[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 7, Volume 6]
[Revised as of January 1, 2008]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 7CFR613.3]

[Page 415]
 
                          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. Also, NRCS 
cooperates, both formally and informally, with other Federal, State, 
county, and nonprofit agencies or organizations on the selection of 
plants and evaluation of plant technology to increase the capabilities 
of plant materials centers. NRCS employs specialists for testing and 
selecting plant materials for conservation uses and the development of 
plant materials technology. NRCS responsibilities are to:
    (a) Identify the resource conservation needs and cultural management 
methods for environmental protection and enhancement.
    (b) Assemble and comparatively evaluate plant materials at 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 and assist conservation districts, commercial seed 
producers, and commercial and State nurseries to produce needed plant 
materials for conservation uses.
    (g) Encourage the use of improved plant materials and plant 
materials technology in resource conservation and environmental 
improvement programs.