[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 7 (Tuesday, January 11, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1865-1866]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-510]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Natural Resources Conservation Service


Notice of Availability of Finding of No Significant Impact for 
the Conservation Security Program

AGENCY: Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has prepared 
a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) and an Environmental 
Assessment (EA) consistent with the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA) of 1969, as amended, to implement the Conservation Security 
Program, which is authorized by title XII, chapter 2, subchapter A, of 
the Food Security Act of 1985, as amended by the Farm Security and 
Rural Investment Act of 2002. Upon review of the analysis of potential 
environmental impacts from a national perspective, the Chief of NRCS 
found that the program would not result in a significant impact on the 
quality of the human environment, particularly when focusing on the 
significant adverse impacts that NEPA is intended to help 
decisionmakers avoid and mitigate against. Therefore, a FONSI was 
issued, and no environmental

[[Page 1866]]

impact statement is required for national implementation of the 
program.

DATES: To ensure consideration, comments on the EA and FONSI must be 
postmarked on or before February 10, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Comments must be sent to the Director of the Financial 
Assistance Programs Division, NRCS, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 
P.O. Box 2890, Room 5241-S, Washington, DC 20013-2890.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Copies of the FONSI, the Final EA, or 
additional information on matters related to this Federal Register 
Notice can be obtained by contacting one of the following individuals 
at the addresses and telephone numbers shown below:

Mr. Craig Derickson, Conservation Security Program Branch Chief, 
Financial Assistance Programs Division, NRCS, U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, P.O. Box 2890, Room 5233-S, Washington, DC 20013-2890, 
Telephone: (202) 720-3524.
Ms. Andr[eacute]e DuVarney, National Environmental Specialist, 
Ecological Sciences Division, NRCS, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 
P.O. Box 2890, Room 6158-S, Washington, DC 20013-2890, Telephone: (202) 
720-4925.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Description of the Proposed Action

    The Conservation Security Program (CSP) is a voluntary program 
providing both technical and financial assistance to producers of 
agricultural operations for the conservation and improvement of the 
quality of soil, water, air, energy, plant and animal life on working 
lands. The intent of the program is to recognize producers financially 
for the significant environmental goods and services they provide to 
the public through their annual and ongoing conservation stewardship 
efforts, to motivate other agricultural producers to do the same, and 
to secure the Nations ability to produce food and fiber. The need to 
which NRCS is responding by proposing action is the need to implement 
CSP in a manner that achieves the purposes for which Congress 
authorized it, including providing payments to producers who practice 
good conservation stewardship on their agriculture operations, 
providing payments to producers to maintain conservation practices they 
have implemented, to provide financial assistance to producers to 
implement new conservation practices, and to provide payments to 
producers as incentives to enhance their conservation achievements. 
Participation in the CSP requires that a Conservation Security Program 
Plan be developed which includes an inventory of the agricultural 
operation to identify existing resource concerns and benchmark 
conditions of the land as well as determining the extent of existing 
conservation treatment. Annual payments made under CSP contracts may 
include a stewardship payment for existing conservation treatments, 
cost-share and maintenance payments, and an enhancement payment for 
exceptional conservation effort. A three tiered approach is used to 
determine the level and limitations of all payments.
    The Chief of NRCS has authority under CSP to assist producers who 
participate in the CSP to develop a comprehensive, long term strategy 
for improving and maintaining all natural resources of the producer's 
agricultural operation. All participants must meet the highly erodible 
land and wetland conservation provisions of the Food Security Act of 
1985, as amended.
    The CSP authorizes activities that reward agricultural producers 
for actions they have already taken to improve the quality and quantity 
of natural resources, and to implement new conservation measures that 
will also do so. NRCS has in the past and will continue to document the 
results of an environmental evaluation on a site-specific level 
consistent with NRCS policy and, as stated in the Environmental 
Assessment, will consult with the appropriate organizations to avoid, 
reduce or mitigate adverse impacts on protected resources. NRCS will 
comply with requirements protecting unique geographic features and 
other resources, as well as NRCS policies protecting natural and 
cultural resources. Thus, any adverse effects that may result from this 
program will occur at a much lower threshold than the Environmental 
Impact Statement threshold. Because the purpose of the program is to 
improve the quality of natural resources and because of the steps NRCS 
will take to work with other agencies as necessary on a site-specific 
basis to avoid, mitigate and reduce any potential collateral adverse 
effects, there is no threat of a violation of any Federal, State or 
local law or other requirements for the protection of the environment 
resulting from the proposed rule to implement the CSP. There is no 
impact on public health or safety identified in this EA or otherwise 
expected.
    Implementation of the CSP rule is not sufficiently related to other 
actions that either individually or cumulatively is likely to result in 
the type of significant impacts that NEPA is intended to address. Based 
on the information in the EA for the CSP, the Chief of the NRCS finds 
that the proposed actions are not a major Federal action significantly 
affecting the quality of the human environment that requires 
preparation of an EIS.
    Copies of the EA and FONSI may be reviewed at the following 
location: Financial Assistance Programs Division, NRCS, U.S. Department 
of Agriculture, Room 5241-S, Washington, DC 20013-2890. The documents 
may also be accessed on the Internet, at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/Env_Assess/CSP/CSP.html.

    Signed in Washington, DC, on December 20, 2004.
Bruce I. Knight,
Chief, Natural Resources Conservation Service.
[FR Doc. 05-510 Filed 1-10-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-16-P