[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: 7CFR650.23]

[Page 449-450]
 
                          TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE
 
   CHAPTER VI--NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF 
                               AGRICULTURE
 
PART 650--COMPLIANCE WITH NEPA--Table of Contents
 
                Subpart B--Related Environmental Concerns
 
Sec. 650.23  Natural areas.

    (a) Background. (1) Natural areas are defined as land or water units 
where natural conditions are maintained insofar as possible. Natural 
conditions usually result from allowing ordinary physical and biological 
processes to operate with a minimum of human intervention. Manipulations 
may be required on natural areas to maintain or restore features that 
the areas were established to protect.
    (2) Natural areas may be designated areas of Federal, non-Federal 
government, or privately controlled land. Designation may be formal as 
provided for under federal regulations for areas of federal land to be 
administered as natural areas or by foundations or conservation 
organizations specifically created to acquire and maintain natural 
areas. Designation may be informal in the case of private landowners who 
designate a specific area as a natural area and manage it accordingly. 
Several professional societies concerned with renewable natural 
resources encourage establishment of natural areas withdrawn from 
economic uses and recognition of natural areas maintained and managed in 
economic enterprises.
    (3) Natural areas are established and maintained for a variety of 
purposes including:

[[Page 450]]

    (i) Furthering science and education. Natural areas provide sites 
for research and outdoor classrooms for study of plant and animal 
communities in environments with particular ecological conditions.
    (ii) Monitoring the surrounding environment. Natural areas serve as 
gauges against which to evaluate changes in land use, vegetation, animal 
life, air quality, or other environmental values.
    (iii) Providing recreation attractions. Natural areas are valued by 
many people for their scenic, wild, and undisturbed character but must 
be protected, as needed, to prevent disturbance or alteration of the 
resources.
    (iv) Preserving unique values. Natural areas may be established to 
protect scenic, biologic, geologic, or paleontologic features.
    (v) Serving as a genetic base for native plants and animals. Natural 
areas may be established to preserve examples of land and water 
ecosystems with their full range of genetic diversity of native plants 
and animals including threatened and endangered species.
    (b) Policy. NRCS will recognize natural areas, if so dedicated, as a 
land use, and will support the designation of appropriate natural areas.
    (c) Responsibility--(1) NRCS national office. The Administrator will 
designate a member of the national office staff to act as NRCS 
representative on the Federal Committee for Ecological Preserves and to 
provide appropriate liaison with other federal agencies and non-Federal 
groups concerned with natural areas.
    (2) Technical service center. The TSC director will designate a TSC 
plant sciences discipline leader to provide leadership, appropriate 
liaison, and assistance on natural areas to NRCS state offices.
    (3) NRCS state office. The state conservationist will designate an 
appropriate NRCS representative to work with other agencies and groups, 
and will coordinate assistance on natural areas needed by area and field 
offices.
    (d) Coordination and implementation. (1) NRCS technical assistance 
will be furnished to representatives of administering agencies, 
foundations, groups, and individuals when requested through conservation 
districts. Conservation district officers will be encouraged to 
recognize appropriate natural areas concepts and programs and to 
participate in them.
    (2) NRCS employees will report to state conservationists abuses and 
potential or actual damages to natural areas that may be found in the 
course of ordinary business.
    (3) NRCS will cooperate with professional societies, groups, and 
individuals in locating areas suitable for and needed as natural areas.
    (4) NRCS employees providing technical assistance to land users must 
inform them about the impact their decisions may have on adjacent or 
nearby natural areas. Land users will be encouraged to consult with 
concerned agencies, societies, and individuals to arrive at mutually 
satisfactory land use and treatment.
    (5) Recommended classification systems for characterizing areas 
designated as ecological preserves or as natural areas are contained in 
the following publications:

Soil Taxonomy, a Basic System of Soil Classification for Making and 
Interpreting Soil Surveys, USDA-NRCS Agricultural Handbook 436.
Forest Cover Types of North America Exclusive of Mexico, Report of the 
Committee on Forest Cover Types, Society of American Foresters, 1964.
Potential Natural Vegetation of Conterminous United States. A. W. 
Kuchler, American Geographical Society Special Publication 36, 1964.
Wetlands classification described by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
in its Circular 39.


NRCS will, to the extent feasible, use these classification systems when 
providing technical assistance on public and private natural areas and 
ecological preserves.
    (6) The NRCS published National List of Scientific Plant Names will 
be used when scientific names or name symbols are needed for automatic 
data processing.