[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 140 (Monday, July 22, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59040-59041]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-16006]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Natural Resources Conservation Service

[Docket No. NRCS-2024-0008]


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

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

ACTION: Notice of availability, request for comments.

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SUMMARY: NRCS is giving notice that it is proposing revisions to 
Section 1--General Resource References of the Field Office Technical 
Guides in Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, 
Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, 
South Carolina, and Virginia to include State Offsite Methods for Food 
Security Act Wetland Identification (SOSM). The proposed changes will 
replace the existing state wetland mapping conventions. The revisions 
are needed to clarify procedures and improve consistency in 
application. SOSM are used in completing wetland determinations for 
USDA program eligibility purposes.

DATES: We will consider comments that we receive by August 21, 2024.

ADDRESSES: We invite you to submit comments in response to this notice. 
You may submit your comments through:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRCS-2024-0008. Follow the 
online instructions for submitting comments;
    All comments received will be made publicly available on http://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The appropriate person as listed below 
by State:
     Connecticut: Thomas L. Morgart; telephone: (860) 871-4011; 
email: [email protected];
     Delaware: Jayme Arthurs; telephone: (302) 678-4160; email: 
[email protected];
     Florida: Walter Albarran; telephone: (352) 338-9500; 
email: [email protected];
     Kentucky: Eric Allness; telephone: (859) 224-7391; email: 
[email protected].
     Maryland: Suzy Daubert; telephone: (410) 757-0861; email: 
[email protected];
     Massachusetts: Dan Wright; telephone: (413) 253-4350; 
email: [email protected];
     New York: Blake Glover; telephone: (315) 477-6504; email: 
[email protected];
     North Carolina: Julius George (Acting); telephone: (919) 
873-2101; email: [email protected];
     Pennsylvania: Denise Coleman; telephone: (717) 237-2100; 
email: [email protected];
     Rhode Island: R. Phou Vongkhamdy; telephone: (401) 828-
1300; email: [email protected];
     South Carolina: Jamie Keith (Acting); telephone: (803) 
253-3935; email: [email protected]; and
     Virginia: Dr. Edwin Martinez; (804) 287-1691; email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Guidance contained in each state's SOSM will 
be part of the technical documents and procedures that NRCS uses to 
determine if wetlands are present on agricultural land as required by 
16 U.S.C. 3822. NRCS is required by 16 U.S.C. 3862 to make available 
for public review and comment all proposed revisions to standards and 
procedures used to carry out highly erodible land and wetland 
provisions of the law.
    NRCS is proposing revisions to Section 1--General Resource 
References of the Field Office Technical Guides in Connecticut, 
Delaware, Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, North 
Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Virginia to 
include SOSM. The proposed SOSM will replace the following existing 
state wetland mapping conventions:
     ``Delaware and Maryland Wetland Mapping Conventions for 
Agricultural Lands,'' November 2007 (Delaware and Maryland);
     ``New England Soil Conservation Service Wetland Mapping 
Conventions,'' July 1994 (Connecticut and Massachusetts);
     ``Food Security Act New York State Mapping Conventions for 
Certified Wetland Determinations on Agricultural Land,'' February 2021 
(New York); and
     ``Rhode Island Wetland Mapping Conventions,'' March 2010 
(Rhode Island).

[[Page 59041]]

    Florida, Kentucky, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, 
and Virginia do not have current state mapping conventions to be 
replaced.
    The revisions to the Field Office Technical Guides are needed to 
clarify procedures and improve consistency in application. SOSM are 
used in completing wetland determinations for USDA program eligibility 
purposes.
    There are separate SOSM documents for each state, except for North 
Carolina and South Carolina, which share a single SOSM. To fully 
understand the proposed revisions, commenters are encouraged to compare 
the SOSMs with state mapping conventions for the states listed above, 
as shown in Section 1 of the NRCS Field Office Technical Guide at 
https://efotg.sc.egov.usda.gov/#/. The electronic copies of each 
state's SOSM are available through http://www.regulations.gov by 
accessing Docket ID NRCS-2024-0008. Requests for paper versions or 
inquiries may be directed to the specific State Conservationist as 
identified in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section above.
    In general, all documents have similar language and technical 
methodologies with some variations based on natural resource 
information available and state-specific considerations.
    All comments will be considered. If no comments are received, 
guidance contained in each state's SOSM will be considered final at the 
end of the comment period for this notice.

USDA Non-Discrimination Policy

    In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of 
Agriculture (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 
the USDA TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and text telephone 
(TTY)) or dial 711 for Telecommunicaions Relay Service (both voice and 
text telephone users can initiate this call from any phone). 
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: (1) mail to: U.S. Department of Agriculture, 
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence 
Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) 
email: [email protected]. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, 
employer, and lender.

Louis Aspey,
Associate Chief, Natural Resources Conservation Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-16006 Filed 7-19-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-16-P