Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 19 / Thursday, January 29, 2015 / Notices 4855 

more information on the 

implementation of state labeling 

regulations for maple syrup. 

Question 4: How will inspectors be 

trained and equipment calibrated, and 

what type of lighting will be used to 

grade the colors proposed in the revised 

standard? 

Response: AMS will train staff to 

grade the product under the revised 

grade standards. AMS values and relies 

on trained, educated employees to 

accomplish its mission. Quality training 

and development programs are designed 

to provide the most effective training 

possible. AMS training may be provided 

through classroom training, computer/

web based training, distance learning, 

on-the job training, or combination of 

methods. With regard to calibration of 

equipment, the equipment will be 

calibrated and cross checked as 

appropriate, with detailed instructions 

from manufacturers taken into account. 

Approved lighting sources are used to 

make critical color evaluations and 

comparisons. USDA lighting sources are 

designed to provide uniform color and 

spectral quality. 

Question 5: Will this change result in 

more Canadian products on shelves and 

add financial benefits to the United 

States, or will it hurt jobs and sales? 

Response: This revision is intended to 

improve marketing of maple syrup in 

the United States and internationally. 

According to the petitioner, each mapleproducing state intends to revise its 

standards to reflect Federal grade 

standards. Overall, the revised grade 

standards should have a positive effect 

on the maple syrup industry. 

Question 6: Will this change increase 

the amount of interstate maple syrup 

sales, and allow marketing of product 

from one region as if it were from 

another region? 

Response: As stated previously, these 

revisions will improve the marketing of 

maple syrup in the United States and 

internationally, (see question 5). 

However, these standards do not excuse 

failure to comply with provisions of 

applicable Federal or state laws 

including provisions to prevent 

misbranding. 

Question 7: Was there an economic 

study conducted that proves these 

changes are productive to U.S. 

consumers and producers? 

Response: The revised grade 

standards are based on a petition from 

IMSI. IMSI represents maple industry 

stakeholders including maple 

producers, state governments and 

associations, vendors, maple equipment 

manufacturers, organizations, and 

others in Canada and the United States. 

The purpose of the standards is to foster 

and assist in the development of new or 

expanded markets, and improve the 

marketing of maple syrup in the United 

States and internationally. As such, the 

revised grade standards should have a 

positive effect on the maple syrup 

industry. 

Question 8: Will this revision hurt or 

help existing branding such as Vermont 

Fancy, and can Maine producers use 

their own branding? 

Response: The U.S. Standards for 

Grades of Maple Sirup (Syrup) are 

voluntary grade standards. States do 

have the option to allow branding if 

they wish. The 2014 Vermont Maple 

Product Regulations allow for using 

current grade terminology such as 

‘‘Vermont Fancy’’ until January 1, 2017. 

Refer to the ‘‘Maine Maple Regulations’’ 

for that state’s maple branding 

requirements. 

Question 9: U.S. maple production is 

too small to come up on the USDA 

radar. 

Response: We disagree. An example 

of this is reflected in the 2013 National 

Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) 

report. The report states: Nationally, 

maple syrup production in 2013 totaled 

3.25 million gallons, up 70 percent from 

2012. In 2012, prevailing high 

temperatures limited sap flow. The 

number of taps is estimated at 10.6 

million, 8 percent above the 2012 total 

of 9.77 million. Yield per tap is 

estimated to be 0.308 gallons, up 58 

percent from the previous season’s 

revised yield. All states showed an 

increase in production from the 

previous year. 

Question 10: Will revised USDA color 

standards (maple sirup color grading 

kits) be available? 

Response: The revised standards 

specify that ‘‘color may be determined 

by spectrophotometer, or any method 

that provides equivalent results.’’ The 

current USDA Color Standards for 

Maple Sirup permanent kit will no 

longer meet the revised requirements for 

color. There are no plans to revise the 

USDA maple sirup grading kit. Other 

entities are free to develop grading kits 

in the marketplace. 

Question 11: The upper brix limit for 

Grade A, now set at 68.9 percent, should 

be set at 70 percent brix because small 

producers do not have the precision 

equipment to grade to 68.9 percent brix. 

Response: The upper limit in Grade A 

for brix of not more than 68.9 percent 

can be determined using the same 

instrumentation that is currently being 

used to verify the minimum brix 

requirement of 66.0 percent. In response 

to AMS’ inquiry on how IMSI arrived at 

68.9 percent brix as the upper limit for 

Grade A, the petitioner responded that 

it was a consensus decision among 

maple syrup producers and packer 

stakeholders to require an upper limit, 

and that 68.9 percent brix is currently 

the upper limit for ‘‘Brix Maple 

Regulations in Vermont and New 

Hampshire.’’ IMSI added that there is no 

advantage to going to a higher limit and 

noted that going higher would result in 

a product that is uncharacteristically 

thick, and would significantly increase 

production costs. 

The official grade of a lot of maple 

syrup covered by these standards will 

be determined by the procedures set 

forth in the Regulations Governing 

Inspection and Certification of 

Processed Products, Thereof, and 

Certain Other Processed Food Products 

(7 CFR 52.1 to 52.83). 

Accordingly, no changes to the 

standards were made as a result of 

comments received. However, AMS has 

made changes to the description of the 

processing grade for clarity. 

The revisions to this maple syrup 

grade standard in this notice provide a 

common language for trade and better 

reflect the current marketing of maple 

syrup. The changes are effective 30 days 

after the date of publication in the 

Federal Register. 

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1621–1627. 

Dated: January 23, 2015. 

Rex A. Barnes, 

Associate Administrator, Agricultural 

Marketing Service. 

[FR Doc. 2015–01618 Filed 1–28–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–02–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Farm Service Agency 

Information Collection; Data on 

Nonresident Applicants 

AGENCY: Farm Service Agency, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice; request for comments. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 

Farm Service Agency (FSA) is 

requesting comments from all interested 

individuals and organizations on a new 

information collection that will be used 

to determine the applicant’s citizenship. 

DATES: We will consider comments that 

we receive by March 30, 2015. 

ADDRESSES: We invite you to submit 

comments on this notice. In your 

comments, include date, volume, and 

page number of this issue of the Federal 

Register. You may submit comments by 

any of the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

www.regulations.gov. Follow the online 

instructions for submitting comments. 

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4856 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 19 / Thursday, January 29, 2015 / Notices 

• Mail: Jackie Pickens, USDA/FSA/

FMD, STOP 0581, Patriot Plaza III, 355 

E. Street SW., Washington, DC 20024. 

You may also send comments to the 

Desk Officer for Agriculture, Office of 

Information and Regulatory Affairs, 

Office of Management and Budget, 

Washington, DC 20503. Copies of the 

information collection may be requested 

by contacting Jackie Pickens at the 

above address. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jackie Pickens; (615) 277–2613. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Data on Nonresident. 

OMB Number: 0560–NEW. 

Type of Request: New. 

Abstract: FSA is using the FSA–500 

Data on Nonresident Applicants, to 

verify each applicant’s citizenship, if 

applications for payments are filed by or 

for applicants who reside outside the 

United States, its territories or 

possessions, even if the application is 

filed by an agent of the applicant whose 

address is in the United States. County 

office employees provide the FSA–500 

to the nonresident applicants or agents 

to complete the form. The FSA–500 

request the applicant’s name, address, 

United States citizenship and signature 

of applicant or authorized agent. The 

completed returned form will be filed at 

the County office. The data collected on 

the FSA–500 will assist with ensuring 

foreign taxes are collected and reported 

to the IRS. 

The formula used to calculate the 

total burden hour is estimated average 

time per responses hours times total 

annual responses. 

Estimate of Respondent Burden: 

Public reporting burden for this 

information collection is estimated to 

average 0.0833 hours per response. The 

average travel time, which is included 

in the total burden, is estimated to be 1 

hour per respondent. 

Respondents: Individuals or 

households, businesses or other for 

profit farms. 

Estimated Annual Number of 

Respondents: 55. 

Estimated Number of Reponses per 

Respondent: 1. 

Estimated Total Annual Responses: 

55. 

Estimated Average Time per 

Response: 1.0833. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: 60. 

We are requesting comments on all 

aspects of this information collection to 

help us to: 

(1) Evaluate whether the collection of 

information is necessary for the proper 

performance of the functions of the 

FSA, including whether the information 

will have practical utility; 

(2) Evaluate the accuracy of the FSA’s 

estimate of burden including the 

validity of the methodology and 

assumptions used; 

(3) Enhance the quality, utility and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; 

(4) 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. 

All comments received in response to 

this notice, including names and 

addresses when provided, will be a 

matter of public record. Comments will 

be summarized and included in the 

submission for Office of Management 

and Budget approval. 

Signed on January 23, 2015. 

Val Dolcini, 

Administrator, Farm Service Agency. 

[FR Doc. 2015–01651 Filed 1–28–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–05–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

Economic Development Administration 

Announcement of Federal Interagency 

Competition, Fiscal Year 2015 

Investing in Manufacturing 

Communities Partnership 

AGENCY: Economic Development 

Administration, U.S. Department of 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice. 

Authority: The Public Works and 

Economic Development Act of 1965, as 

amended (PWEDA) (42 U.S.C. 3121 et seq.). 

SUMMARY: This notice outlines a 

competition to designate up to 12 

communities as manufacturing 

communities (Manufacturing 

Communities) through the Investing in 

Manufacturing Communities 

Partnership (IMCP), including proposal 

submission requirements and 

instructions, and eligibility and 

selection criteria that will be used to 

evaluate proposals. Manufacturing 

Communities will receive preference for 

a range of future Federal economic 

development funding and technical 

assistance offered by IMCP participating 

agencies. Some Manufacturing 

Communities, as discussed in the 

Supplementary Information section of 

this notice and subject to the availability 

of funds, may receive financial 

assistance awards from IMCP 

participating agencies to assist in 

cultivating an environment for 

businesses to create well-paying 

manufacturing jobs in regions across the 

country. 

DATES: The deadline for receipt of 

applications is April 1, 2015 at 11:59 

p.m. Eastern Time. Applications 

received after this deadline will not be 

reviewed or considered. Applicants are 

advised to carefully read the application 

and submission information provided in 

the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section 

of this notice. 

ADDRESSES: Applications will be 

accepted in electronic form only. To 

begin the application process, 

applicants should use the following 

link: http://www.eda.gov/challenges/

imcp/applications/. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Ryan Hedgepeth and/or Julie Wenah, 

U.S. Department of Commerce, 

Economic Development Administration, 

1401 Constitution Avenue NW., Suite 

78006, Washington, DC 20230 or via 

email at IMCP@eda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Overview 

The Investing in Manufacturing 

Communities Partnership (IMCP) is a 

government-wide initiative to help 

communities cultivate an environment 

for businesses to create well-paying 

manufacturing jobs in regions across the 

country and thereby accelerate the 

resurgence of manufacturing. The IMCP 

is designed to reward communities that 

demonstrate best practices in attracting 

and expanding manufacturing by 

bringing together key local stakeholders 

and using long-term planning that 

integrates targeted public and private 

investments across a community’s 

industrial ecosystem to create broadbased prosperity. Research has shown 

that vibrant ecosystems may create a 

virtuous cycle of development for a key 

technology or supply chain through 

integrated investments and linkages 

among the following elements: 

• Workforce and training; 

• Supplier network; 

• Research and innovation; 

• Infrastructure/site development or 

redevelopment; 

• Trade and international investment; 

and 

• Operational improvement and 

capital access. 

Interactions within and between these 

elements create ‘‘public goods,’’ or 

assets upon which many firms can draw 

and that are fundamental in promoting 

an industry’s development but are not 

adequately provided by the private 

sector. Thus, well-designed public 

investment is a key part of developing 

a self-sustaining ecosystem that attracts 

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