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United States Department of Agriculture
Natural Resources Conservation Service
1221 College Park Drive, Suite 100
Dover, Delaware 19904
 
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Paul Petrichenko, 302/678-4180
Dastina Johnson, 302/678-4179

USDA Releases interim final rules for the agricultural management assistance program and state technical committees

Public Comment Period on Rules Ends in January, 2009

        Dover, DE, December 18, 2009—The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is seeking public comment on the interim final rules regarding State Technical Committees and the Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) Program as amended in the 2008 Farm Bill, State Conservationist Russell Morgan announced recently.  Public comments on AMA can be submitted until January 20, 2009; comments regarding the State Technical Committees are due by January 26, 2009.  Comments will be used to revise the interim final rules, which establish the policies to administer the programs.

        Changes to the AMA Program included the addition of one state—Hawaii—and mandatory program funding for the next four fiscal years. For the first time, mandatory funding is provided through the Farm Bill—$15 million for each fiscal year from 2008 through 2012. AMA, a voluntary, incentives-based program, helps agricultural producers on private land address natural resource issues such as water management, water quality and erosion control.                         

        Changes to the State Technical Committees include expanding agricultural and forestry involvement in the committees, expanding the committees’ authority to review local working groups’ efforts to address state program priorities, and requiring the Secretary of Agriculture to standardize committee operations nationwide. 

        The AMA and State Technical Committee interim final rules, including directions on how and where to submit comments, can be found at the USDA NRCS Web site at www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/farmbill/2008/interim-rules.html.   

        For additional information about the AMA or State Technical Committees, please visit http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs.       

        Additional information on NRCS in Delaware can be found at your local USDA Service Center.  In Kent County, call 302-741-2600 x 3; in Sussex, call 302-856-3990 x 3, and in New Castle, call 302-832-3100 x 3.

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Last Modified:  04/30/2007 11:06:32 AM