This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains documents other than rules or

proposed rules that are applicable to the

public. Notices of hearings and investigations,

committee meetings, agency decisions and

rulings, delegations of authority, filing of

petitions and applications and agency

statements of organization and functions are

examples of documents appearing in this

section.

Notices Federal Register

49311 

Vol. 82, No. 205 

Wednesday, October 25, 2017 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Agricultural Marketing Service 

[Doc. No. AMS–NOP–17–0043; NOP–17–07] 

National Organic Program: Notice of 

Interim Instruction, Maintaining the 

Integrity of Organic Imports 

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, 

USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of availability of interim 

instruction with request for comments. 

SUMMARY: The Agricultural Marketing 

Service (AMS) is announcing the 

availability of an interim instruction 

document intended for use by USDAaccredited organic certifying agents 

(certifiers). The interim instruction is 

entitled as follows: Maintaining the 

Integrity of Organic Imports (NOP 4013). 

This interim instruction explains the 

USDA organic regulations’ current 

requirements for certifiers engaged in 

the oversight of organic products 

imported into the United States. It also 

recommends best practices that 

certifiers may use in order to comply 

with the existing regulations. AMS 

invites organic handlers, certifying 

agents, importers, consumers, and other 

interested parties to submit comments 

on the interim instruction. Specifically, 

comments should address the parts of 

the instruction that recommend best 

practices that certifiers may use to 

ensure compliance with the USDA 

organic regulations. This document is 

not intended to request comments on 

the existing USDA organic regulations 

found at 7 CFR part 205. 

DATES: Comments must be submitted on 

or before December 26, 2017. 

ADDRESSES: Submit written requests for 

hard copies of this interim instruction to 

Paul I. Lewis, Ph.D., Standards Division 

Director, National Organic Program 

(NOP), USDA–AMS–NOP, 1400 

Independence Ave. SW., Room 2646— 

So., Ag Stop 0268, Washington, DC 

20250–0268. See the SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION section for electronic 

access to the draft guidance document. 

You may submit comments on this 

interim instruction by any of the 

following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: http:// 

www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

instructions for submitting comments. 

• Mail: Paul I. Lewis, Ph.D., 

Standards Division Director, National 

Organic Program, USDA–AMS–NOP, 

1400 Independence Ave. SW., Room 

2646—So., Ag Stop 0268, Washington, 

DC 20250–0268. 

Instructions: Written comments 

responding to this request should be 

identified with the document number 

AMS–NOP–17–0043; NOP–17–07. You 

should clearly indicate your position 

and the reasons supporting your 

position. If you are suggesting changes 

to the draft instruction document, you 

should include recommended language 

changes, as appropriate, along with any 

relevant supporting documentation. 

AMS is specifically requesting that 

stakeholders comment and quantify any 

impacts that the instruction will have 

on certified operations. 

USDA intends to make available all 

comments, including names and 

addresses when provided, regardless of 

submission procedure used, on 

www.regulations.gov and at USDA, 

AMS, NOP, Room 2646—South 

Building, 1400 Independence Ave. SW., 

Washington, DC, from 9 a.m. to noon 

and from 1 to 4 p.m., Monday through 

Friday (except official Federal holidays). 

Persons wanting to visit the USDA 

South building to view comments from 

the public to this notice are requested to 

make an appointment by calling (202) 

720–3252. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul 

I. Lewis, Ph.D., Standards Division 

Director, National Organic Program 

(NOP), USDA–AMS–NOP, 1400 

Independence Ave. SW., Room 2646— 

So., Ag Stop 0268, Washington, DC 

20250–0268; Telephone: (202) 720– 

3252; Fax: (202) 260–9151; Email: 

NOP.Guidance@ams.usda.gov; or visit 

the NOP Web site at: 

www.ams.usda.gov/nop. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background 

The interim instruction announced 

via this notice explains the current 

regulatory requirements for organic 

certification and documentation needed 

to import organic products into the 

United States, and certifiers’ 

responsibilities in reviewing or issuing 

import related documents. The 

instruction also recommends best 

practices that certifiers may use in order 

to comply with existing regulatory 

requirements. 

The USDA AMS National Organic 

Program (NOP) facilitates international 

trade of organic products by authorizing 

certifiers around the world to certify 

farms and businesses to the USDA 

organic regulations and by establishing 

trade arrangements with foreign 

countries. Foreign operations are subject 

to the same requirements as domestic 

operations, and organic products 

verified to be in compliance with these 

regulations or arrangements can be 

imported for sale into the United States. 

The interim instruction is available 

from AMS on its Web site at http://

www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/ 

organic. When finalized, the final 

instruction will be available in ‘‘The 

Program Handbook: Guidance and 

Instructions for Accredited Certifying 

Agents (ACAs) and Certified 

Operations’’. This Handbook provides 

those who own, manage, or certify 

organic operations with guidance and 

instructions that can assist them in 

complying with the USDA organic 

regulations. The current edition of the 

Program Handbook is available online at 

http://www.ams.usda.gov/rulesregulations/organic/handbook. 

II. Significance of Guidance 

This interim instruction is being 

issued in accordance with the Office of 

Management and Budget Bulletin on 

Agency Good Guidance Practices (GGPs) 

(January 25, 2007, 72 FR 3432–3440). 

The purpose of GGPs is to ensure that 

program guidance documents are 

developed with adequate public 

participation, are readily available to the 

public, and are not applied as binding 

requirements. The interim instruction 

represents AMS’ efforts to clarify and 

strengthen compliance with existing 

regulations on these topics. It does not 

create or confer any rights for, or on, any 

person and does not operate to create 

additional regulatory requirements that 

legally bind AMS or the public. 

Guidance documents are intended to 

provide a uniform method for achieving 

compliance with the USDA organic 

regulations, thereby reducing the 


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49312 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 205 / Wednesday, October 25, 2017 / Notices 

burden on certified organic operations 

to develop their own methods and 

simplifying audits and inspections. 

Alternative approaches that can 

demonstrate compliance with the 

Organic Foods Production Act, as 

amended (7 U.S.C. 6501–6522), and its 

implementing regulations are also 

acceptable. 

III. Electronic Access 

Persons with access to Internet may 

obtain the interim instruction at either 

AMS’ Web site at http://

www.ams.usda.gov/nop or http://

www.regulations.gov. Requests for hard 

copies of the interim instruction can be 

obtained by submitting a written request 

to the person listed in the ADDRESSES

section of this Notice. 

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 6501–6522. 

Dated: October 19, 2017. 

Bruce Summers, 

Acting Administrator, Agricultural Marketing 

Service. 

[FR Doc. 2017–23093 Filed 10–24–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–02–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Meeting of the National Advisory 

Committee for Implementation of the 

National Forest System Land 

Management Planning Rule 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of meetings. 

SUMMARY: The National Advisory 

Committee for Implementation of the 

National Forest System Land 

Management Planning Rule Committee 

(Committee) will meet in El Dorado 

Hills, California. Attendees may also 

listen via webinar and conference call. 

The Committee operates in compliance 

with the Federal Advisory Committee 

Act (FACA). Additional information 

relating to the Committee, including the 

meeting summary/minutes, can be 

found by visiting the Committee’s Web 

site at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/main/ 

planningrule/committee. 

DATES: The meetings will be held inperson and streamed via webinar/ 

conference call on the following dates 

and times: 

• Tuesday, November 7, 2017, from 

8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. PST 

• Wednesday, November 8, 2017, from 

8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. PST 

• Thursday, November 9, 2017, from 

8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. PST 

All meetings are subject to 

cancellation. For updated status of 

meetings prior to attendance, please 

contact the person listed under FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

the Holiday Inn Express & Suites, 4360 

Town Center Boulevard, El Dorado 

Hills, California 95762. For anyone who 

would like to attend via webinar and/or 

conference call, please visit the Web site 

listed above or contact the person listed 

in the section titled FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT. Written 

comments may be submitted as 

described under SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION. All comments, including 

names and addresses, when provided, 

are placed in the record and available 

for public inspection and copying. The 

public may inspect comments received 

at the USDA Forest Service Washington 

Office—Yates Building, 201 14th Street 

SW., Mail Stop 1104, Washington, DC 

20250–1104. Please call ahead to 

facilitate entry into the building. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Crystal Merica, Committee Coordinator, 

by phone at 202–205–3562, or by email 

at ckmerica@fs.fed.us. Individuals who 

use telecommunication devices for the 

deaf (TDD) may call the Federal 

Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1– 

800–877–8339 between 8:00 a.m. and 

8:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, 

Monday through Friday. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

purpose of this meeting is to provide: 

1. Continued deliberations on 

formulating advice for the Secretary, 

2. Discussion of Committee work 

group findings, 

3. Hearing public comments, and 

4. Administrative tasks. 

This meeting is open to the public. 

The agenda will include time for people 

to make oral comments of three minutes 

or less. Individuals wishing to make an 

oral comment should submit a request 

in writing by November 3, 2017, to be 

scheduled on the agenda. Anyone who 

would like to bring related matters to 

the attention of the Committee may file 

written statements with the Committee’s 

staff before or after the meeting. Written 

comments and time requests for oral 

comments must be sent to Crystal 

Merica, USDA Forest Service, 

Ecosystem Management Coordination, 

201 14th Street SW., Mail Stop 1104, 

Washington, DC 20250–1104, or by 

email at ckmerica@fs.fed.us. The agenda 

and summary of the meeting will be 

posted on the Committee’s Web site 

within 21 days of the meeting. 

Meeting Accommodations: If you are 

a person requiring reasonable 

accommodation, please make requests 

in advance for sign language 

interpreting, assistive listening devices 

or other reasonable accommodation for 

access to the facility or proceedings by 

contacting the person listed in the 

section titled FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT. All reasonable 

accommodation requests are managed 

on a case by case basis. 

Dated: October 16, 2017. 

Christopher French, 

Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest 

System. 

[FR Doc. 2017–23130 Filed 10–24–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3411–15–P 

COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS 

Notice of Public Meeting of the Indiana 

Advisory Committee To Prepare for Its 

Public Meeting on Voting Rights 

AGENCY: U.S. Commission on Civil 

Rights. 

ACTION: Announcement of meeting. 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given, 

pursuant to the provisions of the rules 

and regulations of the U.S. Commission 

on Civil Rights (Commission) and the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act that 

the Indiana Advisory Committee 

(Committee) will hold a meeting on 

Wednesday November 1, 2017, at 3:00 

p.m. EST for the purpose of approving 

a project proposal and preparing for its 

public meeting on voting rights issues in 

the state. 

DATES: The meeting will be held on 

Wednesday, November 1, 2017, at 3:00 

p.m. EST. 

Public Call Information: Dial: 877– 

397–0292, Conference ID: 2237390. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Melissa Wojnaroski, DFO, at 

mwojnaroski@usccr.gov or 312–353– 

8311. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Members 

of the public can listen to the 

discussion. This meeting is available to 

the public through the following tollfree call-in number: 877–397–0292, 

conference ID: 2237390. Any interested 

member of the public may call this 

number and listen to the meeting. An 

open comment period will be provided 

to allow members of the public to make 

a statement as time allows. The 

conference call operator will ask callers 

to identify themselves, the organization 

they are affiliated with (if any), and an 

email address prior to placing callers 

into the conference room. Callers can 

expect to incur regular charges for calls 

they initiate over wireless lines, 

according to their wireless plan. The 

Commission will not refund any 

incurred charges. Callers will incur no 

charge for calls they initiate over landVerDate Sep<11>2014 22:06 Oct 24, 2017 Jkt 244001 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\25OCN1.SGM 25OCN1

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