[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 195 (Friday, October 7, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69779-69780]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-24329]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Natural Resources Conservation Service
[Docket No. NRCS-2016-0008]
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 in the NRCS National
Handbook of Conservation Practices (NHCP) 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 NHCP. These
standards include Brush Management (Code 314), Herbaceous Weed
Treatment (Code 315), Lined Waterway or Outlet (Code 468), Prescribed
Grazing (Code 528), and Restoration of Rare or Declining Natural
Communities (Code 643). 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 October 7, 2016.
Comment Date: Submit comments on or before November 7, 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-2016-0008, 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, telephone 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
agricultural engineer, Conservation Engineering Division, Department of
Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, 1400 Independence
Avenue SW., Room 6133 South Building, Washington, DC 20250.
Electronic copies of the proposed revised standards are available
from 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, following are highlights of some of the proposed
revisions to each standard:
Brush Management (Code 314): The brush management standard was
reviewed and updated to reflect current agency policy and science.
Changes also were made to bring the standard up to date on current
ecological site descriptions. Added statement to the ``purpose'' that
when standard is applied successively, it facilitates the process to
achieve the desired plant community. ``Criteria'' section was changed
to add statement to ensure practice area has the correct plant
diversity for the desired plant community after completion.
Herbaceous Weed Treatment (Code 315): The herbaceous weed control
standard was reviewed and updated to reflect current agency policy and
science. Changes also were made to bring standard up to date on current
ecological site descriptions. ``Purpose'' was adjusted to focus on
consideration of reducing wildfire fuel loading. Two ``purposes'' were
added that reflect agency consideration and focus on improving
rangeland health, and that when the standard is applied successively,
it facilitates the process to achieve the desired plant community.
Lined Waterway or Outlet (Code 468): The entire document is edited
for clarity. Restriction for maximum capacity is removed. Criteria for
minimum capacity is modified to include provisions for minimal slopes
and downstream conveyance capacities. Specific ``n'' values and design
criteria
[[Page 69780]]
are replaced with references to NRCS National Engineering Handbook.
References and citations are updated to the current editions.
Prescribed Grazing (Code 528): The prescribed grazing standard was
reviewed and updated to reflect current agency policy and science.
Changes were made to clarify and recognize the benefits of prescribed
grazing on soil health. Clarified ``practice description'' by adding
``. . . with the intent to achieve specific ecological, economic, and
management objectives.'' In ``purpose,'' the concept of plant community
``structure'' was added when addressing plant communities, and added
verbiage identifying the benefits of this practice to soil health.
Restoration of Rare or Declining Natural Communities (Code 643):
Changed title from Restoration and Management of Rare and Declining
Habitats to Restoration of Rare or Declining Natural Communities. The
term ``habitats'' is changed to ``natural communities'' to encompass
not only wildlife resource concerns, but also activities targeting a
unique plant community. Unique to restoration efforts of rare and
declining natural communities, the restoration of the abiotic
conditions is typically necessary, prior to restoration of biotic
conditions. Broadened the scope to include abiotic restoration and
restoration of plant communities.
Dated: September 29, 2016.
Jason A. Weller,
Chief, Natural Resources Conservation Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-24329 Filed 10-6-16; 8:45 am]
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