[Federal Register: September 17, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 181)]
[Notices]               
[Page 53846-53847]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr17se08-53]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Natural Resources Conservation Service

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

AGENCY: Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of availability of proposed changes in the Natural 
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) National Handbook of Conservation 
Practices for public review and comment.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the intention of NRCS to issue a 
series of revised conservation practice standards in its National 
Handbook of Conservation Practices. These standards include: Deep 
Tillage (Code 324); Waste Transfer (Code 634); and, Road/Trail/Landing 
Closure and Treatment (Code 654). 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 or on land determined to be a 
wetland.

DATES: Effective Dates: Comments will be received for a 30-day period 
commencing with this date of publication. 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 by one of the following 
methods:
    1. In writing to: Noller Herbert, Director, Conservation 
Engineering Division, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Post 
Office Box 2890, Washington, DC 20013-2890; or
    2. Electronically via e-mail to: Noller.herbert@wdc.usda.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Copies of these standards can be downloaded or 
printed from the following Web site: ftp://ftp-fc.sc.egov.usda.gov/NHQ/
practice-standards/federal-register/. Single copies of paper versions 
of these standards also are available from NRCS in Washington, DC. 
Submit individual inquiries in writing to Noller Herbert, Director, 
Conservation Engineering Division, Natural Resources Conservation 
Service, Post Office Box 2890, Room 6139-South, Washington, DC 20013-
2890; or e-mail: Noller.herbert@wdc.usda.gov.

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 shown at: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/Standards/
nhcp.html. To aid in this comparison, the following are highlights of 
the proposed revisions to each standard:
    Deep Tillage (Code 324)--Only minor edits were made to this 
standard.
    Waste Transfer (Code 634)--This practice standard was expanded to 
encompass manure and other by-products of agricultural operations. 
Previously, the standard only addressed manure.
    (a) This standard applies where excess by-products (wastes) 
accumulate and can be transferred to an area for utilization as a 
resource.
    (b) The Criteria Section is expanded by adding a description of 
solid-liquid separation and a clarification of clean-out access 
requirements.
    Road/Trail/Landing Closure and Treatment (Code 654)--This is a new 
practice standard developed to address primarily the closure of 
existing farm, ranch, and forest roads to minimize their environmental 
impact.
    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 the highly erodible land and wetland provisions of the law. For the 
next 30 days, NRCS will receive comments relative to the proposed 
changes. Following that period, a determination will be made by NRCS 
regarding disposition of those comments, and a final determination of 
changes will be made.


[[Page 53847]]


    Signed in Washington, DC, on September 4, 2008.
Arlen L. Lancaster,
Chief.
[FR Doc. E8-21653 Filed 9-16-08; 8:45 am]

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