[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 7, Volume 6]
[Revised as of January 1, 2004]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 7CFR610.22]

[Page 364-365]
 
                          TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE
 
   CHAPTER VI--NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF 
                               AGRICULTURE
 
PART 610_TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE--Table of Contents
 
                  Subpart C_State Technical Committees
 
Sec.  610.22  State Technical Committee membership.

    (a) State Technical Committees shall include members who represent a 
variety of natural resource sciences and occupations, including those 
related to soil, water, wetlands, plants, and wildlife. The State 
Conservationist in each State will serve as chairperson. In addition, 
committee membership will include one representative from each of the 
following agencies or groups, if willing to serve:
    (1) NRCS, USDA;
    (2) Farm Service Agency, USDA;
    (3) State Farm Service Agency Committee, USDA;
    (4) Forest Service, USDA;
    (5) Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, 
USDA;
    (6) Rural Development, USDA;
    (7) Fish and Wildlife Service, United States Department of Interior;
    (8) United States Environmental Protection Agency;
    (9) Bureau of Land Management, United States Department of Interior;
    (10) Bureau of Indian Affairs, United States Department of Interior;
    (11) U.S. Geological Survey, United States Department of Interior;
    (12) Bureau of Reclamation, United States Department of Interior;
    (13) Corps of Engineers, United States Department of the Army;
    (14) Each of the Federally recognized American Indian Tribal 
Governments and Alaskan Native Corporations encompassing 100,000 acres 
or more in the State;
    (15) State departments and agencies that the NRCS State 
Conservationist deems appropriate, including a member from each of the 
following agencies or entities within the State:
    (i) Fish and wildlife agency;
    (ii) Forestry agency;
    (iii) Water resources agency;
    (iv) Department of agriculture;
    (v) Association of soil and water conservation districts;
    (vi) Soil and water conservation agency;
    (vii) Coastal zone management agency; and
    (16) Other Federal, State, tribal, and local agency personnel with 
expertise in soil, water, wetlands, plant, and wildlife management, as 
the NRCS State Conservationist considers appropriate.
    (b) In addition to agency and Tribal membership, State Technical 
Committees shall include members from the following private interests, 
if willing to serve:
    (1) Agricultural producers with demonstrable conservation expertise;
    (2) Nonprofit organizations with demonstrable conservation 
expertise;
    (3) Persons knowledgeable about economic and environmental impacts 
of conservation techniques and programs; and
    (4) Representatives from agribusiness.
    (c) To ensure that recommendations of the State Technical Committees 
take into account the needs of the diverse groups served by the USDA, 
membership shall include, to the extent practicable, individuals with 
demonstrated ability to represent the conservation and related technical 
concerns of particular historically under-served groups and individuals; 
i.e., minorities, women, persons with disabilities and socially and 
economically disadvantaged groups.
    (d) In accordance with the guidelines in paragraphs (a), (b), and 
(c) of this section, the State Conservationist establishes membership on 
the State Technical Committee. Individuals or

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groups wanting to participate on a State Technical Committee within a 
specific State may submit to the State Conservationist of that 
particular State a request that explains their interest and outlines 
their credentials which they believe are relevant to becoming a member 
of the State Technical Committee. Decisions of the State Conservationist 
concerning membership on the committee are final and not appealable to 
any other individual or group within USDA.