[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 55 (Wednesday, March 23, 2005)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 14578-14579]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-5556]


 ========================================================================
 Proposed Rules
                                                 Federal Register
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
 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.
 
 ========================================================================
 

  Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 55 / Wednesday, March 23, 2005 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 14578]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Commodity Credit Corporation

Natural Resources Conservation Service

7 CFR Part 1466


Environmental Quality Incentive Program

AGENCY: Commodity Credit Corporation and the Natural Resources 
Conservation Service, USDA.

ACTION: Request for public comments.

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SUMMARY: Under the regulations of the Commodity Credit Corporation for 
the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), the Natural 
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will review and update national 
priorities for implementation based upon information gained from state 
and national listening sessions and response to this document. This 
document requests the public to provide input to NRCS about which 
resource concerns should be given national priority in the 
implementation of EQIP for FY 2006 and thereafter.

DATES: Comments must be received in writing by June 5, 2005. A national 
listening session will be on May 5, 2005, 1 to 2 p.m., Media Center, 
Room 107A, Whitten Building, 14th & Independence Avenue, SW., 
Washington, DC. The national listening session will be chaired by Bruce 
I. Knight, Chief, NRCS.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments by mail to the Financial Assistance 
Programs Division, Natural Resources Conservation Service, EQIP 
Comments, Room 5231 South Office Building, 14th & Independence Avenue, 
SW., Washington, DC 20250 or by e-mail to [email protected]; 
Subject: EQIP Comments. This request for comments may also be accessed 
via the Internet through the NRCS homepage, at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov, and by selecting ``Farm Bill 2002''. All comments 
that are submitted, including names and addresses when provided, are 
placed in the record and are available for public inspection.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Webster, EQIP Specialist, 
Financial Assistance Programs Division, NRCS, Room 5231 South Office 
Building, 14th & Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250; 
telephone: (202) 720-5742; fax: (202) 720-4265; submit e-mail to: 
[email protected], Attention: Environmental Quality Incentive 
Program comments.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

General Information About the Environmental Quality Incentive Program

    The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (the 2002 Act) 
(Pub. L. 107-171, May 13, 2002) re-authorized and amended EQIP, 16 
U.S.C. 3840 et seq. NRCS is seeking public comment to help the agency 
review and assess the national priorities for EQIP.

Background

    Through EQIP, NRCS assists farmers and ranchers who face threats to 
soil, water, air, and related natural resources on their land. Eligible 
lands for EQIP assistance include grazing lands, wetlands, private non-
industrial forestland, and wildlife habitat lands. Participation in the 
program is voluntary. Under EQIP, NRCS provides assistance in a manner 
that promotes agricultural production and environmental quality as 
compatible goals, optimizes environmental benefits, and helps farmers 
and ranchers meet Federal, State, and local environmental requirements. 
NRCS offers the program throughout the Nation using the services of 
NRCS personnel and technical service providers.
    NRCS' approach to optimize environmental benefits integrates 
consideration of national priorities in four key program components: 
(1) The allocation of financial resources to States; (2) the allocation 
of financial resources within States; (3) the selection of conservation 
practices and the establishment of cost-share and incentive payment 
levels; and (4) the application ranking process.
    With consideration and evaluation of the input obtained from this 
public notice and the public meetings, NRCS will update its national 
priorities to reflect our most pressing natural resource needs and 
emphasize off-site benefits to the environment. In the EQIP final rule, 
published May 30, 2003 (68 FR 32337), NRCS identified the following 
national priorities: (1) Reduction of non-point source pollution, such 
as nutrients, sediment, pesticides, or excess salinity in impaired 
watersheds consistent with Total Daily Maximum Loads (TMDL's), where 
available, as well as the reduction of groundwater contamination and 
the conservation of ground and surface water resources; (2) reduction 
of emissions, such as particulate matter, nitrogen oxides 
(NO2), volatile organic compounds, and ozone precursors and 
depleters that contribute to air quality impairment violations of 
National Ambient Air Quality Standards; (3) reduction in soil erosion 
and sedimentation from unacceptable levels on agricultural land; and 
(4) promotion of at-risk species habitat conservation.
    In establishing the promotion of at-risk species habitat 
conservation as a national priority, NRCS recognizes unique local 
situations have the potential to add to federally-listed and candidate 
species. NRCS supports activities that will reduce the need for 
additional regulation, but will monitor implementation of this aspect 
of the program to assure that primary focus is listed and candidate 
species.
    NRCS has also identified national measures that can help EQIP 
achieve its national priorities and statutory requirements more 
efficiently. These measures include identifying and implementing 
conservation practices that: (1) Increase overall environmental 
benefits, for example by addressing multiple resource concerns, 
ensuring more durable environmental benefits and limiting adverse 
ancillary impacts; (2) encourage innovation; (3) support the statutory 
mandate to apply nationally 60 percent of available EQIP financial 
assistance to livestock-related conservation practices; and (4) employ 
appropriate tools to more comprehensively serve EQIP purposes, such as 
Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans and Integrated Pest Management 
Plans.
    In the allocation of EQIP financial resource to States, NRCS uses 
the national priorities as guidance in helping to determine the amount 
of funds received by NRCS State

[[Page 14579]]

Conservationists to use within their States. NRCS also retains a 
portion of EQIP funding to reward NRCS State operations that 
demonstrate a higher level of performance and address national 
priorities. Within States, the NRCS State Conservationists consider 
national priorities and measures as they allocate funds and determine 
priority resource concerns within their State. The NRCS State 
Conservationist, and the NRCS Designated Conservationists in 
consultation with the local work group, develops an application ranking 
that reflects both priority resource concerns within States and the 
national priorities and measures.
    NRCS will continue to rely on locally-led conservation as an 
important cornerstone of EQIP. Using a locally-led process ensures 
consideration of the wide variability between and within States 
regarding resource issues, solutions, and limitations. Resource issues 
and concerns change because of shifts in population, climatic, or 
consumer habits; and Federal, State and local laws. Likewise, technical 
solutions evolve with the advent of new technology and the availability 
of new data on the effectiveness of practices.
    As a result, EQIP implementation may vary across jurisdictional 
boundaries. For example, some States may use State-level based program 
delivery while others will use county or parish based or regional 
(multi-county) based delivery.
    NRCS is, by this document, requesting the public to provide comment 
to which natural resource concerns should be given national priority in 
the implementation of EQIP. NRCS will utilize this input from the 
public, including affected stakeholders, and Federal agencies to make 
any revision as required to address emerging resource issues. 
Information and updates about the national priorities and measures will 
be provided to the NRCS State Conservationists through revisions to the 
Conservation Programs Manual, Part 515, Environmental Quality 
Incentives Program.

    Signed in Washington, DC, on March 9, 2005.
Bruce I. Knight,
Chief, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Vice President, 
Commodity Credit Corporation.
[FR Doc. 05-5556 Filed 3-22-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-16-P