[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 238 (Monday, December 13, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Page 72163]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-27274]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Natural Resources Conservation Service


Public Meeting With All Interested Parties to Comment on the 
Activities of the Resource Conservation and Development Program

AGENCY: Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation 
Service (NRCS) will solicit comments on the activities of the Resource 
Conservation and Development (RC&D) Program. Section 2504 of the Farm 
Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Pub. L. 107-171) requires 
that the Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation with the National 
Association of Resource Conservation and Development Councils (NAR&DC), 
evaluate the RC&D Program to determine whether it is effectively 
meeting the needs of, and purposes identified by, States, units of 
governments, Indian tribes, non-profit organizations, and councils 
participating in, or served by, the program. The Secretary of 
Agriculture, acting through NRCS, will conduct this evaluation, and 
submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the U.S. House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and 
Forestry of the Senate, a report describing the results of the 
evaluation, together with any recommendations of the Secretary for 
continuing, terminating, or modifying the program by June 30, 2005.
    As part of this evaluation, NRCS is conducting an open comment 
period for all interested parties to solicit comments on the activities 
of the program. Comments will be solicited on, and should be limited 
to, the following topics: (1) RC&D Program effectiveness in meeting the 
needs of the States, units of government, Indian tribes, non-profit 
organizations, and RC&D councils served by the program; (2) RC&D 
Program effectiveness in developing community leadership conservation; 
(3) RC&D Program elements that best serve regional conservation and 
development needs; (4) RC&D Program elements that can be strengthened 
to better serve regional conservation and development needs.

DATES: Effective Dates: The comment period will be open from December 
8, 2004, through January 31, 2004. Written comments also may be 
submitted, no later than January 31, 2005, to Terry D'Addio, National 
RC&D Program Manager, Natural Resources Conservation Service, 1400 
Independence Avenue SW., Room 6013, South Building, Washington, DC 
20250.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Terry D'Addio, Natural Resources 
Conservation Service, telephone: (202) 720-0557; fax: (202) 690-0639, 
e-mail: terry.d'[email protected].

    Signed in Washington, DC on December 7, 2004.
Bruce I. Knight,
Chief.
[FR Doc. 04-27274 Filed 12-10-04; 8:45 am]
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