[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:
    <bullet> Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.

[[Page 5732]]

    <bullet> 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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