[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 7, Volume 6]
[Revised as of January 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 7CFR613.3]

[Page 359]
 
                          TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE
 
   CHAPTER VI--NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF 
                               AGRICULTURE
 
PART 613--PLANT MATERIALS CENTERS--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 613.3  NRCS responsibilities in plant materials.

    NRCS operates or enters into agreements with state universities or 
other state organizations to operate plant materials centers. NRCS 
employs specialists for selecting and using plant materials. NRCS 
responsibilities are to:
    (a) Identify the need for suitable plant materials and cultural and 
management methods in resource conservation and for environmental 
protection and enhancement.
    (b) Assemble and comparatively evaluate plant materials at the plant 
materials centers and on sites where soil, climate, or other conditions 
differ significantly from those at the centers.
    (c) Make comparative field plantings for final testing of promising 
plants and techniques in cooperation with conservation districts and 
other interested cooperators.
    (d) Release cooperatively improved conservation plants and maintain 
the breeder or foundation stocks in ways appropriate for particular 
state and plant species by working with experiment stations, crop 
improvement associations, and other state and federal agencies.
    (e) Produce limited amounts of foundation or foundation-quality seed 
and plants available by grant to or by exchange with conservation 
districts, experiment stations, other federal and state research 
agencies, and state seed certifying organizations that will use the 
material to establish seed fields, seed orchards or plantings for 
vegetative increase.
    (f) Encourage conservation districts, commercial seed producers, and 
commercial and state nurseries to produce needed plant materials for 
conservation uses and to assist them in this production.
    (g) Encourage the use of improved plant materials in resource 
conservation and environmental improvement programs.

[[Page 360]]