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Notices Federal Register

27995 

Vol. 74, No. 112 

Friday, June 12, 2009 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Natural Resources Conservation 

Service 

RIN 0578–AA48 

Conservation Practice Technical 

Assistance 

AGENCY: Natural Resources 

Conservation Service, United States 

Department of Agriculture. 

ACTION: Notice; request for comment. 

SUMMARY: Section 1242(h) of the Food 

Security Act of 1985, as amended by the 

Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 

2008 (2008 Act), requires that the 

Natural Resources Conservation Service 

(NRCS): (1) Review conservation 

practice standards, including 

engineering design specifications, in 

effect on June 18, 2008; (2) ensure the 

completeness and relevance of the 

standards to local agricultural, forestry, 

and natural resource needs including 

specialty crops, native and managed 

pollinators, bioenergy crop production, 

forestry, and other such needs as 

determined by the Secretary; and (3) 

ensure, to the maximum extent 

practicable, that the standards provide 

for the optimal balance between meeting 

site-specific conservation needs and 

minimizing risks of design failure and 

associated costs of construction and 

installation. NRCS conducted an 

internal review of the conservation 

practice standards and met with various 

stakeholder groups, as required by 

section 1242(h)(2), to obtain their input 

about how to improve the completeness 

and relevance of the standards. NRCS is 

hereby notifying the public of the 

results of the preliminary review and 

requests comments from the public 

about how to improve the conservation 

practice standards to meet the goals and 

objectives of Section 1242(h) of the 

Food Security Act of 1985, as amended. 

DATES: Comment Date: Submit 

comments on or before August 11, 2009. 

ADDRESSES: You may send comments 

using any of the following methods: 

• Government-wide rulemaking Web 

site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov 

and follow the instructions for sending 

comments electronically. 

• Mail: Norman Widman, National 

Agronomist, Department of Agriculture, 

Natural Resources Conservation Service, 

Conservation Practice Standard 

Comments, Post Office Box 2890, 

Washington, DC 20013. 

• Fax: (202) 720–5334. 

• E-mail: 

nrcscpta2008@wdc.usda.gov. 

• Hand Delivery: USDA South 

Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, 

SW., Room 5234, Washington, DC 

20250, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., 

Monday through Friday, except Federal 

Holidays. Please ask the guard at the 

entrance to the South Building to call 

(202) 720–4630 in order to be escorted 

into the building. 

• This notice may be accessed via 

Internet. Users can access the NRCS 

homepage at http://www.nrcs.usda. 

gov/; select the Farm Bill link from the 

menu; select Notices. 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 and TDD). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Norman Widman, National Agronomist, 

Department of Agriculture, Natural 

Resources Conservation Service, P.O. 

Box 2890, Washington, DC 20013–2890; 

or e-mail: norm.widman@wdc.usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NRCS 

provides technical assistance to clients 

through the conservation planning 

process. The planning process involves: 

(1) Determining the client goals and 

resource concerns (conservation needs), 

(2) developing of treatment options, (3) 

recording the client’s decisions, and (4) 

evaluating the conservation treatment. 

The conservation practice standards 

used to apply conservation contain 

information on why and where the 

practice is applied, and sets forth the 

minimum technical criteria that must be 

met during the application of that 

practice in order for it to achieve its 

intended purposes. The engineering 

design specifications address how the 

practice is to be applied or installed and 

are developed for site-specific 

conditions. Conservation practices are 

designed to address the treatment of 

resource needs and are not directed to 

specific types of farming or 

commodities. 

Agricultural and environmental 

groups expressed concern during the 

development of the 2008 Act that NRCS 

conservation practice standards did not 

adequately address or have relevance to 

particular types of farming operations or 

natural resource needs. As a result of 

those concerns, Section 2706 of the 

2008 Act amended Section 1242(h)(1) of 

the Food Security Act of 1985 to require 

the Secretary of Agriculture to review 

conservation practice standards, 

including engineering design 

specifications, in effect on June 18, 

2008; ensure, to the maximum extent 

practicable, the completeness and 

relevance of the standards to local 

agricultural, forestry, and natural 

resource needs, including specialty 

crops, native and managed pollinators, 

bioenergy crop production, forestry, and 

such other needs as are determined by 

the Secretary; and ensure that the 

standards provide for the optimal 

balance between meeting site-specific 

conservation needs and minimizing 

risks of design failure and associated 

costs of construction and installation. 

Section 1242(h)(2) of the Food Security 

Act of 1985, as amended, requires the 

Secretary, in conducting the review of 

the conservation practice standards, to 

consult with eligible participants, crop 

consultants, cooperative extension and 

Land Grant Universities, 

nongovernmental organizations, and 

other qualified entities. Additionally, if 

any revisions to the conservation 

practice standards are determined 

necessary, the Secretary is required to 

establish an administrative process for 

expediting the revisions. 

During July 2008 through September 

2008, NRCS conducted a preliminary 

internal review of all conservation 

practice standards (at both the national 

and State levels) by technical discipline 

leaders to evaluate the practice 

applicability to organic farming, 

specialty crops, precision agriculture, 

pollinators, bio-energy production, and 

forestry. Through its internal review, 

NRCS made the following preliminary 

determinations: 

1. NRCS conservation practice 

standards have the flexibility to address 

the resource needs on all types of 

farming operations and resource 

interests, including those specified in 

27996 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 112 / Friday, June 12, 2009 / Notices 

section 1242(h). NRCS will modify 

selected practices to better clarify their 

relevance to local agricultural, forestry, 

and natural resource needs, including 

specialty crops, native and managed 

pollinators, and bioenergy crop 

production. 

2. Practices are designed to balance 

design, construction, and installation 

with minimal risk of failure. 

3. NRCS field staff would benefit from 

additional training to better apply our 

current practices on non-traditional 

farming operations. 

4. NRCS needs to recognize the 

special needs of the non-traditional 

farming operations when payment 

schedules are developed. 

In addition to its internal review, 

NRCS met with several different groups 

representing organic agriculture, 

specialty crop production, forestry, 

pollinators, and precision farming to 

discuss our conservation practice 

standards and technical assistance. This 

meeting took place in December 2008 at 

the NRCS National Headquarters in 

Washington, DC. The results of the 

national and State conservation practice 

review were discussed with those 

present, and they were asked to send 

comments concerning the review by 

January 9, 2009. No comments were 

received. 

In order to obtain the widest possible 

input and to ensure NRCS fully meets 

the intent and spirit of the Section 

1242(h) conservation practice review 

requirements, NRCS is now seeking 

further comments from the public on its 

conservation practice standards through 

August 11, 2009. A list of all the USDA– 

NRCS National Conservation Practice 

Standards (166) is attached as an 

Appendix to this Notice. The specific 

content of the standards can be found at 

the following URL: http:// 

www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/ 

standards/nhcp.html. NRCS requests 

public input on the relevance of any 

particular conservation practice to meet 

the needs the different types of farming 

operations and resource needs, or how 

any particular conservation practice can 

be modified or improved to achieve 

such goals. NRCS will publish in the 

Federal Register the final results of the 

conservation practice review and the 

modifications made in response to such 

review. 

As required by section 1242(h)(3), 

NRCS has a process to expedite any 

revisions to the conservation practice 

standards necessitated by this review. 

This process includes the following 

options: (1) Revising the conservation 

practice at the national level by the 

national technical leader, (2) revising 

the conservation practice at the State 

level by the State technical leader, or (3) 

the State Conservationist can request a 

conservation practice variance from the 

NRCS National Headquarters. 

Signed this 4th day of June, 2009, in 

Washington, DC. 

Dave White, 

Chief, Natural Resources Conservation 

Service. 

Appendix 

List of NRCS National Conservation 

Practice Standards; http:// 

www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/standards/ 

nhcp.html. 

Code Conservation practice title 

431 ..................... Above Ground, Multi-Outlet Pipeline (ft). 

472 ..................... Access Control (ac). 

560 ..................... Access Road (ft). 

309 ..................... Agrichemical Handling Facility (no). 

311 ..................... Alley Cropping (ac). 

591 ..................... Amendments for Treatment of Agricultural Waste. 

365 ..................... Anaerobic Digester, Ambient Temperature (no). 

366 ..................... Anaerobic Digester, Controlled Temperature (no). 

316 ..................... Animal Mortality Facility (no). 

575 ..................... Animal Trails and Walkways (ft). 

450 ..................... Anionic Polyacrylamide (PAM) Erosion Control (ac). 

397 ..................... Aquaculture Ponds (ac). 

370 ..................... Atmospheric Resources Quality Management (ac), 

310 ..................... Bedding (ac). 

314 ..................... Brush Management (ac). 

322 ..................... Channel Bank Vegetation (ac). 

584 ..................... Channel Stabilization (ft). 

326 ..................... Clearing & Snagging (ft). 

360 ..................... Closure of Waste Impoundments (no). 

317 ..................... Composting Facility (no). 

327 ..................... Conservation Cover (ac). 

328 ..................... Conservation Crop Rotation (ac). 

656 ..................... Constructed Wetland (no). 

332 ..................... Contour Buffer Strips (ac). 

330 ..................... Contour Farming (ac). 

331 ..................... Contour Orchard and Other Fruit Areas (ac). 

340 ..................... Cover Crop (ac). 

342 ..................... Critical Area Planting (ac). 

589A .................. Cross Wind Ridges (ac). 

589C .................. Cross Wind Trap Strips (ac). 

348 ..................... Dam, Diversion (no). 

402 ..................... Dam (no & ac-ft). 

324 ..................... Deep Tillage (ac). 

356 ..................... Dike (ft). 

362 ..................... Diversion (ft). 

554 ..................... Drainage Water Management (ac). 

432 ..................... Dry Hydrant (no). 

647 ..................... Early Successional Habitat Development/Mgt. (ac). 

592 ..................... Feed Management (no & au). 

382 ..................... Fence (ft). 

386 ..................... Field Border (ft). 

393 ..................... Filter Strip (ac). 

Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 112 / Friday, June 12, 2009 / Notices 27997 

Code Conservation practice title 

394 ..................... Firebreak (ft). 

396 ..................... Fish Passage (mi). 

398 ..................... Fish Raceway or Tank (ft & ft3). 

399 ..................... Fishpond Management (no). 

511 ..................... Forage Harvest Management (ac). 

384 ..................... Forest Slash Treatment (ac). 

666 ..................... Forest Stand Improvement (ac). 

655 ..................... Forest Trails and Landings (ac). 

383 ..................... Fuel Break (ac). 

410 ..................... Grade Stabilization Structure (no). 

412 ..................... Grassed Waterway (ac). 

548 ..................... Grazing Land Mechanical Treatment (ac). 

561 ..................... Heavy Use Area Protection (ac). 

422 ..................... Hedgerow Planting (ft). 

603 ..................... Herbaceous Wind Barriers (ft). 

423 ..................... Hillside Ditch (ft). 

320 ..................... Irrigation Canal or Lateral (ft). 

388 ..................... Irrigation Field Ditch (ft). 

464 ..................... Irrigation Land Leveling (ac). 

552 ..................... Irrigation Regulating Reservoir (no). 

436 ..................... Irrigation Storage Reservoir (no & ac-ft). 

441 ..................... Irrigation System Microirrigation (no & ac). 

442 ..................... Irrigation System Sprinkler (no & ac). 

443 ..................... Irrigation System Surface & Subsurface (no & ac). 

447 ..................... Irrigation System, Tailwater Recovery (no). 

428A .................. Irrigation Water Conveyance, Ditch and Channel Lining, Plain Concrete (ft). 

428B .................. Irrigation Water Conveyance, Ditch and Channel Lining, Flexible Membrane (ft). 

428C .................. Irrigation Water Conveyance, Ditch and Channel Lining, Galvanized Steel (ft). 

430AA ................ Pipeline, Aluminum Tubing (ft). 

430BB ................ Pipeline, Asbestos-Cement (ft). 

430CC ............... Pipeline, Nonreinforced Concrete (ft). 

430DD ............... Pipeline, High-pressure, Underground, Plastic (ft). 

430EE ................ Pipeline, Low-pressure, Underground, Plastic (ft). 

430FF ................ Pipeline, Steel (ft). 

430GG ............... Pipeline, Reinforced Plastic Mortar (ft). 

449 ..................... Irrigation Water Management (ac). 

460 ..................... Land Clearing (ac). 

543 ..................... Land Reclamation, Abandoned Mined Land (ac). 

544 ..................... Land Reclamation, Currently Mined Land (ac). 

453 ..................... Land Reclamation, Landslide Treatment (no & ac). 

455 ..................... Land Reclamation, Toxic Discharge Control (no). 

466 ..................... Land Smoothing (ac). 

468 ..................... Lined Waterway or Outlet (ft). 

634 ..................... Waste Transfer (no). 

457 ..................... Mine Shaft & Adit Closing (no). 

482 ..................... Mole Drain (ft). 

353 ..................... Monitoring Well (ea). 

484 ..................... Mulching (ac). 

379 ..................... Multi-Story Cropping. 

590 ..................... Nutrient Management (ac). 

500 ..................... Obstruction Removal (ac). 

582 ..................... Open Channel (ft). 

512 ..................... Pasture & Hay Planting (ac). 

595 ..................... Pest Management (ac). 

516 ..................... Pipeline (ft). 

378 ..................... Pond (no). 

521C .................. Pond Sealing or Lining, Bentonite Sealant (no). 

521A .................. Pond Sealing or Lining, Flexible Membrane (no). 

521B .................. Pond Sealing or Lining, Soil Dispersant (no). 

521D .................. Pond Sealing or Lining, Compacted Clay Treatment (no). 

462 ..................... Precision Land Forming (ac). 

338 ..................... Prescribed Burning (ac). 

409 ..................... Prescribed Forestry (ac). 

528 ..................... Prescribed Grazing (ac). 

533 ..................... Pumping Plant (no). 

550 ..................... Range Planting (ac). 

562 ..................... Recreation Area Improvement (ac). 

566 ..................... Recreation Land Grading and Shaping (ac). 

568 ..................... Recreation Trail and Walkway (ft). 

329 ..................... Residue and Tillage Management, No Till/Strip Till/Direct Seed (ac). 

345 ..................... Residue and Tillage Management, Mulch Till (ac). 

346 ..................... Residue and Tillage Management, Ridge Till (ac). 

344 ..................... Residue Management, Seasonal (ac). 

643 ..................... Restoration and Management of Rare or Declining Habitats (ac). 

27998 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 112 / Friday, June 12, 2009 / Notices 

Code Conservation practice title 

391 ..................... Riparian Forest Buffer (ac). 

390 ..................... Riparian Herbaceous Cover (ac). 

555 ..................... Rock Barrier (ft). 

558 ..................... Roof Runoff Structure (no). 

557 ..................... Row Arrangement (ac). 

570 ..................... Runoff Management System (no & ac). 

610 ..................... Salinity and Sodic Soil Management (ac). 

350 ..................... Sediment Basin (no). 

646 ..................... Shallow Water Development and Management (ac). 

381 ..................... Silvopasture Establishment (ac). 

527 ..................... Sinkhole and Sinkhole Area Treatment (no). 

632 ..................... Solid/Liquid Waste Separation Facility. 

572 ..................... Spoil Spreading (ac). 

574 ..................... Spring Development (no). 

580 ..................... Streambank and Shoreline Protection (ft). 

578 ..................... Stream Crossing (no). 

395 ..................... Stream Habitat Improvement and Management (ac). 

585 ..................... Stripcropping (ac). 

587 ..................... Structure for Water Control (no). 

606 ..................... Subsurface Drain (ft). 

607 ..................... Surface Drainage, Field Ditch (ft). 

608 ..................... Surface Drainage, Main or Lateral (ft). 

609 ..................... Surface Roughening (ac). 

600 ..................... Terrace (ft, m). 

612 ..................... Tree/Shrub Establishment (ac). 

490 ..................... Tree/Shrub Site Preparation (ac). 

660 ..................... Tree/Shrub Pruning (ac). 

620 ..................... Underground Outlet (ft). 

645 ..................... Upland Wildlife Habitat Management (ac). 

635 ..................... Vegetated Treatment Area (ac). 

601 ..................... Vegetative Barrier (ft). 

630 ..................... Vertical Drain (no). 

367 ..................... Waste Facility Cover (no). 

313 ..................... Waste Storage Facility (no). 

629 ..................... Waste Treatment. 

359 ..................... Waste Treatment Lagoon (no). 

633 ..................... Waste Utilization (ac). 

636 ..................... Water Harvesting Catchment (no). 

614 ..................... Watering Facility (no). 

638 ..................... Water and Sediment Control Basin (no). 

640 ..................... Waterspreading (ac). 

642 ..................... Water Well (no). 

351 ..................... Well Decommissioning (no). 

355 ..................... Well Water Testing (no). 

658 ..................... Wetland Creation (ac). 

659 ..................... Wetland Enhancement (ac). 

657 ..................... Wetland Restoration (ac). 

644 ..................... Wetland Wildlife Habitat Management (ac). 

380 ..................... Windbreak/Shelterbelt Establishment (ft). 

650 ..................... Windbreak/Shelterbelt Renovation (ft). 

[FR Doc. E9–13870 Filed 6–11–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–16–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Business-Cooperative Service 

Notice of Contract Proposal (NOCP) for 

Payments to Eligible Advanced Biofuel 

Producers 

AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative 

Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: This Notice announces the 

intention of the U.S. Department of 

Agriculture to enter into Contracts to 

make payments to Eligible Advanced 

Biofuel Producers to support and ensure 

an expanding production of Advanced 

Biofuels. This program is authorized 

under Title IX, Section 9001, of the 

Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 

2008 (Pub. L. 110–234). In addition, this 

program is intended to support Federal 

policy calling for greater production and 

use of Advanced Biofuels. The Agency 

will authorize up to $30 million in 

funding for this program for fiscal year 

(FY) 2009. 

DATES: Applications for participating in 

this program for Fiscal Year 2009 must 

be received between June 12, 2009 and 

August 11, 2009. 

The comment period for information 

collection under the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995 continues 

through August 11, 2009. Comments on 

the paper work burden must be received 

by this date to be assured of 

consideration. 

ADDRESSES: Application materials may 

be obtained by contacting the USDA, 

Rural Development State Office, 

Renewable Energy Coordinator. Submit 

applications to the Rural Development 

State Office in the State in which the 

applicant’s principal office is located. 

USDA Rural Development State 

Renewable Energy Coordinators 

Note: Telephone numbers listed are not 

toll-free.