Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program (CELCP)-FY 2009 Competition, 30060-30063 [E8-11677]
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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 101 / Friday, May 23, 2008 / Notices
Dated: May 15, 2008.
Stephen J. Claeys,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Import
Administration.
[FR Doc. E8–11625 Filed 5–22–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–DS–S
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Institute of Standards and
Technology
[Docket No. 080508641–8643–01]
Request for Technical Input—
Standards in Trade Workshops
National Institute of Standards
and Technology, Commerce.
ACTION: Request for Workshop
Recommendations.
dwashington3 on PRODPC61 with NOTICES
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The National Institute of
Standards and Technology (NIST)
invites interested parties to submit
recommendations for workshops
covering specific sectors and targeted
countries or regions of the world where
training in the U.S. system of standards
development, conformity assessment,
and metrology may facilitate trade.
Prospective workshops will be
scheduled for a 3 to 5 day period. This
notice is not an invitation for proposals
to fund grants, contracts or cooperative
agreements of any kind. NIST will offer
a limited number of workshops, based
upon the availability of resources.
Recommenders are encouraged to
consider Administration priorities
outlined in the 2007 National Export
Strategy. NIST will consider
recommendations based upon which
workshops would be most useful to
intended audiences.
DATES: All recommendations must be
submitted no later than 5 p.m., June 23,
2008.
ADDRESSES: All recommendations must
be submitted to Ellen Emard via e-mail
(ellen.emard@nist.gov) or by mail to 100
Bureau Drive, Mail Stop 2100,
Gaithersburg, MD, 20899. The National
Export Strategy is available at https://
www.ita.doc.gov/media/publications/
abstract/nes2007desc.html. Additional
information about the NIST Standards
in Trade Workshop is available at
https://ts.nist.gov/standards/global/
sitdescr.cfm.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Ellen Emard (301) 975–4038,
ellen.emard@nist.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Standards in Trade Workshops are a
major activity of the Global Standards
and Information Group in the NIST
Standards Services
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Division. The workshops are designed
to provide timely information to foreign
standards officials on U.S. practices in
standards and conformity assessment.
Participants are introduced to U.S.
technology and principles in metrology,
standards development and application,
and conformity assessment systems and
procedures. Each workshop offers an
overview of the roles of the U.S.
Government, private sector, and
regional and international organizations
engaged in standards development and
conformity assessment practices.
Specific workshop objectives are to: (1)
Familiarize participants with U.S.
technology and practices in metrology,
standardization, and conformity
assessment; (2) describe and provide an
understanding of the roles of the U.S.
Government and the private sector in
developing and implementing
standards; (3) convey the structure of
the standards and conformity
assessment systems in the invited
country or countries and the role and
responsibilities of organizations
represented by the invitees; and (4)
facilitate professional contacts as a basis
for strengthening technical ties and
enhancing trade.
Workshop recommendations
(maximum 5 pages) must address at a
minimum the following points, in the
order noted and labeled accordingly:
1. Name and Description of the
Recommending Person or Organization
Provide the primary mailing address,
and the name, telephone number and
email address of the primary point of
contact.
2. Industry Sector and Suggested
Workshop Title which captures the
essence of the recommendation
Provide a title that considers the goals
and potential benefits of the workshop.
3. Proposed Workshop Objectives
Describe the intended goals to be
attained, why they are important, the
specific workshop objectives, and U.S.
and foreign stakeholders that are likely
to participate.
4. Calendar Dates Suggested for
Workshop
Provide three or more suggested start
dates for the workshop. The first date
should be no earlier than 8 months from
the publication date of this
announcement.
5. Relevant NIST Organizational Link
Workshop topics must be linked to
NIST activities and/or research. The
appropriate NIST organizational unit,
laboratory or program must be identified
by the recommender and the relevance
of the activity to NIST must be
demonstrated. If known, identify the
specific NIST staff who could serve as
the NIST internal point of contact.
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6. Principal Topics
Provide a list of the suggested topics
for the workshop.
7. Related Site Visits and Events
Workshops can include visits to
relevant business sites or events.
Provide a list of suggested site visit
locations, events or other areas of
interest and discuss the relevance of
each to the overall purpose of the
proposed workshop’s goals.
8. Expected Outcomes/Measures of
Success
Include in this section a description
of:
a. The anticipated benefit of the
workshop for trade and market access;
b. The anticipated economic impacts
(in dollars);
c. The potential for future
opportunities for collaboration and
trade as a result of the workshop;
d. The measures of success; and
e. The desired results of the workshop
and how the results will be measured.
All recommendations must address
each of the above eight points and be
submitted to Ellen Emard via e-mail
(ellen.emard@nist.gov) or mail 100
Bureau Drive, Mail Stop 2100
Gaithersburg, MD 20899 no later than 5
p.m., June 23, 2008.
Dated: May 16, 2008.
Richard F. Kayser,
Chief Scientist.
[FR Doc. E8–11627 Filed 5–22–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–13–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[Docket No. 080515671–8672–01; I.D.
GF001]
Coastal and Estuarine Land
Conservation Program (CELCP)—FY
2009 Competition
Office of Ocean and Coastal
Resource Management (OCRM), the
National Ocean Service (NOS), National
Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of funding availability.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The purpose of this document
is to advise eligible coastal states and
territories (requirements described
below) that OCRM is soliciting coastal
and estuarine land conservation project
proposals for competitive funding under
the CELCP. States and territories must
have submitted to NOAA a draft CELCP
plan on or before May 1, 2008 in order
to be eligible to participate in the
FY2009 funding opportunity (see Final
Guidelines for Coastal and Estuarine
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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 101 / Friday, May 23, 2008 / Notices
Land Conservation Program for more
information on CELCP plan
requirements, available at https://
coastalmanagement.noaa.gov/land/
media/CELCPfinal02Guidelines.pdf.
Funding is contingent upon the
availability of FY 2009 Federal
appropriations. It is anticipated that
projects funded under this
announcement will have a grant start
date between March 1, 2009 and
October 1, 2009. The program authority
is 16 U.S.C. 1456d. Applicants must
comply with all requirements contained
in the full funding opportunity
announcement (see ADDRESSES).
DATES: The deadline for receipt of
proposals through Grants.gov or to the
OCRM office is 11:59 p.m. EST July 23,
2008. Applications may be submitted
electronically at https://www.grants.gov
or by mail to the address listed in this
announcement. Applicants are strongly
recommended to allow sufficient time
for delivery of materials, electronically
or by mail, by the deadline.
ADDRESSES: The full funding
opportunity announcement and
application materials are available
online at: https://www.grants.gov or
NOAA’s CELCP Web site under
‘‘Funding Opportunities’’ (https://
coastalmanagement.noaa.gov/land/
celcp_fundingop.html). They may also
be requested by contacting the program
official identified below.
To Request an Application Package or
for Further Information Contact: Elaine
Vaudreuil, Phone: (301) 713–3155 ext
103, E-mail: Elaine.Vaudreuil@noaa.gov
or Elisabeth Morgan, Phone: (301) 713–
3155 ext. 166, E-mail:
Elisabeth.Morgan@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Coastal and Estuarine Land
Conservation Program (CELCP) was
established ‘‘for the purpose of
protecting important coastal and
estuarine areas that have significant
conservation, recreation, ecological,
historical, or aesthetic values, or that are
threatened by conversion from their
natural or recreational state to other
uses.’’ This announcement solicits
proposals for land acquisition projects
(fee simple interest or conservation
easements) that can be completed
within 18 months from the start date of
the award and that have the purpose of
protecting important coastal and
estuarine areas. NOAA may extend
project grants up to an additional 18
months (for a total project period of 3
years maximum) if circumstances
warrant. The state or territory’s
designated lead agency for
implementing the CELCP may solicit
project proposals from additional state/
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territorial agencies, local governments
as defined at 15 CFR 24.3, or entities
eligible for assistance under Section
306A(e) of the Coastal Zone
Management Act (CZMA) (16 U.S.C.
1455a(e)), provided that each agency or
entity has the authority to acquire and
manage land for conservation purposes.
Eligible coastal states and territories
may select and submit up to three
projects for this competition. The
maximum amount that may be
requested for the Federal share of each
project is $3,000,000.
Project proposals should describe
how the project supports the purpose of
the CELCP (described above), and
specifically, how the project fits into the
state or territory’s CELCP plan.
The proposals should also detail: How
the project will be completed in a timely
manner, the existing and proposed uses
of the property, how the project site will
be managed in the future for long-term
conservation, the applicant’s
qualifications to acquire and manage
property for long-term conservation, the
basis for the requested funding amount,
including land acquisition costs and
other costs that directly support the
project, as well as the source of the nonFederal matching share.
The CELCP Guidelines, which were
published in the Federal Register on
June 17, 2003 (68 Fed. Reg. 35860–
35869), establish the eligibility,
procedural and programmatic
requirements for participation in the
CELCP, including the criteria for
financial assistance awards under the
program. The Guidelines outline the
criteria and process for eligible states
and territories to develop a CELCP plan,
nominate land conservation projects to
a national competitive process, as well
as the criteria and process for NOAA to
select projects at the national level for
funding. All applications submitted
pursuant to this notice must be
consistent with the CELCP Guidelines,
except that, for this solicitation, the
eligibility requirement that states and
territories have an approved CELC plan
will be expanded to include states and
territories that have submitted a draft
CELCP plan to NOAA by May 1, 2008,
for review. The CELCP Guidelines can
be found at https://
www.coastalmanagement.noaa.gov/
land/media/celcpfinal02guidelines.pdf.
Electronic Access: The full text of the
full funding opportunity announcement
for this program can be accessed via the
Grants.gov Web site at https://
www.grants.gov. The announcement
will also be available at https://
coastalmanagement.noaa.gov/land/
celcp_fundingop.html or by contacting
the program officials identified under
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
Applicants must comply with all
requirements contained in the full
funding opportunity announcement.
Statutory Authority: Authority for the
CELCP is 16 U.S.C. 1456d.
CFDA: 11.419, Coastal Zone
Management Administration Awards.
Funding Availability: NOAA
anticipates that approximately 20–60
projects may be included on a
competitively-ranked list of projects that
are ready and eligible for funding in FY
2009. Funding for projects selected for
the prioritized list is contingent upon
availability of Federal appropriations for
fiscal year 2009. Applicants are hereby
given notice that funds have not yet
been appropriated for this program. The
FY 2009 President’s Request for the
program is $15 million. Annual
appropriated funding levels for the
CELCP ranged from $8–$50 million in
fiscal years 2002–2008. The maximum
amount that may be requested for the
Federal share of each project of each
project is $3,000,000. The amount of
funding per award in previous years has
ranged from $380,000 to $3,000,000 for
competitively-selected projects,
depending on the amount requested,
size, and type of project. There is no
guarantee that sufficient funds will be
available to make awards for all
qualified projects. Publication of this
notice does not oblige NOAA to award
any specific project or to obligate any
available funds.
Eligibility: Only states and territories
with Coastal Zone Management
Programs or National Estuarine
Research Reserves approved under the
CZMA that have submitted a draft
CELCP plan to NOAA on or before May
1, 2008, are eligible to participate in this
funding competition. The eligible states
and territories are: Alabama, Alaska,
American Samoa, California,
Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia,
Guam, Hawaii, Indiana, Louisiana,
Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts,
Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire,
New Jersey, New York, North Carolina,
Northern Mariana Islands, Ohio,
Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico,
Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas,
Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.
The designated lead agency for
implementing the CELCP in each state
or territory is eligible to submit project
for funding under this competition. A
list of state lead agency contacts for the
CELCP can be found at: https://
www.coastalmanagement.noaa.gov/
land/media/celcpstateleadcontacts.pdf.
The state’s lead agency may solicit,
and include in their application, project
proposals from additional state
agencies, or local governments as
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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 101 / Friday, May 23, 2008 / Notices
defined at 15 CFR 24.3, or entities
eligible for assistance under section
306A(e) of the CZMA (16 U.S.C.
1455a(e)), provided that each has the
authority to acquire and manage land
for conservation purposes. Each state
may submit up to three project
proposals. The state will be responsible
for ensuring that allocated funds are
used for the purposes of and in a
manner consistent with this program.
Interested parties should contact the
applicable state’s CELCP lead contact
for additional details about the state’s
project solicitation requirements.
Cost Sharing Requirements: Federal
funds awarded under this program must
be matched with non-federal funds at a
ratio of 1:1, with the following
exception. The 1:1 matching
requirement is waived for any project
under $200,000 for Insular Areas,
defined as the jurisdictions of the U.S.
Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa,
and the Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands. Non-federal matching
funds may be derived from state, local,
non-governmental or private sources in
the form of cash or in-kind
contributions. Cost-sharing
requirements for the CELCP are
specified in Section 2.7 of the CELCP
Guidelines.
Evaluation and Selection Procedures:
The general evaluation criteria and
selection factors that apply to full
applications to this funding opportunity
are summarized below. The evaluation
criteria for full applications will have
different weights and details. Further
information about the evaluation criteria
and selection factors can be found in the
full funding opportunity announcement.
Evaluation Criteria for Projects: 1.
Importance and/or relevance of
proposed project to the program goals
(55 points out of 110). This evaluation
factor seeks to determine whether there
is intrinsic value in the proposed work
and relevance to NOAA, Federal,
regional, state/territorial, or local
priorities. 2. Technical/Scientific Merit
(25 points out of 110). This evaluation
factor seeks to determine whether the
proposed approach is technically sound
and/or innovative, if the methods are
appropriate, and whether there are clear
project goals and objectives. 3. Overall
Qualifications of Applicants (10 points
out of 110). This evaluation factor seeks
to determine whether the applicant
possesses the necessary education,
experience, training, facilities, and
administrative resources to accomplish
the project. 4. Project Costs (20 points
out of 110). The budget is evaluated to
determine if it is realistic and
commensurate with the project needs
and timeframe.
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Review and Selection Process: Once a
full application has been received,
NOAA will conduct an initial
administrative review to determine
compliance with requirements,
completeness of the application, and
eligibility of proposed costs and uses of
the property. All proposals will be
evaluated and scored individually in
accordance with the assigned weights of
the above evaluation criteria by an
independent peer mail review or by an
independent peer panel review. Both
Federal and non-Federal experts may be
used in this process. If non-Federal
experts are used in this process, no
consensus advice will be given by either
the peer mail reviewers or the
independent peer panel.
Each proposal will be reviewed by at
least three reviewers. Every project will
be scored by the same number of
reviewers. The scores will be presented
to the program officers and averaged for
a final score, which will be used to
produce a rank order of the proposals.
A final list will be ranked in order
unless the proposal is justified to be
selected out of rank order based upon
the appropriate selection factors, listed
below. The final ranked list may be
made available prior to final
appropriations or final selections.
Subsequent grant administration
procedures will be in accordance with
current DOC and NOAA grant
administration procedures.
Selection Factors for Projects: The
selecting official may choose to
recommend a proposal out of rank order
based upon: Availability of funding;
geographic distribution of projects and/
or funds; program objectives and
priorities; duplication with projects
funded, or under consideration by,
NOAA or other Federal agencies, the
applicant’s prior performance period,
and/or adequacy of information
necessary to make a NEPA
determination and draft necessary
documentation before recommendations
are made to the Grants Officer.
Intergovernmental Review:
Applications under this program are
subject to Executive Order 12372,
‘‘Intergovernmental Review of Federal
Programs.’’ A list of participating states
and the clearinghouse points of contact
can be found at https://whitehouse.gov/
omb/grants/spoc.html.
Limitation of Liability: In no event
will NOAA or the Department of
Commerce be responsible for proposal
preparation costs if this program fails to
receive funding or is cancelled because
of other agency priorities. Publication of
this announcement does not oblige
NOAA to award any specific project or
to obligate any available funds.
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National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA): NOAA must analyze the
potential environmental impacts, as
required by the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA), for applicant
projects or proposals that are seeking
NOAA federal funding opportunities.
Detailed information on NOAA
compliance with NEPA can be found at
the following NOAA NEPA Web site:
https://www.nepa.noaa.gov/, including
our NOAA Administrative Order 216–6
for NEPA, https://www.nepa.noaa.gov/
NAO216-6-TOC.pdf, and the Council on
Environmental Quality implementation
regulations, https://ceq.eh.doe.gov/nepa/
regs/ceq/toc_ceq.htm. Consequently, as
part of an applicant’s package, and
under their description of their program
activities, applicants are required to
provide detailed information on the
activities to be conducted, locations,
sites, species and habitat to be affected,
possible construction activities, and any
environmental concerns that may exist
(e.g., the use and disposal of hazardous
or toxic chemicals, introduction of nonindigenous species, impacts to
endangered and threatened species,
aquaculture projects, and impacts to
coral reef systems). In addition to
providing specific information that will
serve as the basis for any required
impact analyses, applicants may also be
requested to assist NOAA in drafting of
an environmental assessment, if NOAA
determines an assessment is required.
Applicants will also be required to
cooperate with NOAA in identifying
feasible measures to reduce or avoid any
identified adverse environmental
impacts of their proposal. The failure to
do so shall be grounds for not selecting
an application. In some cases if
additional information is required after
an application is selected, funds can be
withheld by the Grants Officer under a
special award condition requiring the
recipient to submit additional
environmental compliance information
sufficient to enable NOAA to make an
assessment on any impacts that a project
may have on the environment.
The Department of Commerce PreAward Notification Requirements for
Grants and Cooperative Agreements:
The Department of Commerce PreAward Notification Requirements for
Grants and Cooperative Agreements
contained in the Federal Register notice
of February 11, 2008 (73 FR 7696), are
applicable to this solicitation.
Paperwork Reduction Act: This
document contains collection-ofinformation requirements subject to the
Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). The
use of Standard Forms 424, 424A, 424B,
and SF–LLL have been approved by
OMB under the respective control
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numbers 0348–0043, 0348–0044, 0348–
0040, and 0348–0046.
Notwithstanding any other provision
of law, no person is required to respond
to, nor shall a person be subject to a
penalty for failure to comply with, a
collection of information subject to the
requirement of the PRA unless that
collection of information displays a
currently valid OMB control number.
Executive Order 12866: This notice
has been determined to be not
significant for purposes of Executive
Order 12866.
Executive Order 13132 (Federalism):
It has been determined that this notice
does not contain policies with
Federalism implications as that term is
defined in Executive Order 13132.
Administrative Procedure Act/
Regulatory Flexibility Act: Prior notice
and opportunity for public comment are
not required by the Administrative
Procedure Act or any other law for rules
concerning public property, loans,
grants, benefits, and contracts (5 U.S.C.
553(a)(2)). Because notice and
opportunity for comments are not
required pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553 or any
other law, the analytical requirements of
the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C.
601 et seq.) are inapplicable. Therefore,
a regulatory flexibility analysis has not
been prepared.
Dated: May 20, 2008.
John E. Potts,
Acting Associate Assistant Administrator for
Management and CFO/CAO, NOS, National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. E8–11677 Filed 5–22–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XH94
Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions;
General Provisions for Domestic
Fisheries; Application for Exempted
Fishing Permit
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notification of a proposal to
conduct exempted fishing; request for
comments.
dwashington3 on PRODPC61 with NOTICES
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The Assistant Regional
Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries,
Northeast Region, NMFS (Assistant
Regional Administrator), has made a
preliminary determination that the
subject exempted fishing permit (EFP)
application, which would exempt
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Atlantic sea scallop (scallop) vessels
participating in a modified scallop
dredge twine top (twine top) study from
minimum twine top mesh sizes, Closed
Area I Access Area (CAI) and Closed
Area II Access Area (CAII) closures, and
fish possession restrictions, should be
issued for public comment. The
Assistant Regional Administrator has
also made a preliminary determination
that the activities authorized under the
EFP would be consistent with the goals
and objectives of the Atlantic Sea
Scallop Fishery Management Plan
(FMP). However, further review and
consultation may be necessary before a
final determination is made.
DATES: Comments on this document
must be received on or before June 9,
2008.
Comments may be
submitted by e-mail. The mailbox
address for providing e-mail comments
is scallop.efp@noaa.gov. Include in the
subject line of the e-mail comment the
following document identifier:
‘‘Comments on dredge twine top EFP.’’
Written comments should be sent to
Patricia A. Kurkul, Regional
Administrator, NMFS, Northeast
Regional Office, 1 Blackburn Drive,
Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark the outside
of the envelope, ‘‘Comments on dredge
twine top EFP.’’ Comments may also be
sent via facsimile (fax) to (978) 281–
9135.
ADDRESSES:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Ryan Silva, Cooperative Research
Program Specialist, phone: 978–281–
9326, fax: 978–281–9135.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Coonamessett Farm submitted this EFP
application for research activities that
would assess a modified scallop dredge
twine top (twine top) designed to reduce
finfish bycatch while improving the
retention of scallops. The subject EFP
would exempt vessels from the
following regulations: Ten-inch (25.4–
cm) minimum twine top mesh size
specified at 50 CFR 648.51(b)(2); CAI
and CAII scallop vessel trip restrictions
specified at § 648.59(b)(5) and (c)(5),
respectively; and temporary exemptions
from scallop, Northeast multispecies,
monkfish, summer flounder, black sea
bass, scup, spiny dogfish, and skate
possession restrictions specified
throughout 50 CFR part 648.
The applicant states that previous
twine top selectivity research found that
the aft portion of the twine top is where
most scallop escapement occurs and the
forward portion of the twine top is
where most finfish escapement occurs.
The applicant postulates that by
decreasing the mesh size to 6 in (15.2
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30063
cm) in the aft portion of the twine top
while increasing the mesh size to 12 in
(30.5 cm) in the forward portion of the
twine top that both scallop retention
and finfish escapement would increase.
The experimental twine top would also
have lower hanging ratio beyond that of
a traditionally hung twine top, with the
hypothesis that this may further reduce
finfish bycatch.
The applicant states that to effectively
test the modified twine top, field trials
must occur in areas of high finfish
bycatch such as those found in CAI and
CAII. However, both CAI and CAII are
closed to scallop fishing for the 2008
fishing year (March 1, 2008–February
28, 2009). The applicant requests they
be allowed up to three 7-day trips
between September and November of
2008, in CAI and/or CAII. On these
trips, the applicant would compare
identical dredge frames fitted with a
standard twine top and a modified
twine top. All scallops and finfish
caught during these trips would be
processed for morphological data and
then returned to the sea as soon as
possible. Yellowtail flounder, as part of
a separate research experiment assessing
yellowtail flounder mortality in the
scallop dredge fishery, would be tagged
and released.
In addition to testing the twine top in
CAI and CAII, the applicant requests
authorization to test the modified twine
top on up to three fishing trips to the
Nantucket Lightship Access Area
(NLCA) and/or Elephant Trunk Access
Area (ETAA). Both the NLCA and ETAA
are open to scallop fishing in the 2008
fishing year. The applicant submitted a
proposal to conduct this research with
funding through the 2008 Atlantic Sea
Scallop Research Set-Aside (RSA)
Program. The 2008 Scallop RSA
Program proposals are currently under
review. If this project is funded through
the 2008 Scallop RSA Program, the
NLCA and ETAA trips that employed
the modified twine top would be
compensation fishing trips. If it is not
funded, the NLCA and ETAA trips
would be normal commercial scallop
fishing trips. This preliminary
determination to issue an EFP for this
research in no way implies that the
proposal submitted for funding through
the 2008 Scallop RSA Program will be,
or has been, favorably reviewed.
Exemption from scallop, Northeast
multispecies, monkfish, summer
flounder, black sea bass, scup, spiny
dogfish, and skate possession
restrictions would authorize project
investigators to temporarily possess
finfish for scientific data collection
purposes prior to returning all finfish to
the sea.
E:\FR\FM\23MYN1.SGM
23MYN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 101 (Friday, May 23, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30060-30063]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-11677]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[Docket No. 080515671-8672-01; I.D. GF001]
Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program (CELCP)--FY 2009
Competition
AGENCY: Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM), the
National Ocean Service (NOS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of funding availability.
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SUMMARY: The purpose of this document is to advise eligible coastal
states and territories (requirements described below) that OCRM is
soliciting coastal and estuarine land conservation project proposals
for competitive funding under the CELCP. States and territories must
have submitted to NOAA a draft CELCP plan on or before May 1, 2008 in
order to be eligible to participate in the FY2009 funding opportunity
(see Final Guidelines for Coastal and Estuarine
[[Page 30061]]
Land Conservation Program for more information on CELCP plan
requirements, available at https://coastalmanagement.noaa.gov/land/
media/CELCPfinal02Guidelines.pdf. Funding is contingent upon the
availability of FY 2009 Federal appropriations. It is anticipated that
projects funded under this announcement will have a grant start date
between March 1, 2009 and October 1, 2009. The program authority is 16
U.S.C. 1456d. Applicants must comply with all requirements contained in
the full funding opportunity announcement (see ADDRESSES).
DATES: The deadline for receipt of proposals through Grants.gov or to
the OCRM office is 11:59 p.m. EST July 23, 2008. Applications may be
submitted electronically at https://www.grants.gov or by mail to the
address listed in this announcement. Applicants are strongly
recommended to allow sufficient time for delivery of materials,
electronically or by mail, by the deadline.
ADDRESSES: The full funding opportunity announcement and application
materials are available online at: https://www.grants.gov or NOAA's
CELCP Web site under ``Funding Opportunities'' (https://
coastalmanagement.noaa.gov/land/celcp_fundingop.html). They may also
be requested by contacting the program official identified below.
To Request an Application Package or for Further Information
Contact: Elaine Vaudreuil, Phone: (301) 713-3155 ext 103, E-mail:
Elaine.Vaudreuil@noaa.gov or Elisabeth Morgan, Phone: (301) 713-3155
ext. 166, E-mail: Elisabeth.Morgan@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation
Program (CELCP) was established ``for the purpose of protecting
important coastal and estuarine areas that have significant
conservation, recreation, ecological, historical, or aesthetic values,
or that are threatened by conversion from their natural or recreational
state to other uses.'' This announcement solicits proposals for land
acquisition projects (fee simple interest or conservation easements)
that can be completed within 18 months from the start date of the award
and that have the purpose of protecting important coastal and estuarine
areas. NOAA may extend project grants up to an additional 18 months
(for a total project period of 3 years maximum) if circumstances
warrant. The state or territory's designated lead agency for
implementing the CELCP may solicit project proposals from additional
state/territorial agencies, local governments as defined at 15 CFR
24.3, or entities eligible for assistance under Section 306A(e) of the
Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) (16 U.S.C. 1455a(e)), provided that
each agency or entity has the authority to acquire and manage land for
conservation purposes. Eligible coastal states and territories may
select and submit up to three projects for this competition. The
maximum amount that may be requested for the Federal share of each
project is $3,000,000.
Project proposals should describe how the project supports the
purpose of the CELCP (described above), and specifically, how the
project fits into the state or territory's CELCP plan.
The proposals should also detail: How the project will be completed
in a timely manner, the existing and proposed uses of the property, how
the project site will be managed in the future for long-term
conservation, the applicant's qualifications to acquire and manage
property for long-term conservation, the basis for the requested
funding amount, including land acquisition costs and other costs that
directly support the project, as well as the source of the non-Federal
matching share.
The CELCP Guidelines, which were published in the Federal Register
on June 17, 2003 (68 Fed. Reg. 35860-35869), establish the eligibility,
procedural and programmatic requirements for participation in the
CELCP, including the criteria for financial assistance awards under the
program. The Guidelines outline the criteria and process for eligible
states and territories to develop a CELCP plan, nominate land
conservation projects to a national competitive process, as well as the
criteria and process for NOAA to select projects at the national level
for funding. All applications submitted pursuant to this notice must be
consistent with the CELCP Guidelines, except that, for this
solicitation, the eligibility requirement that states and territories
have an approved CELC plan will be expanded to include states and
territories that have submitted a draft CELCP plan to NOAA by May 1,
2008, for review. The CELCP Guidelines can be found at https://
www.coastalmanagement.noaa.gov/land/media/celcpfinal02guidelines.pdf.
Electronic Access: The full text of the full funding opportunity
announcement for this program can be accessed via the Grants.gov Web
site at https://www.grants.gov. The announcement will also be available
at https://coastalmanagement.noaa.gov/land/celcp_fundingop.html or by
contacting the program officials identified under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT. Applicants must comply with all requirements
contained in the full funding opportunity announcement.
Statutory Authority: Authority for the CELCP is 16 U.S.C. 1456d.
CFDA: 11.419, Coastal Zone Management Administration Awards.
Funding Availability: NOAA anticipates that approximately 20-60
projects may be included on a competitively-ranked list of projects
that are ready and eligible for funding in FY 2009. Funding for
projects selected for the prioritized list is contingent upon
availability of Federal appropriations for fiscal year 2009. Applicants
are hereby given notice that funds have not yet been appropriated for
this program. The FY 2009 President's Request for the program is $15
million. Annual appropriated funding levels for the CELCP ranged from
$8-$50 million in fiscal years 2002-2008. The maximum amount that may
be requested for the Federal share of each project of each project is
$3,000,000. The amount of funding per award in previous years has
ranged from $380,000 to $3,000,000 for competitively-selected projects,
depending on the amount requested, size, and type of project. There is
no guarantee that sufficient funds will be available to make awards for
all qualified projects. Publication of this notice does not oblige NOAA
to award any specific project or to obligate any available funds.
Eligibility: Only states and territories with Coastal Zone
Management Programs or National Estuarine Research Reserves approved
under the CZMA that have submitted a draft CELCP plan to NOAA on or
before May 1, 2008, are eligible to participate in this funding
competition. The eligible states and territories are: Alabama, Alaska,
American Samoa, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia,
Guam, Hawaii, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts,
Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North
Carolina, Northern Mariana Islands, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto
Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and
Wisconsin. The designated lead agency for implementing the CELCP in
each state or territory is eligible to submit project for funding under
this competition. A list of state lead agency contacts for the CELCP
can be found at: https://www.coastalmanagement.noaa.gov/land/media/
celcpstateleadcontacts.pdf.
The state's lead agency may solicit, and include in their
application, project proposals from additional state agencies, or local
governments as
[[Page 30062]]
defined at 15 CFR 24.3, or entities eligible for assistance under
section 306A(e) of the CZMA (16 U.S.C. 1455a(e)), provided that each
has the authority to acquire and manage land for conservation purposes.
Each state may submit up to three project proposals. The state will be
responsible for ensuring that allocated funds are used for the purposes
of and in a manner consistent with this program. Interested parties
should contact the applicable state's CELCP lead contact for additional
details about the state's project solicitation requirements.
Cost Sharing Requirements: Federal funds awarded under this program
must be matched with non-federal funds at a ratio of 1:1, with the
following exception. The 1:1 matching requirement is waived for any
project under $200,000 for Insular Areas, defined as the jurisdictions
of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth
of the Northern Mariana Islands. Non-federal matching funds may be
derived from state, local, non-governmental or private sources in the
form of cash or in-kind contributions. Cost-sharing requirements for
the CELCP are specified in Section 2.7 of the CELCP Guidelines.
Evaluation and Selection Procedures: The general evaluation
criteria and selection factors that apply to full applications to this
funding opportunity are summarized below. The evaluation criteria for
full applications will have different weights and details. Further
information about the evaluation criteria and selection factors can be
found in the full funding opportunity announcement.
Evaluation Criteria for Projects: 1. Importance and/or relevance of
proposed project to the program goals (55 points out of 110). This
evaluation factor seeks to determine whether there is intrinsic value
in the proposed work and relevance to NOAA, Federal, regional, state/
territorial, or local priorities. 2. Technical/Scientific Merit (25
points out of 110). This evaluation factor seeks to determine whether
the proposed approach is technically sound and/or innovative, if the
methods are appropriate, and whether there are clear project goals and
objectives. 3. Overall Qualifications of Applicants (10 points out of
110). This evaluation factor seeks to determine whether the applicant
possesses the necessary education, experience, training, facilities,
and administrative resources to accomplish the project. 4. Project
Costs (20 points out of 110). The budget is evaluated to determine if
it is realistic and commensurate with the project needs and timeframe.
Review and Selection Process: Once a full application has been
received, NOAA will conduct an initial administrative review to
determine compliance with requirements, completeness of the
application, and eligibility of proposed costs and uses of the
property. All proposals will be evaluated and scored individually in
accordance with the assigned weights of the above evaluation criteria
by an independent peer mail review or by an independent peer panel
review. Both Federal and non-Federal experts may be used in this
process. If non-Federal experts are used in this process, no consensus
advice will be given by either the peer mail reviewers or the
independent peer panel.
Each proposal will be reviewed by at least three reviewers. Every
project will be scored by the same number of reviewers. The scores will
be presented to the program officers and averaged for a final score,
which will be used to produce a rank order of the proposals. A final
list will be ranked in order unless the proposal is justified to be
selected out of rank order based upon the appropriate selection
factors, listed below. The final ranked list may be made available
prior to final appropriations or final selections. Subsequent grant
administration procedures will be in accordance with current DOC and
NOAA grant administration procedures.
Selection Factors for Projects: The selecting official may choose
to recommend a proposal out of rank order based upon: Availability of
funding; geographic distribution of projects and/or funds; program
objectives and priorities; duplication with projects funded, or under
consideration by, NOAA or other Federal agencies, the applicant's prior
performance period, and/or adequacy of information necessary to make a
NEPA determination and draft necessary documentation before
recommendations are made to the Grants Officer.
Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program are
subject to Executive Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal
Programs.'' A list of participating states and the clearinghouse points
of contact can be found at https://whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html.
Limitation of Liability: In no event will NOAA or the Department of
Commerce be responsible for proposal preparation costs if this program
fails to receive funding or is cancelled because of other agency
priorities. Publication of this announcement does not oblige NOAA to
award any specific project or to obligate any available funds.
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA): NOAA must analyze the
potential environmental impacts, as required by the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), for applicant projects or proposals
that are seeking NOAA federal funding opportunities. Detailed
information on NOAA compliance with NEPA can be found at the following
NOAA NEPA Web site: https://www.nepa.noaa.gov/, including our NOAA
Administrative Order 216-6 for NEPA, https://www.nepa.noaa.gov/NAO216-6-
TOC.pdf, and the Council on Environmental Quality implementation
regulations, https://ceq.eh.doe.gov/nepa/regs/ceq/toc_ceq.htm.
Consequently, as part of an applicant's package, and under their
description of their program activities, applicants are required to
provide detailed information on the activities to be conducted,
locations, sites, species and habitat to be affected, possible
construction activities, and any environmental concerns that may exist
(e.g., the use and disposal of hazardous or toxic chemicals,
introduction of non-indigenous species, impacts to endangered and
threatened species, aquaculture projects, and impacts to coral reef
systems). In addition to providing specific information that will serve
as the basis for any required impact analyses, applicants may also be
requested to assist NOAA in drafting of an environmental assessment, if
NOAA determines an assessment is required. Applicants will also be
required to cooperate with NOAA in identifying feasible measures to
reduce or avoid any identified adverse environmental impacts of their
proposal. The failure to do so shall be grounds for not selecting an
application. In some cases if additional information is required after
an application is selected, funds can be withheld by the Grants Officer
under a special award condition requiring the recipient to submit
additional environmental compliance information sufficient to enable
NOAA to make an assessment on any impacts that a project may have on
the environment.
The Department of Commerce Pre-Award Notification Requirements for
Grants and Cooperative Agreements: The Department of Commerce Pre-Award
Notification Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements
contained in the Federal Register notice of February 11, 2008 (73 FR
7696), are applicable to this solicitation.
Paperwork Reduction Act: This document contains collection-of-
information requirements subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA).
The use of Standard Forms 424, 424A, 424B, and SF-LLL have been
approved by OMB under the respective control
[[Page 30063]]
numbers 0348-0043, 0348-0044, 0348-0040, and 0348-0046.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person is required
to respond to, nor shall a person be subject to a penalty for failure
to comply with, a collection of information subject to the requirement
of the PRA unless that collection of information displays a currently
valid OMB control number.
Executive Order 12866: This notice has been determined to be not
significant for purposes of Executive Order 12866.
Executive Order 13132 (Federalism): It has been determined that
this notice does not contain policies with Federalism implications as
that term is defined in Executive Order 13132.
Administrative Procedure Act/Regulatory Flexibility Act: Prior
notice and opportunity for public comment are not required by the
Administrative Procedure Act or any other law for rules concerning
public property, loans, grants, benefits, and contracts (5 U.S.C.
553(a)(2)). Because notice and opportunity for comments are not
required pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553 or any other law, the analytical
requirements of the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.)
are inapplicable. Therefore, a regulatory flexibility analysis has not
been prepared.
Dated: May 20, 2008.
John E. Potts,
Acting Associate Assistant Administrator for Management and CFO/CAO,
NOS, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. E8-11677 Filed 5-22-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
