[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 71 (Wednesday, April 15, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17450-17451]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-8536]


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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 (NRCS), USDA.

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

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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: Anaerobic 
Digester (Code 366); Anionic Polyacrylamide (PAM) Application (Code 
450); Brush Management (Code 314); Fish Raceway or Tank (Code 398); 
Irrigation Ditch Lining (Code 428); Irrigation Pipeline (Code 430); 
Irrigation Reservoir (Code 436); Surface Drain, Field Ditch (Code 607); 
Surface Drainage, Main or Lateral (Code 608); Roof Runoff Structure 
(Code 558); and Surface Roughening (Code 609). 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 Guides. 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, NRCS, Post Office 
Box 2890, Washington, DC 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 Wayne Bogovich, National 
Agricultural Engineer, NRCS, 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:
    Anaerobic Digester (Code 366)--Two existing practice standards were 
combined (Anaerobic Digester--Ambient Temperature (Code 365) and 
Anaerobic Digester--Controlled Temperature (Code 366) into a revised 
366 Anaerobic Digester standard. Every section of this standard has 
been edited to ensure that it addresses all types of anaerobic 
digesters.
    Anionic Polyacrylamide (PAM) Application (Code 450)--The title was 
changed from ``PAM Erosion Control.'' Safety and Health considerations 
and references were added.
    Brush Management (Code 314)--Substantial changes are proposed to 
this practice standard. Prescribed burning is removed as a brush 
management treatment. Only chemical, mechanical, and biological 
treatments are included. Prescribed burning for brush management 
purposes is covered in the Prescribed Burning (Code 338) standard. In 
the Purpose Section, wildfire hazard reduction has changed to be more 
comprehensive. In the criteria section, use of Ecological Site 
Descriptions has been added as a requirement. Further, the criteria 
section was enhanced to specifically address wildlife concerns. The 
plans and specifications section has been expanded to include 
requirements for monitoring.
    Fish Raceway or Tank (Code 398)--For the most part, only minor 
editorial or grammatical changes have been made to this standard. The 
only significant change within the standard was to remove the exclusion 
of hatchery operations from the Conditions Where Practice Applies 
section. NRCS reviews standards periodically to ensure they are still 
current; this was primarily the situation for this standard.

[[Page 17451]]

    Irrigation Ditch Lining (Code 428)--The title changed from 
``Irrigation Water Conveyance, Ditch and Canal Lining,'' combining the 
three previous separate standards for Plain Concrete (A), Flexible 
Membrane (B), and Galvanized Steel (C). Criteria for Chemical Linings 
and references were added.
    430 Irrigation Pipeline (Code 430)--The title was changed from 
``Irrigation Water Conveyance, Pipeline, (various),'' combining six 
previous separate standards for Aluminum Tubing (AA), Nonreinforced 
Concrete (CC), High-Pressure, Underground Plastic (DD), Low-Pressure, 
Underground Plastic (EE), Steel (FF), and Reinforced Plastic Mortar 
(GG). The standard for Asbestos-Cement Pipe (BB) was deleted. Criteria 
in NEH-636, Chapter 52 ``Structural Design of Flexible Conduits'' are 
referenced. Langelier Saturation Index equation and references were 
added.
    436 Irrigation Reservoir (Code 436)--The titles were changed and 
standards combined for ``Irrigation Regulating Reservoir'' (552) and 
``Irrigation Storage Reservoir'' (436). Considerations were expanded 
and references added.
    Surface Drain (Code 607)--The title was changed from ``Surface 
Drainage, Field Ditch.'' Criteria for capacity was added, 
considerations expanded, and references were added.
    Surface Drainage, Main or Lateral (Code 608)--The text was 
streamlined and references were added.
    Roof Runoff Structure (Code 558)--No significant changes are 
proposed to this practice standard. NRCS reviews standards periodically 
to ensure they are still current; this was the situation for this 
standard.
    Surface Roughening (Code 609)--No significant technical changes are 
proposed to this practice standard; however, significant edits and 
grammatical changes have been made. The Purposes section has been 
edited for clarity, and as a result, the number of purposes has been 
reduced. However, the intent of the edits was to exclude previous 
purposes, just merge existing ones into more clearly worded statements. 
In the criteria section, procedure type narratives were removed. In the 
considerations section, additional considerations were added to address 
emergency tillage, the initial tillage operation, and the direction of 
tillage.
    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 March 25, 2009.
Dave White,
Acting Chief.
 [FR Doc. E9-8536 Filed 4-14-09; 8:45 am]
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