New NOAA Cooperative Institutes (CIs): (1) A CI to Support NOAA Research Facilities in the Pacific Northwest; (2) A CI for Southwestern U.S. Marine Ecosystems, Climate, and Ocean Studies; and (3) A Southeastern Regional CI for Atmospheric and Marine Studies., 58603-58607 [E9-27332]
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Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 218 / Friday, November 13, 2009 / Notices
alternative actions to the taking the
applicant considered and the reasons
why these actions were not taken; and
(5) any other measures NMFS or FWS
may require as being necessary or
appropriate for the purpose of the plan
(16 USC 1539(a)(2)(A)). To issue a
permit, NMFS and FWS must find that:
(1) the taking will be incidental; (2) the
applicant will minimize and mitigate
impacts of the take to the maximum
extent practicable; (3) the applicant will
ensure adequate funding for the HCP;
(4) the taking will not appreciably
reduce the likelihood of the survival
and recovery of the species in the wild;
and (5) the applicant will meet other
measures required by FWS and NMFS.
Regulations governing issuance of FWS
permits for endangered and threatened
species are at 50 CFR 17.22 and 17.32,
and for NMFS-issued permits at 50 CFR
222.301 through 307.
The applicant has prepared a multispecies HCP and has applied for ITPs
under the ESA. The HCP applies to
152,163 acres of commercial timberland
owned by Fruit Growers Supply
Company in Siskiyou County,
California. The ownership consists of
three management units: Klamath River
(64,867 acres), Scott Valley (38,814
acres), and Grass Lake (48,482 acres).
The Klamath River and Scott Valley
management units are located west of
Interstate 5, adjacent to and intermixed
with Klamath National Forest (KNF)
lands. The Grass Lake management unit
(also adjacent to the KNF) lies east of
Interstate 5 and predominantly north of
State Highway 97. These lands are
referred to as the Plan Area.
The applicant has requested coverage
from FWS for northern spotted owl
(Strix occidentalis caurina) and Yreka
phlox (Phlox hirsuta), and from NMFS
for the Southern Oregon/Northern
California Coasts coho salmon
(Oncorhynchus kisutch) Evolutionarily
Significant Unit (ESU). The applicant
also has requested coverage under the
ITP for the unlisted Klamath and Trinity
Rivers Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha)
ESU and the Klamath Mountains
Province steelhead (O. mykiss) ESU.
Should these unlisted covered species
become listed under the ESA during the
term of the permit, take authorization
for those species would become
effective upon listing. The HCP
describes the habitat-based conservation
approach, with species-specific
objectives. This includes an Aquatic
Species Conservation Program for
salmonids and Terrestrial Species
Conservation Program for the northern
spotted owl and Yreka phlox.
Activities proposed for ITPs coverage
include mechanized timber harvest;
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17:07 Nov 12, 2009
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forest product transportation; road and
landing construction, use, maintenance,
and abandonment; site preparation; tree
planting; certain types of vegetation
management; silvicultural thinning and
other silvicultural activities; fire
suppression; rock quarry and borrow pit
operations; aquatic habitat restoration;
minor forest management activities such
as forest product collecting; and
monitoring activities and scientific work
in the Plan Area.
The proposed duration of the ITPs
and HCP is 50 years, though many
aspects of the plan’s conservation
strategy are intended to benefit the
covered species long into the future.
The goals of this HCP are to: (1) protect
and improve habitats required by
species covered by the HCP and (2)
establish appropriate guidelines for
continuing timber harvests and other
forest management activities.
National Environmental Policy Act
Compliance
NMFS and FWS formally initiated an
environmental review of the project
through publication of a Notice of Intent
to prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement in the Federal Register on
February 22, 2008 (73 FR 9776). That
document also announced a public
scoping period during which interested
parties were invited to provide written
comments expressing their issues or
concerns relating to the proposal and
attend one of two public scoping
meetings held in Yreka and Happy
Camp, California.
NMFS and FWS have jointly prepared
a DEIS to analyze the effects of
alternatives on the human environment.
Proposed issuance of the associated
ITPs from both NMFS and FWS for
covered species and applicant
implementation of the HCP make up the
Proposed Alternative in the DEIS. The
other alternatives analyzed in the DEIS
include: (1) the No Action Alternative
(ITPs would not be issued and there
would not be an HCP); (2) Alternative A
(ITPs would be issued by both agencies,
and northern spotted owl conservation
areas would be based on the Northwest
Forest Plan (NWFP) system of latesuccessional reserves (LSRs), and the
Aquatic Species Conservation Program
would be based on concepts outlined in
the NWFP for the protection of aquatic
habitats); and (3) Alternative B (FWS
would issue an ITP for northern spotted
owl, with spotted owl conservation
based on management of foraging and
dispersal habitat across the Plan Area).
Public Comments
If you wish to comment on the permit
application, the HCP, IA, or DEIS, you
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58603
may submit your comments to the
address listed in the ADDRESSES section
of this document. Before including your
address, phone number, e-mail address,
or other personal identifying
information in your comment, you
should be aware that your entire
comment including your personal
identifying information may be made
publicly available at any time. While
you may ask us in your comment to
withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we
cannot guarantee that we will be able to
do so.
Special Accommodations
The public meeting is physically
accessible to people with disabilities.
Requests for sign language
interpretation or other auxiliary aids
should be directed to Lisa Roberts,
National Marine Fisheries Service (707)
825–5178, at least 5 working days prior
to the meeting date.
Next Steps
NMFS and FWS will evaluate the
applications, associated documents, and
comments submitted to them to prepare
a final EIS. A permit decision will be
made no sooner than 30 days after the
publication of the final EIS and
completion of the Record of Decision.
Dated: November 5, 2009.
Alexandra Pitts,
Acting Deputy Regional Director, Pacific
Southwest Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service.
Dated: November 9, 2009.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office
of Protected Resources, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E9–27318 Filed 11–12–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–S
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[Docket No. 0911041393–91393–01]
New NOAA Cooperative Institutes
(CIs): (1) A CI to Support NOAA
Research Facilities in the Pacific
Northwest; (2) A CI for Southwestern
U.S. Marine Ecosystems, Climate, and
Ocean Studies; and (3) A Southeastern
Regional CI for Atmospheric and
Marine Studies.
AGENCY: Oceanic and Atmospheric
Research (OAR), National Marine
Fisheries Service (NMFS), National
Oceanic and Atmospheric
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Administration (NOAA), Department of
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of funding availability.
SUMMARY: The Office of Oceanic and
Atmospheric Research (OAR) and the
National Marine Fisheries Service
(NMFS) publish this notice to provide
the general public with a consolidated
source of program and application
information related to three single
competitive cooperative agreement
award offerings. NOAA is accepting
applications for: (1) A CI to Support
NOAA Research Facilities in the Pacific
Northwest; (2) a CI for Southwestern
U.S. Marine Ecosystems, Climate and
Ocean Studies; and (3) a Southeastern
Regional CI for Atmospheric and Marine
Studies. Applicants should review the
CI Interim Handbook prior to preparing
a proposal for this announcement
(https://www.nrc.noaa.gov/ci).
DATES: Proposals must be received no
later than February 10, 2010, 5 p.m.,
E.T. Proposals submitted after that date
will not be considered.
ADDRESSES: Applicants are strongly
encouraged to apply online through the
Grants.Gov Web site (https://
www.grants.gov). Paper submissions are
acceptable only if Internet access is not
available. Grants.gov requires applicants
to register with the system prior to
submitting an application. This
registration process can take several
weeks, involving multiple steps. In
order to allow sufficient time for this
process, you should register as soon as
you decide that you intend to apply,
even if you are not yet ready to submit
your proposal. If an applicant has
problems downloading the application
package from Grants.gov, contact
Grants.gov Customer Support at (800)
518–4726 or support@grants.gov.
If a hard copy application is
submitted, the original and two
unbound copies of the proposal should
be included. Paper submissions should
be sent to: Dr. John Cortinas, NOAA/
OAR, 1315 East-West Highway, Room
11326, Silver Spring, MD 20910;
telephone (301) 734–1090. No e-mail or
facsimile proposal submissions will be
accepted.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
further information, please contact Dr.
John Cortinas, NOAA/OAR, 1315 EastWest Highway, Room 11326, Silver
Spring, MD 20910; telephone: (301)
734–1090; e-mail:
John.Cortinas@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: All
applicants must comply with all
requirements contained in the Federal
Funding Opportunity (FFO)
announcements for each of these CIs.
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CI Concept/Program Background: A
CI is a NOAA-supported, nonfederal
organization that has established an
outstanding research program in one or
more areas that are relevant to the
NOAA mission. CIs are established at
research institutions with outstanding
graduate degree programs in NOAArelated sciences. CIs provide significant
coordination of resources among all
non-government partners and promote
the involvement of students and
postdoctoral scientists in NOAA-funded
research. The CI provides mutual
benefits with value provided by all
parties. For each CI, NOAA has
identified the need to establish a CI to
focus on scientific research associated
in support of NOAA’s Strategic Plan,
NOAA’s 5-year Research Plan, and
NOAA’s 20-year Research Vision. (All
documents are available at https://
www.nrc.noaa.gov/plans.html).
A CI may partner with one or more
research institutions that demonstrate
outstanding performance within one or
more established research programs in
NOAA-related sciences, including
Minority Serving Institutions and
universities that can contribute to the
proposed activities of the CI. If a CI is
awarded to a consortium of institutions,
the consortium must propose a
governance structure that includes a
single director and one award.
CIs will conduct research under
approved scientific research themes,
described in detail in Section I.B of each
Federal Funding Opportunity
announcement. Activities of the CI are
usually organized into three Tasks
(additional tasks can be proposed by the
CI).
i. Task I activities are related to the
management of the CI, as well as general
education and outreach activities. This
task also includes support of
postdoctoral and visiting scientists
conducting activities within the
research themes of the CI that are
approved by the CI Director, in
consultation with NOAA, and are
relevant to NOAA and the CI’s mission
goals.
ii. Task II activities usually involve
on-going direct collaboration with
NOAA scientists. This collaboration
typically is fostered by the collocation
of Federal and CI employees.
iii. Task III activities require minimal
collaboration with NOAA scientists and
may include research funded by other
NOAA competitive grant programs.
Base funding for Task 1 is provided
annually by NOAA to the CI, contingent
upon the availability of Federal
appropriations. Throughout the award
period, funding for additional Task I
activities, as well as Task II and III (or
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other tasks by a particular CI) activities
is added to the CI award as research
project proposals are submitted by the
CI and approved by NOAA.
Request for Applications
Generally, applications must include
all relevant Federal Standard Forms, a
project description that includes
sufficient information to address all the
evaluation criteria identified in the FFO
announcement, a budget, and a budget
justification. The project description
must include a thorough explanation of
all themes and Tasks. The application
should also identify the capability and
the capacity of the CI to conduct
research in the themes described in the
FFO, as well as a summary of clearly
stated goals to be achieved, reflecting
NOAA’s strategic goals and vision.
Additional elements may also be
requested. Applicants are directed to the
FFO for all application information and
requirements.
CI To Support NOAA Research
Facilities in the Pacific Northwest
The proposed Pacific Northwest CI
should possess outstanding capabilities
to provide research under seven themes:
(1) Ocean and coastal observations, (2)
climate research and impacts, (3)
environmental chemistry, (4) seafloor
processes, (5) marine ecosystems, (6)
protection and restoration of marine
resources, and (7) tsunami observations
and modeling. To conduct research
under these themes, the proposed CI
should possess the flexibility needed to
work on multi-disciplinary research in
collaboration with NOAA’s Pacific
Marine Environmental Laboratory,
Climate Program Office, Alaska
Fisheries Science Center, Northwest
Fisheries Science Center, other CIs, and
relevant Sea Grant programs. The
location of the CI is required to be
within a daily commuting distance to
the Pacific Northwest NOAA facilities
in Seattle, Washington, to promote
ongoing close collaborations and
training for the next generation of
NOAA scientists. If the proposed CI is
comprised of multiple member
institutions, only the lead institution
applying for the award and where the CI
will be established must satisfy the
daily commuting distance requirement.
Funding Availability: The award
period will be 5 years, and may be
renewed for up to an additional 5 years
based on the outcome of a CI review in
the fourth year. All funding is
contingent upon the availability of
Federal appropriations. NOAA
anticipates that up to approximately
$20M will be available annually for this
CI. Of that amount, approximately
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$500,000 will be available per year for
Task I. The final amount of funding
available for Task I will be determined
during the negotiation phase of the
award based on availability of funding.
The actual annual funding that the CI
receives may be less than the
anticipated amount and will depend on
the actual projects that are proposed by
the CI and approved by NOAA after the
main CI award begins, the availability of
funding, the quality of the research, the
satisfactory progress in achieving the
stated goals described in project
proposals, and continued relevance to
program objectives.
CI for Southwestern U.S. Marine
Ecosystems, Climate, and Ocean
Studies
The proposed Southwestern U.S. CI
should possess outstanding capabilities
to provide research under four themes:
(1) Climate and coastal observations,
analysis and prediction; (2) climate
research and impacts; (3) marine
ecosystems; and (4) ecosystem
management. To conduct research
under these themes, the proposed CI
should possess the flexibility needed to
work on multi-disciplinary research in
collaboration with NOAA’s Southwest
Fisheries Science Center, Climate
Program Office, relevant Sea Grant
programs, and other CIs. The location of
the CI is required to be within a daily
commuting distance to the Southwest
Fisheries Science Center in La Jolla,
California, to promote ongoing close
collaborations with NOAA and training
for the next generation of NOAA
scientists. If the proposed CI is
comprised of multiple member
institutions, only the lead institution
applying for the award and where the CI
will be established must satisfy the
daily commuting distance requirement.
Funding Availability: The award
period will be 5 years, and may be
renewed for up to an additional 5 years
based on the outcome of a CI review in
the fourth year. All funding is
contingent upon the availability of
Federal appropriations. NOAA
anticipates that up to approximately
$11M will be available annually for this
CI. Of that amount, approximately
$500,000 will be available per year for
Task I. The final amount of funding
available for Task I will be determined
during the negotiation phase of the
award based on availability of funding.
The actual annual funding that the CI
receives may be less than the
anticipated amount and will depend on
the actual projects that are proposed by
the CI and approved by NOAA after the
main CI award begins, the availability of
funding, the quality of the research, the
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satisfactory progress in achieving the
stated goals described in project
proposals, and continued relevance to
program objectives.
Southeastern Regional CI for
Atmospheric and Marine Studies
The proposed Southeastern Regional
CI should possess outstanding
capabilities to provide research under
seven themes: (1) Sustained ocean and
coastal observations, (2) climate
research and impacts, (3) tropical
weather, (4) ocean modeling, (5)
ecosystem modeling and forecasting, (6)
ecosystem management, and (7)
protection and restoration of resources.
To conduct research under these
themes, the proposed CI should possess
the flexibility needed to work on multidisciplinary research in collaboration
with NOAA’s Southeast Fisheries
Science Center, Atlantic Oceanographic
and Meteorological Laboratory, relevant
Sea Grant programs, and other CIs. The
location of the CI is required to be
within a daily commuting distance to
NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and
Meteorological Laboratory and
Southeast Fisheries Science Center in
Miami, Florida, to promote ongoing
close collaborations with NOAA and
training for the next generation of
NOAA scientists. If the proposed CI is
comprised of multiple member
institutions, only the lead institution
applying for the award and where the CI
will be established must satisfy the
daily commuting distance requirement.
Funding Availability: The award
period will be 5 years, and may be
renewed for up to an additional 5 years
based on the outcome of a CI review in
the fourth year. All funding is
contingent upon the availability of
Federal appropriations. NOAA
anticipates that up to approximately
$10M will be available annually for this
CI. Of that amount, approximately
$500,000 will be available per year for
Task I. The final amount of funding
available for Task I will be determined
during the negotiation phase of the
award based on availability of funding.
The actual annual funding that the CI
receives may be less than the
anticipated amount and will depend on
the actual projects that are proposed by
the CI and approved by NOAA after the
main CI award begins, the availability of
funding, the quality of the research, the
satisfactory progress in achieving the
stated goals described in project
proposals, and continued relevance to
program objectives.
Electronic Access: Applicants can
access, download, and submit electronic
grant applications, including the full
funding opportunity announcement, for
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58605
NOAA programs at the Grants.gov Web
site: https://www.grants.gov. The closing
date will be the same as for the paper
submissions noted in this
announcement. For applicants filing
through Grants.gov, NOAA strongly
recommends that you do not wait until
the application deadline date to begin
the application process through
Grants.gov. Registration may take up to
10 business days.
Proposals must include elements
requested in the full Federal Funding
Opportunity announcement on the
grants.gov portal. If a hard copy
application is submitted, NOAA
requests that the original and two
unbound copies of the proposal be
included. Proposals, electronic or paper,
should be no more than 75 pages
(numbered) in length, excluding budget,
investigators, vitae, and all appendices.
Federally mandated forms are not
included within the page count.
Facsimile transmissions and electronic
mail submission of full proposals will
not be accepted.
Authority: 15 U.S.C. 313, 15 U.S.C. 1540;
15 U.S.C. 2901 et seq., 16 U.S.C. 753a, 33
U.S.C. 1442, Stat. 71 (January 23, 2004).
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance:
11.432, Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric
Research (OAR) Joint and Cooperative
Institutes)
Eligibility: Eligibility is limited to
non-Federal public and private nonprofit universities, colleges and research
institutions that offer accredited
graduate level degree-granting programs
in NOAA-related sciences. The lead
institution applying for the award and
where the CI will be established must
also satisfy the daily commuting
distance requirement.
Cost Sharing Requirements: To stress
the collaborative nature and investment
of a CI by both NOAA and the research
institution, cost sharing is required.
There is no minimum cost sharing
requirement; however, the amount of
cost sharing will be considered when
determining the level of the CI’s
commitment under NOAA’s standard
evaluation criteria for overall
qualifications of applicants. Acceptable
cost-sharing proposals include, but are
not limited to, offering a reduced
indirect cost rate against activities in
one or more Tasks, waiver of any
indirect costs assessed by the awardee
on subawards, waiver of indirect costs
assessed against base funds and/or Task
I activities, waiver or reduction of any
costs associated with the use of facilities
at the CI, and full or partial salary
funding for the CI director,
administrative staff, graduate students,
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visiting scientists, or postdoctoral
scientists.
Evaluation Criteria and Review 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 official full
Federal Funding Opportunity
announcement which is only available
through the Grants.gov Web site
(https://www.grants.gov).
Evaluation Criteria for Projects:
Proposals will be evaluated using the
standard NOAA evaluation criteria.
Various questions under each criterion
are provided to ensure that the
applicant includes information that
NOAA will consider important during
the evaluation, in addition to any other
information provided by the applicant.
1. Importance and/or relevance and
applicability of proposed project to the
program goals (25 percent): This
criterion ascertains whether there is
intrinsic value in the proposed work
and/or relevance to NOAA, Federal,
regional, state, or local activities.
• Does the proposal include research
goals and projects that address the
critical issues identified in NOAA’s 5year Research Plan, NOAA’s Strategic
Plan, and program priorities (see
Section I.B. of the full funding
opportunity announcement)?
• Is there a demonstrated
commitment (in terms of resources and
facilities) to enhance existing NOAA
and CI resources to foster a long-term
collaborative research environment/
culture?
• Is there a strong education program
with established graduate degree
programs in NOAA-related sciences that
also encourage student participation in
NOAA-related research studies?
2. Technical/scientific merit (30
percent): This criterion assesses whether
the approach is technically sound and/
or innovative, if the methods are
appropriate, and whether there are clear
project goals and objectives.
• Does the project description include
a summary of clearly stated goals to be
achieved during the five year period
that reflect NOAA’s strategic plan and
goals?
• Does the CI involve partnerships
with other universities or research
institutions, including Minority Serving
Institutions and universities that can
contribute to the proposed activities of
the CI?
3. Overall qualifications of applicants
(30 percent): This criterion ascertains
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whether the applicant possesses the
necessary education, experience,
training, facilities, and administrative
resources to accomplish the project.
• If the institution(s) and/or principal
investigators have received current or
recent NOAA funding, is there a
demonstrated record of outstanding
performance working with NOAA and/
or NOAA scientists on research
projects?
• Is there nationally and/or
internationally recognized expertise
within the appropriate disciplines
needed to conduct the collaborative/
interdisciplinary research described in
the proposal?
• Is there a well-developed business
plan that includes fiscal and human
resource management, as well as
strategic planning and accountability?
• Are there any unique capabilities in
a mission-critical area of research for
NOAA?
• Has the applicant shown a
substantial investment to the NOAA
partnership, as demonstrated by the
amount of the cost sharing contribution?
4. Project costs (5 percent): The
budget is evaluated to determine if it is
realistic and commensurate with the
project needs and time-frame.
5. Outreach and education (10
percent): NOAA assesses whether this
project provides a focused and effective
education and outreach strategy
regarding NOAA’s mission to protect
the Nation’s natural resources.
Review and Selection Process: An
initial administrative review/screening
is conducted to determine compliance
with requirements/completeness. All
proposals will be evaluated and
individually ranked in accordance with
the assigned weights of the above-listed
evaluation criteria by an independent
peer review panel. At least three
experts, who may be Federal or nonFederal, will be used in this process. If
non-Federal experts participate in the
review process, each expert will submit
an individual review and there will be
no consensus opinion. The merit
reviewers’ ratings are used to produce a
rank order of the proposals. The
Selecting Official selects proposals after
considering the peer reviews and
selection factors listed below. In making
the final selections, the Selecting
Official will award in rank order unless
the proposal is justified to be selected
out of rank order based upon one or
more of the selection factors. The
Selecting Official makes the final award
recommendation to the Grants Officer
authorized to obligate funds.
Selection Factors: The merit review
ratings shall provide a rank order to the
Selecting Official for final funding
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recommendations. The Selecting
Official shall award in the rank order
unless the proposal is justified to be
selected out of rank order based upon
one or more of the following factors:
1. Availability of funding.
2. Balance/distribution of funds:
(a) Geographically
(b) By type of institutions
(c) By type of partners
(d) By research areas
(e) By project types
3. Whether this project duplicates
other projects funded or considered for
funding by NOAA or other Federal
agencies.
4. Program priorities and policy
factors.
5. Applicant’s prior award
performance.
6. Partnerships and/or participation of
targeted groups.
7. Adequacy of information necessary
for NOAA staff to make a National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
determination and draft necessary
documentation before recommendations
for funding are made to the Grants
Officer.
Intergovernmental Review:
Applications under this program are not
subject to Executive Order 12372,
‘‘Intergovernmental Review of Federal
Programs.’’
Limitation of Liability: In no event
will NOAA or the Department of
Commerce be responsible for proposal
preparation costs if these programs fail
to receive funding or are 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): National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA). NOAA must analyze the
potential environmental impacts, as
required by NEPA, for applicant projects
or proposals which are seeking NOAA
federal funding opportunities. Detailed
information on NOAA compliance with
NEPA can be found at the NOAA NEPA
Web site, https://www.nepa.noaa.gov,
including our NOAA Administrative
Order 216–6 for NEPA, https://
www.corporateservices.noaa.gov/
%7Eames/NAOs/Chap_216/
naos_216_6.html, and the Council on
Environmental Quality implementation
regulations, https://www.nepa.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
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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 has been approved by the
Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) under the respective control
numbers 4040–004, 4040–006, 0348–
0040, and 0348–0046. Notwithstanding
any other provision of law, no person is
required to, nor shall a person be subject
to a penalty for failure to comply with,
a collection of information subject to the
requirements 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 an opportunity for public comment
are not required by the Administrative
Procedure Act or any other law for rules
VerDate Nov<24>2008
17:07 Nov 12, 2009
Jkt 220001
concerning public property, loans,
grants, benefits, and contracts (5 U.S.C.
553(a)(2)). Because notice and
opportunity for comment are not
required pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553 or any
other law, the analytical requirements
for the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5
U.S.C. 601 et seq.) are inapplicable.
Therefore, a regulatory flexibility
analysis has not been prepared.
Dated: November 6, 2009.
Mark E. Brown,
Chief Financial Officer, Office of Oceanic and
Atmospheric Research, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. E9–27332 Filed 11–12–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–KD–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XS82
Endangered Species; File No. 14634
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Issuance of permit.
SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that
Douglas Peterson, Ph.D., Warnell School
of Forest Resources (Fisheries Division),
University of Georgia, Athens, GA
30602, has been issued a permit to take
shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser
brevirostrum) for purposes of scientific
research.
ADDRESSES: The permit and related
documents are available for review
upon written request or by appointment
in the following office(s):
Permits, Conservation and Education
Division, Office of Protected Resources,
NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room
13705, Silver Spring, MD 20910; phone
(301)713–2289; fax (301)713–0376; and
Southeast Region, NMFS, 263 13th
Ave South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701;
phone (727)824–5312; fax (727)824–
5309.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Malcolm Mohead or Jennifer Skidmore,
(301)713–2289.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On
October 8, 2009, notice was published
in the Federal Register (74 FR 51836)
that a request for a scientific research
permit to take shortnose sturgeon had
been submitted by the above-named
individual. The requested permit has
been issued under the authority of the
Endangered Species Act of 1973, as
amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.)
and the regulations governing the
PO 00000
Frm 00011
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
58607
taking, importing, and exporting of
endangered and threatened species (50
CFR parts 222–226).
The purpose of the proposed research
is to maintain and conduct research on
95 hatchery-reared shortnose sturgeon at
the University of Georgia to meet the
following objectives: (1) quantify
differences in the environmental
tolerances of northern versus southern
range shortnose sturgeon, and (2)
evaluate ontogenetic changes in the
environmental tolerances of juvenile
shortnose sturgeon. The fish will be
obtained from the Warm Springs
National Fish Hatchery and Regional
Fisheries Center (USFWS), Warm
Springs, Georgia 31830, under NMFS
Permit 1604. Using a series of replicated
laboratory (lethal and non-lethal)
experiments, the researcher will
evaluate the individual, additive, and
interactive effects of the three habitat
variables most critical in determining
summer habitat quality for both
juveniles and adult shortnose sturgeon:
maximum water temperature, maximum
salinity, and minimum concentration of
dissolved oxygen. Researchers will also
examine how environmental tolerances
of shortnose sturgeon change with age
and conditioning (chronic exposure).
Future scientific research with these
fish will involve studies of nutrition,
tagging, physiology, environmental
tolerance, contaminants, fish health,
behavioral, tagging, genetics, and fish
culture techniques. The permit does not
authorize any takes from the wild, nor
does it authorize any release of captive
sturgeon into the wild.
Issuance of this permit, as required by
the ESA, was based on a finding that
such permit (1) was applied for in good
faith, (2) will not operate to the
disadvantage of such endangered or
threatened species, and (3) is consistent
with the purposes and policies set forth
in section 2 of the ESA.
Dated: November 6, 2009.
P. Michael Payne,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education
Division, Office of Protected Resources,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E9–27315 Filed 11–12–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–S
E:\FR\FM\13NON1.SGM
13NON1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 218 (Friday, November 13, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58603-58607]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-27332]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[Docket No. 0911041393-91393-01]
New NOAA Cooperative Institutes (CIs): (1) A CI to Support NOAA
Research Facilities in the Pacific Northwest; (2) A CI for Southwestern
U.S. Marine Ecosystems, Climate, and Ocean Studies; and (3) A
Southeastern Regional CI for Atmospheric and Marine Studies.
AGENCY: Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR), National Marine
Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric
[[Page 58604]]
Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of funding availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) and the
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) publish this notice to provide
the general public with a consolidated source of program and
application information related to three single competitive cooperative
agreement award offerings. NOAA is accepting applications for: (1) A CI
to Support NOAA Research Facilities in the Pacific Northwest; (2) a CI
for Southwestern U.S. Marine Ecosystems, Climate and Ocean Studies; and
(3) a Southeastern Regional CI for Atmospheric and Marine Studies.
Applicants should review the CI Interim Handbook prior to preparing a
proposal for this announcement (https://www.nrc.noaa.gov/ci).
DATES: Proposals must be received no later than February 10, 2010, 5
p.m., E.T. Proposals submitted after that date will not be considered.
ADDRESSES: Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply online through
the Grants.Gov Web site (https://www.grants.gov). Paper submissions are
acceptable only if Internet access is not available. Grants.gov
requires applicants to register with the system prior to submitting an
application. This registration process can take several weeks,
involving multiple steps. In order to allow sufficient time for this
process, you should register as soon as you decide that you intend to
apply, even if you are not yet ready to submit your proposal. If an
applicant has problems downloading the application package from
Grants.gov, contact Grants.gov Customer Support at (800) 518-4726 or
support@grants.gov.
If a hard copy application is submitted, the original and two
unbound copies of the proposal should be included. Paper submissions
should be sent to: Dr. John Cortinas, NOAA/OAR, 1315 East-West Highway,
Room 11326, Silver Spring, MD 20910; telephone (301) 734-1090. No e-
mail or facsimile proposal submissions will be accepted.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information, please
contact Dr. John Cortinas, NOAA/OAR, 1315 East-West Highway, Room
11326, Silver Spring, MD 20910; telephone: (301) 734-1090; e-mail:
John.Cortinas@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: All applicants must comply with all
requirements contained in the Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO)
announcements for each of these CIs.
CI Concept/Program Background: A CI is a NOAA-supported, nonfederal
organization that has established an outstanding research program in
one or more areas that are relevant to the NOAA mission. CIs are
established at research institutions with outstanding graduate degree
programs in NOAA-related sciences. CIs provide significant coordination
of resources among all non-government partners and promote the
involvement of students and postdoctoral scientists in NOAA-funded
research. The CI provides mutual benefits with value provided by all
parties. For each CI, NOAA has identified the need to establish a CI to
focus on scientific research associated in support of NOAA's Strategic
Plan, NOAA's 5-year Research Plan, and NOAA's 20-year Research Vision.
(All documents are available at https://www.nrc.noaa.gov/plans.html).
A CI may partner with one or more research institutions that
demonstrate outstanding performance within one or more established
research programs in NOAA-related sciences, including Minority Serving
Institutions and universities that can contribute to the proposed
activities of the CI. If a CI is awarded to a consortium of
institutions, the consortium must propose a governance structure that
includes a single director and one award.
CIs will conduct research under approved scientific research
themes, described in detail in Section I.B of each Federal Funding
Opportunity announcement. Activities of the CI are usually organized
into three Tasks (additional tasks can be proposed by the CI).
i. Task I activities are related to the management of the CI, as
well as general education and outreach activities. This task also
includes support of postdoctoral and visiting scientists conducting
activities within the research themes of the CI that are approved by
the CI Director, in consultation with NOAA, and are relevant to NOAA
and the CI's mission goals.
ii. Task II activities usually involve on-going direct
collaboration with NOAA scientists. This collaboration typically is
fostered by the collocation of Federal and CI employees.
iii. Task III activities require minimal collaboration with NOAA
scientists and may include research funded by other NOAA competitive
grant programs.
Base funding for Task 1 is provided annually by NOAA to the CI,
contingent upon the availability of Federal appropriations. Throughout
the award period, funding for additional Task I activities, as well as
Task II and III (or other tasks by a particular CI) activities is added
to the CI award as research project proposals are submitted by the CI
and approved by NOAA.
Request for Applications
Generally, applications must include all relevant Federal Standard
Forms, a project description that includes sufficient information to
address all the evaluation criteria identified in the FFO announcement,
a budget, and a budget justification. The project description must
include a thorough explanation of all themes and Tasks. The application
should also identify the capability and the capacity of the CI to
conduct research in the themes described in the FFO, as well as a
summary of clearly stated goals to be achieved, reflecting NOAA's
strategic goals and vision. Additional elements may also be requested.
Applicants are directed to the FFO for all application information and
requirements.
CI To Support NOAA Research Facilities in the Pacific Northwest
The proposed Pacific Northwest CI should possess outstanding
capabilities to provide research under seven themes: (1) Ocean and
coastal observations, (2) climate research and impacts, (3)
environmental chemistry, (4) seafloor processes, (5) marine ecosystems,
(6) protection and restoration of marine resources, and (7) tsunami
observations and modeling. To conduct research under these themes, the
proposed CI should possess the flexibility needed to work on multi-
disciplinary research in collaboration with NOAA's Pacific Marine
Environmental Laboratory, Climate Program Office, Alaska Fisheries
Science Center, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, other CIs, and
relevant Sea Grant programs. The location of the CI is required to be
within a daily commuting distance to the Pacific Northwest NOAA
facilities in Seattle, Washington, to promote ongoing close
collaborations and training for the next generation of NOAA scientists.
If the proposed CI is comprised of multiple member institutions, only
the lead institution applying for the award and where the CI will be
established must satisfy the daily commuting distance requirement.
Funding Availability: The award period will be 5 years, and may be
renewed for up to an additional 5 years based on the outcome of a CI
review in the fourth year. All funding is contingent upon the
availability of Federal appropriations. NOAA anticipates that up to
approximately $20M will be available annually for this CI. Of that
amount, approximately
[[Page 58605]]
$500,000 will be available per year for Task I. The final amount of
funding available for Task I will be determined during the negotiation
phase of the award based on availability of funding. The actual annual
funding that the CI receives may be less than the anticipated amount
and will depend on the actual projects that are proposed by the CI and
approved by NOAA after the main CI award begins, the availability of
funding, the quality of the research, the satisfactory progress in
achieving the stated goals described in project proposals, and
continued relevance to program objectives.
CI for Southwestern U.S. Marine Ecosystems, Climate, and Ocean Studies
The proposed Southwestern U.S. CI should possess outstanding
capabilities to provide research under four themes: (1) Climate and
coastal observations, analysis and prediction; (2) climate research and
impacts; (3) marine ecosystems; and (4) ecosystem management. To
conduct research under these themes, the proposed CI should possess the
flexibility needed to work on multi-disciplinary research in
collaboration with NOAA's Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Climate
Program Office, relevant Sea Grant programs, and other CIs. The
location of the CI is required to be within a daily commuting distance
to the Southwest Fisheries Science Center in La Jolla, California, to
promote ongoing close collaborations with NOAA and training for the
next generation of NOAA scientists. If the proposed CI is comprised of
multiple member institutions, only the lead institution applying for
the award and where the CI will be established must satisfy the daily
commuting distance requirement.
Funding Availability: The award period will be 5 years, and may be
renewed for up to an additional 5 years based on the outcome of a CI
review in the fourth year. All funding is contingent upon the
availability of Federal appropriations. NOAA anticipates that up to
approximately $11M will be available annually for this CI. Of that
amount, approximately $500,000 will be available per year for Task I.
The final amount of funding available for Task I will be determined
during the negotiation phase of the award based on availability of
funding. The actual annual funding that the CI receives may be less
than the anticipated amount and will depend on the actual projects that
are proposed by the CI and approved by NOAA after the main CI award
begins, the availability of funding, the quality of the research, the
satisfactory progress in achieving the stated goals described in
project proposals, and continued relevance to program objectives.
Southeastern Regional CI for Atmospheric and Marine Studies
The proposed Southeastern Regional CI should possess outstanding
capabilities to provide research under seven themes: (1) Sustained
ocean and coastal observations, (2) climate research and impacts, (3)
tropical weather, (4) ocean modeling, (5) ecosystem modeling and
forecasting, (6) ecosystem management, and (7) protection and
restoration of resources. To conduct research under these themes, the
proposed CI should possess the flexibility needed to work on multi-
disciplinary research in collaboration with NOAA's Southeast Fisheries
Science Center, Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory,
relevant Sea Grant programs, and other CIs. The location of the CI is
required to be within a daily commuting distance to NOAA's Atlantic
Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory and Southeast Fisheries
Science Center in Miami, Florida, to promote ongoing close
collaborations with NOAA and training for the next generation of NOAA
scientists. If the proposed CI is comprised of multiple member
institutions, only the lead institution applying for the award and
where the CI will be established must satisfy the daily commuting
distance requirement.
Funding Availability: The award period will be 5 years, and may be
renewed for up to an additional 5 years based on the outcome of a CI
review in the fourth year. All funding is contingent upon the
availability of Federal appropriations. NOAA anticipates that up to
approximately $10M will be available annually for this CI. Of that
amount, approximately $500,000 will be available per year for Task I.
The final amount of funding available for Task I will be determined
during the negotiation phase of the award based on availability of
funding. The actual annual funding that the CI receives may be less
than the anticipated amount and will depend on the actual projects that
are proposed by the CI and approved by NOAA after the main CI award
begins, the availability of funding, the quality of the research, the
satisfactory progress in achieving the stated goals described in
project proposals, and continued relevance to program objectives.
Electronic Access: Applicants can access, download, and submit
electronic grant applications, including the full funding opportunity
announcement, for NOAA programs at the Grants.gov Web site: https://www.grants.gov. The closing date will be the same as for the paper
submissions noted in this announcement. For applicants filing through
Grants.gov, NOAA strongly recommends that you do not wait until the
application deadline date to begin the application process through
Grants.gov. Registration may take up to 10 business days.
Proposals must include elements requested in the full Federal
Funding Opportunity announcement on the grants.gov portal. If a hard
copy application is submitted, NOAA requests that the original and two
unbound copies of the proposal be included. Proposals, electronic or
paper, should be no more than 75 pages (numbered) in length, excluding
budget, investigators, vitae, and all appendices. Federally mandated
forms are not included within the page count. Facsimile transmissions
and electronic mail submission of full proposals will not be accepted.
Authority: 15 U.S.C. 313, 15 U.S.C. 1540; 15 U.S.C. 2901 et
seq., 16 U.S.C. 753a, 33 U.S.C. 1442, Stat. 71 (January 23, 2004).
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance: 11.432, Office of Oceanic
and Atmospheric Research (OAR) Joint and Cooperative Institutes)
Eligibility: Eligibility is limited to non-Federal public and
private non-profit universities, colleges and research institutions
that offer accredited graduate level degree-granting programs in NOAA-
related sciences. The lead institution applying for the award and where
the CI will be established must also satisfy the daily commuting
distance requirement.
Cost Sharing Requirements: To stress the collaborative nature and
investment of a CI by both NOAA and the research institution, cost
sharing is required. There is no minimum cost sharing requirement;
however, the amount of cost sharing will be considered when determining
the level of the CI's commitment under NOAA's standard evaluation
criteria for overall qualifications of applicants. Acceptable cost-
sharing proposals include, but are not limited to, offering a reduced
indirect cost rate against activities in one or more Tasks, waiver of
any indirect costs assessed by the awardee on subawards, waiver of
indirect costs assessed against base funds and/or Task I activities,
waiver or reduction of any costs associated with the use of facilities
at the CI, and full or partial salary funding for the CI director,
administrative staff, graduate students,
[[Page 58606]]
visiting scientists, or postdoctoral scientists.
Evaluation Criteria and Review 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 official full Federal Funding
Opportunity announcement which is only available through the Grants.gov
Web site (https://www.grants.gov).
Evaluation Criteria for Projects: Proposals will be evaluated using
the standard NOAA evaluation criteria. Various questions under each
criterion are provided to ensure that the applicant includes
information that NOAA will consider important during the evaluation, in
addition to any other information provided by the applicant.
1. Importance and/or relevance and applicability of proposed
project to the program goals (25 percent): This criterion ascertains
whether there is intrinsic value in the proposed work and/or relevance
to NOAA, Federal, regional, state, or local activities.
Does the proposal include research goals and projects that
address the critical issues identified in NOAA's 5-year Research Plan,
NOAA's Strategic Plan, and program priorities (see Section I.B. of the
full funding opportunity announcement)?
Is there a demonstrated commitment (in terms of resources
and facilities) to enhance existing NOAA and CI resources to foster a
long-term collaborative research environment/culture?
Is there a strong education program with established
graduate degree programs in NOAA-related sciences that also encourage
student participation in NOAA-related research studies?
2. Technical/scientific merit (30 percent): This criterion assesses
whether the approach is technically sound and/or innovative, if the
methods are appropriate, and whether there are clear project goals and
objectives.
Does the project description include a summary of clearly
stated goals to be achieved during the five year period that reflect
NOAA's strategic plan and goals?
Does the CI involve partnerships with other universities
or research institutions, including Minority Serving Institutions and
universities that can contribute to the proposed activities of the CI?
3. Overall qualifications of applicants (30 percent): This
criterion ascertains whether the applicant possesses the necessary
education, experience, training, facilities, and administrative
resources to accomplish the project.
If the institution(s) and/or principal investigators have
received current or recent NOAA funding, is there a demonstrated record
of outstanding performance working with NOAA and/or NOAA scientists on
research projects?
Is there nationally and/or internationally recognized
expertise within the appropriate disciplines needed to conduct the
collaborative/interdisciplinary research described in the proposal?
Is there a well-developed business plan that includes
fiscal and human resource management, as well as strategic planning and
accountability?
Are there any unique capabilities in a mission-critical
area of research for NOAA?
Has the applicant shown a substantial investment to the
NOAA partnership, as demonstrated by the amount of the cost sharing
contribution?
4. Project costs (5 percent): The budget is evaluated to determine
if it is realistic and commensurate with the project needs and time-
frame.
5. Outreach and education (10 percent): NOAA assesses whether this
project provides a focused and effective education and outreach
strategy regarding NOAA's mission to protect the Nation's natural
resources.
Review and Selection Process: An initial administrative review/
screening is conducted to determine compliance with requirements/
completeness. All proposals will be evaluated and individually ranked
in accordance with the assigned weights of the above-listed evaluation
criteria by an independent peer review panel. At least three experts,
who may be Federal or non-Federal, will be used in this process. If
non-Federal experts participate in the review process, each expert will
submit an individual review and there will be no consensus opinion. The
merit reviewers' ratings are used to produce a rank order of the
proposals. The Selecting Official selects proposals after considering
the peer reviews and selection factors listed below. In making the
final selections, the Selecting Official will award in rank order
unless the proposal is justified to be selected out of rank order based
upon one or more of the selection factors. The Selecting Official makes
the final award recommendation to the Grants Officer authorized to
obligate funds.
Selection Factors: The merit review ratings shall provide a rank
order to the Selecting Official for final funding recommendations. The
Selecting Official shall award in the rank order unless the proposal is
justified to be selected out of rank order based upon one or more of
the following factors:
1. Availability of funding.
2. Balance/distribution of funds:
(a) Geographically
(b) By type of institutions
(c) By type of partners
(d) By research areas
(e) By project types
3. Whether this project duplicates other projects funded or
considered for funding by NOAA or other Federal agencies.
4. Program priorities and policy factors.
5. Applicant's prior award performance.
6. Partnerships and/or participation of targeted groups.
7. Adequacy of information necessary for NOAA staff to make a
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) determination and draft
necessary documentation before recommendations for funding are made to
the Grants Officer.
Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program are not
subject to Executive Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal
Programs.''
Limitation of Liability: In no event will NOAA or the Department of
Commerce be responsible for proposal preparation costs if these
programs fail to receive funding or are 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): National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA). NOAA must analyze the potential environmental
impacts, as required by NEPA, for applicant projects or proposals which
are seeking NOAA federal funding opportunities. Detailed information on
NOAA compliance with NEPA can be found at the NOAA NEPA Web site,
https://www.nepa.noaa.gov, including our NOAA Administrative Order 216-6
for NEPA, https://www.corporateservices.noaa.gov/%7Eames/NAOs/Chap_216/naos_216_6.html, and the Council on Environmental Quality
implementation regulations, https://www.nepa.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
[[Page 58607]]
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 has been approved
by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the respective
control numbers 4040-004, 4040-006, 0348-0040, and 0348-0046.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person is required to,
nor shall a person be subject to a penalty for failure to comply with,
a collection of information subject to the requirements 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 an 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 comment are not required
pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553 or any other law, the analytical requirements
for the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) are
inapplicable. Therefore, a regulatory flexibility analysis has not been
prepared.
Dated: November 6, 2009.
Mark E. Brown,
Chief Financial Officer, Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. E9-27332 Filed 11-12-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-KD-P
