Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 130 / Friday, July 8, 2022 / Notices 40779 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Foreign Agricultural Service 

Notice of Request for Information (RFI) 

Inviting Input About New Online 

Accounting, Filing, and Reporting 

Database for the Refined Sugar ReExport Program, the Sugar Containing 

Products Re-Export Program, and the 

Polyhydric Alcohol Program 

AGENCY: Foreign Agricultural Service, 

USDA. 

ACTION: Request for information. 

SUMMARY: The Foreign Agricultural 

Service (FAS) of the U.S. Department of 

Agriculture is building a new online 

system to manage the Refined Sugar ReExport Program, the Sugar Containing 

Products Re-Export Program, and the 

Polyhydric Alcohol Program 

(hereinafter ‘‘the Sugar Re-Export 

Programs’’) to replace the existing 

Sugars Users Group Accounting and 

Report System (SUGARS), launched in 

2004. This request for information (RFI) 

seeks input regarding the new online 

system from all stakeholders involved 

directly or indirectly in the Sugar ReExport Programs. This stakeholder input 

will inform FAS’ efforts in developing a 

new, more efficient system to provide 

quality service to program users. 

DATES: Comments on this notice must be 

received by August 8, 2022 to be 

assured of consideration. 

ADDRESSES: USDA invites submission of 

the requested information through one 

of the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

online instructions for submitting 

comments. 

• Email: FAS will accept electronic 

submissions emailed to FAS.Sugars@

usda.gov. The email should contain the 

subject line, ‘‘Response to RFI: New 

Online Accounting, Filing, and 

Reporting Database for the Refined 

Sugar Re-Export Program, the Sugar 

Containing Products Re-Export Program, 

and the Polyhydric Alcohol Program.’’ 

Instructions: Response to this RFI is 

voluntary. All comments submitted in 

response to this RFI will be included in 

the record and will be made available to 

the public. Please be advised that the 

substance of the comments and the 

identity of the individuals or entities 

submitting the comments will be subject 

to public disclosure. USDA will make 

the comments publicly available via 

http://www.regulations.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

William Janis, International Economist, 

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Foreign 

Agricultural Service, telephone 202– 

720–2194, email FAS.Sugars@usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

FAS administers and manages three 

inter-related programs in the sugar 

market: the Refined Sugar Re-Export 

Program, the Sugar Containing Products 

Re-Export Program, and the Polyhydric 

Alcohol Program (see 7 CFR part 1530). 

FAS issues licenses to qualified sugar 

refiners, manufacturers of sugarcontaining products (SCP), and 

producers of polyhydric alcohol not for 

human consumption which apply for 

these programs. 

The Refined Sugar Re-Export Program 

provides a raw cane sugar refiner a 

license that authorizes three types of 

activities. First, a refiner with a refined 

sugar re-export license (‘‘licensed 

refiner’’) may import low-duty raw cane 

sugar, refine it, and re-export it to the 

world market. Second, the licensed 

refiner may export refined sugar 

produced with domestic or imported 

raw cane or beet sugar and later import 

low-duty raw cane sugar for any use. 

Third, the licensed refiner may import 

low-duty raw cane sugar for refining for 

any use and transfer refined sugar 

produced with domestic or imported 

raw cane or beet sugar to licensed U.S. 

manufacturers of sugar-containing 

products and/or licensed producers of 

polyhydric alcohol for non-food 

purposes. 

U.S. manufacturers in the SugarContaining Products Re-Export Program 

obtain a license allowing them to buy 

world-priced refined cane or beet sugar 

from any licensed domestic cane or beet 

refiner for use in exported products. 

U.S. producers of polyhydric alcohols 

in the Polyhydric Alcohol Program 

obtain a license allowing them to buy 

world-priced refined cane or beet sugar 

from any licensed domestic cane or beet 

refiner for use in polyhydric alcohols, 

except polyhydric alcohols incorporated 

as a substitute for sugar in human food 

consumption. 

An in-house FAS online system called 

SUGARS currently serves to organize 

the many program transactions among 

the three sets of licensees. The 

interactions of exports, imports, 

transfers, and use resemble the workings 

of an online checking account. 

Documents must substantiate each stage 

of these program transactions. 

Refiners manage their licenses using 

exports, imports, and transfers. Exports 

pertain to refined sugar shipped outside 

the United States. Imports reference raw 

cane sugar entering the United States. 

Transfers mean refined sugar sold to 

licensed SCP manufacturers and 

producers of polyhydric alcohol not for 

human consumption. Refiners increase 

their balances in tonnage by exporting 

refined sugar and selling refined sugar 

to licensed makers of SCPs and 

producers of polyhydric alcohol not for 

human consumption. Both of these 

transactions with SCP and polyhydric 

alcohol manufacturers qualify as 

transfers for the parties involved. 

SCP licensees accumulate quantities 

in their accounts by claiming exports of 

their goods. Specifically, these amounts 

include only the net weight of sugar in 

the exported products. From their 

balances, SCP licensees may purchase 

world-priced refined sugar from 

licensed refiners. These transfers may 

not exceed the balances of SCP license 

holders. 

Companies with polyhydric alcohol 

licenses report their use of refined sugar 

to produce polyhydric alcohol not for 

human consumption. They build their 

balances and may buy world-priced 

sugar from licensed refiners. These 

transfers may not exceed the balances of 

companies with polyhydric alcohol 

licenses. 

A new system is being constructed to 

replace the existing SUGARS, which 

dates to 2004. The new system will be 

highly automated, better protected, and 

more streamlined. FAS envisions a more 

thoroughly encrypted seamless 

approach for transmitting and verifying 

data that operates like an online 

checking account. 

Request for Information 

A new system must accomplish the 

following objectives: 

1. Help to enforce the terms and 

conditions of issued licenses under 7 

CFR part 1530. 

2. Be intuitive and user-friendly for 

licensees. 

3. Provide licensees maximum access 

to their proprietary data. 

4. Integrate fully the component parts 

of a license. 

5. Allow for publication of aggregated, 

non-proprietary data. 

6. Permit FAS to access and compile 

data needed for resolving issues. 

7. Serve as a portal for interested 

parties to apply for licenses. 

As the system remains in 

development, this RFI is a general 

solicitation for public input from all 

stakeholders involved directly or 

indirectly in the Sugar Re-export 

Programs. This stakeholder input will 

inform efforts to build a system to 

operate more efficiently and provide 

quality service to program users. 

Specific questions to which responses 

are requested are listed below. 

Respondents may provide nonVerDate Sep<11>2014 17:27 Jul 07, 2022 Jkt 256001 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\08JYN1.SGM 08JYN1

jspears on DSK121TN23PROD with NOTICES1
40780 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 130 / Friday, July 8, 2022 / Notices 

confidential input concerning any or all 

of these questions. In addition, this 

representative list does not cover all 

aspects of a new system to replace 

SUGARS. Therefore, we welcome other 

input on topics not covered in these 

questions. In particular, please provide 

any additional recommendations related 

to achieving the seven objectives noted 

above. 

1. Should the new system continue 

the current SUGARS structure 

resembling an online checking account? 

For example: Exports for SCP licensees 

and use for polyhydric alcohol licensees 

count as deposits. Meanwhile, 

purchases of program sugar from 

licensed refiners qualify as withdrawals. 

In turn, refiners rely on their balances 

of exports, imports, and transfers to 

enter low-duty imports of raw cane 

sugar. 

2. SUGARS currently requires 

licensees to use a spreadsheet tool to 

upload data to their accounts. After 

receiving and reviewing the uploaded 

information, FAS transmits by email to 

licensees their balance information. FAS 

envisions a new, more thoroughly 

encrypted seamless approach for 

communicating this data, like an online 

checking account. What features are 

needed in a new system to allow 

licensees and FAS to more easily and 

more securely transmit, verify and 

access data? 

3. The new system could be created 

to permit each licensee complete access 

to data and license documents provided 

by the licensee to FAS without having 

to obtain permission from FAS, such as 

the original application package. These 

documents could be stored for a number 

of years in the licensee’s account in the 

new system. Please share your 

perspectives on this matter. 

4. In what ways could or should the 

new system allow or require licensees to 

upload supporting documents for each 

program transaction? 

5. Should the license application 

process be incorporated into the new 

system? 

6. What other features, if any, should 

the new system include to improve 

program operations? 

Any information obtained from this 

RFI is intended to be used by the 

Government on a non-attribution basis 

for planning and developing a successor 

system to SUGARS. This RFI does not 

constitute a formal solicitation for 

proposals or abstracts. Your response to 

this notice will be treated as information 

only. FAS will not reimburse any costs 

incurred in responding to this RFI. 

Respondents are advised that FAS is 

under no obligation to acknowledge 

receipt of the information received or 

provide feedback to respondents with 

respect to any information submitted 

under this RFI. Responses to this RFI do 

not bind FAS to any further actions 

related to this topic. Responses will 

become government property. 

No confidential information, such as 

confidential business information or 

proprietary information, should be 

submitted in comments for this RFI. 

Comments received in response to this 

notice will be a matter of public record 

and will be made available for public 

inspection and posted without change 

and as received, including any business 

information or personal information 

provided in the comments, such as 

names and addresses. Please do not 

include anything in your comment 

submission that you do not wish to 

share with the general public. 

Aileen Mannix, 

Acting Licensing Authority, Foreign 

Agricultural Service. 

[FR Doc. 2022–14556 Filed 7–7–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–10–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Final Record of Decision for the 

Carson National Forest 

AGENCY: Forest Service, Agriculture 

(USDA). 

ACTION: Notice of approval of the 

Revised Land Management Plan for the 

Carson National Forest. 

SUMMARY: James Duran, the Forest 

Supervisor for the Carson National 

Forest, Southwestern Region, signed the 

final record of decision (ROD) for the 

Revised Land Management Plan (LMP) 

for the Carson National Forest Land. 

The final ROD documents the rationale 

for approving the LMP and is consistent 

with the Reviewing Officer’s responses 

to objections and instructions. 

DATES: The revised LMP for the Carson 

National Forest will become effective 30 

days after the publication of this notice 

of approval in the Federal Register (36 

CFR 219.17(a)(1)). 

ADDRESSES: To view the signed final 

ROD, final environmental impact 

statement (FEIS), the revised LMP, and 

other related documents, please visit the 

Carson National Forest website at: 

https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/carson/ 

landmanagement/planning/ 

?cid=stelprdb5443166. 

A legal notice of approval is also 

being published in the newspaper of 

record, The Taos News. A copy of this 

legal notice will be posted on the Carson 

National Forest’s website shown above. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Peter Rich, Forest Planner, Carson 

National Forest, at peter.rich@usda.gov 

or 575–758–6277. 

Individuals who use 

telecommunication devices for the deaf 

and hard of hearing (TDD) may call the 

Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1–800– 

877–8339, 24 hours a day, every day of 

the year, including holidays. Written 

requests for information may be sent to 

Carson National Forest, Attn: Carson 

National Forest Plan Revision, 208 Cruz 

Alta Rd., Taos, NM 87571. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Carson National Forest covers six ranger 

districts across nearly 1.5 million acres 

of National Forest System land in the 

northern New Mexico counties of Taos, 

Rio Arriba, Colfax, and Mora. The LMP 

was developed pursuant to the 2012 

Forest Service Planning Rule (36 CFR 

219) and will replace the 1986 Land 

Management Plan. The LMP describes 

desired conditions, objectives, 

standards, guidelines, and land 

suitability for project and activity 

decision-making and will guide all 

resource management activities on the 

Forest. The Carson National Forest plays 

an important role supporting and 

partnering with communities in 

northern New Mexico and throughout 

the southwestern United States by 

providing economic benefits including 

fuelwood gathering, livestock grazing, 

and abundant recreational 

opportunities. The development of the 

LMP was shaped by the best available 

scientific information, current laws, and 

public input. 

The Carson National Forest initiated 

plan revision in 2014 and engaged the 

public frequently throughout the 

process. This engagement effort has 

included conventional public meetings, 

information sharing via social media, 

and collaborative work sessions with 

cooperating agencies. The Forest invited 

State, local and Tribal governments, and 

other federal agencies from around the 

region to participate in the process to 

revise the LMP. The Carson National 

Forest engaged in government-togovernment consultation with 16 tribes 

during LMP revision, ensuring tribalrelated plan direction accurately reflects 

the Carson National Forest’s trust 

responsibilities and government-togovernment relationship with tribes. A 

cooperating agency working group met 

regularly throughout the plan revision 

effort. During the 90-day comment 

period in 2019 for the draft LMP and 

draft EIS, the Carson National Forest 

received 5,740 letters, which helped 

refine the preferred alternative and 


jspears on DSK121TN23PROD with NOTICES1