[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 135 (Monday, July 14, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40283-40285]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-16024]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Natural Resources Conservation Service


Notice of Proposed Changes to the Natural Resources Conservation 
Service's National Handbook of Conservation Practices

AGENCY: Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of availability of proposed changes in the Natural 
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) National Handbook of Conservation 
Practices for public review and comment.

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[[Page 40284]]

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the intention of NRCS to issue a 
series of revised conservation practice standards in its National 
Handbook of Conservation Practices. These standards include: Residue 
Management, Seasonal (Code 344); Grassed Waterway (Code 412); Mulching 
(Code 484); Stripcropping (Code 585); Cross Wind Ridges (Code 588); 
Terrace (Code 600); Underground Outlet (Code 620); and Water and 
Sediment Control Basin (Code 638). NRCS State Conservationists who 
choose to adopt these practices for use within their States will 
incorporate them into Section IV of their respective electronic Field 
Office Technical Guide. These practices may be used in conservation 
systems that treat highly erodible land or on land determined to be a 
wetland.

DATES: Effective Dates: Comments will be received for a 30-day period 
commencing with this date of publication. Final versions of these new 
or revised conservation practice standards will be adopted after the 
close of the 30-day period, and after consideration of all comments.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be submitted by one of the following 
methods:
    1. In writing to: National Agricultural Engineer, Natural Resources 
Conservation Service, Post Office Box 2890, Washington, D.C. 20013-
2890; or
    2. Electronically via e-mail to: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Copies of these standards can be downloaded or 
printed from the following Web site: ftp://ftp-fc.sc.egov.usda.gov/NHQ/practice-standards/federal-register/. Single copies of paper versions 
of these standards also are available from NRCS in Washington, DC. 
Submit individual inquiries in writing to Daniel Meyer, National 
Agricultural Engineer, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Post 
Office Box 2890, Room 6139--South, Washington, DC 20013-2890; or e-
mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The amount of the proposed changes varies 
considerably for each of the Conservation Practice Standards addressed 
in this Notice. To fully understand the proposed changes, individuals 
are encouraged to compare these changes with each standard's current 
version shown at: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/Standards/nhcp.html. To aid in this comparison, following are highlights of the 
proposed revisions to each standard:
    Residue Management, Seasonal (Code 344)--Substantial changes are 
reflected in the proposed revision to this standard:
    (a) One new purpose was added to address soil condition.
    (b) Under the ``General Criteria'' section, (1) the option to burn 
residue was removed, as burning residue is not compatible with the 
purposes of the practice; and (2) tillage operations permitted during 
the residue management period is limited to undercutting tools.
    (c) The tillage criteria were removed from the ``Criteria to Reduce 
Sheet and Rill and Erosion from Wind'' and the ``Criteria to Provide 
Food and Escape Cover for Wildlife'' sections of the standard. Criteria 
were added to the ``Additional Criteria to Improve Soil Condition'' 
section. Under the ``Criteria to Manage Snow to Increase Plant-
Available Moisture'' section, (1) the criteria for harvesting equipment 
stubble height was removed since this is covered in the trapping snow 
criteria; and (2) the tillage and field operations criteria was revised 
to be done perpendicular to the direction of the prevailing winds.
    (d) The ``Considerations'' section was revised to include PM-10, 
soil organisms, and cover crops.
    Grassed Waterway (Code 412)--Only one significant change is 
proposed to this standard:
    (a) The ``Criteria'' section, under the Stability subsection, was 
changed to require stability analysis based on tractive stress, rather 
than the velocity approach previously required.
    Mulching (Code 484)--Significant changes are proposed for this 
standard:
    (a) The ``Purpose'' section was revised by (1) adding a purpose for 
reduction of airborne particulates; and (2) removing increased soil 
fertility from the ``improve soil condition'' purpose.
    (b) Under the ``General Criteria'' section, (1) Animal manure was 
removed as an acceptable mulching material; (2) criteria were added to 
the use of manufactured mulches, and that the rate specified by the 
manufacturer is the ``minimum amount'' that is acceptable; and
    (3) Criteria were added that the mulch material also must be free 
from pesticides and chemicals that may impede the planned use of the 
mulch.
    (c) Under the ``Criteria for Soil Moisture'' section, the criteria 
requiring the mulch be applied prior to soil moisture loss were 
removed. Under the ``Criteria for Erosion Control'' section, the 
criteria that the mulch cover shall not exceed 80 percent for wood 
products and 90 percent for gravel/inorganic mulches were removed. 
Under ``Criteria to Establish Vegetative Cover'' section, the minimum 
cover was changed from 50 percent to 70 percent. Under the ``Criteria 
for Soil Condition'' section, all the criteria for animal manure and 
fertility were removed.
    Stripcropping (Code 585)--Only minor changes have been proposed to 
this standard:
    (a) The ``General Criteria'' section has been revised to require 
(1) Equal strip widths for erosion susceptible strips and erosion 
resistant strips; (2) that at least 50 percent of the rotation shall 
consist of erosion resistant crops or sediment trapping cover; and (3) 
that the same rotation shall be followed in each adjacent strip, while 
the year of the rotation is staggered to maintain alternating strips in 
an erosion resistant crop or cover.
    (b) Under the ``Additional Criteria for Soil Erosion by Water * * 
*'' section, the criteria for maximum row grade have been modified to 
be the same as the Contouring Standard (330), and criteria for cover 
conditions on the field headlands/end rows have been added.
    (c) The ``Considerations'' section of the standard was revised to 
remove the specific considerations for each of the practice purposes.
    (d) The ``Operations and Maintenance'' section of the standard was 
revised to remove the specific operation and maintenance for each 
purpose and combined into one common list of activities for operation 
and maintenance.
    Cross Wind Ridges (Code 588)--Substantial changes are proposed for 
this standard:
    (a) The practice code is being changed from 589A.
    (b) The ``Purposes'' section has been expanded to include providing 
protection to crops from wind-borne soil particles and to reduce soil 
particulate emissions to air.
    (c) The criteria for design of ridge height and spacing have been 
changed to reflect changing prediction technologies, and additional 
criteria have been added to address directional placement and minimum 
spacing.
    (d) The ``Considerations'' section has been greatly expanded to 
optimize use of the standard.
    Terrace (Code 600)--Significant editing is proposed for the 
standard:
    (a) Design information that is contained in other Agency technical 
references, such as the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation parameters 
and equations for computing ridge heights, has been removed. Otherwise, 
the ``Criteria'' section of the standard has not been substantially 
altered.

[[Page 40285]]

    Underground Outlet (Code 620)--Considerable editing to the standard 
is being proposed:
    (a) To add clarity and readability, every section of the standard 
has been rewritten. However, the underlying design requirements 
contained in the ``Criteria'' section have not been significantly 
modified from the current version of the standard.
    Water and Sediment Control Basin (Code 638)--Considerable editing 
to the standard is being proposed:
    (a) Every section of the standard has been rewritten to add clarity 
and readability. However, the underlying design requirements contained 
in the ``Criteria'' section have not been significantly modified from 
the current version of the standard.
    (b) The ``Considerations,'' ``Plans and Specifications,'' and 
``Operations and Maintenance'' sections have been significantly 
expanded.
    Section 343 of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act 
of 1996 requires NRCS to make available for public review and comment 
all 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 relative to the proposed 
changes. Following that period, a determination will be made by NRCS 
regarding disposition of those comments, and a final determination of 
changes will be made.

    Signed in Washington, DC, on July 2, 2008.
Arlen L. Lancaster,
Chief, Natural Resources Conservation Service.
[FR Doc. E8-16024 Filed 7-11-08; 8:45 am]
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