Appeal Procedures

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) issues this interim final rule amending NRCS's informal appeals procedures as required by Title II of the Federal Crop Insurance Reform and Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994, 7 U.S.C. 6991 et seq. (the 1994 Act). This interim final rule amends regulations promulgated by the interim final regulations published by the Secretary of Agriculture for NRCS on December 29, 1995 (60 FR 67313), and also includes new language to address statutory changes and make procedural and structural changes. Because of the substantive changes the agency is making to its informal appeal process under the current regulation, NRCS is publishing this rule as an interim final rule with request for comments. NRCS has determined that issuing an interim final rule with request for comments rather than a proposed rule was justified in order to implement the changes required by statute as well as to institute procedural improvements. This interim final rule with request for comments puts the public on notice of the changes being made while affording an opportunity to comment. At the same time, much needed changes and improvements to the current regulation may be implemented immediately thereby better serving the public and the USDA.