7358 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 23 / Friday, February 2, 2024 / Notices 

responses. This estimate is a decrease 

based on historical submission data and 

expectation that fewer interventions 

may be submitted to the SNAP-Ed 

Toolkit on a biennial basis. 

Estimated Time per Response: The 

revised estimated time per response for 

this voluntary collection is 5.5 hours for 

the Intervention Submission Form and 3 

hours for the Intervention Scoring Tool. 

This estimate was calculated based on 

feedback from the stakeholder 

consultation group. Estimates were 

averaged based on stakeholder feedback; 

any data outliers were not included in 

this estimate. This reflects an increase 

from the current estimate of 2 hours for 

the Intervention Submission Form and a 

decrease from the current estimate of 6 

hours for the Intervention Scoring Tool. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: The revised estimated 

total biennial burden on respondents for 

this voluntary collection is 353 hours, as 

this voluntary collection receives 

responses on a biennial basis. The 

revised estimated total annual burden 

on respondents for this voluntary 

collection is 176.5 hours. This revised 

estimate is a reduction from the current 

estimated total annual burden of 523 

hours. This revised estimate is a 

decrease based on historical submission 

data and expectation that fewer 

interventions may be submitted to the 

SNAP-Ed Toolkit on a biennial basis. 

There are no recordkeeping or thirdparty/disclosure requirements 

associated with this information 

collection. 

BURDEN ESTIMATE TABLE

Respondent category Burden activity Form 

Estimated 

number of 

respondents 

Responses 

per 

respondent 

Total annual 

responses 

Estimated 

hours per 

response 

Estimated 

total burden 

hours 

State/Local/Tribal Government.Completing intervention 

submission form.

FNS–886 22 1 22 5.5 121.0 

Completing intervention 

scoring tool.

FNS–885 15 2 30 3 90.0 

Training for intervention 

scoring tool.

FNS–885 15 1 15 1 15.0 

Subtotal: State/Local/ 

Tribal Government.

.......................................... 37 .................... 67 .................... 239.0 

Business, Non-Profit ........ Intervention Submission 

Form.

FNS–886 5 1 5 5.5 27.5 

Scoring Tool .................... FNS–885 5 2 10 3 30.0 

Scoring Tool (Training) ... FNS–885 5 1 5 1 5.0 

Subtotal: Business, 

Non-Profit.

.......................................... 10 .................... 20 .................... 91.5 

Business, Profit ................ Intervention Submission 

Form.

FNS–886 1 1 1 5.5 5.5 

Scoring Tool .................... FNS–885 2 2 4 3 12.0 

Scoring Tool (Training) ... FNS–885 2 1 2 1 2.0 

Subtotal: Business, 

Profit.

.......................................... 3 .................... 7 .................... 22.5 

Total .................. .......................................... 50 1.8800 94 3.7553 353.0 

Tameka Owens, 

Assistant Administrator, Food and Nutrition 

Service. 

[FR Doc. 2024–02064 Filed 2–1–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–30–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Natural Resources Conservation 

Service 

[Docket No. NRCS–2023–0022] 

Proposed Revisions to the National 

Handbook of Conservation Practices 

for the Natural Resources 

Conservation Service 

AGENCY: Natural Resources 

Conservation Service, U.S. Department 

of Agriculture. 

ACTION: Notice of availability, request 

for comments. 

SUMMARY: The Natural Resources 

Conservation Service (NRCS) is giving 

notice that it intends to issue a series of 

revised conservation practice standards 

in the National Handbook of 

Conservation Practices (NHCP). NRCS is 

also giving the public an opportunity to 

provide comments on the specified 

conservation practice standards in the 

NHCP. 

DATES: We will consider comments that 

we receive by March 4, 2024. 

ADDRESSES: We invite you to submit 

comments in response to this notice. 

You may submit your comments 

through one of the following methods 

below: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov and search 

for Docket ID NRCS–2023–0022. Follow 

the online instructions for submitting 

comments; or 

• Mail or Hand Delivery: Mr. Bill 

Reck, National Environmental Engineer, 

Conservation Engineering Division, 

NRCS, USDA, 1400 Independence 

Avenue, South Building, Room 4636, 

Washington, DC 20250. In your 

comment, please specify the Docket ID 

NRCS–2023–0022. 

All comments received will be made 

publicly available on http://

www.regulations.gov. 

The copies of the proposed revised 

standards are available through http://

www.regulations.gov by accessing 

Docket No. NRCS–2023–0022. 

Alternatively, the proposed revised 

standards can be downloaded or printed 

from https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/gettingassistance/conservation-practices. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

Bill Reck at (202) 317–0245, or email at 

bill.reck@usda.gov. Individuals who 

require alternative means for 

communication may contact the USDA 

TARGET Center at (202) 720–2600 

(voice and text telephone (TTY)) or dial 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 23 / Friday, February 2, 2024 / Notices 7359 

711 for Telecommunications Relay 

service (both voice and text telephone 

users can initiate this call from any 

telephone). 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

NRCS plans to revise the conservation 

practice standards in the NHCP. This 

notice provides an overview of the 

planned changes and gives the public an 

opportunity to offer comments on the 

specific conservation practice standards 

and NRCS’s proposed changes. 

NRCS State Conservationists who 

choose to adopt these practices in their 

States will incorporate these practices 

into the 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 wetland. 

Section 343 of the Federal Agriculture 

Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 

(Pub. L. 104–127) 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. 

Revisions to the National Handbook of 

Conservation Practices 

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, which can be found at: 

https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/resources/ 

guides-and-instructions/conservationpractice-standards. 

NRCS is requesting comments on the 

following conservation practice 

standards: 

• Field Border (Code 386); 

• Filter Strip (Code 393); 

• Grazing Management (Code 528); 

• Hedgerow Planting (Code 422); 

• Mulching (Code 484); 

• Seasonal Water Management for 

Wildlife (Code 646); 

• Structure for Water Control (Code 

587); and 

• Wetland Restoration (Code 657). 

The following are highlights of some 

of the proposed changes to each 

standard: 

Field Border (Code 386): Revised the 

‘‘Purpose’’ section to maintain 

consistency with the current resource 

concerns. Clarified the wording and 

formatting to increase readability of the 

‘‘General Criteria’’ section and added 

text to the ‘‘Introduction in the Plans 

and Specifications’’ section. 

Filter Strip (Code 393): Revised the 

definition to indicate the location of the 

filter strip. Revised the ‘‘Purpose’’ 

section to improve clarity and 

readability, added text to the ‘‘General 

Criteria’’ section to locate the filter strip 

downslope from a source area of 

contaminants and added a vegetation 

section. Added both criteria for flow 

lengths based on Agronomy Technical 

Note No. 2, and new content to specify 

burning frequency. Revised the 

‘‘Irrigation Tailwater and Excessive 

Sediment in Surface Waters’’ section to 

clarify the plant stem spacing. 

Grazing Management (Code 528): 

Changed the title to ‘‘Grazing 

Management’’ to eliminate confusion, 

promote a sense of adaptability, and 

better convey the intended purpose. 

Revised the ‘‘Purpose’’ section to add 

the purpose to reduce plant pest 

pressure and to create two new 

purposes from one existing purpose, one 

addressing soil erosion and the other 

addressing soil health related resource 

concerns. Revised the ‘‘General Criteria’’ 

section to include provisions to build 

resilience and resistance to 

climate-related disturbances. Added text 

to clarify that the standard is intended 

to be used for managing vegetation 

using herbivores. Added a new 

statement to the ‘‘Plans and 

Specifications’’ section referring to the 

National Range and Pasture Manual and 

clarified that contingency plans need to 

consider if weather events may be 

intensified due to climate change. 

Revised the ‘‘References’’ section. 

Hedgerow Planting (Code 422): 

Combined purposes to reduce the 

numbers from 10 to 5. Pollinator, 

terrestrial wildlife, and aquatic wildlife 

purposes were consolidated to a single 

wildlife purpose. The purposes 

intercepting airborne particulates, 

reducing chemical drift and odor 

movement were combined as a filtering 

section purpose. Screens and barriers to 

noise and dust were changed to a barrier 

section purpose which also includes 

living fences. Boundary delineation and 

contour guidelines were removed as a 

purpose but retained as a consideration. 

Mulching (Code 484): Clarified 

wording and formatting to increase 

readability. Deleted ‘‘Maintain or 

increase organic matter content.’’ Added 

‘‘non-biodegradable’’ to synthetic 

mulches in the ‘‘General Criteria’’ 

section. Revised the ‘‘Moisture 

Management Additional Criteria’’ title 

to ‘‘Additional Criteria to Improve the 

Efficiency of Rain-fed Moisture 

Management, to Improve Irrigation 

Energy Efficiency, or to Improve the 

Efficient Use of Irrigation Water.’’ 

Added paragraph on materials to 

moderate soil temperature to the 

‘‘Additional Criteria to Improve Plant 

Productivity and Health’’ section. 

Added the ‘‘Additional Criteria to 

Reduce Plant Pest Pressure’’ section. 

Revised the ‘‘Considerations’’ section 

for clarity and formatting to increase 

readability. Clarified and added an 

additional purpose in the ‘‘Plans and 

Specifications’’ section. Deleted one 

purpose on fire damage to mulch 

material and added a note that some 

biodegradable mulches can be disked 

into soil while others should be 

removed and composted in the 

‘‘Operation and Maintenance’’ section. 

Also, added an additional reference to 

the ‘‘Reference’’ section. 

Seasonal Water Management for 

Wildlife (Code 646): Title changed to 

‘‘Seasonal Water Management for 

Wildlife’’ to articulate the intent to 

provide temporary habitat needs 

through the management of water. 

Updated the standard to remove 

development and focus on management. 

Changed lifespan from 5 years to 1 year 

to align with other management 

practices. Development actions will be 

implemented through implementation 

of other practices. Added the 

requirement to use a state approved 

habitat assessment. 

Structure for Water Control (Code 

587): Updated formatting of the 

standard to meet current agency 

requirements. Minor revisions made for 

clarity and readability purposes. 

Wetland Restoration (Code 657): This 

standard was last revised in 2010. This 

practice will have a 15-year span. The 

primary purpose of this revision was to 

make plain that this conservation 

practice standard covers restoration of 

the abiotic characteristics (hydrology, 

topography, and soils). Other 

conservation practice standards are used 

to restore the plant community. Changes 

to the ‘‘Purpose’’ section were made to 

adequately align with resource 

concerns. Made minor changes for 

clarity and to better describe the 

practice definition, purpose, criteria, 

and considerations. Included supporting 

practices, as well as a list of activities 

that do not fall under this standard to 

alleviate confusion. Removed all 

references to permitting requirements, 

as those requirements are provided by 

NRCS national conservation planning 

policy and should not be included in a 

technical standard. 

USDA Non-Discrimination Policy 

In accordance with Federal civil 

rights law and U.S. Department of 

Agriculture (USDA) civil rights 

regulations and policies, USDA, its 

agencies, offices, and employees, and 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
7360 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 23 / Friday, February 2, 2024 / Notices 

institutions participating in or 

administering USDA programs are 

prohibited from discriminating based on 

race, color, national origin, religion, sex, 

gender identity (including gender 

expression), sexual orientation, 

disability, age, marital status, family or 

parental status, income derived from a 

public assistance program, political 

beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior 

civil rights activity, in any program or 

activity conducted or funded by USDA 

(not all bases apply to all programs). 

Remedies and complaint filing 

deadlines vary by program or incident. 

Individuals who require alternative 

means of communication for program 

information (e.g., braille, large print, 

audiotape, American Sign Language, 

etc.) should contact the responsible 

agency or the USDA TARGET Center at 

(202) 720–2600 (voice and text 

telephone (TTY)) or dial 711 for 

Telecommunicaions Relay Service (both 

voice and text telephone users can 

initiate this call from any phone). 

Additionally, program information may 

be made available in languages other 

than English. 

To file a program discrimination 

complaint, complete the USDA Program 

Discrimination Complaint Form, AD– 

3027, found online at https://

www.usda.gov/oascr/how-to-file-aprogram-discrimination-complaint and 

at any USDA office or write a letter 

addressed to USDA and provide in the 

letter all the information requested in 

the form. To request a copy of the 

complaint form, call (866) 632–9992. 

Submit your completed form or letter to 

USDA by: (1) mail to: U.S. Department 

of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant 

Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 

Independence Avenue SW, Washington, 

DC 20250–9410; (2) fax: (202) 690–7442; 

or (3) email: OAC@usda.gov. 

USDA is an equal opportunity 

provider, employer, and lender. 

Louis Aspey, 

Associate Chief, Natural Resources 

Conservation Service. 

[FR Doc. 2024–02077 Filed 2–1–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–16–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

Bureau of Economic Analysis 

[Docket Number—240126–0025] 

Nomination of Individuals to the 

Federal Economic Statistics Advisory 

Committee 

AGENCY: Bureau of Economic Analysis, 

Census Bureau, Department of 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of request for 

nominations. 

SUMMARY: The Under Secretary for 

Economic Affairs requests the 

nomination of individuals to the Federal 

Economic Statistics Advisory 

Committee (FESAC or the Committee). 

The Under Secretary for Economic 

Affairs, in coordination with the 

Directors of the Bureau of Economic 

Analysis (BEA) and the Census Bureau, 

as well as the Commissioner of the 

Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor 

Statistics (BLS), will consider 

nominations received in response to this 

notice, as well as from other sources. 

DATES: Nominations for FESAC will be 

accepted on an ongoing basis and will 

be considered as and when vacancies 

arise. 

ADDRESSES: Please submit nominations 

by email to Gianna.marrone@bea.gov 

(subject line ‘‘FESAC Nomination’’). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Gianna Marrone, Committee 

Management Official, Department of 

Commerce, Bureau of Economic 

Analysis, telephone 301–278–9282, 

email: gianna.marrone@bea.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: FESAC 

was established in accordance with the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 

U.S.C. app. 2). The following sections 

provide information about the 

Committee, membership to the 

Committee, and the Committee’s 

nomination process. 

Objectives and Scope of FESAC 

Activities 

The Committee advises the Directors 

of BEA and the Census Bureau, as well 

as the Commissioner of BLS, on 

statistical methodology and other 

technical matters related to the design, 

collection, tabulation, and analysis of 

federal economic statistics. 

Description of FESAC Member Duties 

The Committee functions solely as an 

advisory committee to the senior 

officials of BEA, the Census Bureau, and 

BLS (the agencies). Important aspects of 

the Committee’s responsibilities 

include, but are not limited to: 

a. Recommending research to address 

important technical problems arising in 

the field of federal economic statistics; 

b. Identifying areas in which better 

coordination of the agencies’ activities 

would be beneficial; 

c. Exploring ways to enhance the 

agencies’ economic indicators to 

improve their timeliness, accuracy, and 

specificity to meet changing demands 

and future data needs; 

d. Improving the means, methods, and 

techniques to obtain economic 

information needed to produce current 

and future economic indicators; and 

e. Coordinating, in its identification of 

agenda items, with other existing 

academic advisory committees 

chartered to provide agency-specific 

advice, for the purpose of avoiding 

duplication of effort. 

The Committee meets once or twice a 

year, budget permitting. Additional 

meetings may be held as deemed 

necessary by the Under Secretary for 

Economic Affairs or the Designated 

Federal Official. All Committee 

meetings are open to the public in 

accordance with the Federal Advisory 

Committee Act. 

FESAC Membership 

The Committee will comprise 

approximately sixteen members who 

serve at the pleasure of the Secretary of 

Commerce. Members shall be appointed 

by the Under Secretary for Economic 

Affairs in consultation with the 

agencies. Committee members shall be 

professionals in appropriate disciplines, 

including economists, statisticians, 

survey methodologists, computer 

scientists, data scientists, and 

behavioral scientists who are experts in 

their fields and are recognized for their 

scientific, professional, and operational 

achievements and objectivity. 

Membership will represent data users 

with expertise from the public sector, 

academia, and the private sector. 

Members will be chosen to achieve a 

balanced membership that will meet the 

needs of the agencies. 

Members shall serve as Special 

Government Employees (SGEs) and 

shall be subject to the applicable ethics 

rules. 

A FESAC member term is three years. 

Members may serve more than one term 

as described in the FESAC Charter, 

available at: https://apps.bea.gov/fesac/. 

Compensation for Members 

Members of the Committee serve 

without compensation but may be 

reimbursed for Committee-related travel 

and lodging expenses. 

Solicitation of Nominations 

The Committee is currently filling one 

or more positions on FESAC. 

The Under Secretary of Economic 

Affairs, in consultation with the 

agencies, will consider nominations of 

all qualified individuals to ensure that 

the Committee includes the areas of 

experience noted above. Individuals 

may nominate themselves or other 

individuals. Professional associations 

and organizations also may nominate 

one or more qualified persons for 

Committee membership. Nominations 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES