7 CFR - § 612.1-612.7 - Snow Surveys and Water Supply Forecasts

472 7 CFR Ch. VI (1–1–23 Edition) § 611.20 soon as is practicable following field work or other soil survey activity that provides new soil survey information. (b) Content. Soil survey information conforms with standards and meets the needs identified in the soil survey MOU or work plan as described in § 611.10 of this part. Soil survey information in cludes: (1) Soil maps that delineate the loca tion and extent of various soil areas; (2) Soil characteristics for each of the soil areas shown on soil maps; (3) Interpretations of the soil charac teristics; and (4) Information about the source, version, and applicability or limita tions associated with the soil survey information. (c) Maintenance. Soil survey informa tion is reviewed on a periodic basis to ensure that the information continues to meet evolving needs. (d) Distribution. Soil survey informa tion is disseminated to the public through electronically accessible maps and reports, electronic access to data files, or printed documents. To the ex tent practicable, as limited by com monly accepted technology, soil survey information is disseminated in elec tronic form. (e) Resource conservation plan data. In formation prepared specifically for use in developing resource conservation plans for soil conservation district co operators is considered confidential. Soil maps and interpretations prepared for this use will not be made available to others without the consent of the landowner as well as the district gov erning body. However, soil survey in formation from which the conservation plan was developed may be dissemi nated as described in paragraph (a) of this section. Subpart C—Cartographic Operations § 611.20 Function. The NRCS National Cartography and Geospatial Center provides car tographic services needed to carry out NRCS functions. Cartographic services include general cartography, photo grammetry, aerial photography, plani metric and topographic mapping, draft ing, and specialized types of reproduc tion. § 611.21 Availability of aerial photog raphy. The National Cartography and Geospatial Center obtains necessary clearance for all aerial photography for NRCS. New aerial photography of des ignated areas in the United States is obtained yearly by NRCS through com petitive contracting. This photography is obtained only after it is determined that imagery of these areas available from other sources does not meet NRCS scale and quality requirements. Orders for reproductions of NRCS aer ial photography are subject to the fee schedule cited in § 1.2(b) of this title. Order reproductions from the National Cartography and Geospatial center: USDA—National Resources Conserva tion Service; P.O. Box 6567, FWFC Bldg. 23; 501 W. Felix Street; Forth Worth, Texas 76115. § 611.22 Availability of satellite im agery. Cloud-free maps of the United States based on imagery received from a sat ellite are prepared and released to the public by NRCS. The maps offer the first image of the United States not ob scured by clouds or distortions. Orders or requests for information should be directed to the National Cartography and Geospatial Center, USDA—Natural Resources Conservation Service; P.O. Box 6567, FWFC-Bldg. 23; 501 W. Felix Street; Forth Worth, Texas 76115. Or ders are subject to the fee schedule cited in § 1.2(b) of this title. PART 612—SNOW SURVEYS AND WATER SUPPLY FORECASTS Sec. 612.1 Purpose and scope. 612.2 Snow survey and water supply forecast activities. 612.3 Data collected and forecasts. 612.4 Eligible individuals or groups. 612.5 Dissemination of water supply fore casts and basic data. 612.6 Application for water supply forecast service. 612.7 Forecast user responsibility. AUTHORITY: 26 Stat. 653; Sec. 8, Reorg. Plan No. IV of 1940, 54 Stat. 1234 (5 U.S.C. App. II); 5 FR 2421, 3 CFR 1938–1943 Comp. P. 1288. VerDate Sep<11>2014 09:51 Apr 04, 2023 Jkt 259017 PO 00000 Frm 00482 Fmt 8010 Sfmt 8010 Q:\07\7V6.TXT PC31aw or le y on L A P 50 LW 1R 2 w ith $ $ JO B 473 Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA § 612.5 SOURCE: 40 FR 12067, Mar. 17, 1975, unless otherwise noted. § 612.1 Purpose and scope. This part sets forth Natural Re sources Conservation Service (NRCS) policy and procedure for the adminis tration of a cooperative snow survey and water supply forecast program. The program provides agricultural water users and other water manage ment groups in the western states area with water supply forecasts to enable them to plan for efficient water man agement. The program also provides the public and the scientific commu nity with a data base that can be used to accurately determine the extent of the now resource. The western states area comprises Alaska, Arizona, Cali fornia (east side of the Sierra Nevada mountain range only), Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. § 612.2 Snow survey and water supply forecast activities. To carry out the cooperative snow survey and water supply forecast pro gram, NRCS: (a) Establishes, maintains, and oper ates manual and automated snow course and related hydro meteorolog ical networks. Planning for such net works is carried out in accordance with OMB Circular A–62. (b) Determines and provides informa tion on the expected water supply, in cluding seasonal streamflow data. If pertinent and appropriate to the needs of cooperators and not otherwise avail able to them, may provide necessary interpretative analyses and forecasts required for operation of water-control structures and/or agricultural oper ations. (c) On request and to the extent NRCS resources and any required coop erator contributions are available, es tablishes hydrometeorological stations to cllect and provide data and nec essary interpretive analyses to the re questing party. By written agreement NRCS may accept cooperators’ funds, materials, equipment, and services for this purpose. (d) Develops and encourages use of new techniques and improving data collection and processing. (e) Cooperates with other federal, state, and local agencies, organiza tions, and Canadian provinces and agencies. § 612.3 Data collected and forecasts. (a) Basic data are currently collected at numerous sites in the western states area. Data sites generally include a snow course where both snow depth and water equivalent of snow are measured. However, special sites may measure only snow depth or water equivalent. Many of these sites also provide related drometeorological data, such as pre cipitation, temperature, humidity, solar tradiation, and wind. (b) Water supply forecasts in the western states area are generally made monthly from January through June. Forecasts may be made more fre quently for an established need when data are available to NRCS. § 612.4 Eligible individuals or groups. (a) Any individual or group who is a significant water user and who would benefit from a water supply forecast may obtain forecasts from NRCS on a regular basis provided data are avail able to NRCS to develop a forecast at the desired location. (b) The program collects and inter prets data as a service and an aid to ag ricultural interests, particularly those served by or affiliated with soil, water, and other conservation districts. Infor mation collected by NRCS for these agricutural users is also made avail able to other Federal, State, and pri vate agencies and to the general public without charge. Cooperator financial contribution is usually required for special measurements or interpreta tions beyond the scope of the regular program. § 612.5 Dissemination of water supply forecasts and basic data. Water supply outlook reports pre pared by NRCS and its cooperators containing water supply forecasts and basic data are usually issued monthly by each NRCS state office in the west ern states area for the months of Janu ary through June. Other reports jointly issued by NRCS and its cooperators in clude a fall water supply summary, an nual and accumulative summaries of VerDate Sep<11>2014 09:51 Apr 04, 2023 Jkt 259017 PO 00000 Frm 00483 Fmt 8010 Sfmt 8010 Q:\07\7V6.TXT PC31aw or le y on L A P 50 LW 1R 2 w ith $ $ JO B 474 7 CFR Ch. VI (1–1–23 Edition) § 612.6 data, and a western states area report covering water supply outlook. § 612.6 Application for water supply forecast service. Requests for obtaining water supply forecasts or related assistance may be directed to any NRCS office in the western states areas. NRCS offices are described in part 600 of this chapter. § 612.7 Forecast user responsibility. The forecast user’s obligation to the federal government is to give appro priate credit and recognition to NRCS for information furnished. The Federal Government does not assume any re sponsibility for management decisions the user makes which may be based in whole or part on information provided by NRCS. PART 613—PLANT MATERIALS CENTERS Sec. 613.1 Purpose. 613.2 Policy and objectives. 613.3 NRCS responsibilities in plant mate rials. 613.4 Special production of plant materials. 613.5 PMCs. AUTHORITY: 16 U.S.C. 590a–590f, 5908; 7 U.S.C. 1010–1011. SOURCE: 73 FR 51351, Sept. 3, 2008, unless otherwise noted. § 613.1 Purpose. This part provides NRCS policy on the operation of PMCs. The Centers have responsibilities for assembling, testing, releasing, and providing for the commercial production and use of plant materials and plant materials technology for programs of soil, water, and related resource conservation and development. § 613.2 Policy and objectives. (a) It is NRCS policy to assemble, comparatively evaluate, release, and distribute for commercial increase new or improved plant materials and plant materials technology needed for broad programs of resource conservation and development for agriculture, wildlife, urban, recreation, and other land uses and environmental needs. It is the pol icy of NRCS to conduct plant materials work in cooperation with other agen cies of the Department of Agriculture, such as the Agricultural Research Service, and with other Federal and State research agencies, including State agricultural experiment stations. The emphasis of the NRCS plant mate rials work is to find suitable plants to address conservation needs. In con trast, the emphasis of research agen cies and organizations in plant develop ment is to improve economically im portant crops. The NRCS program of testing and releasing new seed-propa gated plant materials follows the guidelines in ‘‘Statement of Respon sibilities and Policies Relating to the Development, Release, and Multiplica tion of Publicly Developed Varieties of Seed-Propagated Crops,’’ which was adopted in June 1972, by Land Grant Colleges and interested Federal agen cies. NRCS releases improved conserva tion plant materials requiring vegeta tive multiplication in ways appropriate for particular States and particular species by working with experiment stations, crop improvement associa tions, and other State and Federal agencies. (b) The objective of the plant mate rials activity is to select or develop special and improved plants and tech niques for their successful establish ment and maintenance to solve con servation problems and needs related to: (1) Controlling soil erosion on all lands; (2) Conserving water; (3) Protecting upstream watersheds; (4) Reducing sediment movement into waterways and reservoirs through the stabilization of critical sediment sources, such as surface mined lands, highway slopes, recreation sites, and urban and industrial development areas; (5) Stabilizing disposal areas for liq uid and solid wastes; (6) Improving plant diversity and lengthening the grazing season on dryland pastures and rangelands; (7) Managing brush on mountain slopes with fire-retarding plant cover to reduce the possibility of fires that threaten life and property, or result in serious sediment sources; VerDate Sep<11>2014 09:51 Apr 04, 2023 Jkt 259017 PO 00000 Frm 00484 Fmt 8010 Sfmt 8010 Q:\07\7V6.TXT PC31aw or le y on L A P 50 LW 1R 2 w ith $ $ JO B