The Natural Resources Conservation Service issued a final rule to implement the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program after responding to and considering comments received on the interim rule.

President Obama issued Proclamation No. 9496, establishing the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, which is the first national marine monument in the Atlantic Ocean.

USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service issued its final rule to make permanent changes to the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, as required by the Agricultural Act of 2014, that were published on an interim basis on December 12, 2014.

BLM announced withdrawal of 32.56 acres of public land from settlement, sale, location, and entry under the general land laws, including U.S. mining laws, for a period of 20 years to protect the Buffalo Bill Dam and Reservoir and recreational facilities near Cody, Wyoming.

USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service proposed to amend the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP), its auxiliary provisions, and the indemnity regulations for the control of H5 and H7 low pathogenic avian influenza to clarify participation in the NPIP and amend participation requirements, amend definitions for poultry and breeding stock, amend the approval process for new diagnostic tests, and amend laboratory inspection and testing requirements.

USDA seeks public engagement on a special interagency report entitled the 2nd State of the Carbon Cycle Report, which will focus on U.S. and North American carbon cycle processes, stocks, and flows in the context of and interactions with global scale budgets and climate change impacts in managed and unmanaged systems, including soils, water, vegetation, aquatic-terrestrial interfaces, human settlements, agriculture, and forestry.

USDA announced the availability of a final guidance document for use by certified organic operations and accredited certifying agents entitled, Natural Resources and Biodiversity Conservation.

USDA announced the availability of a final guidance document for use by accredited certifying agents and by certified and exempt organic operations entitled, Substances Used in Post-Harvest Handling of Organic Products.

USDA expanded the organic assessment exemption set forth in commodity promotion programs to cover all “organic” and “100 percent organic” products certified under the National Organic Program regardless of whether the person requesting the exemption also produces, handles, markets, processes, manufactures, feeds, or imports conventional or nonorganic products.

The U.S. Forest Service proposes to revise a portion of the Code of Federal Regulations governing public participation requirements and procedures related to the issuance or revision of internal agency directives and will host a webinar to inform the public and obtain comment on the anticipated changes.