[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 45 (Wednesday, March 8, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14326-14327]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-04762]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Natural Resources Conservation Service

[Docket ID NRCS-2023-0004]


Request for Public Input About Implementation of the Mississippi 
River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative and the National Water 
Quality Initiative

AGENCY: Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA.

ACTION: Request for information.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) requests 
public input for NRCS to use in refining the Mississippi River Basin 
Healthy Watershed Initiative (MRBI) and the National Water Quality 
Initiative (NWQI) to better protect and improve water quality. NRCS 
also requests comments on how we can streamline and improve MRBI and 
NWQI to increase efficiencies and expand access for underserved 
communities and producers. Finally, NRCS requests comments on how we 
can engage with partners to provide technical assistance for MRBI and 
NWQI implementation. This effort will help NRCS identify and prioritize 
improvements to MRBI and NWQI starting in fiscal year (FY) 2024.

DATES: We will consider comments that we receive by April 7, 2023. 
Comments received after that date will be considered to the extent 
possible.

ADDRESSES: We invite you to send comments in response to this notice. 
You may send comments through the method below:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRCS-2023-0004. Follow the 
online instructions for submitting comments.
    All comments received, including those received by mail, will be 
posted without change and will be publicly available on http://www.regulations.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    MRBI and NWQI are targeted efforts to address water quality 
resource concerns. In 2009, USDA announced MRBI as a multiyear 
partnership effort with the Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia 
Task Force (HTF), a Federal and state partnership established to 
address excess nutrients in the Mississippi River and the associated 
dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico. NWQI was initiated in 2012 as a 
partnership effort between the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 
and NRCS to work with states to address nutrient, sediment, and 
pathogen water quality issues that lead to the impairment of water 
quality in agricultural watersheds. MRBI is delivered in the 12 member 
states of HTF, and NWQI is available in all U.S. states and 
territories.
    Both initiatives operate by increasing the effectiveness of Farm 
Bill assistance within prioritized small watersheds. Delivery of 
assistance through the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) 
and, in MRBI, the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) is guided by 
watershed plans that identify critical treatment needs. Both 
initiatives are conducted under authorities that permit NRCS to 
identify and target opportunities to address priority resource 
concerns.
    MRBI initially focused on a broad range of issues in the 
Mississippi River basin, including water quantity and wildlife habitat. 
The 2008 HTF action plan prioritized developing nutrient loss reduction 
strategies by states no later than 2013. Nutrient loss reduction 
strategies identify locally appropriate ways for states to reduce 
nutrient contributions to the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. 
MRBI is now focused on delivering assistance that aligns with the 
various state nutrient reduction strategies. In addition, NRCS has made 
MRBI more effective over time by incorporating watershed assessments 
and other improvements.
    NWQI was designed to support watershed plans that address the water 
quality concerns being targeted. Starting in 2017, NRCS improved the 
effectiveness of associated plans by adopting a watershed assessment 
framework to ensure that all prioritized watersheds followed a pathway 
to success. In 2019, NRCS worked with EPA to expand the scope of the 
initiative to include source water protection as a purpose for 
prioritizing watersheds.

Request for Input

Maximizing the Value of Public Feedback

    Responses to the list of questions in this notice will assist NRCS 
in the delivery of MRBI and NWQI. NRCS encourages public comment on 
these questions and requests any other information that commenters 
believe is relevant to this notice. The feedback that is most useful to 
NRCS identifies specific policies or processes and includes actionable 
information, data, or viable alternatives that meet statutory goals and 
requirements. Feedback that only provides a commenter's suggestion for 
a change but does not contain specific information on what change 
should be considered, how a proposed change will meet statutory goals 
and requirements, or how the change would improve existing processes is 
less useful to NRCS.
    To provide comments that will be most useful to NRCS, commenters 
should respond, in as much detail as possible, to the questions in this 
notice by:
     Identifying the NRCS regulation or policy at issue, 
providing the Code of Federal Regulation (CFR) and NRCS Manual citation 
where available or

[[Page 14327]]

applicable (see https://directives.sc.egov.usda.gov for NRCS current 
policy manuals and handbooks);
     Explaining why an NRCS regulation, policy, form, or 
program process should be modified, streamlined, expanded, or removed, 
as well as specific suggestions about how NRCS can better achieve MRBI 
and NWQI objectives and reduce unnecessary burdens on producers and 
partners;
     Providing specific data that document how the proposed 
recommendations would increase benefits achievable through MRBI and 
NWQI; and
     Addressing how NRCS can best quantify or otherwise obtain 
and consider accurate, objective information and data about outcomes 
achieved through MRBI and NWQI.
    You may contact us by sending an email to: 
[email protected] if you have questions 
or concerns. Please specify the docket ID Docket ID: NRCS-2023-0004 in 
the subject line.

List of Questions for Commenters

    The following list of questions is not exhaustive. However, it is 
meant to assist members of the public in formulating comments on 
important issues NRCS is considering as we implement MRBI and NWQI. 
This list is not intended to restrict the feedback that members of the 
public may provide:
    (1) How should NRCS improve the effectiveness of MRBI and NWQI when 
addressing water quality concerns?
    (2) To effectively deliver water quality improvement and 
protection, MRBI and NWQI require watershed assessments to guide 
conservation assistance. How should NRCS improve the watershed 
assessment process to target delivery of conservation assistance 
achieved through MRBI and NWQI?
    (3) How can NRCS ensure that MRBI and NWQI provide the benefits of 
water quality conservation to disadvantaged communities and underserved 
producers?
    (4) Under the Clean Water Act, water quality impairments have been 
removed from many water bodies in MRBI and NWQI watersheds, and in-
stream monitoring in many NWQI watersheds has shown improvements 
related to agricultural conservation. How should NRCS improve and 
potentially expand the metrics for the measurement of outcomes targeted 
and achieved through MRBI and NWQI?

Review of Public Feedback

    NRCS will use the public's feedback to improve its program delivery 
through MRBI and NWQI. This notice is issued solely for information and 
program-planning purposes. Public input provided in response to this 
notice does not bind NRCS to any further actions, including publication 
of any formal response or agreement to initiate a recommended change. 
NRCS will consider the feedback and make changes or process 
improvements at its sole discretion. Finally, comments submitted in 
response to this notice will not be considered as petitions for 
rulemaking submitted pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(e).

USDA Non-Discrimination Policy

    In accordance with Federal civil rights law and USDA civil rights 
regulations and policies, USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, 
and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are 
prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, 
religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual 
orientation, disability, age, marital status, family or parental 
status, income derived from a public assistance program, political 
beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in 
any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases 
apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by 
program or incident.
    Individuals who require alternative means of communication for 
program information (for example, braille, large print, audiotape, 
American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or 
USDA TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and text telephone (TTY) or 
dial 711 for Telecommunications Relay Service (both voice and text 
telephone users can initiate this call from any telephone). 
Additionally, program information may be made available in languages 
other than English.
    To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA 
Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at https://www.usda.gov/oascr/how-to-file-a-program-discrimination-complaint and 
at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in 
the letter all the information requested in the form. To request a copy 
of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form 
or letter to USDA by mail to: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of 
the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, 
Washington, DC 20250-9410 or email: [email protected].
    USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

Terry Cosby,
Chief, Natural Resources Conservation Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-04762 Filed 3-7-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-16-P