[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 162 (Monday, August 22, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56579-56580]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-19866]



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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Natural Resources Conservation Service

[Docket No. NRCS-2016-0004]


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

AGENCY: Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), U.S. Department 
of Agriculture (USDA).

ACTION: Notice of availability of proposed changes to 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 Anionic 
Polyacrylamide (PAM) Application (Code 450), Compost Facility (Code 
317), Constructed Wetland (Code 656), Critical Area Planting (Code 
342), Drainage Water Management (Code 554), Feed Management (Code 592), 
Field Border (Code 386), Filter Strip (Code 393), Irrigation Land 
Leveling (Code 464), Irrigation System, Surface and Subsurface (Code 
443), Residue and Tillage Management, No Till (Code 329), Residue and 
Tillage Management, Reduced Till (Code 345), and Stream Habitat 
Improvement (Code 395). 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 22, 2016.
    Comment Date: Submit comments on or before September 21, 2016. 
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-2016-0004, 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: Terri Ruch, Acting National 
Environmental Engineer, Conservation Engineering Division, Natural 
Resources Conservation Service, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., South 
Building, Room 6133, Washington, DC 20250.
    Electronic copies of the proposed revised standards are available 
through http://www.regulations.gov by accessing Docket No. NRCS-2016-
0004. 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=nrcs143_026849. To aid in 
this comparison, the following are highlights of some of the proposed 
revisions to each standard.
    Anionic PAM Application (Code 450): The revision adds a purpose to 
the standard, which is to ``improve soil surface infiltration rate and 
minimize soil crusting to allow for uniform plant growth on irrigated 
land.'' There was also criteria for this purpose added to the standard 
which sets the PAM application rate to not exceed 4 pounds per acre, as 
well as criteria for mixing and injecting PAM.
    Compost Facility (Code 317): Revised language to improve 
readability and clarify intent of criteria. Criteria was revised to 
include facility siting and design language. Additional sections, 
``Criteria for Mechanically Assisted Composting'' and ``Power Supply'' 
were added.
    Constructed Wetland (Code 656): Revised language to improve 
readability and clarify intent of criteria. Additional conditions 
related to bioreactors and saturated buffers were added. Added criteria 
under the heading ``Additional Criteria Applicable to Constructed 
Wetlands for Water Quality Improvement'' to use the design procedure 
recognized by the regulatory and academic conservation partners, and to 
select a design hydraulic retention time that will achieve the intended 
water quality results. Added consideration to address odor concerns 
near populated areas.
    Critical Area Planting (Code 342): Revised language to improve 
readability and clarify intent of criteria. The purpose of stabilizing 
areas being degraded by the concentration of salts or other chemicals 
was deleted and is covered in other conservation practice standards. 
Critical slope criteria to stabilize banks, shorelines, and other areas 
was changed from 2:1 slopes to 3:1 slopes.
    Drainage Water Management (Code 554): The entire document was 
edited for clarity. Two purposes were removed: (1) Reduce wind erosion 
or particulate matter (dust) emissions and (2) provide seasonal 
wildlife habitat. Significant additions and clarifications were made to 
most of the ``General Criteria,'' particularly instructions under 
``Control Elevation'' and ``Control Zone.'' Similarly, changes were 
made to ``Additional Criteria to Reduce Nutrient, Pathogen, and 
Pesticide Loading;'' and ``Additional Criteria to Improve Productivity, 
Health, and Vigor of Plants.'' The ``Considerations'' and ``Plans and 
Specifications'' sections were rewritten.
    Feed Management (Code 592): Changes in format, stronger emphasis on 
feed management for pathogen control and odor and greenhouse gas 
mitigation, feed management by grouping of animals, as well as select 
wording changes are incorporated. The new version should be easier to 
use by NRCS field staff and easier to understand by producers.
    Field Border (Code 386): Clarified the ``Purpose'' statements to 
better align with NRCS resource concerns. Minor

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edits were made throughout the document for clarification purposes. 
Added the purpose: ``reduce excessive sediment in surface waters.''
    Filter Strip (Code 393): Practice purposes were revised. Minor 
editing was made throughout the document to clarify criteria. The 
noxious or invasive plants language was removed since this is NRCS 
policy for all matters. Added criteria to remove phosphorus by 
harvesting above-ground biomass at least once each year.
    Irrigation Land Leveling (Code 464): This standard was updated to 
be more readable and formatted according to current standards. A 
``Design'' section was added to the standard to provide current 
reference information. The ``Operation and Maintenance'' section was 
expanded to include more detailed information to the operator to ensure 
the practice will last longer.
    Irrigation System, Surface, and Subsurface (Code 443): Very few 
substantial changes. Clarifying words and grammatical corrections make 
up the majority of changes. A criteria was added in the ``Application 
Efficiency and Distribution Uniformity'' section that directs users to 
the current technical guidance.
    Residue and Tillage Management, No Till (Code 329): Practice 
purposes edited to align with NRCS resource concerns. Added the 
purpose: ``reduce excessive sediment in surface waters.'' Made minor 
edits throughout the document to improve clarity. Removed the 2,000 
pounds per acre of residue to increase plant available moisture as this 
is no longer needed for the erosion prediction tools in use at this 
time. The needed amount of residue now states 60 percent.
    Residue and Tillage Management, Reduced Till (Code 345): Added the 
purpose: ``reduce sheet, rill, and wind erosion, and excessive sediment 
in surface waters.'' Made minor edits to improve clarity throughout the 
document. Added the criteria to document and determine the purpose to 
reduce sheet, rill, and wind erosion, and excessive sediment in surface 
waters.
    Stream Habitat Improvement (Code 395): The definition and purpose 
are simplified to better focus on habitat. Language was added to better 
coordinate with other conservation practices. Application of the 
practice within a watershed context is now required as a specified 
criterion rather than as a consideration. Revised language as needed to 
improve readability and clarify intent of criteria.

    Signed this 12th day of August 2016, in Washington, DC.
Jason A. Weller,
Chief, Natural Resources Conservation Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-19866 Filed 8-19-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-16-P