Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 135 / Tuesday, July 15, 2014 / Notices 41247 

averaging, the total annual burden hours 

may not equal the product of the annual 

number of responses multiplied by the 

reporting burden per response.) 

All responses to this notice will be 

summarized and included in the request 

for OMB approval. All comments will 

also become a matter of public record. 

Done in Washington, DC, this 9th day of 

July 2014. 

Kevin Shea, 

Administrator, Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2014–16531 Filed 7–14–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Commodity Credit Corporation 

Farm Service Agency 

Notice of Availability of Draft 

Supplemental Programmatic 

Environmental Impact Statement for 

the Conservation Reserve Program 

AGENCY: Commodity Credit Corporation 

and Farm Service Agency, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of availability; request 

for comments. 

SUMMARY: This notice announces that 

the Farm Service Agency (FSA), on 

behalf of the Commodity Credit 

Corporation (CCC), completed a Draft 

Supplemental Programmatic 

Environmental Impact Statement (Draft 

SPEIS) to examine the potential 

environmental consequences associated 

with implementing changes to the 

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) 

specified in the Agricultural Act of 2014 

(the 2014 Farm Bill), and assist in 

developing new regulations. FSA is 

requesting comments on the Draft 

SPEIS. 

DATES: We will consider comments that 

we receive by September 8, 2014. 

ADDRESSES: We invite you to submit 

comments on the Draft SPEIS. In your 

comments, include the volume, date, 

and page number of this issue of the 

Federal Register. You may submit 

comments by any of the following 

methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov. Follow 

online instructions for submitting 

comments. 

• Email: CRPComments@

cardnotec.com. 

• Online: Go to the Web site at 

http://crpspeis.com. Follow online 

instructions for submitting comments. 

• Fax: (757) 594–1469. 

• Mail, hand delivery, or courier: CRP 

SPEIS, C/O CardnoTEC, Inc., 11817 

Canon Blvd., Suite 300, Newport News, 

VA 23606. 

A copy of the Draft SPEIS is available 

through the FSA homepage at http://

www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=

home&subject=ecrc&topic=nep-cd or at 

http://crpspeis.com. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nell 

Fuller, (202) 720–6303. Persons with 

disabilities who require alternative 

means for communication (Braille, large 

print, audio tape, etc.) should contact 

the USDA Target Center at (202) 720– 

2600 (voice). 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA) provides a means for the public 

to comment on alternatives and 

environmental concerns for Federal 

programs or actions. The CRP Draft 

SPEIS was completed as required by 

NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321–4347), the 

Council on Environmental Quality 

(CEQ) Regulations for Implementing the 

Procedural Provisions of NEPA (40 CFR 

parts 1500–1508), and FSA’s NEPA 

regulations (7 CFR part 799). FSA 

provided notice of its intent (NOI) to 

prepare the CRP SPEIS in the Federal 

Register on November 29, 2013 (78 FR 

71561–71562), and solicited public 

comment on the preliminary 

alternatives for analyzing changes to 

CRP from the 2014 Farm Bill. FSA 

considered input from those comments 

to develop the alternatives analyzed in 

the Draft SPEIS. We received a total of 

8 comments from private organizations, 

members of the concerned public, and 

Federal, State, and local government 

agencies. The comments involved 55 

individual issues covering a range of 

topics including proposed 2014 Farm 

Bill changes, CRP maximum enrollment 

and acreages, regional differences in 

haying and grazing impacts, claims of a 

lack of thorough environmental and 

socioeconomic impact analysis in 

previous NEPA documentation, and 

CRP funding policy. All substantive 

comments received that were within the 

defined scope of the SPEIS were 

incorporated. 

As specified in the 2014 Farm Bill, 

FSA plans to consolidate a number of 

conservation programs to simplify the 

programs, reduce overlapping goals, and 

reduce overall budgets. Many of the 

changes to CRP from the 2014 Farm Bill 

are administrative in nature, would not 

result in major changes to the current 

administration of CRP, or have been 

addressed in previous NEPA 

documentation concerning CRP. Such 

changes do not require further analysis 

in the SPEIS. 

Those changes, and the justification 

for eliminating them from analysis, 

include the following, each of which is 

discussed below: 

• Maximum enrollment authority; 

• Farmable Wetland Program 

enrollment changes; 

• Tree thinning payments; 

• Early termination of contracts; 

• Managed harvesting and routine 

grazing payment reduction; 

• Transition option funding; 

• Emergency haying and grazing 

payment reduction; and 

• Prescribed grazing frequency. 

Maximum Enrollment Authority 

The maximum enrollment authority 

will be gradually reduced to no more 

than 24 million acres by 2018, as 

required by the 2014 Farm Bill. The 

‘‘2010 Conservation Reserve Program 

Supplemental Environmental Impact 

Statement’’ (referred to as the 2010 CRP 

SEIS) analyzed an alternative to reduce 

the enrollment authority to no more 

than 24 million acres; therefore, that 

analysis is incorporated by reference. 

Farmable Wetland Program Enrollment 

Changes 

The change in the 2014 Farm Bill to 

reduce the maximum enrollment 

authority to 750,000 acres nationally 

(from 1 million) would still allow for 

approximately 410,000 acres of farmable 

wetlands to be enrolled in the Farmable 

Wetland Program. The mandated 

reduction in enrollment is not required 

to be analyzed since there is no 

discretion for any other level. 

Additionally, the mandatory reduction 

is not expected to affect actual 

enrollment, as historically enrollment 

has been well below the cap. 

Tree Thinning Payments 

The payment authority for tree 

thinning activities was reduced to $10 

million and incentive payments are 

allowed. The 2014 Farm Bill change 

allows FSA to incentivize owners and 

operators to conduct practices and use 

management tools that would promote 

forest management, enhance the overall 

health of tree stands, improve the 

condition of resources, or provide 

valuable habitat for wildlife. Less than 

$50,000 in payments have been 

provided for tree thinning activities 

since the Food, Conservation, and 

Energy Act of 2008 (Pub. L. 110–246, 

commonly referred to as the 2008 Farm 

Bill). The reduction in funding available 

for tree thinning activities would not 

represent a real change in current use of 

the funds and does not require further 

analysis. 

Early Termination of Contracts 

As provided in the 2014 Farm Bill, 

the early termination provision of CRP 

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41248 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 135 / Tuesday, July 15, 2014 / Notices 

that previously applied only to contracts 

entered into before January 1, 1995, will 

be modified to apply, only during fiscal 

year 2015, to allow CRP participants to 

elect early termination of certain CRP 

contracts, provided the contract has 

been in place for at least 5 years. The 

2014 Farm Bill mandates providing an 

opportunity for the early termination of 

CRP contracts, if certain criteria are met; 

FSA does not have any discretion 

whether to implement that change. 

Therefore, this change does not require 

further NEPA analysis. FSA estimates 

that approximately 3 million acres 

would be eligible for early termination 

under this provision. 

Managed Harvesting and Routine 

Grazing Payment Reduction 

As required by the 2014 Farm Bill, 

there will be a reduction in the annual 

rental payment of at least 25 percent for 

managed harvesting or routine grazing. 

This change clarifies the existing 

administrative procedure related to 

these practices. A reduction of 25 

percent in the annual rental payment 

was analyzed in the 2010 CRP SEIS; that 

analysis is incorporated by reference. 

Therefore, these changes do not require 

further analysis in the SPEIS. 

Transition Option Funding 

As specified in the 2014 Farm Bill, 

the funding authority to encourage the 

transfer of land from a retiring farmer or 

rancher to a beginning farmer or 

rancher, or a socially disadvantaged 

farmer or rancher, would be increased to 

$33 million and would expand the 

eligibility to include certain farmers or 

ranchers who are military veterans. This 

is a non-discretionary, administrative 

change and does not require further 

analysis in the SPEIS. 

Emergency Haying and Grazing 

Payment Reduction 

As specified in the 2014 Farm Bill, 

harvesting, grazing, or other commercial 

use of the forage in response to a 

drought, flooding, or other emergency is 

authorized without any reduction in the 

rental rate. The socioeconomic effects of 

emergency haying and grazing on the 

local and regional communities where 

these activities could occur has been 

previously analyzed in the 2010 CRP 

SEIS and the ‘‘2012 Environmental 

Assessment for Emergency Drought 

Response on Conservation Reserve 

Program Lands’’; those analyses are 

incorporated by reference. Accordingly, 

this non-discretionary change does not 

require further analysis. 

Prescribed Grazing Frequency 

FSA allows annual prescribed grazing 

for control of invasive plants. The 2010 

CRP SEIS analyzed the impacts of 

prescribed grazing in compliance with a 

grazing plan, which is part of the 

Conservation Plan that includes 

frequency, timing, stocking rates, and 

type of grazing animal; that analysis is 

incorporated by reference. The 2014 

Farm Bill provides clarification that 

such grazing can occur as determined in 

consultation with the State Technical 

Committee; this change does not require 

further analysis. 

Alternatives 

Many elements of the 2014 Farm Bill 

are mandatory and therefore, nondiscretionary or specifically required to 

be implemented. As FSA has no 

decision-making authority over those 

non-discretionary provisions of the 2014 

Farm Bill, they are specified and 

assessed in the Draft SPEIS as part of the 

No Action Alternative. 

Other provisions in the 2014 Farm 

Bill provide overall guidance for CRP, 

but FSA has some discretion in how to 

implement those provisions. These 

discretionary aspects of the 2014 Farm 

Bill form the Proposed Action. In 

addition, FSA proposes to implement 

additional discretionary measures for 

targeting enrollment of environmentally 

sensitive lands and to expand the 

flexibility of emergency haying and 

grazing in drought-designated areas to 

provide necessary support to producers 

and ranchers during difficult times. 

The Draft SPEIS assesses the 

following two alternatives: The No 

Action Alternative and the Proposed 

Action Alternative. 

No Action Alternative 

The No Action Alternative includes 

the following, each of which is 

discussed below: 

• Grasslands eligibility and 

authorized activities; and 

• Final year of contract. 

Grasslands Eligibility and Authorized 

Activities 

The 2014 Farm Bill makes grasslands, 

which would have been previously 

eligible for the Grassland Reserve 

Program (GRP), eligible for enrollment 

in CRP. The eligibility of grasslands and 

authorized activities are the same as 

those previously defined for GRP. 

Grasslands enrollment would be limited 

to no more than 2 million acres at any 

given time and would count against the 

total CRP maximum enrollment 

authority. Enrollment would occur 

through Continuous Sign-up. Grasslands 

would be enrolled in 10- or 15-year 

contracts like other CRP acreage. 

Authorized activities on grasslands 

would differ from other CRP lands and 

include: 

• Common grazing practices; 

• Haying, mowing, or harvesting for 

seed production; 

• Fire suppression, fire-related 

rehabilitation, and construction of fire 

breaks; and 

• Grazing-related activities, such as 

fencing and livestock watering. 

Final Year of Contract and Enrollment 

in New Program 

FSA allows a CRP participant to 

enroll expiring CRP land into the 

Conservation Stewardship Program 

during the year prior to the expiration 

of the CRP contract. FSA encourages 

agricultural and forestry producers to 

address resource concerns by 

undertaking additional conservation 

activities and improving and 

maintaining existing conservation 

systems. FSA pays participants for 

conservation performance—the higher 

the performance, the higher the 

payment. Land is enrolled in 5-year 

contracts through Continuous Sign-up. 

Furthermore, a stipulation in the 2014 

Farm Bill would allow CRP land to be 

enrolled in a new program, the 

Agricultural Conservation Easement 

Program, without violation of the CRP 

contract. In general, the Agricultural 

Conservation Easement Program 

combines the purposes of the Wetlands 

Reserve Program, the GRP, and the Farm 

and Ranchlands Protection Program by 

enrolling land in long-term or 

permanent easements. 

Proposed Action Alternative 

Some elements of the 2014 Farm Bill 

provide overall guidance but details of 

implementation are left to FSA’s 

discretion. These discretionary aspects 

of the 2014 Farm Bill form the Proposed 

Action alternative. In addition to the 

2014 Farm Bill mandatory provisions, 

FSA proposes to implement additional 

discretionary measures for targeting 

enrollment of environmentally sensitive 

lands and to expand the flexibility of 

emergency haying and grazing in 

drought designated areas. The 

components of the Proposed Action 

alterative include the following, each of 

which is discussed below: 

• Targeted enrollment; 

• Managed harvesting and routine 

grazing frequencies; and 

• Emergency haying and grazing on 

additional conservation practices. 

Targeted Enrollment 

Under the Proposed Action, in 

addition to the long-standing General 

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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 135 / Tuesday, July 15, 2014 / Notices 41249 

and Continuous Sign-up enrollment 

methods, FSA proposes to target 

enrollment of environmentally sensitive 

land through a reverse auction approach 

for select conservation practices. 

Targeted enrollment could enable FSA 

to meet the reduced CRP enrollment cap 

while preserving the ability to enroll 

land that would provide the greatest 

environmental benefit. This approach 

would be similar to Continuous Signup, but with an annual enrollment 

period, sign-up, and offer selection. 

Managed Harvesting and Routine 

Grazing Frequencies 

As specified in the 2014 Farm Bill, 

FSA continues to allow for managed 

harvesting (hay or biomass) and routine 

grazing of CRP acres provided these 

activities are included in the 

Conservation Plan and are consistent 

with the conservation of soil, water 

quality, and wildlife habitat. Harvesting 

and grazing activities must still avoid 

the Primary Nesting Season. The State 

Technical Committee must develop 

appropriate vegetation management 

requirements and identify periods 

during which the activities could occur 

such that the frequency is: 

• At least once every 5 years, but no 

more frequent than once every 3 years 

for managed harvesting; and 

• Not more frequent than once every 

2 years for routine grazing. 

Emergency Haying and Grazing on 

Additional Conservation Practices 

• The Proposed Action includes 

making additional conservation 

practices that are currently ineligible for 

any type of haying or grazing eligible for 

emergency haying and grazing to 

provide support to livestock producers 

during widespread drought conditions. 

Allowing haying and grazing on the 

proposed conservation practices in 

drought-designated areas would require 

concurrence and approval by certain 

State or federal agencies. 

Public Involvement 

The Draft SPEIS provides a means for 

the public and any interested parties to 

provide comments about the CRP 

changes analyzed in the Draft SPEIS. 

The Draft SPEIS can be reviewed online 

at: http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/ 

webapp?area=home&subject=ecrc&

topic=nep-cd or at http://crpspeis.com. 

FSA is having five public meetings to 

provide information and opportunities 

for discussing the changes to CRP 

specified by the 2014 Farm Bill and 

analyzed in the Draft SPEIS. The public 

meetings will feature an Open House 

format and interested parties are invited 

to attend the meeting at any time during 

the allotted timeframe. Posters and 

informational handouts as well as FSA 

representatives will be available for the 

duration of the meeting to answer 

questions concerning the Draft CRP 

SPEIS. The meetings are also an 

opportunity for interested parties to 

officially provide comments on the Draft 

CRP SPEIS. The meetings will be held 

at the following locations: 

Date Time Location information 

July 21, 2014 ................................... 6:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m. ...................... Hilton Garden Inn, Spokane Airport, 9015 West SR Highway 2, Spokane, Washington, 99224. 

July 22, 2014 ................................... 6:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m. ...................... Holiday Inn, Great Falls, 1100 5th Street, South Falls, Montana, 

59405. 

August 4, 2014 ................................ 6:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m ....................... Plains Cotton Cooperative Association, 3301 East 50th Street, Lubbock, Texas, 79404. 

August 5, 2014 ................................ 6:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m ....................... Stillwater Library, 1107 S Duck Street, Stillwater, Oklahoma, 74074. 

August 6, 2014 ................................ 6:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m ....................... Courtyard By Marriott and Moorhead Area, Conference Center, 1080 

28th Avenue, South, Moorhead, Minnesota, 56560. 

Signed on July 11, 2014. 

Juan M. Garcia, 

Administrator, Farm Service Agency, and 

Executive Vice President, Commodity Credit 

Corporation. 

[FR Doc. 2014–16711 Filed 7–14–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–05–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Food and Nutrition Service 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities: Proposed Collection; 

Comment Request—Supplemental 

Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) 

Employment and Training Study 

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service 

(FNS), USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 

notice invites the general public and 

other public agencies to comment on the 

proposed information collection. This is 

a new collection for the Supplemental 

Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) 

Employment and Training (E&T) Study. 

ADDRESSES: Comments are invited on: 

(a) Whether the proposed collection of 

information is necessary for the proper 

performance of Agency functions, 

including whether the information shall 

have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of 

the Agency’s estimated burden of the 

proposed information collection, 

including the validity of the 

methodology and assumptions that were 

used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 

utility, and clarity of the information to 

be collected; and (d) ways to minimize 

the burden of the information collection 

on respondents, including use of 

appropriate automated, electronic, 

mechanical, or other technological 

methods of data collection. 

Written comments may be sent to: 

Richard Lucas, Office of Policy Support, 

Food and Nutrition Service, USDA, 

3101 Park Center Drive, Room 1014, 

Alexandria, VA 22302. Comments may 

also be submitted via fax to the attention 

of Richard Lucas at 703–305–2576 or via 

email to Richard.Lucas@fns.usda.gov. 

Comments will also be accepted 

through the Federal eRulemaking Portal. 

Go to http://www.regulations.gov, and 

follow the online instructions for 

submitting comments electronically. 

DATES: Written comments must be 

received on or before September 15, 

2014. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To 

request more information on the 

proposed project or to obtain a copy of 

the data collection plans, contact 

Richard Lucas, Office of Policy Support, 

Food and Nutrition Service, USDA, 

3101 Park Center Drive, Room 1014, 

Alexandria, VA 22302. Comments may 

also be submitted via fax to the attention 

of Richard Lucas at 703–305–2576 or via 

email to Richard.Lucas@fns.usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Supplemental Nutrition 

Assistance Program (SNAP) 

Employment and Training Study 

Form Number: N/A. 

OMB Number: 0584–NEW. 

Expiration Date: Not yet determined. 

Type of Request: New collection. 

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