pub. L. 94–582, 90 Stat. 2867,

as amended (7 U.S.C. 71 et seq.).

Dated: December 10, 1997.

Neil E. Porter,

Director, Compliance Division.

[FR Doc. 97–33829 Filed 12–31–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–EN–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Natural Resources Conservation

Service

Santa Cruz River Watershed, Rio

Arriba County, New Mexico

AGENCY: Natural Resources

Conservation Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of a Finding of No

Significant Impact.

SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(c)

of the National Environmental Policy

Act of 1969; the Council on

Environmental Quality Regulations (40

CFR Part 1500); and the Natural

Resources Conservation Service Rules (7

CFR Part 650), the Natural Resources

Conservation Service, U.S. Department

of Agriculture, gives notice that an

environmental impact statement is not

being prepared for the repair of

Floodwater Retarding Structure 3 in the

Santa Cruz River Watershed.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Rosendo Trevino III; State

Conservationist; Natural Resources

Conservation Service; 6200 Jefferson,

NE; Albuquerque, NM 87109–3734;

telephone 505–761–4400.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

environmental assessment of this

federally assisted action indicates that

the project will not cause significant

local, regional, or national impacts on

the environment. As a result of these

findings, Rosendo Trevino III, State

Conservationist, has determined that the

preparation and review of an

environmental impact statement are not

needed for this project.

The project purpose is flood

prevention. The action includes the

repair of one floodwater retarding dam.

The Notice of a Finding of No

Significant Impact (FNSI) has been

forwarded to the Environmental

Protection Agency and various Federal,

State, and local agencies and interested

parties. A limited number of copies of

the FNSI are available to fill single copy

requests at the above address. Basic data

developed during the environmental

assessment is on file and may be

reviewed by contacting Rosendo

Trevino III.

No administrative action on

implementation of the proposal will be

taken until 30 days after the date of this

publication in the Federal Register.

(This activity is listed in the Catalog of

Federal Domestic Assistance under No.

10.904, Watershed Protection and Flood

Prevention and is subject to the provisions of

Executive Order 12372, which requires

intergovernmental consultation with State

and local officials)

Rosendo Trevino III,

State Conservationist.

[FR Doc. 97–34182 Filed 12–31–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–16–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Risk Management Agency

Dairy Options Pilot Program

AGENCY: Risk Management Agency,

USDA.

ACTION: Advanced Notice of

Availability; Request for Comments.

SUMMARY: This notice announces a

public comment period on a new Dairy

Options Pilot Program (DOPP) to be

administered by the Risk Management

Agency (RMA) in conjunction with the

private sector. RMA plans to implement

DOPP which would partially subsidize

the purchase of put options for dairy

producers. The objective of DOPP is to

ascertain whether put options can

provide producers with reasonable

protection from the price risk. RMA is

soliciting comments on DOPP, the

method used to select program

participants, and its information

collections. RMA specifically requests

comments on the role of brokers as

outlined in the Broker Agreement

contained in this Advanced Notice of

Availability, whether the tasks required

of the brokers including responsibilities

listed in subsections 3(a) through 3(h),

are appropriate and whether there are

other cost-effective alternatives that

would satisfy the program’s need for

accurate reporting and oversight while

maintaining a significant role for the

private sector in the program. The RMA

was established by Public Law 104–127,

on April 4, 1996.

DATES: Submit data, comments or

opinions on or before February 2, 1998.

The comment period for information

collections under the paperwork

Reduction Act of 1995 continues

through March 3, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are

invited to submit written comments on

the DOPP to Risk Management Agency,

United States Department of

Agriculture, Office of Insurance

Services, 1400 Independence Avenue,

S.W., STOP 0830, room 6739–S,

Washington, D.C., 20250–0830. A copy

of each response will be available for

public inspection and copying from 7:00

a.m. to 4:30 p.m. EDT, Monday through

Friday, except holidays, at the above

address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joe

Connor, Financial Analyst, Reinsurance

Services Division, Risk Management

Agency, at the Washington, D.C. address

listed above, telephone (202) 720–4232.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

The Risk Management Agency is

seeking comments on the following

Information Collection Request (ICR).

Title: Dairy Options Pilot Program.

Respondents/Affected Entities: Parties

affected by the information collection

requirements included in this advanced

notice are producers and brokers.

Abstract: The dairy industry has

recently witnessed unprecedented price

volatility and, after 1999, will no longer