Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 148 /Tuesday, August 3, 1999 /Rules and Regulations 42005

(i) Criteria to prioritize applications

from applicants with significant

statewide resource concerns outside a

priority area;

(ii) Eligible conservation practices for

an EQIP priority area or for significant

statewide resource concerns outside a

priority area;

(iii) Criteria to be used in defining a

large confined livestock operation under

EQIP;

(iv) Suggestions on how often

producers’ EQIP applications are ranked

and selected;

(v) Criteria to prioritize applications

from applicants with significant

statewide resource concerns outside a

priority area; and

(vi) Determination of cost share and

incentive payment limits for

participants subject to environmental

requirements or with significant

statewide resource concerns outside a

priority area.

(10) The implementation of the

Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program

(WHIP) (16 U.S.C 3836a);

(11) The technical merits of proposals

submitted for the Farmland Protection

Program (16 U.S.C. 3830);

(12) The development of a Wetland

Reserve Program (WRP) (16 U.S.C. 3837)

wetland restoration plan;

(13) Statewide program guidelines

applicable to WRP easement

compensation, restoration planning,

priority ranking, and related policy

matters, 7 CFR part 1467;

(14) Identification of any categories of

wetland conversion activities and

conditions which are routinely

determined by NRCS to have minimal

effect on wetland functions and values

as described in 7 CFR part 12.

(15) Conservation techniques and

measures related to achieving

environmental justice needs; and

(16) Types or classes of wetland that

are not eligible for mitigation exemption

under the Wetland Conservation

provisions of 7 CFR part 12.

(d) The implementing agency reserves

the authority to accept or reject the

Committee’s recommendations;

however, the implementing USDA

agency shall give strong consideration to

the Committee’s suggestions.

§ 610.25 Specialized subcommittees.

In some situations, specialized

subcommittees, made up of State

Technical Committee members, may be

needed to analyze and refine specific

issues. The State Conservationist may

assemble certain members to discuss,

examine, and focus on a particular

technical or programmatic topic. The

subcommittee may seek public

participation; however, it is not required

to do so. Nevertheless, decisions

resulting from these subcommittee

sessions shall be made only in a general

session of the State Technical

Committee, where the public is notified

and invited to attend.

Signed in Washington, DC on July 28,

1999.

Pearlie S. Reed,

Chief, Natural Resources Conservation

Service.

[FR Doc. 99–19899 Filed 8–2–99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–16–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service

7 CFR Part 1728

Electric Overhead Distribution Lines;

Specifications and Drawings for 24.9/

14.4 kV Line Construction

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Extension of compliance with

Bulletin 50–5 or 1728F–803.

SUMMARY: In 1998 the Rural Utilities

Service (RUS) updated and revised its

bulletin of specifications and drawings

for 24.9/14.4kV overhead distribution

line construction. The bulletin, formerly

named Bulletin 50–5, was renamed

‘‘RUS Bulletin 1728F–803;

Specifications and Drawings for 24.9/

14.4 kV Line Construction.’’ This

bulletin is incorporated by reference

(IBR) in 7 CFR part 1728. As published

in the Federal Register on December 31,

1998, at 63 FR 72102, this bulletin was

approved for IBR by the Director of the

Federal Register and was effective

February 1, 1999.

To allow borrowers to conduct an

orderly transition from the old Bulletin

50–5 to the new construction assemblies

and assembly numbers of the new

Bulletin 1728F–803, RUS allowed

compliance to either bulletin through

December 31, 1999, in a compliance

notice published in the Federal Register

on March 29, 1999, at 64 FR 14813. To

prevent additional errors which may

result from the year 2000 compliance

transitions, RUS has extended the

compliance date for borrowers to utilize

construction drawings in either Bulletin

50–5 or the new Bulletin 1728F–803

until July 1, 2001. After July 1, 2001,

only Bulletin 1728F–803 standard

drawings shall be used.

It is anticipated that this action will

also allow borrowers sufficient time to

make necessary changes in engineering

and accounting procedures and

associated computer software.

EFFECTIVE DATE: August 3, 1999.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

James L. Bohlk, Electrical Engineer,

Distribution Branch, Electric Staff

Division, Rural Utilities Service, U.S.

Department of Agriculture, 1400

Independence Avenue, SW, STOP 1569,

Washington, DC 20250–1569. telephone:

(202) 720–1967. Fax: (202) 720–7491.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant

to the Rural Electrification Act of 1936,

as amended (7 U.S.C. 901 et seq.), the

Rural Utilities Service (RUS) amended 7

CFR Chapter XVII, Part 1728, Electric

Standards and Specification for

Materials and Construction, by revising

RUS Bulletin 50–5 (D–803),

Specification and Drawings for 14.4/

24.9 kV Line Construction, and

renumbered it as RUS Bulletin 1728F–

803. RUS maintains a system of

bulletins that contains construction

standards and specifications for

materials and equipment. These

standards and specifications apply to

system facilities constructed by RUS

electric and telecommunications

borrowers in accordance with the RUS

loan contract, and contains standard

construction units, material, and

equipment units commonly used in

RUS electric and telecommunication

borrowers’ systems.

RUS Bulletin 1728F–803 provides

dimensioned drawings of standard

assembly units and specifications for

the construction of 24.9/14.4 kV

overhead electric distribution lines.

RUS changed the bulletin number from

RUS Bulletin 50–5 to RUS Bulletin

1728F–803. The change in the bulletin

number and reformatting was necessary

to conform to RUS’ new publications

and directives system. This bulletin is

incorporated by reference in § 1728.97.

It may be purchased from the

Superintendent of Documents, P.O. Box

371954, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

15250–7954.

Dated: July 28, 1999.

Blaine D. Stockton, Jr.,

Acting Administrator, Rural Utilities Service.

[FR Doc. 99–19830 Filed 8–2–99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–15–P