81 FR 11509 - Notice of Proposed Changes to the National Handbook of Conservation Practices for the Natural Resources Conservation Service

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Natural Resources Conservation Service

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 43 (March 4, 2016)

Notice is hereby given of the intention of NRCS to issue a series of revised conservation practice standards in the National Handbook of Conservation Practices. These standards include: Clearing and Snagging (Code 326), Diversion (Code 362), Fish Raceway or Tank (Code 398), Pond Sealing or Lining--Compacted Soil Treatment (Code 521B), Pond Sealing or Lining--Concrete (Code 521C), Sediment Basin (Code 350), Silvopasture (Code 381), Tree/Shrub Establishment (Code 612), Vegetated Subsurface Drain Outlet (Code 604), and Waste Storage Facility (Code 313). 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 (HEL) or on land determined to be a wetland. 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 HEL and wetland provisions of the law.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 43 (Friday, March 4, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11509-11510]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-04824]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Natural Resources Conservation Service

[Docket No. NRCS-2016-0001]


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

AGENCY: Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), U.S. Department 
of Agriculture (USDA).

ACTION: Notice of availability of proposed changes to the 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 the National 
Handbook of Conservation Practices. These standards include: Clearing 
and Snagging (Code 326), Diversion (Code 362), Fish Raceway or Tank 
(Code 398), Pond Sealing or Lining--Compacted Soil Treatment (Code 
521B), Pond Sealing or Lining--Concrete (Code 521C),

[[Page 11510]]

Sediment Basin (Code 350), Silvopasture (Code 381), Tree/Shrub 
Establishment (Code 612), Vegetated Subsurface Drain Outlet (Code 604), 
and Waste Storage Facility (Code 313).
    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 (HEL) 
or on land determined to be a wetland. 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 HEL and wetland 
provisions of the law.

DATES: Effective Date: This is effective March 4, 2016.
    Comment Date: Submit comments on or before April 4, 2016. 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, identified by Docket Number 
NRCS-2016-0001, using any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail or hand-delivery: Public Comments Processing, 
Attention: Regulatory and Agency Policy Team, Strategic Planning and 
Accountability, Natural Resources Conservation Service, 5601 Sunnyside 
Avenue, Building 1-1112D, Beltsville, Maryland 20705.
    NRCS will post all comments on http://www.regulations.gov. In 
general, personal information provided with comments will be posted. If 
your comment includes your address, phone number, email, or other 
personal identifying information, your comments, including personal 
identifying information (PII), may be available to the public. You may 
ask in your comment that your PII be withheld from public view, but 
this cannot be guaranteed.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wayne Bogovich, National Agricultural 
Engineer, Conservation Engineering Division, U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, 1400 Independence 
Avenue Southwest, South Building, Room 6136, Washington, DC 20250.
    Electronic copies of the proposed revised standards are available 
through http://www.regulations.gov by accessing Docket No. NRCS-2016-
0001. Alternatively, copies can be downloaded or printed from the 
following Web site: http://go.usa.gov/TXye. Requests for paper versions 
or inquiries may be directed to Emil Horvath, National Practice 
Standards Review Coordinator, Natural Resources Conservation Service, 
Central National Technology Support Center, 501 West Felix Street, Fort 
Worth, Texas 76115.

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 as shown at: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detailfull/national/technical/cp/ncps/?cid=nrcs143_026849. To aid in 
this comparison, following are highlights of some of the proposed 
revisions to each standard:
    Clearing and Snagging (Code 326)--The changes were made to provide 
better clarity, and include the use of active voice and the removal of 
all occurrences of the word ``shall''. The References section remains 
unchanged; however, one of the references, NEH Part 654, Stream 
Restoration Design, now appears in the Considerations section, where it 
specifically identifies Technical Supplement 14E of this reference for 
use in determining the forces acting on woody debris and the necessary 
anchoring.
    Diversion (Code 362)--The definition was revised and the purpose 
modified for clarity. The Criteria, Considerations, and Operations and 
Maintenance sections were refined and the references were updated.
    Fish Raceway or Tank (Code 398)--The purpose was refined, the 
criteria was modified, and the references were updated. Other changes 
improved the clarity of the language used in the standard.
    Pond Sealing or Lining--Compacted Soil Treatment (Code 521B)--521B 
Pond Sealing or Lining--Compacted Soil Treatment now combines the 
existing compacted soil liner standards (521B. 521C & 521D) into one 
standard code which is now 521B Pond Sealing or Lining--Compacted Soil 
Treatment. As a result, a change to the title was necessary, along with 
other changes needed for clarification, consistency, and 508 compliance 
requirements.
    Pond Sealing or Lining--Concrete (Code 521C)--521C Pond Sealing or 
Lining--Concrete is a new standard developed as an alternative practice 
for lining and sealing animal waste storage ponds and lagoons as 
needed. It covers concrete design requirements for this specified 
function that is not specified in Waste Storage Facility (Code 313).
    Sediment Basin (Code 350)--The purpose was refined, the criteria 
was modified, and the references were updated. Other changes improved 
the clarity of the language used in the standard.
    Silvopasture (Code 381)--The title was changed from ``Silvopasture 
Establishment'' to ``Silvopasture.'' The Definition, Purposes, and 
Conditions Where Practice Applies sections were refined. Two purposes 
were removed and three purposes were added. The criteria were adjusted 
to match the changes in purposes. The Considerations and Operations and 
Maintenance sections were refined and the references were updated.
    Tree/Shrub Establishment (Code 612)--The Purposes and Conditions 
Where Practice Applies sections were refined. One purpose was added and 
one purpose removed. The criteria were adjusted to match the changes in 
purposes. The Considerations, Plans and Specifications, and Operations 
and Maintenance sections were refined and the references were updated.
    Saturated Buffer (Code 604)--This is a new conservation practice 
standard developed from an existing interim conservation practice 
standard ``Saturated Buffer'' (Code 739).
    Waste Storage Facility (Code 313)--The document has been revised 
extensively. Those revisions include modification of structural design 
requirements to account for changes in accepted concrete and timber 
design criteria, modification of language for storage requirements to 
improve clarity, modify language to conform to the Plain Language Act, 
improvements to the safety criteria, changing the requirement of a 
staff gauge from optional to required, addition of criteria specific to 
solid manure stacking facilities, and improvements to the Plans and 
Specifications, and Operation and Maintenance sections of the standard. 
The structural design and safety requirements have been revised to 
reflect changes in accepted design methods. Other changes have been 
made to improve the clarity of the language used in the standard.

Jason A. Weller,
Chief, Natural Resources Conservation Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-04824 Filed 3-3-16; 8:45 am]
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