National Handbook of Conservation Practices

Notice of Proposed Change to the Natural Resources Conservation Service's National Handbook of Conservation Practices

[Federal Register: October 17, 1996 (Volume 61, Number 202)
Notices, Page 54152]

Natural Resources Conservation Service

Notice of Proposed Change to the Natural Resources Conservation Service's National Handbook of Conservation Practices

AGENCY: Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), U.S. Department of Agriculture.

ACTION: Notice of availability of proposed changes in the NRCS National Handbook of Conservation Practices for review and comment.

SUMMARY: It is the intention of NRCS to issue a series of new conservation practice standards in its National Handbook of Conservation Practices. These new standards include Forage Harvest Management (Code 511); Mine Shaft and Adit Closing (Code 457); and Vegetative Barriers (Code 601). NRCS State Conservationist's who choose to adopt these practices for use within their state will incorporate them into Section IV of their Field Office Technical Guide (FOTG). Some of these practices may be used in conservation systems that treat highly erodible land.

DATES: Comments will be received until not later than November 18, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Inquire in writing to Gary Nordstrom, Director, Ecological Sciences Division (ECS), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Post Office Box 2890, Room 6154­S, Washington, DC 20013.

Copies of these standards are available from NRCS­ECS in Washington, DC. Copies are also available electronically on the NRCS server at Fort Worth, Texas. The name of the server is ''ftp.ftw.nrcs.usda.gov.'' Practice standards appear as files in ''/ pub/nhcp/pending.'' Practice code numbers are used as file names in this subdirectory. These standards are available as MS Word 6.0 files. They should be downloaded from the FTP server as binary files.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 343 of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 states that revisions made after enactment of the law to NRCS State technical guides used to carry out highly erodible land and wetland provisions of the law shall be made available for public review and comment. For the next 30 days the NRCS will receive comments relative to the proposed changes. Following that period a determination will be made by the NRCS regarding disposition of those comments and a final determination of change will be made.

Gary R. Nordstrom,
Director, Ecological Sciences Division,
Natural Resources Conservation Service,
Washington, DC.

[FR Doc. 96­26591 Filed 10­16­96; 8:45 am]