Natural Resources Conservation Service 2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Idaho State Office announces its intent to prepare an EIS for the North Cache Valley Project Watershed Plan (Watershed Plan), located within the North Cache Valley Watershed in Lewiston, Utah. The proposed Watershed Plan will examine alternative solutions to provide improved agricultural water management and to enhance recreational facilities. The project is being planned for areas within the watershed located in Franklin County, Idaho and Cache County, Utah. The project area is comprised of the irrigation service area within the watershed which fits into the watershed plan's primary purpose of Agricultural Water Management. The Project Area includes developed and undeveloped agricultural land and small farm communities. The primary purpose for this Watershed Plan is to provide more reliable management of agricultural water in the Project Area and to enhance existing recreational opportunities in the watershed. This Watershed Plan is needed to improve impaired drainage infrastructure; provide an efficient and reliable irrigation water supply; improve water management and measurement; reduce seepage loss in existing conveyance systems; and to expand the limited recreational opportunities in the watershed. 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.

This notice of availability presents the Record of Decision (ROD) on a Watershed Project PlanProgrammatic Environmental Impact Statement (Plan-PEIS) for the Coon Creek Watershed prepared in partnership with La Crosse, Monroe, and Vernon Counties, Wisconsin (Sponsors). This notice announces the plan to proceed with the implementation of Alternative 2Proposed ActionDecommission Dams, identified in the Plan-PEIS. Alternative 2 proposes to decommission all 14 dams by excavating a notch to pass the 100-year flood without impounding water. This action will avoid environmental impacts to the extent possible and mitigate impacts that are unavoidable.

Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), an agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has prepared a Notice of Availability for Record of Decisions (ROD) for Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) for Etowah River Watershed Dam No.13-A (Russel Creek Reservoir Multipurpose Project) in Dawson County, Georgia; Pocasset River, Rhode Island; Odessa Subarea Special Study Project in Adams, Franklin, Grant, and Lincoln counties, Washington; and Cart Creek Site 1 of the North Branch Park River Watershed in North Dakota.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is reopening the comment period for 30 days due to impacts of recent hurricanes to allow the public to provide comments on the specified conservation practice standards to be revised in the National Handbook of Conservation Practices (NHCP) published on September 24, 2024.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is revising specific conservation practice standards (CPS) in the National Handbook of Conservation Practices (NHCP). NRCS is also giving the public an opportunity to provide comments on the proposed changes to the specific CPS.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is amending its regulations for watershed projects to allow Indian Tribes or Tribal organizations to sponsor needed watershed projects. While federally recognized Tribes generally maintain regulatory jurisdiction over their land and can therefore exert eminent domain, Alaska Native Corporations and Tribal organizations do not have eminent domain authority, which has been one of the requirements to be a watershed project sponsor. This rule change will provide an option to better allow federally recognized Tribes, Alaska Native Corporations, or Tribal organizations to become watershed project sponsors.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Nebraska State Office announces its intent to prepare an EIS that will examine alternative solutions to flood risk reduction for the Elm and Turkey Creeks Project watershed plan for these watersheds near Kearney, Nebraska. The Elm Creek and Turkey Creek Watersheds face recurring flooding issues due to limited channel capacity and frequent overland flooding. A catastrophic 2019 flood caused significant damage to properties and infrastructure, with estimated losses exceeding $35 million in the Kearney area. The watershed's rural economy relies on agriculture, and addressing these challenges is crucial for managing flood impacts and protecting lives and property. 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) Utah State Office announces its intent to prepare an EIS for the Pleasant Creek watershed in Sanpete County, Utah. The proposed EIS will examine alternative solutions to address watershed structure rehabilitation, flood damage prevention and reduction, agricultural water management, water conservation, and public recreational efforts in Mt. Pleasant City and portions of unincorporated Sanpete County. The Pleasant Creek watershed includes Mt. Pleasant City; existing water resource facilities, including the Upper Debris Basin, Lower Debris Basin, the Surge Pond, and the Agricultural Reservoir; private agricultural land; and U.S. Forest Service-managed land in the upper watershed. 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 Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (OUAIP) notice published in the Federal Register on May 1, 2024, concerning nominations for four new members to serve on the Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Advisory Committee (UAIPAC). We are republishing the entire contents of the May 1, 2024, notice to correct the list of the four vacancies for which OUAIP is seeking nominations for individuals to serve on UAIPAC. The UAIPAC advises the Secretary of Agriculture on the development of policies and outreach relating to urban, indoor, and other emerging agricultural production practices. The 12 members appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture are expected to serve a 3-year term. The 2024 nomination period includes four vacancies, including one individual who is an agriculture producer or farmer using innovative technology; one individual from an institution of higher education or extension program; one individual with supply chain experience, which may include a food aggregator, wholesale food distributor, food hub, or an individual who has direct-to-consumer market experience; and one individual with related experience in urban, indoor, and other emerging agriculture production practices.

The Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (OUAIP) is seeking nominations for individuals to serve on the Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Advisory Committee (UAIPAC). The UAIPAC advises the Secretary of Agriculture on the development of policies and outreach relating to urban, indoor, and other emerging agricultural production practices. The 12 members appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture are expected to serve a 3-year term. The nomination period includes four vacancies, including the: urban producer representative; higher education or extension program representative; business and economic development representative; and representative with related experience in urban, indoor, and other emerging agriculture production practices.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Iowa State Office announces its intent to prepare a watershed plan for the Clarke County Water Supply project, which is located approximately 27.2 miles upstream of the confluence with the South River in the proximity of Osceola, Iowa. The proposed watershed plan will examine alternative solutions to the limited availability of a reliable water supply. The Clarke County Water Supply project includes the cities of Osceola, Murray, and Woodburn, Iowa, and the Clarke County rural service area. 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) Utah State Office announces its intent to prepare a watershed plan and EIS for the Logan River Watershed Project located within the Logan River Watershed in Cache County, Utah. The proposed watershed plan will examine alternative solutions to reduce water loss and increase efficiency in the current agricultural water delivery system, provide flood control and protection, and enhance recreational facilities in portions of Logan, North Logan, and Hyde Park cities and portions of unincorporated Cache County, Utah between and to the west of the cities. NRCS is requesting comments to identify significant issues, potential alternatives, information, and analyses relevant to the proposed action from all interested individuals, Federal, State agencies, and Tribes.

In accordance with the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA), the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) Oil Spill Final Programmatic Damage Assessment Restoration Plan and Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision, and the Consent Decree referenced below, the Federal and State natural resource trustee agencies for the Mississippi Trustee Implementation Group (MS TIG) have prepared and are making available to the public the ``Mississippi Trustee Implementation Group Final Restoration Plan 4 and Environmental Assessment: Restoration of Wetlands, Coastal, and Nearshore Habitats; Nutrient Reduction (Nonpoint Source), and Provide and Enhance Recreational Opportunities'' (Final RP4 and EA); and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). The Final RP4 and EA analyzes projects to partially restore wetlands, coastal, and nearshore habitats; reduce nutrient pollution (nonpoint source); and provide and enhance recreational opportunities to compensate for lost recreational use in the Mississippi Restoration Area resulting from the DWH oil spill. The Final RP4 and EA evaluates a reasonable range of project alternatives under OPA, the OPA Natural Resources Damage Assessment (NRDA) regulations, and NEPA and the NEPA implementing regulations, and selects seven projects for funding and implementation. A No Action alternative is also evaluated for each of the restoration types. The estimated cost to implement MS TIG's proposed action (seven preferred alternatives) is $26.4 million. Of this amount, $18,500,000 will be funded from the Wetlands, Coastal and Nearshore Habitats restoration allocation, $5,000,000 from the Nutrient Reduction restoration allocation, and $2,853,000 from the Recreational Use restoration allocation.