[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 181 (Wednesday, September 22, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52632-52634]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-20474]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Natural Resources Conservation Service

[Docket No. NRCS-2021-0003]


Proposed Revisions to Section 1 of the Field Office Technical 
Guides for Several States

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

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: NRCS is giving notice that it is proposing to revise Section 1 
of the Field Office Technical Guides in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, 
Arkansas, California, Caribbean Area, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, 
Florida, Georgia, Hawaii and Pacific Islands Area, Idaho, Illinois, 
Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, 
Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, 
Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North 
Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South 
Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West 
Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. The proposed changes include 
hydrology indicators for the identification in each of these States of 
farmed wetlands (FW) that are not playas, pocosins, or potholes. These 
indicators will be used by NRCS to identify FWs while completing 
wetland determinations for USDA program eligibility purposes.

DATES: Comment Date: We will consider comments that we receive by 
October 22, 2021.

ADDRESSES: We invite you to submit comments on this notice. You may 
submit comments through the:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for docket ID NRCS-2021-0003. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments.

[[Page 52633]]

     Mail, or Hand Delivery: Mr. Jason Outlaw, National Leader 
for Wetland and Highly Erodible Land Conservation, Ecological Sciences 
Division, NRCS, USDA, 1400 Independence Ave., South Building, Room 
4634, Washington, DC 20250. In your comment, specify the docket ID 
NRCS-2021-0003 and the name of the specific State for which you are 
submitting comments.
    All comments will be available on http://www.regulations.gov.
    Each State's proposed hydrology indicators for the identification 
of FWs that are not playas, pocosins, or potholes are available through 
http://www.regulations.gov by accessing Docket No. NRCS-2021-0003. 
Alternatively, the proposed indicators can be downloaded or printed 
from https://www.nrcs.[supreg]usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detailfull/national/programs/farmbill/?cid=NRCSEPRD1792621. Requests for paper 
versions or inquiries may be directed to the specific State 
Conservationist at the contact points listed below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The appropriate NRCS State 
Conservationist as listed below:
     Alabama: Ben Malone; (334) 887-4500; [email protected];
     Alaska: Alan McBee; (907) 761-7780; [email protected];
     Arizona: Keisha Tatem; (602) 280-8808; 
[email protected];
     Arkansas: Michael E. Sullivan; (501) 301-3100; 
[email protected];
     California: Carlos Suarez; (530) 792-5600; 
[email protected];
     Caribbean Area: Luis Cruz-Arroyo; 787-281-4836; [email protected];
     Colorado: Clint Evans; (720) 544-2802; 
[email protected];
     Connecticut: Thomas Morgart; (860) 871-4014; 
[email protected];
     Delaware: Kasey L. Taylor; (302) 678-4160; 
[email protected];
     Florida: Juan Hernandez; (352) 338-9500; 
[email protected];
     Georgia: Terrance O. Rudolph; (706) 546-2272; 
[email protected];
     Hawaii/Pacific Islands Area: Travis L. Thomason; (808) 
600-2969; [email protected];
     Idaho: Curtis Elke; (208) 378-5701; [email protected];
     Illinois: Ivan N. Dozier; (217) 353-6600; 
[email protected];
     Indiana: Jerry Raynor; (317) 295-5801; 
[email protected];
     Iowa: Jon Hubbert; (515) 284-6655; [email protected];
     Kansas: Karen Woodrich; (785) 823-4565; 
[email protected];
     Kentucky: C. Gregory Stone; (859) 224-7350; 
[email protected];
     Louisiana: Richard ``Chad'' Kacir; (318) 473-7751; 
[email protected];
     Maine: Matt Walker; (207) 990-9585; [email protected];
     Maryland: Terron Hillsman, Ph.D.; (443) 757-0861; 
[email protected];
     Massachusetts: Daniel Wright; (413) 253-4350; 
[email protected];
     Minnesota: Troy Daniell; (651) 602-7900; 
[email protected];
     Mississippi: Kurt Readus; (601) 965-5205 x140; 
[email protected];
     Missouri: Scott Edwards; (573) 876-0901; 
[email protected]
     Montana: Tom Watson; (406) 587-6811; [email protected];
     Nebraska: Jeff Vander Wilt (acting); (402) 437-4103; 
[email protected];
     Nevada: Ray Dotson; (775) 857-8500 x102; 
[email protected];
     New Hampshire: Becky Ross; (603) 868-7581; 
[email protected];
     New Jersey: Julie Hawkins; (732) 537-6041; 
[email protected];
     New Mexico: J. Xavier Montoya; (505) 761-4402; 
[email protected];
     New York: Blake Glover; (315) 477-6504; 
[email protected];
     North Carolina: Timothy A. Beard; (919) 873-2101; 
[email protected];
     Ohio: John Wilson (acting); (614) 255-2475; 
[email protected];
     Oklahoma: Gary O'Neill; (405) 742-1204; 
[email protected];
     Oregon: Ron Alvarado; (503) 414-3200; 
[email protected];
     Pennsylvania: Denise Coleman; (717) 237-2100; 
[email protected];
     Rhode Island: R. Phou Vongkhamdy; (401) 822-8815; 
[email protected];
     South Carolina: Ann English; (803) 253-3935; 
[email protected];
     Tennessee: Sheldon Hightower; (615) 277-2531; 
[email protected];
     Texas: Kristy Oates; (254) 742-9800; 
[email protected];
     Utah: Emily Fife; (801) 524-4551; [email protected];
     Vermont: Vicky Drew; (802) 951-6796; [email protected];
     Virginia: Edwin Martinez; (804) 287-1691; 
[email protected];
     Washington: Roylene Comes at Night; (509) 323-2900; 
[email protected];
     West Virginia: Jon Bourdon; (304) 284-7540; 
[email protected];
     Wisconsin: Angela L. Biggs; (608) 662-4422 x241; 
[email protected]; and
     Wyoming: Astrid Martinez; (307) 233-6750; 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    To participate in most USDA programs, agricultural producers agree 
to comply with the wetland conservation provisions. This means 
producers will not farm converted wetlands or convert wetlands to 
enable agricultural production. One of NRCS' roles is to make wetland 
determinations that locate and certify the existence of wetlands 
subject to the Food Security Act of 1985 on producers' land.
    This notice announces that NRCS plans to revise Section 1 of the 
Field Office Technical Guide for the following States: Alabama, Alaska, 
Arizona, Arkansas, California, Caribbean Area, Colorado, Connecticut, 
Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii/Pacific Islands Area, Idaho, 
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, 
Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, 
Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North 
Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South 
Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West 
Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Section 1 of each State's Field 
Office Technical Guide may be used by NRCS to identify FWs while 
completing wetland determinations for USDA program eligibility purposes 
in that particular State. Specifically, the proposed changes will 
include hydrology indicators to identify FWs that are not playas, 
pocosins, or potholes.
    Each State's proposed hydrology indicators for the identification 
of FWs that are not playas, pocosins, or potholes are available through 
http://www.regulations.gov by accessing Docket No. NRCS-2021-0003. 
Alternatively, the proposed indicators can be downloaded or printed 
from https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detailfull/national/
programs/farmbill/?cid=NRCSEPRD1792621. Requests for paper versions or 
inquiries may be directed to the specific State Conservationist at the 
contact points listed below.

Proposed Changes to the Field Office Technical Guide

    NRCS plans to revise Section 1 of the Field Office Technical Guides 
for the States of Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, 
Caribbean Area, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, 
Hawaii/Pacific Islands Area, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, 
Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, 
Mississippi, Missouri, Montana,

[[Page 52634]]

Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, 
North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, 
South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, 
West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming to include hydrology indicators 
for the identification of FWs that are not playas, pocosins, or 
potholes. These indicators will be used by NRCS to identify FWs as part 
of the technical documents and procedures to conduct wetland 
determinations on agricultural land for USDA program eligibility 
purposes as required by law as specified in 16 U.S.C. 3822.
    The controlling regulations for the wetland conservation (WC) 
provisions of the Food Security Act of 1985, as amended, are provided 
in 7 CFR part 12, ``Highly Erodible Land and Wetland Conservation.'' 
The regulations' broad definition of ``wetland determination'' describe 
an FW (in part) using two criteria. First, an FW is a wetland that 
prior to December 23, 1985, was manipulated and used to produce an 
agricultural commodity at least once before December 23, 1985. Second, 
FWs are described as wetlands that on December 23, 1985, did not 
support woody vegetation, and met the following hydrologic criteria: If 
not a playa, pocosin, or pothole, experienced inundation for 15 
consecutive days or more during the growing season or 10 percent of the 
growing season, whichever is less, in most years (50-percent chance or 
more).
    To decide effectively whether an area supports the required 
inundation for a FW that is not identified as a playa, pocosin, or 
pothole, the regulations then provide three options:
    1. Observation of wetland hydrology indicators as identified in the 
local NRCS Field Office Technical Guide;
    2. Procedures identified in State Off-Site Methods for wetland 
identification set forth in the local NRCS Field Office Technical 
Guide; or
    3. The use of analytic techniques, such as the use of drainage 
equations or the evaluation of monitoring data.
    The proposed FW hydrology indicators provide those NRCS will use 
under option one.
    On August 28, 2020, USDA published a final rule in the Federal 
Register (85 FR 53137-53152) for the highly erodible land and wetland 
conservation provisions of the Food Security Act of 1985, as amended. 
The rule changed how NRCS identifies hydrology criteria for FWs that 
are not playas, pocosins, or potholes, consistent with the discussion 
above. Prior to that final rule, the regulations specified that NRCS 
would identify FWs by using hydrology indicators showing evidence of 
recent inundation as contained in the applicable regional supplement to 
the Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual.
    The preamble to the August 28, 2020, final rule provided that until 
such time as the updates to the NRCS Field Office Technical Guides have 
been published and public notice provided, NRCS will continue to use 
Group B (Evidence of Recent Inundation) hydrology indicators from the 
regional supplements to the Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation 
Manual, as specified in the interim rule, published December 7, 2018, 
in the Federal Register (83 FR 63046-63052), to identify FWs that are 
not playas, pocosins, or potholes. Those Group B wetland hydrology 
indicators currently used by NRCS can be found in the regional 
supplements to the Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual at 
https://www.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Regulatory-Program-and-Permits/reg_supp/. The Corps of Engineers hydrology indicators will no 
longer be used by NRCS for the identification of FWs that are not 
playas, pocosins, or potholes once the State-specific NRCS indicators 
are considered final and published in Section 1 of each State's Field 
Office Technical Guide.

Notification and Public Comment

    Section 343 of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act 
of 1996 (16 U.S.C. 3862 note) specifies that USDA must allow public 
notice and comment for revisions to NRCS State technical guides which 
are used to carry out the Food Security Act of 1985 highly erodible 
land and wetland conservation provisions (16 U.S.C. 3801-3824).
    NRCS will consider all comments that are received during the 30-day 
comment period. The final version of the Field Office Technical Guide 
for the States of Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, 
Caribbean Area, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, 
Hawaii/Pacific Islands Area, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, 
Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, 
Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New 
Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, 
Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, 
Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming as 
revised to include hydrology indicators for the identification of FWs 
that are not playas, pocosins, or potholes will be adopted after the 
close of the 30-day period and after consideration of all comments. 
Responses to comments will be posted at https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/
portal/nrcs/detailfull/national/programs/farmbill/?cid=nrcseprd1542016 
once each State's final version is adopted.

Astor Boozer, Regional Conservationist, West Region, Natural 
Resources Conservation Service.

Terrell Erickson, Regional Conservationist, Northeast Region, 
Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Noller Herbert, Acting Regional Conservationist, Central Region, 
Natural Resources Conservation Service.

James Tillman,
Regional Conservationist, Southeast Region, Natural Resources 
Conservation Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-20474 Filed 9-21-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-16-P