[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 161 (Tuesday, August 20, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51139-51140]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-20250]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Natural Resources Conservation Service

[Docket No. NRCS-2013-0002]


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

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 the National 
Handbook of Conservation Practices. These standards include: Contour 
Farming (Code 330), Critical Area Planting (Code 342), Cross Wind 
Ridges (Code 588), Deep Tillage (Code 324), Field Border (Code 386), 
Filter Strip (Code 393), Land Smoothing (Code 466), Livestock Shelter 
Structure (Code 576), Mulching (Code 484), Residue and Tillage 
Management, No Till (Code 329), Residue and Tillage Management, Reduced 
Till (Code 345), Spring Development (Code 574), Stripcropping (Code 
585), and Underground Outlet (Code 620).
    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 (HEL) 
or on land determined to be a wetland. 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 HEL and wetland 
provisions of the law.

DATES: Effective Date: This is effective August 20, 2013.
    Comment Date: Submit comments on or before September 19, 2013. 
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, identified by Docket Number 
NRCS-2013-0002, using any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     Email: [email protected]. Include Docket Number 
NRCS-2013-0002 or ``comment on practice standards'' in the subject line 
of the message.
     Mail: Comment Submissions, Attention: Anetra Harbor, 
Policy Analyst, Resource Economics, Analysis and Policy Division, 
Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, 
George Washington Carver Center, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-1112C, 
Beltsville, Maryland 20705.
    All comments received will become a matter of public record and 
will be posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov including 
any personal information provided.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wayne Bogovich, National Agricultural 
Engineer, Conservation Engineering Division, Department of Agriculture, 
Natural Resources Conservation Service, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., 
Room

[[Page 51140]]

6136 South Building, Washington, DC 20250.
    Electronic copies of these standards can be downloaded or printed 
from the following Web site: ftp://pact.sc.egov.usda.gov/practice-standards/federal-register/. Requests for paper versions or inquiries 
may be directed to Bill Kuenstler, National Practice Standards Review 
Coordinator, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Central National 
Technology Support Center, 501 W. Felix St., Fort Worth, Texas 76115.

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 as shown at: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detailfull/national/technical/cp/ncps/?cid=nrcs143026849. To aid in 
this comparison, following are highlights of the proposed revisions to 
each standard:
    Contour Farming (Code 330)--The agency revised the definition to 
emphasize proper alignments and revised the general criteria for 
maximum row grade to 4 percent based on RUSLE2 technology. We added the 
implementation requirement document to the specifications and plans.
    Critical Area Planting (Code 342)--The agency deleted the purpose 
to rehabilitate and re-vegetate degraded sites that cannot be 
stabilized using normal establishment techniques as this purpose is 
implied in other purposes. We added the implementation requirement 
document to the specifications and plans.
    Cross Wind Ridges (Code 588)--The agency revised the definition to: 
Ridges formed by tillage, planting, or other operations and aligned 
perpendicular to prevailing wind direction during critical wind erosion 
periods and revised the purpose to: Reduce soil particulate emissions 
to the air to reduce soil particulate emissions effecting air quality. 
We added the implementation requirement document to the specifications 
and plans.
    Deep Tillage (Code 324)--The agency deleted the purpose to reduce 
concentration of soil contaminants which inhibit plant growth because 
there is no technology to describe the level of either contamination or 
a dilution factor. We added the implementation requirement document to 
the specifications and plans.
    Field Border (Code 386)--The agency revised the condition where the 
practice applies to cover only on existing cropland and pastureland and 
deleted the purpose to manage pest populations. We added the 
implementation requirement document to the specifications and plans.
    Filter Strip (Code 393)--The agency added a few additional 
considerations for species selection for native plant communities and 
organic operation considerations. We added the implementation 
requirement document to the specifications and plans.
    Land Smoothing (Code 466)--The agency revised the Definition; added 
a cultural resource inventory and assessment to Considerations; added a 
plan to Operation and Maintenance; and added references.
    Livestock Shelter Structure (Code 576)--The agency created this new 
conservation practice standard which includes livestock shade 
structures and livestock wind structures.
    Mulching (Code 484)--The agency deleted the purposes to moderate 
soil temperature and suppress weeds as these do not address a resource 
concern; and revised the ``Condition where practice applies'' to remove 
this practice from being used for weed control for production 
agriculture. We added the implementation requirement document to the 
specifications and plans.
    Residue and Tillage Management, No Till (Code 329)--The agency 
changed the practice name to Residue and Tillage Management, No-Till. 
No Till is inclusive of direct seed and strip till. In addition, we 
added criteria clarification to not allow any full-width tillage for 
this practice; reduced the maximum soil tillage intensity rating value 
for no till from 30 to 20; added implementation requirements to the 
specifications and plans; and changed the purpose ``Reduce wind erosion 
and particulate matter less than 10 micrometers in diameter--
PM10'' to ``Reduce tillage-induced particulate emissions'' 
to address all sizes of tillage particulate emissions.
    Residue and Tillage Management, Reduced Till (Code 345)--The agency 
incorporated 346 Residue and Tillage Management, Ridge Till into this 
standard; added criteria to establish a maximum soil tillage intensity 
value of 80; clarified the air quality purpose to reduce tillage-
induced particulate emissions vs. only PM10 emissions; 
Revised the criteria for energy savings to a 25 percent reduction from 
the current baseline; and added implementation requirements to the 
specifications and plans.
    Spring Development (Code 574)--The agency revised version is the 
result of a comprehensive review by NRCS biologists and hydrologists 
from differing arid and humid U.S. regions. The new Purpose statement 
no longer includes the wording ``other agricultural uses.'' Readability 
and flow of material is enhanced by using multiple sections with 
headings as opposed to the old format of a lengthy running text.
    Stripcropping (Code 585)--The agency revised the definition to 
stress alternating strips of erosion susceptible crops and revised the 
wind erosion purpose to reduce wind erosion and associated transport of 
sediment and other wind borne contaminants. We added the implementation 
requirement document to the specifications and plans.
    Underground Outlet (Code 620)--The agency expanded the Criteria and 
revised the Considerations sections.

    Signed this 12th day of August, 2013, in Washington, DC.
Thomas W. Christensen,
Acting Associate Chief for Operations, Natural Resources Conservation 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-20250 Filed 8-19-13; 8:45 am]
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