[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 205 (Wednesday, October 23, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56755-56756]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-23111]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Notice of Proposed Revisions to the National Handbook of
Conservation Practices for the Natural Resources Conservation Service
AGENCY: Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comment.
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SUMMARY: The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is giving
this notice that it intends to issue a series of revised conservation
practice standards in the National Handbook of Conservation Practices
(NHCP), and NRCS is also giving the public an opportunity to provide
comments on specified practice conservation standards in NHCP.
DATES: We will consider comments that we receive by November 22, 2019.
Comments received after this date will be considered to the extent
possible. Final versions of these new or revised conservation practice
standards will be adopted after the close of the 30-day period and the
consideration of all comments.
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. Comments may be submitted by any of the following
methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for docket ID NRCS-2019-0011. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments.
Mail, or Hand Delivery: Mr. Bill Reck, National
Environmental Engineer, Conservation Engineering Division, U.S.
Department of Agriculture, NRCS, 1400 Independence Avenue, South
Building, Room 6136, Washington, DC 20250.
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 (PII), your comments, including PII,
may be available to the public. You may request that your PII be
withheld from public view, but this cannot be guaranteed.
The copies of the proposed revised standards are available through
http://www.regulations.gov by accessing Docket No. NRCS-2019-0011.
Alternatively, the proposed revised standards can be downloaded or
printed from http://go.usa.gov/TXye.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Bill Reck, (202) 720-4485; or
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NRCS State Conservationists who choose to
adopt these practices in their States will incorporate these practices
into the 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.
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, which can be found
at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detailfull/national/technical/cp/ncps/?cid=nrcs143_026849.
NRCS is requesting for comments on the practice standards: Contour
Buffer Strips (Code 332), Dam, Diversion (Code 348); Deep Tillage (Code
324); Irrigation and Drainage Tailwater Recovery (Code 447); Irrigation
Canal or Lateral (Code 320); Irrigation Ditch Lining (Code 428);
Irrigation Field Ditch (Code 388); Irrigation Reservoir (Code 436);
Land Clearing (Code 460); Obstruction Removal (Code 500); Surface
Roughening (Code 609); Waste Treatment (Code 629); and Waterspreading
(Code 640). The following are highlights of some of the proposed
revisions to each standard:
Contour Buffer Strips (Code 332): Formatting and writing style were
updated to meet current agency requirements. Updated missing units,
tabular values, and changed term flexible membrane to geosynthetic to
meet current industry standards. Moved items related to energy use from
the Criteria section to the Considerations section.
Dam, Diversion (Code 348): The Criteria section was updated, and
references were added. Other changes were made to improve the clarity
of language used in the standard.
Deep Tillage (Code 324): Formatting and writing style were updated
to meet current agency requirements. Several paragraphs in the
Considerations section were edited to improve clarity.
Irrigation and Drainage Tailwater Recovery (Code 447): The title
was changed to ``Irrigation and Drainage Tailwater Recovery'' from
``Irrigation System, Tailwater Recovery''. Scope and
[[Page 56756]]
purposes of the standard were updated to include drainage water as well
as irrigation water. This standard applies to lands that have a
properly designed and installed irrigation or subsurface drainage
system where recoverable irrigation runoff, subsurface drainage
outflows, or rainfall runoff are expected under current or planned
management practices.
Irrigation Canal or Lateral (Code 320): Formatting and writing
style were updated to meet current agency requirements. The
Considerations section has a new paragraph that suggests ways the
practice can be implemented that enhances the practice for pollinators
and other beneficial insects.
Irrigation Ditch Lining (Code 428): Formatting and writing style
were updated to meet current agency requirements. Updated missing
units, tabular values, and reworded the term flexible membrane to
geosynthetic to meet current industry standards. Moved items related to
energy use from the Criteria section to the Considerations section.
Irrigation Field Ditch (Code 388): Formatting and writing style
were updated to meet current agency requirements. In addition, a
sentence on spoil disposal was added in the Criteria section. The
Considerations section was significantly re-written.
Irrigation Reservoir (Code 436): Formatting and writing style were
updated to meet current agency requirements. Removed energy use
bulleted items from the Purpose section. Moved items related to energy
use from the Criteria section to the Considerations section. Also moved
fencing and critical planting from the Considerations section to the
Criteria section.
Land Clearing (Code 460): Formatting and writing style were updated
to meet current agency requirements. Relatively minor changes have been
made to simplify and clarify the definition, purpose and criteria
within the standard.
Obstruction Removal (Code 500): Formatting and writing style were
updated to meet current agency requirements. Changes to Purpose and
Conditions where Practice Applies sections were made to help clarify
standard usage. Changes were made to help simplify and clarify the
Criteria and Consideration section within the standards.
Surface Roughening (Code 609): Formatting and writing style were
updated to meet current agency requirements. Several paragraphs in the
Considerations section were deleted and edited for improved clarity.
Reference to the Crop Tolerance Table in the National Agronomy Manual
was added.
Waste Treatment (Code 629): Purpose revised to improve water
quality, improve air quality resource concerns, and facilitate waste
handling and storage. Conditions where this practice applies is on all
land uses where manure and/or agricultural waste is being generated and
where soils, geology, and topography are suitable for construction of
the waste treatment system. Criteria sections added to address system
designs outside the scope of current accepted NRCS conservation
practice standards, waste stream pretreatment requirements, byproducts
handling and storage, and required technical review of treatment
performance.
Waterspreading (Code 640): Purpose statements were also reworded to
more directly relate to the stated resource concern. In ``Conditions
where Practice Applies'' the language was simplified and more clearly
explains where practice may be used. References were added.
Kevin Norton,
Associate Chief, Natural Resources Conservation Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-23111 Filed 10-22-19; 8:45 am]
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