Natural Resources Conservation Service – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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: Amending Soil Properties with Gypsum Products (Code 333), Animal Mortality Facility (Code 316), Contour Orchards and Other Perennial Crops (Code 331), Controlled Traffic Farming (Code 334), Denitrifying Bioreactor (Code 605), Emergency Animal Mortality Management (Code 368), Field Operations Emissions Reduction (Code 376), Forest Stand Improvement (Code 666), Herbaceous Wind Barriers (Code 603), Irrigation System, Micro-irrigation (Code 441), Roofs and Covers (Code 367), Sprinkler System (Code 442), Vegetated Treatment Area (Code 635), and Vegetative Barrier (Code 601). 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.

Pursuant to section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has prepared a draft programmatic environmental assessment (EA) for the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP). The purpose of the draft programmatic EA is to briefly review the effects of activities that are likely to occur when NRCS awards future VPA-HIP grant funds so NRCS can decide whether VPA-HIP is likely to result in significant adverse impacts requiring preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). NRCS is soliciting comments on the draft programmatic EA from interested parties for 30 days from the date of this notice. Comments may be sent by mail or email to the contact listed below.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Air Quality Task Force (AAQTF) will meet for discussions on critical air quality issues relating to agriculture. Special emphasis will be placed on obtaining a greater understanding about the relationship between agricultural production and air quality. The meeting is open to the public, and a draft agenda is included in this notice.

NRCS published a notice of proposed changes to section I of the State-specific technical guides for Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota on November 5, 2014, with a comment period ending February 3, 2015. This document extends the comment period.

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Air Quality Task Force (AAQTF) will meet for discussions on critical air quality issues relating to agriculture. Special emphasis will be placed on obtaining a greater understanding about the relationship between agricultural production and air quality. The meeting is open to the public, and a draft agenda is included in this notice.

Notice is hereby given of the intention by the NRCS State Conservationists for Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota to issue revisions to Section I of their State Technical Guide pertaining to the State Offsite Methods used in completing wetland determinations. In each of the listed States, NRCS is proposing to issue its State Offsite Methods which will replace existing State wetland mapping conventions. The State Offsite Methods will be used as part of the technical documents and procedures to conduct wetland determinations on agriculture land as part of the Food Security Act of 1985 (as amended). 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 standards and procedures used to carry out Highly Erodible Land and wetland provisions of the law.

This notice announces the availability of NRCS's adoption, under provisions provided for in 40 CFR 1506.3, of an Environmental Assessment (EA) prepared by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for the Upper Kanab Creek Watershed Vegetation Management Project, dated April 2012.

The Agricultural Air Quality Task Force (AAQTF) will meet to continue discussions on critical air quality issues in relation to agriculture. Special emphasis will be placed on obtaining a greater understanding about the relationship between agricultural production and air quality. The meeting is open to the public, and a draft agenda is included in this notice.

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: Access Road (Code 560), Agrichemical Handling Facility (Code 309), Grade Stabilization Structure (Code 410), Precision Land Forming (Code 462), Short Term Storage of Animal Waste and Byproducts (Code 318), Terraces (Code 600), Trails and Walkways (Code 575), Watering Facility (Code 614) and Water Well (Code 642). 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.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), an agency under the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is announcing availability of Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies. Applications will be accepted from all 50 States, District of Columbia, Caribbean Area (Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands), and the Pacific Islands Area (Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands). NRCS anticipates that the amount available for support of this program in FY 2014 will be up to $15 million. Applications are requested from eligible governmental or non-governmental organizations or individuals for competitive consideration of grant awards for projects between 1 and 3 years in duration. Funds will be awarded through a two-phase nationwide competitive grants process that will include: (1) A pre-proposal process, and (2) a full proposal process. The full proposal process will only be open to applicants whose pre-proposal applications are selected by NRCS. Both phases are described in the full announcement found at Grants.gov. Only pre-proposals are being solicited at this time. Please visit https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/cig/ for more information about this grant opportunity. In addition, the full notice that identifies the objectives, eligibility criteria, and application instructions for CIG projects can also be found at: www.grants.gov. Applications will be screened for completeness and compliance with the provisions of the announcement. Incomplete applications will be eliminated from competition, and notification of elimination will be mailed to the applicant. NRCS will request a full proposal package only from those applicants selected in the pre- proposal phase.

The Agricultural Air Quality Task Force (AAQTF) will meet to continue discussions on critical air quality issues in relation to agriculture. Special emphasis will be placed on obtaining a greater understanding about the relationship between agricultural production and air quality. The meeting is open to the public, and a draft agenda is included in this notice.

This notice announces NRCS' adoption, under provisions provided for in 40 CFR 1506.3 of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) entitled: ``General Reevaluation Report and Environmental Impact Statement for the Bayou Meto Basin project dated November 2006 and revised March 2007'' (GRR/ EIS) and the availability of an associated NRCS ROD. NRCS has also adopted the Environmental Assessment (EA) entitled ``Final Environmental Assessment Bayou Meto Basin, Arkansas Post General Reevaluation Design Changes'' dated July 21, 2010, and an NRCS FONSI for the EA is available.

Pursuant to section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, 42 U.S.C. 4321-4370d, as implemented by the Council of Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508) and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) regulations that implement NEPA at 7 CFR part 650, the NRCS Utah State Office announces its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Green River/Tusher Diversion Dam Rehabilitation project. The purpose of this notice is to alert interested parties regarding the intent to prepare the EIS, to provide information on the nature of the proposed action and possible alternatives, and to invite public participation in the EIS process (including providing comments on the scope of the draft EIS, to announce that a public scoping meeting will be conducted, and to identify cooperating agency contacts). The EIS process will evaluate alternatives recommended for detailed study as a result of previous planning-level studies completed by NRCS and any additional (new) alternatives identified during scoping.

The Secretary of Agriculture invites nominations of qualified candidates to be considered for a 2-year term on the Agricultural Air Quality Task Force (AAQTF) which was established by the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 to provide recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture on agricultural air quality issues. This notice solicits nominations for membership on the AAQTF.

This notice represents the Record of Decision (ROD) regarding the Natural Resources Conservation Service's (NRCS's) decision to subordinate its rights, acquired under the Wetland Reserve Program, to allow the Gulf Coast Segment (Gulf Coast Pipeline Project) of the TransCanada Keystone Pipeline, LP to cross one NRCS held conservation easement in Fannin County, Texas associated with this approximately 480 mile pipeline from Cushing, Oklahoma, to Nederland, Texas. This is in accordance with agency policy CPM-440, Part 514, Circular 7, Infrastructure Policy on Easements, dated September 6, 2007.

The Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Air Quality Task Force (AAQTF) will meet to continue discussions on critical air quality issues relating to agriculture. Special emphasis will be placed on obtaining a greater understanding about the relationship between agricultural production and air quality. A draft agenda is included with this notice. The meeting is open to the public.

In the Monday, November 21, 2011, Federal Register, Vol. 76. No. 224, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced its intension to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the rehabilitation of the Upper Deckers Creek Site 1, in Preston County, West Virginia. Preparation of an EIS is no longer planned at this time. The purpose of the project is to bring the dam up to current dam safety standards. NRCS policy requires that an EIS be prepared for watershed project activities that include stream channel realignment, increases in channel capacity, or projects that require congressional action or that have the potential to significantly affect the quality of the human environment. Upon review, it now appears that none of these conditions apply to the Upper Deckers Creek Site 1 dam rehabilitation project. Therefore, NRCS is withdrawing its Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS.

The Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Air Quality Task Force (AAQTF) will meet to continue discussions on critical air quality issues related to agriculture. Special emphasis will be placed on obtaining a greater understanding about the relationship between agricultural production and air quality. The meeting is open to the public, and a draft agenda is included in this notice.

Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969; the Council on Environmental Quality Guidelines (40 CFR part 1500); and the Natural Resources Conservation Service Guidelines (7 CFR part 650); the Natural Resources Conservation Service, U. S. Department of Agriculture, gives notice that an environmental impact statement is being prepared for the Upper Deckers Creek Watershed, Preston County, West Virginia.

This notice announces the intention of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to request comments on a currently approved information collection for which approval will expire, 0578-0030, Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) program. Public Participation: NRCS invites public participation to promote open communication and better decisionmaking. All persons and organizations that have an interest in the EWP program are urged to provide comments. Scoping Process: Public participation is requested throughout the scoping process. NRCS is soliciting comments from the public indicating what issues and impacts the public believes should be encompassed within the scope of the EWP program. Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility, (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used, (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected, and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, such as through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technologic collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

It has been determined by the NRCS State Conservationist for Virginia that changes must be made in the NRCS State Technical Guide specifically in the following practice standards: 328, Conservation Crop Rotation, 329, Residue and Tillage Management No Till/Strip Till/Direct Seed, 344, Residue Management, Seasonal, 345, Residue and Tillage Management Mulch Till, 346, Residue Management, Ridge Till, 391, Riparian Forest Buffer, 422, Hedgerow Planting, 472, Access Control, 595, Integrated Pest Management, 612, Tree/Shrub Establishment, and 666, Forest Stand Improvement. These practices will be used to plan and install conservation practices.

Pursuant to section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act, 42 U.S.C. 4321-4370d (NEPA), as implemented by the Council of Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announces their intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Henrys Fork Salinity Control Project Plan (SCPP). The NRCS will be the lead agency. A public and agency scoping meeting to discuss issues, actions, alternatives and impacts as well as to solicit input verbally and in writing will be conducted. The lead and cooperating agencies invite and encourage agencies and the public to provide written comments on the proposed SCPP throughout the scoping process to ensure that all relevant environmental issues are considered.

Pursuant to Section 102[2][c] of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations [40 CFR part 1500]; and the Natural Resources Conservation Service Regulations [7 CFR part 650]; the Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, gives notice that an environmental impact statement is not being prepared for the rehabilitation of Pohick Creek Watershed Dam No. 8, Fairfax County, Virginia.

On December 7, 2010, NRCS published in the Federal Register a Notice and request for comments to a currently approved information collection package with a public comment period closing on January 6, 2011. The Notice announced NRCS' intention to revise a currently approved information collection, Long-Term Contracting, to clarify for the public information that is no longer included in the collection. NRCS is hereby re-opening the public comment period for the Notice.

The Agricultural Air Quality Task Force (AAQTF) will meet to continue discussions on critical air quality issues in relation to agriculture. Special emphasis will be placed on obtaining a greater understanding about the relationship between agricultural production and air quality. The meeting is open to the public, and a draft agenda is included in this notice.