DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (USDA)
Statement of Regulatory
Priorities
In
FY 2013, USDA's focus will continue to be on programs that create/save jobs,
particularly in rural America, while identifying and taking action on those
programs that could be modified, streamlined, and simplified; or reporting
burdens reduced, particularly with the public's access to USDA programs. The
2008 Farm Bill covering major farm, trade,
conservation, rural development, nutrition assistance and other programs
expired at the end of fiscal year 2012 and is expected to be reauthorized in
2013. It is anticipated that a number of high priority regulations will be
developed during 2013 to implement this legislation should it be enacted. USDA's
regulatory efforts in the coming year will achieve the Department's goals
identified in the Department's Strategic Plan for 2010-2015.
Assist rural communities to create prosperity so they are
self-sustaining, re-populating, and economically thriving.
USDA is
the leading advocate for rural America. The Department supports rural
communities and enhances quality of life for rural residents by improving their
economic opportunities, community infrastructure, environmental health, and the
sustainability of agricultural production. The common goal is to help create
thriving rural communities with good jobs where people want to live and raise
families, and where children have economic opportunities and a bright future.
Ensure that all of America's children have access to
safe, nutritious, and balanced meals. A
plentiful supply of safe and nutritious food is essential to the well-being of
every family and the healthy development of every child in America. USDA provides nutrition assistance to children and low-income people who need it; and
works to
improve the healthy eating habits of all Americans, especially children.
In addition, the Department safeguards the quality and wholesomeness of meat,
poultry, and egg products; and addresses and prevents loss or damage from pests
and disease outbreaks.
Ensure our national forests and private working lands are
conserved, restored, and made more resilient to climate change, while enhancing
our water resources. America's prosperity is inextricably
linked to the health of our lands and natural resources. Forests, farms,
ranches, and grasslands offer enormous environmental benefits as a source of
clean air, clean and abundant water, and wildlife habitat. These lands
generate economic value by supporting the vital agriculture and forestry
sectors, attracting tourism and recreational visitors, sustaining green jobs,
and producing ecosystem services, food, fiber, timber and non-timber products.
They are also of immense social importance, enhancing rural quality of life,
sustaining scenic and culturally important landscapes, and providing
opportunities to engage in outdoor activity and reconnect with the land.
Help America promote agricultural production and
biotechnology exports as America works to increase food security. A
productive agricultural sector is critical to increasing global food security.
For many crops, a substantial portion of domestic production is bound for
overseas markets. USDA helps American farmers and ranchers use efficient,
sustainable production, biotechnology, and other emergent technologies to
enhance food security around the world and find export markets for their
products.
Important
regulatory activities supporting the accomplishment of these goals in 2013 will
include the following:
Improving Access to Nutrition Assistance and Dietary
Behaviors. As changes are made to the nutrition assistance
programs, USDA will work to ensure access to program benefits, improve program
integrity, improve diets and healthy eating, and promote physical activity
consistent with the national effort to reduce obesity. In support of these
activities in 2013, the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) plans to publish the
proposed rule regarding the nutrition standards for foods sold in schools
outside of the reimbursable meal programs; finalize a rule updating the WIC
food packages, and establish permanent rules for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable
Program. FNS will continue to work to implement rules that minimize
participant and vendor fraud in its nutrition assistance programs.
Strengthening Food Safety Inspection.
USDA will continue to develop science-based regulations that improve the safety
of meat, poultry, and processed egg products in the least burdensome and most
cost-effective manner. Regulations will be revised to address emerging food
safety challenges, streamlined to remove excessively prescriptive regulations,
and updated to be made consistent with hazard analysis and critical control
point principles. In 2013, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) plans
to finalize regulations to establish new systems for poultry slaughter
inspection, which would save money for establishments and taxpayers while
improving food safety. Among other actions, USDA will provide export
certificates through the use of technology, and define conditions under which
the "natural" claim may be used on meat and poultry labeling. To assist small
entities to comply with food safety requirements, FSIS will continue to
collaborate with other USDA agencies and State partners in its small business
outreach program.
Forestry and Conservation.
USDA plans to finalize regulations that would streamline the
Natural Resources Conservation Service's (NRCS) financial assistance programs,
which would make program participation easier for producers. USDA will update
its EQIP participation requirements to allow limited resource producers with
incomplete irrigation histories to participate in the program. Additionally,
USDA will allow NRCS' State Conservationists to remove undue burdens on
producers that have acted in good faith on incorrect program information
provided by NRCS. USDA will also publish proposed Agency guidance for
implementation of the Forest Service's 2012 Planning Rule. This guidance will
provide the detailed monitoring, assessing, and documenting requirements that
National Forests require to begin revising their land management plans under
the 2012 Planning Rule (currently 70 of the 120 Forest Service's Land
Management Plans are expired and in need of revision).
Making Marketing and Regulatory Programs More
Effective. USDA will continue to
protect the health and value of U.S. agricultural and natural resources. USDA
plans to continue work on implementing a national animal disease traceability
system and anticipates revising the permitting of plant pests
and biological control organisms. A national, effective animal disease
traceability system will enhance our ability to respond to animal disease
detections. Revising the plant pests and biological control organisms'
regulations on permitting would facilitate the movement of regulated organisms
and articles in a manner that also protects U.S. agriculture, and address gaps
in the current regulations. For the Animal Welfare Act (AWA), USDA plans to
finalize specific standards for the humane care of dogs imported for resale and
the definition of a retail pet store. USDA will support the organic sector by
updating the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances as advised by
the National Organic Standards Board, streamlining organic regulatory enforcement
actions, developing organic pet food standards, and proposing that all existing
and replacement dairy animals from which milk or milk products are intended to
be sold as organic must be managed organically from the last third of gestation.
Promoting Biobased Products.
USDA will continue to promote sustainable economic opportunities to create jobs
in rural communities through the purchase and use of biobased products through the BioPreferred® program. USDA will
continue to designate groups of biobased products to receive procurement
preference from Federal agencies and contractors. BioPreferred® has made serious efforts to minimize burdens
on small business by providing a standard mechanism for product testing, an
online application process, and individual assistance for small manufacturers
when needed. The Federal preferred procurement and the certified label parts
of the program are voluntary; both are designed to assist biobased businesses
in securing additional sales.
Retrospective Review of Existing Regulations:
Pursuant to section 6 of
Executive Order 13563 "Improving Regulation and Regulatory
Review" (Jan. 18, 2011), the following Regulatory
Identifier Numbers (RINs) have been identified as associated with retrospective review and analysis
in the Department's final retrospective review of regulations plan. Some of these entries on this list
may be completed actions, which do not appear in The Regulatory Plan. However, more information can
be found about these completed rulemakings in past publications of the Unified Agenda on Reginfo.gov in
the Completed Actions section for that agency. These rulemakings can also be found on Regulations.gov.
The final agency plan can be found at http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?navid=USDA_OPEN.
RIN
|
Title
|
Significantly Reduce Burdens on
Small Businesses
|
0583-AC59
|
Prior Labeling Approval System: Generic
Label Approval
|
Yes
|
0583-AD41
|
Electronic Export Application and
Certification Fee
|
Yes
|
0583-AD39
|
Electronic Import Inspection and
Certification of Imported Products and Foreign Establishments
|
Yes
|
0583-AD32
|
Modernization of Poultry Slaughter Inspection
|
Yes
|
0570-AA76
|
Rural Energy America Program
|
Yes
|
0575-AC91
|
Community Facilities Loan and Grants
|
Yes
|
0596-AD01
|
National Environmental Policy Act
Efficiencies
|
Yes
|
0570-AA85
|
Business
and Industry Loan Guaranteed Program
|
Yes
|
Subsequent to EO 13563, and
consistent with its goals as well as the importance of public participation,
President Obama issued EO 13610 on Identifying and Reducing Regulatory Burdens
in May 2012. EO 13610 directs agencies, in part, to give priority
consideration to those initiatives that will produce costs savings or
significant reductions in paperwork burdens. Accordingly, reducing the
regulatory burden on the American people and our trading partners is a priority
for USDA and we will continually work to improve the effectiveness of our
existing regulations. As a result of our ongoing regulatory review and burden
reduction efforts, USDA will make regulatory changes in 2013, including the
following:
Increase Use of Generic Approval and Regulations
Consolidation. FSIS is finalizing a rule that will expand
the circumstances in which the labels of meat and poultry products will be
deemed to be generically approved by FSIS. The rule will reduce regulatory
burden and generate taxpayer savings of $2.9 million over 10 years.
Implement Electronic Export Application for Meat and
Poultry Products. FSIS is finalizing a rule to provide
exporters a fee-based option for transmitting U.S. certifications to foreign
importers and governments electronically. Automating the export application
and certification process will facilitate the export of U.S. meat, poultry, and egg products by streamlining the processes that are used while ensuring that
foreign regulatory requirements are met.
Simplify FSA NEPA Compliance. FSA will revise its regulations that implement the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to update, improve, and clarify requirements.
It will also remove obsolete provisions. Annual cost savings to FSA as a
result of this rule could be $345,000 from conducting 314 fewer environmental
assessments per year, while retaining strong environmental protection.
Streamline Forest Service NEPA Compliance. The Forest Service (FS), in cooperation with the Council on
Environmental Quality (CEQ), is promulgating rulemaking to establish three new
Categorical Exclusions for simple restoration activities. These Categorical
Exclusions will improve and streamline the NEPA process, and reduce the
paperwork burden, as it applies to FS projects without reducing environmental
protection.
Rural Energy for America Program (REAP).
Under REAP, Rural Development provides guaranteed loans and grants to support
the purchase, construction, or retrofitting of a renewable energy system. This
rulemaking will streamline the process for grants, lessening the burden to the
customer. It will also make the guaranteed loan portion of the rule consistent
with other programs RD manages. The rulemaking is expected to reduce the
information collection burden.
Reduced Duplication in Farm Programs. The Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services (FFAS) mission area
will reduce the paperwork burden on program participants by consolidating the
information collections required to participate in farm programs administered
by FSA and the Federal crop insurance program administered by the Risk
Management Agency (RMA). As a result, producers will be able to spend less
time reporting information to USDA. Additionally, FSA and RMA will be better
able to share information, thus improving operational efficiency. FFAS will
evaluate methods to simplify and standardize, to the extent practical, acreage
reporting processes, program dates, and data definitions across the various
USDA programs and agencies. FFAS expects to allow producers to use information
from their farm-management and precision agriculture systems for reporting
production, planted and harvested acreage, and other key information needed to
participate in USDA programs. FFAS will also streamline the collection of
producer information by FSA and RMA with the agricultural production
information collected by the National Agricultural Statistics Service. These
process changes will allow for program data that is common across agencies to
be collected once and utilized or redistributed to agency programs in which the
producer chooses to participate. Full implementation of the Acreage and Crop
Reporting Streamlining Initiative (ACRSI) is planned for 2013. When specific
changes are identified, FSA and RMA will make any required conforming changes
in their respective regulations.
Increased Use of Electronic Forms. Increasingly, USDA is providing electronic alternatives to its
traditionally paper-based customer transactions. As a result, customers
increasingly have the option to electronically file forms and other
documentation online, allowing them to choose when and where to conduct
business with USDA. For example, Rural Development continues to review its
regulations to determine which application procedures for Business Programs,
Community Facilities Programs, Energy Programs, and Water and Environmental
Programs, can be streamlined and its requirements synchronized. RD is
approaching the exercise from the perspective of the people it serves, by
communicating with stakeholders on two common areas of regulation that can
provide the basis of reform. The first area provides support for
entrepreneurship and business innovation. This initiative would provide for
the streamlining and reformulating of the Business & Industry Loan
Guarantee Program and the Intermediary Relending Program; the first such
overhauls in over 20 years. The second area would provide for streamlining
programs being made available to municipalities, Indian tribes, and non-profit
organizations, specifically Water and Waste Disposal; Community Facilities; and
Rural Business Enterprise Grants plus programs such as Electric and
Telecommunications loans that provide basic community needs. This regulatory
reform initiative has the potential to significantly reduce the burden to
respondents (lenders and borrowers). To the extent practicable, each reform
initiative will consist of a common application and uniform documentation requirements
making it easier for constituent groups to apply for multiple programs. In
addition, there will be associated regulations for each program that will
contain program specific information.
Promoting International Regulatory Cooperation under EO 13609:
President Obama
issued EO 13609 on promoting international regulatory cooperation in May 2012.
The EO charges the Regulatory Working Group, an interagency working group
chaired by the Administrator of Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs
(OIRA), with examining appropriate strategies and best practices for
international regulatory cooperation. The EO also directs agencies to identify
factors that should be taken into account when evaluating the effectiveness of
regulatory approaches used by trading partners with whom the U.S. is engaged in regulatory cooperation. At this time, USDA is identifying international
regulatory cooperation activities that are reasonably anticipated to lead to
significant regulations, while working closely with the
Administration to refine the guidelines implementing the EO. Apart from
international regulatory cooperation, the Department has continued to identify
regulations with international impacts, as it has done in the past. Such
regulations are those that are expected to have international trade
and investment effects, or otherwise may be of interest to our international
trading partners. For example, FSIS is working with Canada's Treasury Board and Canadian Food Inspection Agency to facilitate the movement of meat,
poultry, and egg products between the U.S. and Canada while still ensuring food
safety. The effort may lead to a future proposed
rule to revise FSIS's regulations regarding the importation of these products.
Major Regulatory Priorities
This
following represents summary information on prospective priority regulations as
called for in EO's 12866 and 13563:
Food and Nutrition Service
Mission:
FNS increases food security and reduces hunger in partnership with cooperating
organizations by providing children and low-income people access to food, a
healthful diet, and nutrition education in a manner that supports American
agriculture and inspires public confidence.
Priorities: In addition to
responding to provisions of legislation authorizing and modifying Federal
nutrition assistance programs, FNS's 2013 regulatory plan supports USDA's
Strategic Goal to "ensure that all of America's children have access to safe,
nutritious and balanced meals," and its two related objectives:
Increase
Access to Nutritious Food. This objective represents FNS's
efforts to improve nutrition by providing access to program benefits (food
consumed at home, school meals, commodities) and distributing State
administrative funds to support program operations. To advance this objective, FNS plans to publish
a final rule from the 2008 Farm Bill addressing SNAP eligibility,
certification, and employment and training issues. This rule also responds to
the principles outlined in EO 13563 and responds to EO 13610 by eliminating the
requirement for face-to-face interviews in the SNAP certification process,
eliminating substantial burdens for SNAP clients and providing additional
flexibility to State agencies that administer the program.
Improve Program Integrity. FNS also plans to
publish a number of rules to increase the efficiency and reduce the burden of
program operations. Program integrity provisions will continue to be
strengthened in the SNAP and Child Nutrition programs to ensure Federal
taxpayer dollars are spent effectively.
Promote Healthy Diet and
Physical Activity Behaviors. This objective represents
FNS's efforts to ensure that program benefits meet appropriate standards to
effectively improve nutrition for program participants, to improve the diets of
its clients through nutrition education, and to support the national effort to
reduce obesity by promoting healthy eating and physical activity. In support of this objective, FNS plans to publish a
proposed rule implementing Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act provisions setting
nutrition standards for all foods sold in school, establishing professional
standards for school food service and State child nutrition program directors,
and establishing requirements for the SNAP Nutrition Education and Obesity
Prevention Grant Program; and
finalizing a rule updating food packages in WIC. FNS' goal is
by 2015 to reduce child obesity from 16.9 percent to 15.5 percent, to double
the proportion of adults consuming five or more servings of fruits and
vegetables daily, and to increase breastfeeding rates.
Food
Safety and Inspection Service
Mission: FSIS
is responsible for ensuring that meat, poultry, and egg products in interstate
and foreign commerce are wholesome, not adulterated, and properly marked,
labeled, and packaged.
Priorities: FSIS
is committed to developing and issuing science-based regulations intended to
ensure that meat, poultry, and egg products are wholesome and not adulterated
or misbranded. FSIS regulatory actions support the objective to protect public health by ensuring that food
is safe
under USDA's goal to ensure access to safe food. To reduce the number of
foodborne illnesses and increase program efficiencies, FSIS will continue to
review its existing authorities and regulations to ensure that it can address
emerging food safety challenges, to streamline excessively prescriptive
regulations, and to revise or remove regulations that are inconsistent with the
FSIS' hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) regulations. FSIS is
also working with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to improve
coordination and increase the effectiveness of inspection activities. FSIS's
priority initiatives are as follows:
Poultry
Slaughter Modernization. FSIS plans to issue a final rule to implement a new inspection
system for young poultry slaughter establishments that would facilitate public
health-based inspection. The rule would allow for more effective inspection of
carcasses and allocation of agency resources, as well as encourage industry to
more readily use new technology. It would save money for businesses and
taxpayers while improving food safety.
"Natural"
Claim. FSIS will propose to amend the meat and poultry products regulations to
define the conditions under which the voluntary claim "natural" may be used on
meat and poultry product labeling. Requests for a "natural" label approval
would need to include documentation to demonstrate that the products meet the
criteria to bear the claim. A codified "natural" claim definition will reduce
uncertainty about which products qualify for the label and will increase
consumer confidence in the claim.
Public
Health Information System. To support its food safety inspection activities,
FSIS is continuing to implement the Public Health Information System (PHIS), a
user-friendly and Web-based system that automates many of the Agency's business
processes. PHIS also enables greater exchange of information between
FSIS and other Federal agencies, such as U. S. Customs and Border Protection,
involved in tracking cross-border movement of import and export shipments of
meat, poultry, and processed egg products. To facilitate the
implementation of some PHIS components, FSIS has proposed to provide for
electronic export application and certification processes and will propose
similar import processes as alternatives to current paper-based systems.
Retrospective
Review of Regulations. FSIS will continue to review
its regulations to determine how to improve information collection procedures
and the quality and sufficiency of data available to support regulatory
decision making, and how to decrease the recordkeeping burden on the industry.
In
addition to the planned amendments to provide for electronic import and export
application and certification, mentioned above, and in response to comments
received on the request for information preparatory to the Department's
regulatory review plan, FSIS is developing a final rule that will reduce
regulatory burden by expanding the circumstances in which the labels of meat and
poultry products will be deemed to be generically approved by FSIS.
FSIS
Small Business Implications. The great majority of businesses regulated by
FSIS are small businesses. FSIS conducts a small business outreach program
that provides critical training, access to food safety experts, and information
resources, such as compliance guidance and questions and answers on various
topics, in forms that are uniform, easily comprehended, and consistent. FSIS
collaborates in this effort with other USDA agencies and cooperating State
partners. For example, FSIS makes plant owners and operators aware of loan
programs, available through USDA's Rural Business and Cooperative programs, to
help them in upgrading their facilities. FSIS employees will meet with small
and very small plant operators to learn more about their specific needs and
explore how FSIS can tailor regulations to better meet the needs of small and
very small establishments, while maintaining the highest level of food safety.
Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service
Mission: The Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service (APHIS) is a multi-faceted Agency with a broad mission area
that includes protecting and promoting U.S. agricultural health, regulating
genetically engineered organisms, administering the AWA and carrying out
wildlife damage management activities.
Priorities: With regard to plant and animal health, APHIS
is committed to developing and issuing science-based regulations intended to protect the health and value of American agricultural and natural
resources. APHIS conducts programs to
prevent the introduction of exotic pests and diseases into the United States and conducts surveillance, monitoring, control, and eradication programs for
pests and diseases in this country. These activities enhance agricultural
productivity and competitiveness and contribute to the national economy and the
public health. APHIS also conducts programs to ensure the humane handling,
care, treatment, and transportation of animals under the AWA. APHIS priority issues are as follows:
Animal
Disease Traceability. APHIS is continuing work to
implement a robust national animal disease traceability system. This
rulemaking would amend the regulations to establish minimum national official
identification and documentation requirements for the traceability of livestock
moving interstate. Continuing this work is expected to improve our ability to
trace livestock in the event that disease is found.
Bovine
Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE). APHIS
is continuing work to revise its regulations concerning BSE to provide a more
comprehensive and universally applicable framework for the importation of
certain animals and products. APHIS believes that this work will continue to guard against the
introduction of BSE into the United States.
Update
of Plant Pest Regulations. APHIS proposes to regulate
the movement of not only plant pests, but also biological control organisms and
associated articles. APHIS proposes risk-based criteria regarding the movement
of biological control organisms, and proposes to establish regulations to allow
the movement in interstate commerce of certain types of plant pests when
appropriate. APHIS also proposes to revise regulations regarding the movement
of soil and to establish regulations governing the biocontainment facilities in
which plant pests, biological control organisms, and associated articles are
held. This proposal would also clarify the factors that would be considered
when assessing the risks associated with the movement of certain organisms.
Finally, this proposal is expected to facilitate the movement of regulated
organisms and articles in a manner that protects U.S. agriculture and address
gaps in the current regulations.
Retail
Pet Stores. APHIS is continuing work to revise the
definition of retail pet store and related regulations to bring more pet
animals sold at retail under the protection of the AWA.
Agricultural
Marketing Service
Mission:
The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) provides marketing services to
producers, manufacturers, distributors, importers, exporters, and consumers of
food products. AMS also manages the government's food purchases, supervises
food quality grading, maintains food quality standards, supervises the Federal
research and promotion programs, and oversees the country of origin labeling
program as well as the National Organic Program (NOP).
Priorities: AMS priority
items for next year include rulemaking that affects the organic industry.
These are:
National
List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (National List). The agency will
continue to follow the requirements of the Organic Food Production Act of 1990
by publishing rules to amend the National List based upon recommendations of
the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) and publish a rule to address
substances due to sunset from the National List in 2013.
Streamline
Enforcement Actions for NOP. AMS would propose a regulation streamlining
enforcement actions, by shortening the process by which AMS may initiate formal
administrative proceedings for proposed suspensions or revocations of
accreditation or certification.
Organic
Pet Food Standards. AMS would propose standards for organic pet food following
recommendations of the NOSB.
Organic
Dairy Animals. AMS would propose a rule on the replacement of dairy animals
which is intended to level the playing field by instituting the same
requirements across all organic dairy producers, regardless of how they
transitioned to organic production.
Farm
Service Agency
Mission:
FSA's mission is to deliver timely, effective programs and services to America's farmers and ranchers to support them in sustaining our Nation's vibrant
agricultural economy, as well as to provide first-rate support for domestic and
international food aid efforts. FSA supports USDA's strategic goals
by stabilizing
farm income, providing credit to new or existing farmers and ranchers who are
temporarily unable to obtain credit from commercial sources, and helping farm
operations recover from the effects of disaster. FSA administers several
conservation programs directed toward agricultural producers. The largest
program is the Conservation Reserve Program, which protects up to 32 million
acres of environmentally sensitive land.
Priorities:
FSA is focused on providing the best possible service to producers while
protecting the environment by updating and streamlining environmental
compliance and further strengthening Farm Loan Programs. Changes in the loan
programs will better assist small farmers and socially disadvantaged farmers
and will make loan servicing more efficient. FSA is also strengthening its
ability to help the Nation respond to national defense emergencies. FSA's
priority initiatives are as follows:
Microloan
Programs. FSA will implement a Microloan Program, which will help small and family operations progress through
their start-up years with needed resources, while building capacity, increasing
equity, and eventually graduating to commercial credit. The Microloan
Program will improve the FSA Operating Loan Program
to better meet the needs of small farmers. In addition, FSA
will develop and issue regulations to amend programs for farm operating loans,
down payment loans, and emergency loans to include socially disadvantaged farmers,
increase loan limits, loan size, funding targets, interest rates, and
graduating borrowers to commercial credit. In addition, FSA will further
streamline normal loan servicing activities and reduce burden on borrowers
while still protecting the loan security.
Environmental Compliance (National Environmental Policy Act). FSA
will revise its regulations that implement the National Environmental Policy
Act. The changes improve the efficiency, transparency, and consistency of NEPA
implementation. Changes include aligning the regulations to NEPA regulations
and guidance from the President's Council on Environmental Quality; providing a
single set of regulations that reflect the agency's current structure;
clarifying the types of actions that require an Environmental Assessment (EA);
and adding to the list of actions that are categorically excluded from further
environmental review because they have no significant effect on the human
environment.
Agriculture Priorities and Allocations Systems (APAS). USDA was
directed to develop APAS as part of a suite of rules that are being modeled
after the Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS). Under APAS, USDA
would secure food and agriculture-related resources as part of preparing for,
and responding to, national defense emergencies by placing priorities on orders
or by using resource allocation authority. APAS is authorized by the Defense
Production Act Reauthorization Act of 2009 (DPA). The authorities under DPA
have already been implemented by the Department of Commerce (DOC) via memoranda
of understanding with other Departments. The suite of DPA rules relieves DOC
from implementation responsibility for items outside their jurisdiction and
places these responsibilities with the relevant Departments.
Forest Service
Mission: The mission of the Forest Service is to sustain the health,
productivity, and diversity of the Nation's forests and rangelands to meet the
needs of present and future generations. This includes protecting and managing
National Forest System lands, providing technical and financial assistance to
States, communities, and private forest landowners, plus developing and
providing scientific and technical assistance, and the
exchange of scientific information to support international forest and range
conservation. Forest Service regulatory priorities
support the accomplishment of the Department's goal to ensure our National
forests are conserved, restored, and made more resilient to climate change,
while enhancing our water resources.
Priorities: FS
is committed to developing and issuing science-based regulations intended to
ensure public participation in the management of our Nation's National Forest,
while also moving forward the FS' ability to plan and conduct restoration
projects on National Forest System lands. FS will continue to review its
existing authorities and regulations to ensure that it can address emerging
challenges, to streamline excessively burdensome business practices, and to
revise or remove regulations that are inconsistent with the USDA's vision for
restoring the health and function of the lands it is charged with managing.
FS' priority initiatives are as follows:
Land
Management Planning Rule Policy. The Forest
Service promulgated a new Land Management Planning rule in April 2012. This
rule streamlined the Forest Service's paperwork requirements but expanded the
public participation requirements for revising National Forest's Land
Management Plans. Having promulgated the 2012 Planning Rule, the Agency is planning
to publish for comment the follow-up internal guidance on how to implement the
new planning rule. These directives, once finalized, will enable National
Forests to begin revising their management plans under the new rule.
Ecological
Restoration Policy. This policy would recognize the adaptive
capacity of ecosystems, and includes the role of natural disturbances and
uncertainty related to climate and other environmental change. The need for
ecological restoration of National Forest System (NFS) lands is widely
recognized, and the Forest Service has conducted restoration-related activities
across many programs for decades. "Restoration" is a common way of describing
much of the agency's work and the concept is threaded throughout existing authorities,
program directives, and collaborative efforts such as the National Fire Plan 10-Year
Comprehensive Strategy and Implementation Plan and the Healthy Forests
Restoration Act. However, the agency did not have a definition of restoration
established in policy. That was identified as a barrier to collaborating with
the public and partners to plan and accomplish restoration work.
Rural
Development
Mission:
Rural Development (RD) promotes a dynamic business environment in rural America
that creates jobs, community infrastructure, and housing opportunities in
partnership with the private sector and community-based organizations by
providing financial assistance and business planning services, and supporting
projects that create or preserve quality jobs and/or promote a clean rural
environment, while focusing on the development of single and multi-family
housing and community infrastructure. RD financial resources are often
leveraged with those of other public and private credit source lenders to meet business
and credit needs in under-served areas. Recipients of these programs may
include individuals, corporations, partnerships, cooperatives, public bodies,
nonprofit corporations, Indian tribes, and private companies.
Priorities:
RD
regulatory priorities will facilitate sustainable renewable energy development
and enhance the opportunities necessary for rural families to thrive
economically. RD's rules will minimize program complexity and the related
burden on the public while enhancing program delivery and RBS oversight.
Business
and Industry (B&I) Guaranteed Loan Program. RD will enhance current
operations of the B&I program, streamline existing practices, and minimize
program complexity and the related burden on the public.
Rural
Energy for America Program (REAP). REAP will be revised to ensure a larger
number of applicants will be made available by issuing smaller grants. By
doing so, funding will be distributed evenly across the applicant pool and
encourage greater development of renewable energy.
Broadband
Loans. RD will finalize the interim rule that implemented provisions of the
2008 Farm Bill that made credit more accessible for broadband providers serving
rural areas. The key provisions of the regulation include modifications to
rural areas, financial coverage ratios, defining broadband speed and the
publication of an annual notice.
Departmental Management
Mission:
Departmental Management's mission is to provide management leadership to ensure
that USDA administrative programs, policies, advice and counsel meet the needs
of USDA programs, consistent with laws and mandates, and provide safe and
efficient facilities and services to customers.
Priorities:
USDA Procurement Reform: Department Management would incorporate
in all moderate to large USDA contracts a new clause requiring the contractor
to certify compliance with three specific labor laws, and to notify the
contracting officer if it becomes aware of a violation of one of these laws.
This would mitigate the risk of potentially awarding contracts to
non-responsible entities and ensure that compliance with labor laws is factored
into contracting decisions.
BioPreferred® Program: In support of the
Department's goal to increase prosperity in rural areas, USDA's Departmental
Management will finalize regulations to revise the BioPreferred® program guidelines to continue adding
designated product categories to the preferred procurement program, including
intermediates and feedstocks and finished products made of intermediates and
feedstocks.
Aggregate Costs and Benefits
USDA will ensure that its
regulations provide benefits that exceed costs, but are unable to provide an
estimate of the aggregated impacts of its regulations. Problems with
aggregation arise due to differing baselines, data gaps, and inconsistencies in
methodology and the type of regulatory costs and benefits considered. Some
benefits and costs associated with rules listed in the regulatory plan cannot
currently be quantified as the rules are still being formulated. For 2013,
USDA's focus will be to implement the changes to programs in such a way as to
provide benefits while minimizing program complexity and regulatory burden for
program participants.