[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 55 (Thursday, March 23, 2017)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 14832]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-04805]


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 Proposed Rules
                                                 Federal Register
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of 
 the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these 
 notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in 
 the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
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  Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 55 / Thursday, March 23, 2017 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 14832]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

7 CFR Part 51

[Doc. No. AMS-SC-16-0005]


U.S. Standards for Grades of Shelled Walnuts and Walnuts in the 
Shell

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.

ACTION: Reopening of comment period.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that Agricultural Marketing Service 
(AMS) is reopening the comment period on the proposed rule that invited 
comments on the revision of the U.S. Standards for Grades of Shelled 
Walnuts and U.S. Standards for Grades of Walnuts in the Shell published 
in the Federal Register on November 25, 2016. The comment period for 
this proposed rule closed on January 24, 2017. The changes are intended 
to modernize the standards, and meet consumer demands by providing 
greater marketing flexibility.

DATES: Comments on the proposed rule published in the Federal Register 
on November 25, 2016 (81 FR 85164) must be received by April 24, 2017.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on the 
proposed rule via the Internet at: http://www.regulations.gov. Comments 
may also be submitted to Standardization Branch, Specialty Crops 
Inspection Division, Specialty Crops Program, AMS, USDA, Training and 
Development Center, 100 Riverside Parkway, Suite 101, Fredericksburg, 
Virginia 22406; or via fax (540) 361-1199. All comments should 
reference the document number and the dates and page numbers of this 
issue, and the November 25, 2016, issue of the Federal Register. All 
comments received will be posted online without change, including any 
personal information provided, and will be made available for public 
inspection at the above physical address during regular business hours.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David G. Horner at the address above, 
telephone: (540) 361-1120, fax: (540) 361-1199, or email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A proposed rule was published in the Federal 
Register on November 25, 2016 (81 FR 85164) that would revise the grade 
standards to permit certification of red colored walnuts. Such a change 
would facilitate the marketing of increasingly popular red varieties of 
walnuts in both domestic and export markets.
    The 60-day comment period provided in the proposed rule closed 
January 24, 2017. The comment period for the proposed rule is reopened 
until April 24, 2017. AMS is reopening the public comment period for 30 
days to ensure that interested persons have sufficient time to review 
and comment on the proposed rule.

    Authority: 7 U.S.C. 601-674.

    Dated: March 7, 2017.
Bruce Summers,
Acting Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-04805 Filed 3-22-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P