[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 47 (Monday, March 11, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8663-8664]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-04290]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Review of USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service National
Conservation Practice Standards
AGENCY: Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), USDA.
ACTION: Notice and request for comment.
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SUMMARY: The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill)
amended the Food Security Act of 1985, to require an expedited review
of conservation practice standards, including engineering design
specifications, that were in effect on December 19, 2018. NRCS will
evaluate opportunities to increase flexibility in the conservation
practice standards in a manner that ensures equivalent natural resource
benefits. This notice announces that NRCS will be reviewing the
national conservation practice standards in the National Handbook of
Conservation Practices and is requesting comments from the public about
how to improve the conservation practice standards.
DATES: We will consider comments that we received by April 25, 2019.
ADDRESSES: We invite you to submit comments on this notice. In your
comments, include the volume, date, and page number of this issue of
the Federal Register. You may submit your comments by the following
method:
Federal eRulemaking Portal website: go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for docket ID NRCS-2019-0003. Follow the
online instruction for submitting comments electronically.
All written comments received will be publicly available on
www.regulations.gov.
Electronic copies of the national conservation practice standards
are available at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detailfull/national/technical/cp/ncps/?cid=nrcs143_026849.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For specific questions related to
this notice contact Bill Reck; phone: (202) 720-4485; or email:
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NRCS provides technical assistance to
clients through the conservation planning process. The planning process
involves:
(1) Determining client goals and resource concerns (conservation
needs);
(2) Developing treatment options;
(3) Recording client decisions;
(4) Implementing selected conservation treatment(s) through the
application of conservation practices; and
(5) Evaluating and adaptive management of the conservation
treatment.
The conservation practice standards contain information on why and
where the practice is to be applied and specifies the minimum technical
criteria that must be met during the application of that practice in
order for it to achieve its intended purposes. Conservation practices
are designed to address the treatment of natural resource concerns.
NRCS conservation practice standards are based on sound science and
include scientifically accepted and demonstrated technologies.
Conservation practices that have not been adequately demonstrated may
be eligible for conservation innovation grants or may be implemented as
interim conservation practices to gain needed field scale demonstration
and establish and document natural resource benefits.
Section 2502 of the 2018 Farm Bill (Pub. L. 115-334) amends section
[[Page 8664]]
1242(h) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3842(h)), to
require expedited revision of conservation practice standards by USDA.
The review is for the conservation practice standards, including
engineering design specifications, that were in effect on December 19,
2018. In keeping with the review requirement, NRCS will:
Evaluate opportunities to increase flexibility in the
conservation practice standards in a manner that ensures equivalent
natural resource benefits;
Provide the optimal balance between meeting site-specific
conservation needs and minimizes risks of design failure and associated
costs of construction and installation; and
Ensure, to the maximum extent practicable, the
completeness and relevance of the standards to local agricultural,
forestry, and natural resource needs, including specialty crops, native
and managed pollinators, bioenergy crop production, forestry, and such
other needs as are determined by NRCS.
To obtain the widest possible input and to ensure the revision of
the standards fully meets the intent and spirit of the expedited
conservation practice review requirements, NRCS is requesting comments
from the public on its conservation practice standards through April
25, 2019. The specific content of the standards can be found online at:
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detailfull/national/technical/cp/ncps/?cid=nrcs143_026849.
This notice announces that NRCS will be reviewing the national
conservation practice standards in the National Handbook of
Conservation Practices and is requesting comments from the public about
how to improve the conservation practice standards. NRCS specifically
requests comments that include peer reviewed scientific literature
references or other supporting scientific data, if available, for
recommended changes or additions to standards.
Further information on NRCS national conservation practice
standards can be found at: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/technical/cp/ncps/. Further information on Conservation
Innovation Grants can be found at: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/programs/financial/cig/.
Kevin Norton,
Acting Associate Chief, Natural Resources Conservation Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-04290 Filed 3-8-19; 8:45 am]
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