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<REGINFO_RIN_DATA xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" RUN_DATE="2026-04-28-04:00" xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="https://www.reginfo.gov/public/xml/REGINFO_XML_Ver10262011.xsd">
    <RIN_INFO>
        <RIN>0596-AB21</RIN>
        <PUBLICATION>
            <PUBLICATION_ID>200904</PUBLICATION_ID>
            <PUBLICATION_TITLE>Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions</PUBLICATION_TITLE>
        </PUBLICATION>
        <AGENCY>
            <CODE>0596</CODE>
            <NAME>Forest Service</NAME>
            <ACRONYM>FS</ACRONYM>
        </AGENCY>
        <PARENT_AGENCY>
            <CODE>0500</CODE>
            <NAME>Department of Agriculture</NAME>
            <ACRONYM>USDA</ACRONYM>
        </PARENT_AGENCY>
        <RULE_TITLE>Sale and Disposal of National Forest Timber; Cancellation of Timber Sale Contracts</RULE_TITLE>
        <ABSTRACT><![CDATA[The Forest Service is issuing a final rule to revise current regulations regarding cancellation of timber sale contracts, permits, and other such instruments authorizing the sale or harvest of timber or other forest products.  This rule is needed to clarify when, why, and by whom contracts may be cancelled to remove redundant provisions and to provide a new formula for compensation when the Government must cancel timber sale contracts.  The Forest Service takes every precaution before authorizing a particular activity on National Forest System lands to ensure that its authorization conforms with existing laws and with existing conditions on the ground at the time of the authorization.  The current regulations place an inappropriate amount of financial liability on the Forest Service when the agency must, for reasons of public policy, judicial decision, or statutory direction, cancel a timber sale contract or permit.  The regulatory changes are necessary because the Forest Service is unable to continue bearing the majority of the financial risk and burden of contract cancellations.  This rule would more reasonably allocate the risk between the Government and private parties. Establishing these reasonable limits to the Government's exposure to financial liability and burden of risk in the event of contractual changes or contract cancellations is critical to protecting the public's financial interests.]]></ABSTRACT>
        <PRIORITY_CATEGORY>Substantive, Nonsignificant</PRIORITY_CATEGORY>
        <RIN_STATUS>Previously Published in The Unified Agenda</RIN_STATUS>
        <RULE_STAGE>Final Rule Stage</RULE_STAGE>
        <MAJOR>No</MAJOR>
        <UNFUNDED_MANDATE_LIST>
            <UNFUNDED_MANDATE>No</UNFUNDED_MANDATE>
        </UNFUNDED_MANDATE_LIST>
        <CFR_LIST>
            <CFR>36 CFR 223.30</CFR>
            <CFR>36 CFR 223.40</CFR>
            <CFR>36 CFR 223.116</CFR>
        </CFR_LIST>
        <LEGAL_AUTHORITY_LIST>
            <LEGAL_AUTHORITY>16 USC 472a</LEGAL_AUTHORITY>
            <LEGAL_AUTHORITY>16 USC 551</LEGAL_AUTHORITY>
            <LEGAL_AUTHORITY>16 USC 618</LEGAL_AUTHORITY>
        </LEGAL_AUTHORITY_LIST>
        <LEGAL_DLINE_LIST/>
        <RPLAN_ENTRY>No</RPLAN_ENTRY>
        <TIMETABLE_LIST>
            <TIMETABLE>
                <TTBL_ACTION>NPRM</TTBL_ACTION>
                <TTBL_DATE>12/30/1996</TTBL_DATE>
                <FR_CITATION>61 FR 68690</FR_CITATION>
            </TIMETABLE>
            <TIMETABLE>
                <TTBL_ACTION>NPRM Comment Period End</TTBL_ACTION>
                <TTBL_DATE>02/13/1997</TTBL_DATE>
            </TIMETABLE>
            <TIMETABLE>
                <TTBL_ACTION>Final Rule</TTBL_ACTION>
                <TTBL_DATE>04/00/2009</TTBL_DATE>
            </TIMETABLE>
        </TIMETABLE_LIST>
        <RFA_REQUIRED>No</RFA_REQUIRED>
        <GOVT_LEVEL_LIST>
            <GOVT_LEVEL>None</GOVT_LEVEL>
        </GOVT_LEVEL_LIST>
        <FEDERALISM>No</FEDERALISM>
        <PRINT_PAPER>No</PRINT_PAPER>
        <INTERNATIONAL_INTEREST>No</INTERNATIONAL_INTEREST>
        <AGENCY_CONTACT_LIST>
            <CONTACT>
                <FIRST_NAME>Lorrie</FIRST_NAME>
                <LAST_NAME>Parker</LAST_NAME>
                <TITLE>Regulatory Analyst</TITLE>
                <AGENCY>
                    <CODE>0596</CODE>
                    <NAME>Forest Service</NAME>
                    <ACRONYM>FS</ACRONYM>
                </AGENCY>
                <PHONE>202 205-6560</PHONE>
                <FAX>202 205-6539</FAX>
                <EMAIL>lsparker@fs.fed.us</EMAIL>
                <MAILING_ADDRESS>
                    <STREET_ADDRESS>ATTN: ORMS, D&amp;R Branch, 1400 Independence Avenue SW,</STREET_ADDRESS>
                    <CITY>Washington</CITY>
                    <STATE>DC</STATE>
                    <ZIP>20250-0003</ZIP>
                </MAILING_ADDRESS>
            </CONTACT>
        </AGENCY_CONTACT_LIST>
    </RIN_INFO>
</REGINFO_RIN_DATA>
