Notice of Proposed Changes to the National Handbook of Conservation Practices for the Natural Resources Conservation Service, 11509-11510 [2016-04824]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 43 / Friday, March 4, 2016 / Notices 1. Review project proposals; and 2. Make recommendations for Title II funds. The meeting is open to the public. The agenda will include time for people to make oral statements of three minutes or less. Individuals wishing to make an oral statement should request in writing by April 1, 2016, to be scheduled on the agenda. Anyone who would like to bring related matters to the attention of the committee may file written statements with the committee staff before or after the meeting. Written comments and requests for time for oral comments must be sent to Susan Piper, RAC Coordinator, Olympic National Forest, 1835 Black Lake Boulevard Southwest, Olympia, Washington, 98512; by email to spiper@fs.fed.us, or via facsimile to 360–956–2330. Meeting Accommodations: If you are a person requiring reasonable accommodation, please make requests in advance for sign language interpreting, assistive listening devices, or other reasonable accommodation. For access to the facility or proceedings, please contact the person listed in the section titled FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. All reasonable accommodation requests are managed on a case by case basis. Dated: February 25, 2016. Larry Sandoval, Acting Forest Supervisor. [FR Doc. 2016–04778 Filed 3–3–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3411–15–P DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE National Agricultural Statistics Service Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request jstallworth on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES February 29, 2016. The Department of Agriculture has submitted the following information collection requirement(s) to OMB for review and clearance under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104–13. Comments are requested regarding (1) whether the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate of burden including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information to be collected; (4) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical or other technological VerDate Sep<11>2014 15:22 Mar 03, 2016 Jkt 238001 collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Comments regarding this information collection received by April 4, 2016 will be considered. Written comments should be addressed to: Desk Officer for Agriculture, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), New Executive Office Building, 725 17th Street NW., Washington, DC 20503. Commenters are encouraged to submit their comments to OMB via email to: OIRA_Submission@omb.eop.gov or fax (202) 395–5806 and to Departmental Clearance Office, USDA, OCIO, Mail Stop 7602, Washington, DC 20250– 7602. Copies of the submission(s) may be obtained by calling (202) 720–8681. An agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless the collection of information displays a currently valid OMB control number and the agency informs potential persons who are to respond to the collection of information that such persons are not required to respond to the collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. National Agricultural Statistics Service Title: Residue and Biomass Field Survey. OMB Control Number: 0535–0251. Summary of Collection: The primary function of the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is to prepare and issue official State and national estimates of crop and livestock production, disposition and prices. The purpose of this collection is for NASS and the Agricultural Research Service/ Hydrology and Remote Sensing Laboratory to make an objective connection between the amounts of organic matter produced and how crop residues impact future crop yields. General authority for these data collection activities is granted under U.S. Code Title 7, Section 2204(a) which specifies that ‘‘The Secretary of Agriculture shall procure and preserve all information concerning agriculture which he can obtain . . . by the collection of statistics . . . and shall distribute them among agriculturists.’’ Individually identifiable data collected under this authority are governed by Section 1770 of the Food Security Act of 1985 as amended, 7 U.S.C. 2276, which requires USDA to afford strict confidentiality to non-aggregated data provided by respondents. Need and Use of the Information: This study will investigate the effect crop residue removal has on soil and water quality. The study will use, as a sampling universe fields in the South PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 11509 Fork watershed in central Iowa. The study will be conducted in several phases. Permission forms will be presented to farm operators. With the farmers permission the field enumerators will return several times during the growing season to measure and collect samples from the target areas. Measurements of crop residues will be compared with remote sensed data to measure crop residue cover and soil tillage intensity for the entire watershed. After measurements and samples are taken the farm operators will be asked to complete a questionnaire and, if possible provide a yield map. The questionnaire and yield maps help associate measured residue and biomass to specific field management plans and provide realistic operation files for the water and soil quality models. Without this collection, our knowledge of the management practices in the watershed would be severely limited. Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit; Farms. Number of Respondents: 100. Frequency of Responses: Reporting: One time. Total Burden Hours: 64. Charlene Parker, Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer. [FR Doc. 2016–04787 Filed 3–3–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410–20–P DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Natural Resources Conservation Service [Docket No. NRCS–2016–0001] Notice of Proposed Changes to the National Handbook of Conservation Practices for the Natural Resources Conservation Service Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). ACTION: Notice of availability of proposed changes to the National Handbook of Conservation Practices for public review and comment. AGENCY: Notice is hereby given of the intention of NRCS to issue a series of revised conservation practice standards in the National Handbook of Conservation Practices. These standards include: Clearing and Snagging (Code 326), Diversion (Code 362), Fish Raceway or Tank (Code 398), Pond Sealing or Lining—Compacted Soil Treatment (Code 521B), Pond Sealing or Lining—Concrete (Code 521C), SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\04MRN1.SGM 04MRN1 jstallworth on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES 11510 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 43 / Friday, March 4, 2016 / Notices Sediment Basin (Code 350), Silvopasture (Code 381), Tree/Shrub Establishment (Code 612), Vegetated Subsurface Drain Outlet (Code 604), and Waste Storage Facility (Code 313). NRCS State Conservationists who choose to adopt these practices for use within their States will incorporate them into section IV of their 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. DATES: Effective Date: This is effective March 4, 2016. Comment Date: Submit comments on or before April 4, 2016. Final versions of these new or revised conservation practice standards will be adopted after the close of the 30-day period and after consideration of all comments. ADDRESSES: Comments should be submitted, identified by Docket Number NRCS–2016–0001, using any of the following methods: • Federal eRulemaking Portal: https:// www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments. • Mail or hand-delivery: Public Comments Processing, Attention: Regulatory and Agency Policy Team, Strategic Planning and Accountability, Natural Resources Conservation Service, 5601 Sunnyside Avenue, Building 1– 1112D, Beltsville, Maryland 20705. NRCS will post all comments on https://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, your comments, including personal identifying information (PII), may be available to the public. You may ask in your comment that your PII be withheld from public view, but this cannot be guaranteed. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wayne Bogovich, National Agricultural Engineer, Conservation Engineering Division, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, 1400 Independence Avenue Southwest, South Building, Room 6136, Washington, DC 20250. Electronic copies of the proposed revised standards are available through https://www.regulations.gov by accessing VerDate Sep<11>2014 15:22 Mar 03, 2016 Jkt 238001 Docket No. NRCS–2016–0001. Alternatively, copies can be downloaded or printed from the following Web site: https://go.usa.gov/ TXye. Requests for paper versions or inquiries may be directed to Emil Horvath, National Practice Standards Review Coordinator, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Central National Technology Support Center, 501 West Felix Street, Fort Worth, Texas 76115. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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 as shown at: https:// www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/ detailfull/national/technical/cp/ncps/ ?cid=nrcs143_026849. To aid in this comparison, following are highlights of some of the proposed revisions to each standard: Clearing and Snagging (Code 326)— The changes were made to provide better clarity, and include the use of active voice and the removal of all occurrences of the word ‘‘shall’’. The References section remains unchanged; however, one of the references, NEH Part 654, Stream Restoration Design, now appears in the Considerations section, where it specifically identifies Technical Supplement 14E of this reference for use in determining the forces acting on woody debris and the necessary anchoring. Diversion (Code 362)—The definition was revised and the purpose modified for clarity. The Criteria, Considerations, and Operations and Maintenance sections were refined and the references were updated. Fish Raceway or Tank (Code 398)— The purpose was refined, the criteria was modified, and the references were updated. Other changes improved the clarity of the language used in the standard. Pond Sealing or Lining—Compacted Soil Treatment (Code 521B)—521B Pond Sealing or Lining—Compacted Soil Treatment now combines the existing compacted soil liner standards (521B. 521C & 521D) into one standard code which is now 521B Pond Sealing or Lining—Compacted Soil Treatment. As a result, a change to the title was necessary, along with other changes needed for clarification, consistency, and 508 compliance requirements. Pond Sealing or Lining—Concrete (Code 521C)—521C Pond Sealing or Lining—Concrete is a new standard developed as an alternative practice for PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 9990 lining and sealing animal waste storage ponds and lagoons as needed. It covers concrete design requirements for this specified function that is not specified in Waste Storage Facility (Code 313). Sediment Basin (Code 350)—The purpose was refined, the criteria was modified, and the references were updated. Other changes improved the clarity of the language used in the standard. Silvopasture (Code 381)—The title was changed from ‘‘Silvopasture Establishment’’ to ‘‘Silvopasture.’’ The Definition, Purposes, and Conditions Where Practice Applies sections were refined. Two purposes were removed and three purposes were added. The criteria were adjusted to match the changes in purposes. The Considerations and Operations and Maintenance sections were refined and the references were updated. Tree/Shrub Establishment (Code 612)—The Purposes and Conditions Where Practice Applies sections were refined. One purpose was added and one purpose removed. The criteria were adjusted to match the changes in purposes. The Considerations, Plans and Specifications, and Operations and Maintenance sections were refined and the references were updated. Saturated Buffer (Code 604)—This is a new conservation practice standard developed from an existing interim conservation practice standard ‘‘Saturated Buffer’’ (Code 739). Waste Storage Facility (Code 313)— The document has been revised extensively. Those revisions include modification of structural design requirements to account for changes in accepted concrete and timber design criteria, modification of language for storage requirements to improve clarity, modify language to conform to the Plain Language Act, improvements to the safety criteria, changing the requirement of a staff gauge from optional to required, addition of criteria specific to solid manure stacking facilities, and improvements to the Plans and Specifications, and Operation and Maintenance sections of the standard. The structural design and safety requirements have been revised to reflect changes in accepted design methods. Other changes have been made to improve the clarity of the language used in the standard. Jason A. Weller, Chief, Natural Resources Conservation Service. [FR Doc. 2016–04824 Filed 3–3–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410–16–P E:\FR\FM\04MRN1.SGM 04MRN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 43 (Friday, March 4, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11509-11510]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-04824]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Natural Resources Conservation Service

[Docket No. NRCS-2016-0001]


Notice of Proposed Changes to the National Handbook of 
Conservation Practices for the Natural Resources Conservation Service

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

ACTION: Notice of availability of proposed changes to the National 
Handbook of Conservation Practices for public review and comment.

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

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the intention of NRCS to issue a 
series of revised conservation practice standards in the National 
Handbook of Conservation Practices. These standards include: Clearing 
and Snagging (Code 326), Diversion (Code 362), Fish Raceway or Tank 
(Code 398), Pond Sealing or Lining--Compacted Soil Treatment (Code 
521B), Pond Sealing or Lining--Concrete (Code 521C),

[[Page 11510]]

Sediment Basin (Code 350), Silvopasture (Code 381), Tree/Shrub 
Establishment (Code 612), Vegetated Subsurface Drain Outlet (Code 604), 
and Waste Storage Facility (Code 313).
    NRCS State Conservationists who choose to adopt these practices for 
use within their States will incorporate them into section IV of their 
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.

DATES: Effective Date: This is effective March 4, 2016.
    Comment Date: Submit comments on or before April 4, 2016. Final 
versions of these new or revised conservation practice standards will 
be adopted after the close of the 30-day period and after consideration 
of all comments.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be submitted, identified by Docket Number 
NRCS-2016-0001, using any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail or hand-delivery: Public Comments Processing, 
Attention: Regulatory and Agency Policy Team, Strategic Planning and 
Accountability, Natural Resources Conservation Service, 5601 Sunnyside 
Avenue, Building 1-1112D, Beltsville, Maryland 20705.
    NRCS will post all comments on https://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, your comments, including personal 
identifying information (PII), may be available to the public. You may 
ask in your comment that your PII be withheld from public view, but 
this cannot be guaranteed.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wayne Bogovich, National Agricultural 
Engineer, Conservation Engineering Division, U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, 1400 Independence 
Avenue Southwest, South Building, Room 6136, Washington, DC 20250.
    Electronic copies of the proposed revised standards are available 
through https://www.regulations.gov by accessing Docket No. NRCS-2016-
0001. Alternatively, copies can be downloaded or printed from the 
following Web site: https://go.usa.gov/TXye. Requests for paper versions 
or inquiries may be directed to Emil Horvath, National Practice 
Standards Review Coordinator, Natural Resources Conservation Service, 
Central National Technology Support Center, 501 West Felix Street, Fort 
Worth, Texas 76115.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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 as shown at: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detailfull/national/technical/cp/ncps/?cid=nrcs143_026849. To aid in 
this comparison, following are highlights of some of the proposed 
revisions to each standard:
    Clearing and Snagging (Code 326)--The changes were made to provide 
better clarity, and include the use of active voice and the removal of 
all occurrences of the word ``shall''. The References section remains 
unchanged; however, one of the references, NEH Part 654, Stream 
Restoration Design, now appears in the Considerations section, where it 
specifically identifies Technical Supplement 14E of this reference for 
use in determining the forces acting on woody debris and the necessary 
anchoring.
    Diversion (Code 362)--The definition was revised and the purpose 
modified for clarity. The Criteria, Considerations, and Operations and 
Maintenance sections were refined and the references were updated.
    Fish Raceway or Tank (Code 398)--The purpose was refined, the 
criteria was modified, and the references were updated. Other changes 
improved the clarity of the language used in the standard.
    Pond Sealing or Lining--Compacted Soil Treatment (Code 521B)--521B 
Pond Sealing or Lining--Compacted Soil Treatment now combines the 
existing compacted soil liner standards (521B. 521C & 521D) into one 
standard code which is now 521B Pond Sealing or Lining--Compacted Soil 
Treatment. As a result, a change to the title was necessary, along with 
other changes needed for clarification, consistency, and 508 compliance 
requirements.
    Pond Sealing or Lining--Concrete (Code 521C)--521C Pond Sealing or 
Lining--Concrete is a new standard developed as an alternative practice 
for lining and sealing animal waste storage ponds and lagoons as 
needed. It covers concrete design requirements for this specified 
function that is not specified in Waste Storage Facility (Code 313).
    Sediment Basin (Code 350)--The purpose was refined, the criteria 
was modified, and the references were updated. Other changes improved 
the clarity of the language used in the standard.
    Silvopasture (Code 381)--The title was changed from ``Silvopasture 
Establishment'' to ``Silvopasture.'' The Definition, Purposes, and 
Conditions Where Practice Applies sections were refined. Two purposes 
were removed and three purposes were added. The criteria were adjusted 
to match the changes in purposes. The Considerations and Operations and 
Maintenance sections were refined and the references were updated.
    Tree/Shrub Establishment (Code 612)--The Purposes and Conditions 
Where Practice Applies sections were refined. One purpose was added and 
one purpose removed. The criteria were adjusted to match the changes in 
purposes. The Considerations, Plans and Specifications, and Operations 
and Maintenance sections were refined and the references were updated.
    Saturated Buffer (Code 604)--This is a new conservation practice 
standard developed from an existing interim conservation practice 
standard ``Saturated Buffer'' (Code 739).
    Waste Storage Facility (Code 313)--The document has been revised 
extensively. Those revisions include modification of structural design 
requirements to account for changes in accepted concrete and timber 
design criteria, modification of language for storage requirements to 
improve clarity, modify language to conform to the Plain Language Act, 
improvements to the safety criteria, changing the requirement of a 
staff gauge from optional to required, addition of criteria specific to 
solid manure stacking facilities, and improvements to the Plans and 
Specifications, and Operation and Maintenance sections of the standard. 
The structural design and safety requirements have been revised to 
reflect changes in accepted design methods. Other changes have been 
made to improve the clarity of the language used in the standard.

Jason A. Weller,
Chief, Natural Resources Conservation Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-04824 Filed 3-3-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-16-P
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