[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 76 (Monday, April 21, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22095-22096]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-08936]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Natural Resources Conservation Service

[Docket No. NRCS-2014-0002]


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: Access 
Road (Code 560), Agrichemical Handling Facility (Code 309), Grade 
Stabilization Structure (Code 410), Precision Land Forming (Code 462), 
Short Term Storage of Animal Waste and Byproducts (Code 318), Terraces 
(Code 600), Trails and Walkways (Code 575), Watering Facility (Code 
614) and Water Well (Code 642).
    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 April 21, 2014.
    Comment Date: Submit comments on or before May 21, 2014. 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-2014-0002, using any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail or hand-delivery: Public Comments Processing, 
Attention: Regulatory and Agency Policy Team, Strategic Planning and 
Accountability, Natural Resources Conservation Service, 5601 Sunnyside 
Avenue, Building 1-1112D, Beltsville, Maryland 20705.
    NRCS will post all comments on http://www.regulations.gov. In 
general, personal information provided with comments will be posted. If 
your comment includes your address, phone number, email, or other 
personal identifying information, your comments, including personal 
information, may be available to the public. You may ask in your 
comment that your personal identifying information be withheld from 
public view, but this cannot be guaranteed.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wayne Bogovich, National Agricultural 
Engineer, Conservation Engineering Division, Department of Agriculture, 
Natural Resources Conservation Service, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., 
Room 6136 South Building, Washington, DC 20250.
    Electronic copies of the proposed revised standards are available 
through http://www.regulations.gov by accessing Docket No. NRCS-2014-
0002. Alternatively, copies can be downloaded or printed from the 
following Web site: http://go.usa.gov/TXye. Requests for paper versions 
or inquiries may be directed to Emil Horvath, National Practice 
Standards Review Coordinator, Natural Resources Conservation Service, 
Central National Technology Support Center, 501 West Felix Street, 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 some of the proposed 
revisions to each standard:
    Access Road (Code 560)--The agency revised the definition. The 
chart for the location of cross slope drainage features was modified to 
include a variety of soils rather than a single soil.
    Agrichemical Handling Facility (Code 309)--The agency added new 
criteria under which lowering the water table would be allowable, 
expanded sizing criteria of the agrichemical handling pad, clarified 
language under the storage capacity criteria, added new criteria for an 
equipment wash bay, and updated and added clarification to the criteria 
for concrete exposed to agrichemicals.
    Grade Stabilization Structure (Code 410)--The agency refined the 
definition, modified criteria, and updated terminology related to 
hazard classification.
    Precision Land Forming (Code 462)--The agency updated the operation 
and maintenance section and references.
    Short Term Storage of Animal Waste and Byproducts (Code 318)--The 
agency created this new conservation practice standard.
    Terraces (Code 600)--The agency clearly defined pressure flow and 
gravity flow, added tractive stress references, updated the operation 
and maintenance section, and added references.
    Trails and Walkways (Code 575)--The agency incorporated Trails and 
Walkways (Code 568) into Animal Trails and Walkways (Code 575) under 
the name Trails and Walkways (Code 575). These standards were combined 
into one because many of the criteria are very similar. The practice 
name, definition, purpose, and conditions where practice applies were 
modified accordingly.
    Watering Facility (Code 614)--The agency revised the definition of 
this practice and a purpose was added. The criteria for watering ramps 
were added. There is more emphasis on water storage tanks.

[[Page 22096]]

    Water Well (Code 642)--The agency changed the criteria to clarify 
that domestic use and irrigation wells must follow consensus standards, 
grouting, and sealing with a water tight seal required in annulus of 
the casing, clarified suitable filter pack materials, removed numerical 
limit on intake velocity through screens, added statement to emphasize 
all wells must be developed, and added that well performance testing 
must be conducted after completion.

    Signed this 9th day of April, 2014, in Washington, DC.
Jason A. Weller,
Chief, Natural Resources Conservation Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-08936 Filed 4-18-14; 8:45 am]
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