[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 104 (Friday, May 30, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Page 32458]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-13548]


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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: Access Road; Alley 
Cropping; Atmospheric Resource Quality Management; Cover Crop; Feed 
Management; Field Boarder; Filter Strip; Forest Site Preparation; 
Forest Stand Improvement; Grazing Land Mechanical Treatment; Heavy Use 
Area Protection; Herbaceous Wind Barriers; Manure Transfer; Nutrient 
Management; Pasture and Hayland Planting; Prescribed Grazing; Range 
Planting; Riparian Herbaceous Cover; Streambank and Shoreline 
Protection; Subsurface Drain; Vegetative Barrier; and Water Harvesting 
Catchment. 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.

EFFECTIVE 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.
    The telephone number is (202) 720-5023. The standards are also 
available, and can be downloaded from the Internet at: http://www.ftw.nrcs.usda.gov/practicestds.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 May 15, 2003.
Bruce I. Knight,
Chief, Natural Resources Conservation Service.
[FR Doc. 03-13548 Filed 5-29-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-16-P