Notice of Request for Revision of a Currently Approved Information Collection, 4777-4778 [E8-1354]
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mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 18 / Monday, January 28, 2008 / Notices
best use the scoping input, comments
must be received by March 10, 2008.
Include name, address, and title of the
project with your comments.
Early Notice of Importance of Public
Participation in Subsequent
Environmental Review: A draft
environmental impact statement will be
prepared for comment. The comment
period on the draft environmental
impact statement will be 45 days from
the date the Environmental Protection
Agency publishes the notice of
availability in the Federal Register.
The Forest Service believes, at this
early stage, it is important to give
reviewers notice of several court rulings
related to public participation in the
environmental review process. First,
reviewers of draft environmental impact
statements must structure their
participation in the environmental
review of the proposal so that it is
meaningful and alerts an agency to the
reviewer’s position and contentions.
Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power corp. v.
NRDC, 435 U.S. 519, 553 (1978). Also,
environmental objections that could be
raised at the draft environmental impact
statement stage but that are not raised
until after completion of the final
environmental impact statement may be
waived or dismissed by the courts. City
of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F.2d 1016,
1022 (9th Cir. 1986) and Wisconsin
Heritages, Inc. v. Harris, 490 F. Supp.
1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980). Because of
these court rulings, it is very important
that those interested in this proposed
action participate by the close of the 45day comment period so that substantive
comments and objections are made
available to the Forest Service at a time
when it can meaningfully consider them
and respond to them in the final
environmental impact statement.
To assist the Forest Service in
identifying and considering issues and
concerns on the proposed action,
comments on the draft environmental
impact statement should be as specific
as possible. It is also helpful if
comments refer to specific pages or
chapters of the draft statement.
Comments may also address the
adequacy of the draft environmental
impact statement or the merits of the
alternatives formulated and discussed in
the statement. Reviewers may wish to
refer to the Council on Environmental
Quality Regulations for implementing
the procedural provisions of the
National Environmental Policy Act at 40
CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.
Comments received, including the
names and addresses of those who
comment, will be considered part of the
public record on this proposal and will
be available for public inspection.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
17:56 Jan 25, 2008
Jkt 214001
(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22;
Forest Service Handbook 1909.15, Section
21)
Dated: January 18, 2008.
Nancy S. Larson,
LaCroix District Ranger.
[FR Doc. 08–335 Filed 1–25–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–11–M
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Housing Service
Rural Business-Cooperative Service
Notice of Request for Revision of a
Currently Approved Information
Collection
AGENCIES: Rural Housing Service and
Rural Business-Cooperative Service,
USDA.
ACTION: Proposed collection; comments
requested.
SUMMARY: In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this
notice announces the intention of the
above-named Agencies to request an
extension for the currently approved
information collection in support of the
servicing of Community and Direct
Business Programs Loans and Grants.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be
received by March 28, 2008 to be
assured of consideration.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Beth
Jones, Senior Loan Specialist,
Community Programs Direct Loans and
Grants Processing and Servicing, RHS,
USDA, 1400 Independence Ave., SW.,
STOP 0787, Washington, DC 20250–
0787, Telephone (202) 720–1498, Email: beth.jones@wdc.usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: 7 CFR 1951–E, Servicing of
Community and Direct Business
Programs Loans and Grants.
OMB Number: 0575–0066.
Expiration Date of Approval: June 30,
2008.
Type of Request: Extension of a
currently approved information
collection.
Abstract: The Community Facilities
program is authorized to make loans
and grants to public entities, nonprofit
corporations, and Indian tribes for the
development of essential community
facilities primarily serving rural
residents. The Direct Business and
Industry program, under Rural
Business-Cooperative Service, is
authorized to make loans to improve,
develop, or finance business, industry,
and employment, and improve the
economic and environmental climate in
rural communities.
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Sfmt 4703
4777
The purpose of this collection is to
establish security servicing policies,
assist recipients in meeting the
objectives of the loans and grants, repay
loans on schedule, comply with
agreements, and protect the
Government’s financial interest. Routine
servicing responsibilities include
collection of payments, compliance
reviews, security inspections, review of
financial reports, determining
applicant/borrower eligibility and
project feasibility for various servicing
actions, monitoring delinquent
accounts, and supervision activities.
Supervision by the Agencies include,
but is not limited to: review of budgets,
management reports, audits and
financial statements; performing
security inspections; providing,
arranging, or recommending technical
assistance; evaluating environmental
impacts of proposed actions by the
borrower; performing civil rights
compliance reviews; and assisting in the
development of workout agreements.
Information will be collected by the
field offices from applicants, borrowers,
consultants, lenders, and attorneys.
Failure to collect information could
result in improper servicing of these
loans.
Estimate of Burden: Public reporting
burden for this collection of information
is estimated to average 1 hour per
response.
Respondents: State, local or tribal
Governments, Not-for-profit institutions,
businesses, and individuals.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
587.
Estimated Number of Responses per
Respondent: 2.
Estimated Number of Responses:
1,094.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on
Respondents: 1,042.
Copies of the information collection
can be obtained from Cheryl Thompson,
Regulations and Paperwork
Management Branch, at (202) 692–0043.
Comments: Comments are invited on:
(a) Whether the proposed collection of
information is necessary for the proper
performance of the functions of the
Agencies, including whether the
information will have practical utility;
(b) the accuracy of the Agencies’
estimate of the burden of the proposed
collection of information including the
validity of the methodology and
assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance
the quality, utility and clarity of the
information to be collected; and (d)
ways to minimize the burden of the
collection of information on those who
are to respond, including through the
use of appropriate automated,
electronic, mechanical, or other
E:\FR\FM\28JAN1.SGM
28JAN1
4778
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 18 / Monday, January 28, 2008 / Notices
technological collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
Comments may be sent to Cheryl
Thompson, Regulations and Paperwork
Management Branch, U.S. Department
of Agriculture, Rural Development, 7th
Floor, Room 701, 300 7th Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20024. All responses to
this notice will be summarized and
included in the request for OMB
approval. All comments will also
become a matter of public record.
Dated: January 18, 2008.
Russell T. Davis,
Administrator, Rural Housing Service.
Ben Anderson,
Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative
Service.
[FR Doc. E8–1354 Filed 1–25–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–XV–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Utilities Service
Announcement of Grant Application
Deadlines and Funding Levels for the
Assistance to High Energy Cost Rural
Communities
Rural Utilities Service, USDA.
Notice of funding availability
(NOFA).
AGENCY:
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
ACTION:
SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service, an
agency delivering the United States
Department of Agriculture’s (USDA)
Rural Development Utilities Programs,
hereinafter referred to as Rural
Development and/or the Agency,
announces the availability of $6.8
million in Fiscal Year 2008 for
competitive grants to assist
communities with extremely high
energy costs. This grant program is
authorized under section 19 of the Rural
Electrification Act of 1936 (RE Act) (7
U.S.C. 918a) and program regulations at
7 CFR part 1709. The grant funds may
be used to acquire, construct, extend,
upgrade, or otherwise improve energy
generation, transmission, or distribution
facilities serving communities in which
the average residential expenditure for
home energy exceeds 275 percent of the
national average. Eligible applicants
include persons, States, political
subdivisions of States, and other entities
organized under State law. Federallyrecognized Indian tribes and tribal
entities are eligible applicants. This
notice describes the eligibility and
application requirements, the criteria
that will be used by the Agency to
award funding, and information on how
to obtain application materials. All
grants awarded under this NOFA are
contingent on the availability of
VerDate Aug<31>2005
17:56 Jan 25, 2008
Jkt 214001
appropriated funds. The Catalog of
Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA)
Number for this program is 10.859. You
may obtain the application guide and
materials for the Assistance to High
Energy Cost Rural Communities Grant
Program via the Internet at the following
Web site: https://www.usda.gov/rus/
electric/. You may also request the
application guide and materials from
USDA Rural Development by contacting
the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT section of this
notice.
DATES: You may submit completed grant
applications on paper or electronically
according to the following deadlines:
• Paper applications must be
postmarked and mailed, shipped, or
sent overnight, no later than March 28,
2008 or hand delivered to the Agency by
this deadline, to be eligible for under
this NOFA. Late or incomplete
applications will not be eligible for FY
2008 grant funding.
• Electronic applications must be
submitted through Grants.gov no later
than March 28, 2008 to be eligible under
this NOFA for FY 2008 grant funding.
Late or incomplete electronic
applications will not be eligible.
• Applications will be accepted on
publication of this notice.
ADDRESSES: You may submit completed
applications for grants on paper or
electronically to the following
addresses:
• Paper applications are to be
submitted to the United States
Department of Agriculture, Rural
Development Electric Program, 1400
Independence Avenue, SW., STOP
1560, Room 5165 South Building,
Washington, DC 20250–1560.
Applications should be marked
‘‘Attention: High Energy Cost
Community Grant Program.’’
• Applications may be submitted
electronically through Grants.gov.
Information on how to submit
applications electronically is available
on the Grants.gov Web site (https://
www.Grants.gov). Applicants must
successfully pre-register with Grants.gov
to use the electronic applications
option. Application information may be
downloaded from Grants.gov without
pre-registration.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Karen Larsen, Management Analyst,
United States Department of
Agriculture, Rural Development Electric
Program, 1400 Independence Avenue,
SW., STOP 1560, Room 5165 South
Building, Washington, DC 20250–1560.
Telephone 202–720–9545, Fax 202–
690–0717, e-mail
energy.grants@wdc.usda.gov.
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Overview Information
Federal Agency Name: United States
Department of Agriculture, Rural
Development Utilities Programs,
Assistant Administrator, Electric
Programs.
Funding Opportunity Title: Assistance
to High Energy Cost Rural Communities.
Announcement Type: Initial
announcement.
Funding Opportunity Number:
USDA–RD–RUS–HECG07.
Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance (CFDA) Number: 10.859. The
CFDA title for this program is
‘‘Assistance to High Energy Cost Rural
Communities.’’
Dates: Applications must be
postmarked and mailed or shipped, or
hand delivered to the Agency, or filed
with Grants.gov by March 28, 2008.
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Rural Development is making
available $6.8 million in competitive
grants under section 19 of the Rural
Electrification Act of 1936 (the ‘‘RE
Act’’) (7 U.S.C. 918a). Under section 19,
the Agency Administrator is authorized
to make grants to ‘‘acquire, construct,
extend, upgrade, and otherwise improve
energy generation, transmission, or
distribution facilities’’ serving extremely
high energy cost communities. Eligible
communities are those in which the
average residential expenditure for
home energy is at least 275 percent of
the national average residential
expenditure for home energy under one
or more of the benchmarks published in
this notice. Program regulations are
codified at 7 CFR part 1709.
The purpose of this grant program is
provide financial assistance for a broad
range of energy facilities, equipment
and related activities to offset the
impacts of extremely high residential
energy costs on eligible communities.
Grant funds may be used to purchase,
construct, extend, repair, upgrade and
otherwise improve energy generation,
transmission, or distribution facilities
serving eligible communities. Eligible
facilities include on-grid and off-grid
renewable energy systems and
implementation of cost-effective
demand side management and energy
conservation programs that benefit
eligible communities. Grant funds may
not be used to pay utility bills or to
purchase fuel. Grant projects under this
program must provide community
benefits and not be for the sole benefit
of an individual applicant, household,
or business.
Eligible applicants include for-profit
and non-profit businesses, cooperatives,
E:\FR\FM\28JAN1.SGM
28JAN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 18 (Monday, January 28, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4777-4778]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-1354]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Housing Service
Rural Business-Cooperative Service
Notice of Request for Revision of a Currently Approved
Information Collection
AGENCIES: Rural Housing Service and Rural Business-Cooperative Service,
USDA.
ACTION: Proposed collection; comments requested.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this
notice announces the intention of the above-named Agencies to request
an extension for the currently approved information collection in
support of the servicing of Community and Direct Business Programs
Loans and Grants.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by March 28, 2008 to be
assured of consideration.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Beth Jones, Senior Loan Specialist,
Community Programs Direct Loans and Grants Processing and Servicing,
RHS, USDA, 1400 Independence Ave., SW., STOP 0787, Washington, DC
20250-0787, Telephone (202) 720-1498, E-mail: beth.jones@wdc.usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: 7 CFR 1951-E, Servicing of Community and Direct Business
Programs Loans and Grants.
OMB Number: 0575-0066.
Expiration Date of Approval: June 30, 2008.
Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved information
collection.
Abstract: The Community Facilities program is authorized to make
loans and grants to public entities, nonprofit corporations, and Indian
tribes for the development of essential community facilities primarily
serving rural residents. The Direct Business and Industry program,
under Rural Business-Cooperative Service, is authorized to make loans
to improve, develop, or finance business, industry, and employment, and
improve the economic and environmental climate in rural communities.
The purpose of this collection is to establish security servicing
policies, assist recipients in meeting the objectives of the loans and
grants, repay loans on schedule, comply with agreements, and protect
the Government's financial interest. Routine servicing responsibilities
include collection of payments, compliance reviews, security
inspections, review of financial reports, determining applicant/
borrower eligibility and project feasibility for various servicing
actions, monitoring delinquent accounts, and supervision activities.
Supervision by the Agencies include, but is not limited to: review
of budgets, management reports, audits and financial statements;
performing security inspections; providing, arranging, or recommending
technical assistance; evaluating environmental impacts of proposed
actions by the borrower; performing civil rights compliance reviews;
and assisting in the development of workout agreements.
Information will be collected by the field offices from applicants,
borrowers, consultants, lenders, and attorneys.
Failure to collect information could result in improper servicing
of these loans.
Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of
information is estimated to average 1 hour per response.
Respondents: State, local or tribal Governments, Not-for-profit
institutions, businesses, and individuals.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 587.
Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 2.
Estimated Number of Responses: 1,094.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 1,042.
Copies of the information collection can be obtained from Cheryl
Thompson, Regulations and Paperwork Management Branch, at (202) 692-
0043.
Comments: Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of
the functions of the Agencies, including whether the information will
have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the Agencies' estimate of
the burden of the proposed collection of information including the
validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance
the quality, utility and clarity of the information to be collected;
and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on
those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other
[[Page 4778]]
technological collection techniques or other forms of information
technology. Comments may be sent to Cheryl Thompson, Regulations and
Paperwork Management Branch, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural
Development, 7th Floor, Room 701, 300 7th Street, SW., Washington, DC
20024. All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in
the request for OMB approval. All comments will also become a matter of
public record.
Dated: January 18, 2008.
Russell T. Davis,
Administrator, Rural Housing Service.
Ben Anderson,
Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative Service.
[FR Doc. E8-1354 Filed 1-25-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-XV-P
