NRCS revises technical standards and requests comments

WASHINGTON, Dec. 8, 2003—USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service Chief Bruce Knight today announced that the agency has issued five new or revised conservation practice standards that provide guidance for applying conservation technology on the land.

“Conservation practice standards provide criteria for conservation districts, technical service providers, and others who offer conservation assistance to provide technically sound practices, on the ground, to our customers,” said Knight. 

Currently, NRCS has 166 conservation practice standards in its National Handbook of Conservation Practices.  Landowners and other customers may use these five practices in resource management systems that treat highly erodible land or on land determined to be wetland.

The standards were published in the Federal Register on Dec. 1, 2003, with a 30-day public comment period.  Comments must be submitted in writing by Dec. 31, 2003, to William Hughey, National Agricultural Engineer, USDA-NRCS, P.O. Box 2890, Room 6139-S, Washington DC 20013-2890 (phone 202-720-5023).  Single copies of the standards may be requested from Hughey and are available at http://www.ftw.nrcs.usda.gov/practice_stds.html.