[Federal Register: March 23, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 55)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 14578-14579]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr23mr05-29]
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Proposed Rules
Federal Register
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This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of
the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these
notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in
the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Commodity Credit Corporation
Natural Resources Conservation Service
7 CFR Part 1466
Environmental Quality Incentive Program
AGENCY: Commodity Credit Corporation and the Natural Resources
Conservation Service, USDA.
ACTION: Request for public comments.
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SUMMARY: Under the regulations of the Commodity Credit Corporation for
the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), the Natural
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will review and update national
priorities for implementation based upon information gained from state
and national listening sessions and response to this document. This
document requests the public to provide input to NRCS about which
resource concerns should be given national priority in the
implementation of EQIP for FY 2006 and thereafter.
DATES: Comments must be received in writing by June 5, 2005. A national
listening session will be on May 5, 2005, 1 to 2 p.m., Media Center,
Room 107A, Whitten Building, 14th & Independence Avenue, SW.,
Washington, DC. The national listening session will be chaired by Bruce
I. Knight, Chief, NRCS.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments by mail to the Financial Assistance
Programs Division, Natural Resources Conservation Service, EQIP
Comments, Room 5231 South Office Building, 14th & Independence Avenue,
SW., Washington, DC 20250 or by e-mail to david.webster@usda.gov;
Subject: EQIP Comments. This request for comments may also be accessed
via the Internet through the NRCS homepage, at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov
, and by selecting ``Farm Bill 2002''. All comments
that are submitted, including names and addresses when provided, are
placed in the record and are available for public inspection.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Webster, EQIP Specialist,
Financial Assistance Programs Division, NRCS, Room 5231 South Office
Building, 14th & Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250;
telephone: (202) 720-5742; fax: (202) 720-4265; submit e-mail to:
david.webster@usda.gov, Attention: Environmental Quality Incentive
Program comments.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
General Information About the Environmental Quality Incentive Program
The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (the 2002 Act)
(Pub. L. 107-171, May 13, 2002) re-authorized and amended EQIP, 16
U.S.C. 3840 et seq. NRCS is seeking public comment to help the agency
review and assess the national priorities for EQIP.
Background
Through EQIP, NRCS assists farmers and ranchers who face threats to
soil, water, air, and related natural resources on their land. Eligible
lands for EQIP assistance include grazing lands, wetlands, private non-
industrial forestland, and wildlife habitat lands. Participation in the
program is voluntary. Under EQIP, NRCS provides assistance in a manner
that promotes agricultural production and environmental quality as
compatible goals, optimizes environmental benefits, and helps farmers
and ranchers meet Federal, State, and local environmental requirements.
NRCS offers the program throughout the Nation using the services of
NRCS personnel and technical service providers.
NRCS' approach to optimize environmental benefits integrates
consideration of national priorities in four key program components:
(1) The allocation of financial resources to States; (2) the allocation
of financial resources within States; (3) the selection of conservation
practices and the establishment of cost-share and incentive payment
levels; and (4) the application ranking process.
With consideration and evaluation of the input obtained from this
public notice and the public meetings, NRCS will update its national
priorities to reflect our most pressing natural resource needs and
emphasize off-site benefits to the environment. In the EQIP final rule,
published May 30, 2003 (68 FR 32337), NRCS identified the following
national priorities: (1) Reduction of non-point source pollution, such
as nutrients, sediment, pesticides, or excess salinity in impaired
watersheds consistent with Total Daily Maximum Loads (TMDL's), where
available, as well as the reduction of groundwater contamination and
the conservation of ground and surface water resources; (2) reduction
of emissions, such as particulate matter, nitrogen oxides
(NO2), volatile organic compounds, and ozone precursors and
depleters that contribute to air quality impairment violations of
National Ambient Air Quality Standards; (3) reduction in soil erosion
and sedimentation from unacceptable levels on agricultural land; and
(4) promotion of at-risk species habitat conservation.
In establishing the promotion of at-risk species habitat
conservation as a national priority, NRCS recognizes unique local
situations have the potential to add to federally-listed and candidate
species. NRCS supports activities that will reduce the need for
additional regulation, but will monitor implementation of this aspect
of the program to assure that primary focus is listed and candidate
species.
NRCS has also identified national measures that can help EQIP
achieve its national priorities and statutory requirements more
efficiently. These measures include identifying and implementing
conservation practices that: (1) Increase overall environmental
benefits, for example by addressing multiple resource concerns,
ensuring more durable environmental benefits and limiting adverse
ancillary impacts; (2) encourage innovation; (3) support the statutory
mandate to apply nationally 60 percent of available EQIP financial
assistance to livestock-related conservation practices; and (4) employ
appropriate tools to more comprehensively serve EQIP purposes, such as
Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans and Integrated Pest Management
Plans.
In the allocation of EQIP financial resource to States, NRCS uses
the national priorities as guidance in helping to determine the amount
of funds received by NRCS State
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Conservationists to use within their States. NRCS also retains a
portion of EQIP funding to reward NRCS State operations that
demonstrate a higher level of performance and address national
priorities. Within States, the NRCS State Conservationists consider
national priorities and measures as they allocate funds and determine
priority resource concerns within their State. The NRCS State
Conservationist, and the NRCS Designated Conservationists in
consultation with the local work group, develops an application ranking
that reflects both priority resource concerns within States and the
national priorities and measures.
NRCS will continue to rely on locally-led conservation as an
important cornerstone of EQIP. Using a locally-led process ensures
consideration of the wide variability between and within States
regarding resource issues, solutions, and limitations. Resource issues
and concerns change because of shifts in population, climatic, or
consumer habits; and Federal, State and local laws. Likewise, technical
solutions evolve with the advent of new technology and the availability
of new data on the effectiveness of practices.
As a result, EQIP implementation may vary across jurisdictional
boundaries. For example, some States may use State-level based program
delivery while others will use county or parish based or regional
(multi-county) based delivery.
NRCS is, by this document, requesting the public to provide comment
to which natural resource concerns should be given national priority in
the implementation of EQIP. NRCS will utilize this input from the
public, including affected stakeholders, and Federal agencies to make
any revision as required to address emerging resource issues.
Information and updates about the national priorities and measures will
be provided to the NRCS State Conservationists through revisions to the
Conservation Programs Manual, Part 515, Environmental Quality
Incentives Program.
Signed in Washington, DC, on March 9, 2005.
Bruce I. Knight,
Chief, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Vice President,
Commodity Credit Corporation.
[FR Doc. 05-5556 Filed 3-22-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-16-P