[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 22 (Tuesday, February 3, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5731-5732]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-02084]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Natural Resources Conservation Service
[Docket No. NRCS-2015-0001]
Notice of Proposed Changes to the National Handbook of
Conservation Practices for the Natural Resources Conservation Service
AGENCY: Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), USDA.
ACTION: Notice of availability of proposed changes in the NRCS 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 new
conservation practice standard in the National Handbook of Conservation
Practices. This standard is High Tunnel System (Code 325). NRCS State
Conservationists who choose to adopt this practice for use within their
States will incorporate it into section IV of their respective
electronic Field Office Technical Guide. This practice 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 February 3, 2015.
Comment Date: Submit comments on or before March 5, 2015. Final
versions of this new conservation practice standard will be adopted
after the close of the 30-day period and after consideration of all
comments.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be submitted and identified by Docket Number
NRCS-2015-0001, using any of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
[[Page 5732]]
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
information, may be available to the public. You may ask in your
comment that your personal identifying information be withheld from
public view, but this cannot be guaranteed.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wayne Bogovich, National Agricultural
Engineer, Conservation Engineering Division, Department of Agriculture,
Natural Resources Conservation Service, 1400 Independence Avenue SW.,
Room 6136 South Building, Washington, DC 20250.
Electronic copies of the proposed new standard is available through
http://www.regulations.gov by accessing Docket No. NRCS-2015-0001.
Alternatively, a copy can be downloaded or printed from the following
Web site: http://go.usa.gov/TXye. Requests for a paper version 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: To fully understand the new conservation
practice standard, individuals are encouraged to acquire the document
from one of the means listed. To aid in this understanding, following
are some highlights of the proposed new standard: High Tunnel System
(Code 325)--This is a new National Conservation Practice Standard with
a 5 year lifespan. Prior to this new National Conservation Practice
Standard, there existed an Interim Conservation Practice Standard,
``Seasonal High Tunnel'' (Code 798), that has been utilized extensively
by a number of States since 2010. Because the Interim Conservation
Practice Standard has been used so widely (10 thousand structures with
financial assistance amounting to about $20 million), States
recommended conversion of this interim standard to a new National
Conservation Practice Standard. ``High Tunnel System'' (Code 325)
applies to ``kits'' that can be purchased from a number of suppliers.
Improving plant health and vigor has been identified as the purpose of
this standard. The conservation practice describes ``an enclosed
polyethylene, plastic, or fabric covered structure used to cover and
protect crops from sun, wind, excessive rainfall, or cold to extend the
growing season in an environmentally safe manner.''
Signed this 26th day of January, 2015, in Washington, DC.
Jason A. Weller,
Chief, Natural Resources Conservation Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-02084 Filed 2-2-15; 8:45 am]
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