Natural Resources Conservation Service 2022 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Wyoming State Office, in coordination with the USDA Forest Service and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), announces its intent to prepare an EIS for the West Fork Battle Creek Watershed Plan in the proximity of Savery-Little Snake River in Wyoming. The proposed Watershed Plan includes construction of a dam and reservoir on the West Fork of Battle Creek to provide for rural agricultural water management. NRCS is requesting comments to identify significant issues, potential alternatives, information, and analyses relevant to the Proposed Action from all interested individuals, Federal and State Agencies, and Tribes.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) California State Office announces its intent to prepare an EIS for the McGriff LakesSutter Basin Watershed Flood Control and Flood Safety Project, which is located approximately 30 miles northwest of Sacramento in the proximity of Knights Landing, California. NRCS is requesting comments to identify significant issues and alternatives to be addressed in the EIS from all interested individuals, Tribes, and Federal, State and local Agencies and jurisdictions. The EIS process will examine alternative solutions to modernize the existing Karnak Drainage Facility, portions of which are over 100 years old, to continue to provide reliable flood protection for the Reclamation District No. 1500 (RD 1500) service area. The Reclamation District service area includes over 60,000 acres of agricultural farmland, the community of Robbins and surrounding rural areas, and California State Route 113, a designated emergency route through the watershed. The primary purpose for this watershed plan is to provide reliable and long-term flood prevention and damage reduction to the RD 1500 service area and improve public safety and emergency access. Although the existing Karnak Drainage Facility has been well maintained, the required repairs for the pump stations are becoming more costly while the reliability of the facility is decreasing because parts needed for repair and continued operation are no longer available and must be custom fabricated. The aging infrastructure and lack of parts availability puts all land within the RD1500 service area at risk in the event of a significant rainfall event. Without adequate and reliable flood control, millions of dollars in agricultural products would be at risk, the designated emergency route would be in jeopardy of flood closures, and substantial property damage and potential loss of life are possible in the community of Robbins and surrounding areas.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) requests public input for NRCS to use to inform how NRCS will implement funds received under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to fund the deployment of climate-smart practices on US farms, ranches, and forestlands through four Farm Bill conservation programs. NRCS is also requesting input on funding to quantify carbon sequestration and carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide emissions at the field scale. NRCS is specifically interested in public input and recommendations that NRCS can use to improve, expand, and/or build on scientifically-designed quantification systems to monitor and quantify improvements in soil carbon, reductions in nitrogen losses, and the reduction, capture, avoidance, or sequestration of carbon dioxide, methane, or nitrous oxide emissions, associated with agricultural production. In implementing the IRA, NRCS is interested in supporting program implementation and improving program delivery by effectively leveraging partners to increase outreach and expand access to underserved producers. This effort will help NRCS identify and prioritize process improvements for the delivery of funding made available under IRA and the overall administration of the NRCS conservation programs. NRCS will look to identify immediate changes that can be implemented for funding available for fiscal year (FY) 2023 and will continue to identify and adopt additional changes in future years.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will hold a public meeting of the Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Advisory Committee (UAIPAC). UAIPAC will convene to discuss interim recommendations for the Secretary of Agriculture on the development of policies and outreach relating to urban, indoor, and other emerging agriculture production practices. UAIPAC is authorized under the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill) and operates in compliance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on an extension of a currently approved information collection associated with Volunteer Program Earth Team. The Volunteer Interest and Placement Summary and the Timesheet forms are used by the respondents. The information NRCS collects on the forms is used to match the skills of individuals, who are 14 years of age or older and interested in volunteering for opportunities that will further NRCS's mission.

NRCS is announcing the draft Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities funding opportunity is available for public review and comment.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), is announcing the first meeting of the Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Advisory Committee (UAIPAC). UAIPAC was established to advise the Secretary on the development of policies and outreach relating to urban, indoor, and other emerging agricultural production practices; and other aspects of the implementation of Section 12302 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill). UAIPAC will also develop recommendations and advise on policies, initiatives, and outreach administered by the Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (OUAIP); evaluate ongoing research and extension activities related to urban, indoor, and other innovative agricultural practices; identify new and existing barriers to successful urban, indoor, and other emerging agricultural production practices; and provide additional assistance and advice to OUAIP as appropriate.

NRCS is giving notice that it intends to issue a series of revised conservation practice standards in the National Handbook of Conservation Practices (NHCP). NRCS is also giving the public an opportunity to provide comments on specified conservation practice standards in NHCP.