[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 81 (Friday, April 26, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 20724]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-10251]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Natural Resources Conservation Service


Notice of Proposed Changes in the National Handbook of 
Conservation Practices

AGENCY: Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the intention of the Natural 
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to issue a series of new or 
revised conservation practice standards in its National Handbook of 
Conservation Practices. These standards include: Channel Stabilization; 
Critical Area Planting; Cross Wind Ridges; Dam; Hillside Ditch; 
Irrigation Regulating Reservoir; Irrigation Storage Reservoir; Land 
Smoothing; Lined Waterway or Outlet; Mulching; Pond; Precision Land 
Forming; Pumping Plant; Rock Barrier; Soil Salinity Management--
Nonirrigated; Stripcropping; Surface Drain Main or Lateral; Terrace; 
and Waterspreading. These standards are used to convey national 
guidance in developing Field Office Technical Guide Standards used in 
the States and the Pacific Basin and Caribbean Areas. NRCS State 
Conservationists and Directors for the Pacific Basin and Caribbean 
Areas who choose to adopt these practices for use within their States/
Areas will incorporate them into Section IV of their Field Office 
Technical Guide. These practices may be used in resource management 
systems that treat highly erodible land, or on land determined to be 
wetland.

DATES: Comments will be received for a 30-day period, starting on the 
date of this publication. This series of new or revised conservation 
practice standards will be adopted after the close of the 30-day 
period.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Single copies of these standards are 
available from NRCS-CED in Washington, DC. Submit individual inquiries 
and return any comments in writing to William Hughey, National 
Agricultural Engineer, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Post 
Office Box 2890, Room 6139-S, Washington, DC 20013-2890. Telephone 
Number: (202) 720-5023. The standards are also available and can be 
downloaded from the Internet at: http://www.ftw.nrcs.usda.gov/practice_stds.html.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 343 of the Federal Agriculture 
Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 requires NRCS to make available for 
public review and comment proposed revisions to conservation practice 
standards used to carry out the highly erodible land and wetland 
provisions of the law. For the next 30 days, NRCS will receive comments 
on the proposed changes. Following that period, a determination will be 
made by NRCS regarding disposition of those comments, and a final 
determination of change will be made.

    Signed in Washington, DC, on April 4, 2002.
Pearlie S. Reed,
Chief, Natural Resources Conservation Service.
[FR Doc. 02-10251 Filed 4-25-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-16-P