03-13548. Notice of Proposed Changes in the National Handbook of Conservation Practices

AGENCY:

Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA.

ACTION:

Notice and request for comments.

SUMMARY:

Notice is hereby given of the intention of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to issue a series of new or revised conservation practice standards in its National Handbook of Conservation Practices. These standards include: Access Road; Alley Cropping; Atmospheric Resource Quality Management; Cover Crop; Feed Management; Field Boarder; Filter Strip; Forest Site Preparation; Forest Stand Improvement; Grazing Land Mechanical Treatment; Heavy Use Area Protection; Herbaceous Wind Barriers; Manure Transfer; Nutrient Management; Pasture and Hayland Planting; Prescribed Grazing; Range Planting; Riparian Herbaceous Cover; Streambank and Shoreline Protection; Subsurface Drain; Vegetative Barrier; and Water Harvesting Catchment. These standards are used to convey national guidance in developing Field Office Technical Guide Standards used in the States and the Pacific Basin and Caribbean Areas. NRCS State Conservationists and Directors for the Pacific Basin and Caribbean Areas who choose to adopt these practices for use within their States/Areas will incorporate them into Section IV of their Field Office Technical Guide. These practices may be used in resource management systems that treat highly erodible land, or on land determined to be wetland.

EFFECTIVE DATES:

Comments will be received for a 30-day period, starting on the date of this publication. This series of new or revised conservation practice standards will be adopted after the close of the 30-day period.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Single copies of these standards are available from NRCS-CED in Washington, DC. Submit individual inquiries and return any comments in writing to William Hughey, National Agricultural Engineer, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Post Office Box 2890, Room 6139-S, Washington, DC 20013-2890.

The telephone number is [phone]. The standards are also available, and can be downloaded from the Internet at: http://www.ftw.nrcs.usda.gov/​practicestds.html.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Section 343 of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 requires NRCS to make available, for public review and comment, proposed revisions to conservation practice standards used to carry out the highly erodible land and wetland provisions of the law. For the next 30 days, NRCS will receive comments on the proposed changes. Following that period, a determination will be made by NRCS regarding disposition of those comments, and a final determination of change will be made.

Signed in Washington, DC, on May 15, 2003.

Bruce I. Knight,

Chief, Natural Resources Conservation Service.