Inviting Applications for Rural Business Opportunity Grants, 15406-15411 [2010-6860]

Download as PDF 15406 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 59 / Monday, March 29, 2010 / Notices cprice-sewell on DSK89S0YB1PROD with NOTICES As important as the decisions to be made is the identification of the types of decisions that will not be made within the revised forest plan. The authorization of project-level activities on the forests is not a decision made in the forest plan but occurs through subsequent project specific decisionmaking. The designation of routes, trails, and areas for motorized vehicle travel are not considered during plan revision. Some issues (e.g., hunting regulations), although important, are beyond the authority or control of the national forests and will not be considered. In addition, some issues, such as wild and scenic river suitability determinations, may not be undertaken at this time, but addressed later as a future forest plan amendment. The Hells Canyon National Recreation Area (HCNRA), administered by the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, is managed under the HCNRA Comprehensive Management Plan, a part of the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest land management plan. The HCNRA Comprehensive Management Plan was revised in 2003 and is not being considered for modification in this revision process. Applicable Planning Rule On December 18, 2009 the Department reinstated the previous planning rule, commonly known as the 2000 planning rule in the Federal Register (Federal Register, Volume 74, No. 242, Friday, December 18, 2009, pages 67059 through 67075). The transition provisions of the reinstated rule (36 CFR 219.35 and appendices A and B) allow use of the provisions of the National Forest System land and resource management planning rule in effect prior to the effective date of the 2000 rule (November 9, 2000), commonly called the 1982 planning rule, to amend or revise plans. The Malheur, Umatilla, and WallowaWhitman National Forests have elected to use the provisions of the 1982 planning rule including the requirement to prepare an EIS, to complete plan revisions. Although the 2008 planning rule is no longer in effect, information gathered prior to the court’s injunction is useful for completing the plan revisions using the provisions of the 1982 planning rule. The Blue Mountains Plan Revision Team has concluded that the analyses begun or developed during the revision process to date are appropriate for continued use in the revision process. Roadless Area Management Direction The proposed action includes management direction for all National VerDate Nov<24>2008 09:18 Apr 05, 2010 Jkt 220001 Forest System lands within the planning area, including lands identified as inventoried roadless areas (IRAs) in the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule (RACR). There is currently a legal dispute regarding the status of the RACR, with one Federal Court (Wyoming District Federal Court, Judge Brimmer) finding the rule to be in conflict with law and enjoining its implementation and a different Federal Court (Northern California District Federal Court, Judge Laporte) reinstating that rule and prohibiting the Forest Service from taking any action that would have been prohibited under the RACR. The Forest Service is hopeful that current legal proceedings will resolve these conflicting court rulings. The Proposed Action includes plan direction that retains the undeveloped character of all three national forests by including Management Areas that restrict road construction and timber harvest. This is based on analysis of the resources and management situation that the Forest Service has done in developing the Proposed Action and on extensive public involvement. Comments received in the scoping process will help the agency determine the scope of issues related to roadless area management and guide the development of alternatives and analysis of environmental effects. The decision for the final plan will be consistent with the legal status of the RACR at the time the plan is signed. Description of the Scoping Process This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides the development of the environmental impact statement. In scoping, the agency, with the assistance of the public, determines the scope of the issues to be addressed and identifies the significant issues related to the proposed action (see 40 CFR 1501.7). It is important that reviewers provide their comments at such times and in such a way that they are useful to the Agency’s preparation of the revised plan and the EIS. Therefore, comments should be provided prior to the close of the comment period and should clearly articulate the reviewers’ concerns and contentions. The submission of timely and specific comments can affect a reviewer’s ability to participate in subsequent objection, administrative appeal or judicial review. Comments received in response to this solicitation, including the names and addresses of those who comment, will be part of the public record for this proposed action. Comments submitted PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 anonymously will be accepted and considered. Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1600–1614; 36 CFR 219.35 (74 FR 67073–67074). Dated: March 22, 2010. Mary Wagner, Regional Forester, Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region. [FR Doc. 2010–6748 Filed 3–26–10; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410–11–M DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Rural Business—Cooperative Service Inviting Applications for Rural Business Opportunity Grants Rural Business—Cooperative Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: SUMMARY: The Rural Business— Cooperative Service (RBS), an Agency within the Rural Development mission area, announces the availability of grants under the Rural Business Opportunity Grant (RBOG) program for fiscal year (FY) 2010, to be competitively awarded based on the terms of this notice and RBOG program regulations found at 7 CFR part 4284, subpart G in the following amounts: 1. Up to $250,000 per application. These dollar limits do not apply to Federally Recognized Native American Tribes’’ (FRNAT), and Rural Economic Area Partnerships, for which the RBOG appropriation for FY 2010 provided specific funding. Grant applications may be submitted for a work period not to exceed two years. Applicants are strongly encouraged to review the regulations prior to submitting an application. While not precluding any of the previous uses of these funds, the Agency is particularly interested in recruiting applications that will establish ‘‘best practice’’ projects in the area of regional economic and community development using key strategies of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Regions can be either multijurisdictional areas within a State, territory, or Federally-designated Tribal land or can cross State, territory, or Tribal boundaries, and are herein referred to as ‘‘Great Regions’’ applicants. A Great Region application focusing on one or more of the key strategies outlined below may be eligible for additional discretionary points in the application scoring as outlined in the selection criterion in 7 CFR 4284.639(f). Projects should be E:\FR\FM\29MRN1.SGM 29MRN1 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 59 / Monday, March 29, 2010 / Notices designed to help rural communities in the region create wealth so they are selfsustaining, repopulating and thriving economically, especially using any of the following USDA key strategies in sustainable ways: 1. Local and regional food systems as a strategy for encouraging production agriculture and related industries in new wealth creation; 2. Renewable energy generation, energy conservation, and/or climate change adaptation or mitigation as strategies for quality job creation; 3. Use of broadband and other critical infrastructure as a strategy to facilitate local entrepreneurship and expansion of market opportunities for small businesses; 4. Access to capital in rural areas as a strategy to ensure continuous business development and job creation/retention; and 5. Innovative utilization of natural resources as a strategy to expand business opportunities. Applicants are encouraged to consider all available resources in their geographic area that can contribute to supporting their chosen strategies * * * After selection, grantees may be provided with targeted technical assistance by USDA or other Federal agencies as available and appropriate. The deadline for the receipt of applications in the respective Rural Development State Office is 4 p.m. local time on June 28, 2010. Any applications received after that time will not be considered for FY 2010 funding; however, the Agency reserves the right to extend the application deadline. Prospective applicants may submit an application for an informal eligibility pre-review no later than April 28, 2010. The pre-review is intended to provide feedback to the prospective applicant, but is not binding on the Agency. DATES: Entities wishing to apply for a grant should contact a Rural Development State Office for additional information and copies of the application package. All applications should be submitted to the Rural Development State Office serving the State or territory where the project, or a majority of the project, would be located. Electronic applications must be submitted through the Grants.gov Web site at: https://www.grants.gov, following the instructions found on this Web site. Applicants whose projects would serve a multi-State area do not need to apply to each State Office. Following is the contact information for Rural Development State Offices: cprice-sewell on DSK89S0YB1PROD with NOTICES ADDRESSES: VerDate Nov<24>2008 09:18 Apr 05, 2010 Jkt 220001 15407 Alabama Iowa USDA Rural Development State Office, Sterling Centre, Suite 601, 4121 Carmichael Road, Montgomery, AL 36106– 3683. (334) 279–3400/TDD (334) 279–3495. USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Room 873, 210 Walnut Street, Des Moines, IA 50309. (515) 284– 4663/TDD (515) 284–4858. Alaska Kansas USDA Rural Development State Office, 800 West Evergreen, Suite 201, Palmer, AK 99645–6539. (907) 761–7705/TDD (907) 761–8905. USDA Rural Development State Office, 1303 SW. First American Place, Suite 100, Topeka, KS 66604–4040. (785) 271–2700/ TDD (785) 271–2767. Arizona Kentucky USDA Rural Development State Office, 230 N. 1st Ave., Suite 206, Phoenix, AZ 85003. (602) 280–8701/TDD (602) 280–8705. USDA Rural Development State Office, 771 Corporate Drive, Suite 200, Lexington, KY 40503. (859) 224–7300/TDD (859) 224– 7422. Arkansas USDA Rural Development State Office, 700 West Capitol Avenue, Room 3416, Little Rock, AR 72201–3225. (501) 301–3200/ TDD (501) 301–3279. Louisiana California Maine USDA Rural Development State Office, 430 G Street, # 4169, Davis, CA 95616–4169. (530) 792–5800/TDD (530) 792–5848. USDA Rural Development State Office, 967 Illinois Avenue, Suite 4, P.O. Box 405, Bangor, ME 04402–0405. (207) 990–9160/ TDD (207) 942–7331. Colorado USDA Rural Development State Office, 655 Parfet Street, Room E–100, Lakewood, CO 80215. (720) 544–2903/TDD (720) 544– 2976. USDA Rural Development State Office, 3727 Government Street, Alexandria, LA 71302. (318) 473–7921/TDD (318) 473–7655. Maryland (see Delaware) Connecticut (see Massachusetts) Massachusetts/Rhode Island/Connecticut USDA Rural Development State Office, 451 West Street, Suite 2, Amherst, MA 01002– 2999. (413) 253–4300/TDD (413) 253–4590. Delaware/Maryland USDA Rural Development State Office, 1221 College Park Drive, Suite 200, Dover, DE 19904. (302) 857–3580/TDD (302) 857– 3585. Michigan USDA Rural Development State Office, 3001 Coolidge Road, Suite 200, East Lansing, MI 48823. (517) 324–5190/TDD (517) 324– 5169. Florida/Virgin Islands USDA Rural Development State Office, 4440 NW. 25th Place, P.O. Box 147010, Gainesville, FL 32614–7010. (352) 338– 3400/TDD (352) 338–3499. Minnesota USDA Rural Development State Office, 375 Jackson Street, Suite 410, St. Paul, MN 55101–1853. (651) 602–7800/TDD (651) 602–3799. Georgia USDA Rural Development State Office, Stephens Federal Building, 355 E. Hancock Avenue, Athens, GA 30601–2768. (706) 546–2162/TDD (706) 546–2034. Mississippi USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Suite 831, 100 West Capitol Street, Jackson, MS 39269. (601) 965–4316/TDD (601) 965–5850. Hawaii USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Room 311, 154 Waianuenue Avenue, Hilo, HI 96720. (808) 933–8380/TDD (808) 933–8321. Missouri USDA Rural Development State Office, 601 Business Loop 70 West, Parkade Center, Suite 235, Columbia, MO 65203. (573) 876–0976/TDD (573) 876–9480. Idaho USDA Rural Development State Office, 9173 West Barnes Drive, Suite A1, Boise, ID 83709. (208) 378–5600/TDD (208) 378– 5644. Montana USDA Rural Development State Office, 900 Technology Boulevard, Suite B, P.O. Box 850, Bozeman, MT 59771. (406) 585–2580/ TDD (406) 585–2562. Illinois USDA Rural Development State Office, 2118 West Park Court, Suite A, Champaign, IL 61821. (217) 403–6200/TDD (217) 403– 6240. Nebraska USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Room 152, 100 Centennial Mall North, Lincoln, NE 68508. (402) 437–5551/TDD (402) 437–5093. Indiana USDA Rural Development State Office, 5975 Lakeside Boulevard, Indianapolis, IN 46278. (317) 290–3100/TDD (317) 290– 3343. Nevada USDA Rural Development State Office, 1390 South Curry Street, Carson City, NV 89703–5146. (775) 887–1222/TDD (775) 885–0633. PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\29MRN1.SGM 29MRN1 15408 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 59 / Monday, March 29, 2010 / Notices New Jersey USDA Rural Development State Office, 8000 Midlantic Drive, 5th Floor North, Suite 500, Mt. Laurel, NJ 08054. (856) 787–7700/ TDD (856) 787–7784. New Hampshire (see Vermont) New Mexico USDA Rural Development State Office, 6200 Jefferson Street, NE., Room 255, Albuquerque, NM 87109. (505) 761–4950/ TDD (505) 761–4938. New York USDA Rural Development State Office, The Galleries of Syracuse, 441 South Salina Street, Suite 357, Syracuse, NY 13202– 2541. (315) 477–6400/TDD (315) 477–6447. North Carolina USDA Rural Development State Office, 4405 Bland Road, Suite 260, Raleigh, NC 27609. (919) 873–2000/TDD (919) 873–2003. USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Room 208, 220 East Rosser, P.O. Box 1737, Bismarck, ND 58502–1737. (701) 530–2037/TDD (701) 530–2113. Ohio USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Room 507, 200 North High Street, Columbus, OH 43215–2418. (614) 255–2400/TDD (614) 255–2554. Oklahoma USDA Rural Development State Office, 100 USDA, Suite 108, Stillwater, OK 74074– 2654. (405) 742–1000/TDD (405) 742–1007. Oregon USDA Rural Development State Office, 1201 NE Lloyd Blvd., Suite 801, Portland, OR 97232. (503) 414–3300/TDD (503) 414– 3387. Pennsylvania USDA Rural Development State Office, One Credit Union Place, Suite 330, Harrisburg, PA 17110–2996. (717) 237–2299/TDD (717) 237–2261. Utah USDA Rural Development State Office, Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building, 125 South State Street, Room 4311, Salt Lake City, UT 84138. (801) 524–4320/TDD (801) 524–3309. Vermont/New Hampshire USDA Rural Development State Office, City Center, 3rd Floor, 89 Main Street, Montpelier, VT 05602. (802) 828–6000/ TDD (802) 223–6365. Virgin Islands (see Florida) Washington USDA Rural Development State Office, 1835 Black Lake Boulevard SW., Suite B, Olympia, WA 98512–5715. (360) 704– 7740/TDD (360) 704–7760. West Virginia USDA Rural Development State Office, 75 High Street, Room 320, Morgantown, WV 26505–7500. (304) 284–4860/TDD (304) 284–4836. Wisconsin USDA Rural Development State Office, 4949 Kirschling Court, Stevens Point, WI 54481. (715) 345–7600/TDD (715) 345–7614. Wyoming USDA Rural Development State Office, 100 East B, Federal Building, Room 1005, P.O. Box 11005, Casper, WY 82602–5006. (307) 233–6700/TDD (307) 233–6733. U.S. Territories Guam (see Hawaii) Puerto Rico USDA Rural Development State Office, IBM Building, Suite 601, 654 Munos Rivera Avenue, San Juan, PR 00918–6106. (787) 766–5095/TDD (787) 766–5332. Rhode Island (see Massachusetts) South Carolina cprice-sewell on DSK89S0YB1PROD with NOTICES Texas USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Suite 102, 101 South Main, Temple, TX 76501. (254) 742–9700/ TDD (254) 742–9712. Virginia USDA Rural Development State Office, 1606 Santa Rosa Road, Suite 238, Richmond, VA 23229–5014. (804) 287–1550/TDD (804) 287–1753. North Dakota USDA Rural Development State Office, Strom Thurmond Federal Building, 1835 Assembly Street, Room 1007, Columbia, SC 29201. (803) 765–5163/TDD (803) 765– 5697. South Dakota USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Room 210, 200 Fourth Street, SW., Huron, SD 57350. (605) 352– 1100/TDD (605) 352–1147. VerDate Nov<24>2008 Tennessee USDA Rural Development State Office, 3322 West End Avenue, Suite 300, Nashville, TN 37203–1084. (615) 783–1300. 09:18 Apr 05, 2010 Jkt 220001 Western Pacific (see Hawaii) SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Overview Federal Agency: Rural Business— Cooperative Service (RBS). Funding Opportunity Type: Rural Business Opportunity Grants (RBOG). Announcement Type: Initial Solicitation Announcement. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 10.773 Dates: Application Deadline: Unless extended by the Agency, completed applications for these funds must be received in the respective Rural Development State Office no later than PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 4 p.m. on June 28, 2010, to be eligible for FY 2010 grant funding. Any applications received after that time will not be considered for FY 2010 funding; however, the Agency reserves the right to extend the application deadline. Electronic applications must be submitted through the Grants.gov Web site at: https://www.grants.gov, following the instructions found on this Web site. Application pre-review: Prospective applicants may submit an application for an informal eligibility pre-review no later than April 28, 2010. The prereview is intended to provide feedback to the prospective applicant, but is not binding on the Agency. I. Funding Opportunity Description While all of the many eligible purposes for Rural Business Opportunity Grants will continue to be considered, the Agency is particularly interested in recruiting applications that will establish ‘‘best practice’’ projects in the area of regional economic and community development using key strategies of the USDA as identified below. To ensure that a broad range of communities have the opportunity to benefit from the program, no grant will exceed $250,000. These limits do not apply to funding for rural areas designated as FRNATs or Rural Economic Area Partnerships. Multi-County and Multi-State applicants, referred to as ‘‘Great Regions’’ applicants, can be either multijurisdictional areas within a State, territory, or Federally recognized Tribes with land in multiple States or a consortium of Federally recognized Tribes. Great Regions applications should focus on the economic integration and cohesion of their self-defined geographic area. The Great Regions approach is intended to combine the resources of the Agency with those of State and local governments, educational institutions, and the private and nonprofit sectors to implement regional economic and community development strategies. Accordingly, the Agency will alert the grantee of other potential assistance both within USDA and across the Federal government in support of their project including USDA’s various programs and sources of expertise. The Agency encourages applications that promote substantive economic growth, including job creation, as well as specifically addressing the circumstances of those sectors within the region that have fewer prospects and the greatest need for improved economic opportunity. Applications should demonstrate: E:\FR\FM\29MRN1.SGM 29MRN1 cprice-sewell on DSK89S0YB1PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 59 / Monday, March 29, 2010 / Notices A. Clear leadership in organizing and coordinating a regional initiative; B. Evidence that the applicant region has a common economic basis that supports the likelihood of success in implementing its strategy; C. Evidence that the participants in the regional plan have the capacity to assess their circumstance, determine a long term sustainable vision for the region, and implement a comprehensive strategic plan, including identifying performance measures and establishing a system to collect the data to allow assessment of those performance measures; D. Evidence that the participants in the regional plan are willing to work collaboratively with a broad range of institutions (e.g., Federal agencies, State, local, and Tribal governments, non-profits, universities and colleges, private firms, philanthropic organizations); E. Evidence that the participants in the regional plan will seek contributions or investments in the regional strategy from a board range of institutions; F. Evidence that participants in the regional plan are willing to assure broad citizen participation in its regional work; G. Evidence of consideration of the demographic diversity within the region; and, H. Evidence of adequate funding support to disadvantaged communities. A Great Regions project should be designed to help rural communities in the region create prosperity so they are self-sustaining, repopulating and economically thriving. A Great Region application focusing on one or more of the following key strategies may be eligible for additional discretionary points in the application scoring as outlined in the selection criterion in 7 CFR 4284.639(f).: 1. Local and regional food systems that encourage agriculture and related industries in new wealth creation— Section 6015 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (Farm Bill) defines ‘‘locally or regionally produced agricultural food products’’ to be any agricultural food product that is raised, produced, and distributed in: (I) The locality or region in which the final product is marketed, so that the total distance that the product is transported is less than 400 miles from the origin of the product; or (II) the State in which the product is produced. Local or regional food systems are the infrastructure behind locally or regionally produced agricultural food products*. This includes both the land, buildings, equipment, professional services such as veterinary care or crop VerDate Nov<24>2008 09:18 Apr 05, 2010 Jkt 220001 consulting, and feed, seed, fertilizer and other inputs necessary to produce the crops and livestock leading to these food products and the harvesting, transportation, processing, storage, handling, distribution, and retail networks required to give consumers real access to locally or regionally produced food products. Best practice projects should acknowledge the role of producers and consumers, individually or collectively, including through the creation of new or expansion of existing cooperatives. *(This definition is included for informational purposes only and Applicants should not be constrained by it in formulating their geographic boundaries for RBOG application purposes.) 2. Renewable energy generation and energy conservation as strategies for quality job creation as well as climate change reduction and mitigation—As America turned from the 19th to the 20th Century, rural areas provided much of the workforce and natural resources that powered the Industrial Revolution. While those jobs created prosperity in rural communities, they often came at the price of worker health and the quality of water, air, and soil in the region. As new technologies emerge to create power and fuels from renewable sources, rural Americans look forward to new opportunities to harness the sun that shines on the desert Southwest, the wind that sweeps across the heartland, and to turn agricultural wastes and by-products into power and fuel sources for generations to come. But, from manufacturing photovoltaic films to repairing wind turbines to mastering biomass crop production, harvesting, and storage, realizing those opportunities requires workforce recruitment and development. There are similar job opportunities in energy conservation, from conducting energy audits for farmers and other rural business owners to jobs in the home improvement business reducing home heating and cooling costs. As is often the case in rural areas, though, sparse population can make entrepreneurship difficult to support. Best practice projects in this area will demonstrate rural/urban connections and explore the interface of Federal and State level incentives with permitting and regulatory frameworks. 3. Access to broadband and other critical infrastructure as a strategy for facilitating local entrepreneurship and attracting people into rural areas—The Rural Utilities Service, another of the agencies forming the Rural Development mission area, has been financing expansion of electricity into rural areas PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 15409 since 1935 and telecommunications since 1949. In both the Farm Bill and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Congress modernized USDA’s telecommunications mission by providing Rural Utilities Service with tools to expand access to broadband in rural areas. Availability of high-speed Internet access has become one of the factors Americans consider in choosing where to live, along with the availability of clean water, sanitary sewer systems, and the quality and availability of housing, schools, and other essential community facilities. Over its 75-year history, Rural Utilities Service and its predecessor, the Rural Electrification Administration, have improved the quality of life for millions of rural Americans and made modern commerce possible. However, it is not enough to make fiber-optic cable, wireless services, or even satellite capability available to rural communities. For the economic promise of broadband technologies to be realized, they must be used. Buyers and sellers must be able to find each other quickly and easily anywhere and anytime. Health care and other service providers must use available technology to improve the quality of the services they offer. Employers must use available technology to recruit, train, and retain a modern workforce. As changes in whole sectors of the American economy—from wood products to automotive parts to the poultry industry—ripple through supply chains in rural communities, broadband access offers hope for new markets and new economic opportunities, but only if it is used. 4. Access to capital in rural areas as a strategy to ensure continuous business development and job creation/ retention—Like all business owners, rural entrepreneurs need access to capital to start or expand their businesses. And, like all business owners, rural entrepreneurs have two basic choices when they need to raise capital: Debt financing through a loan or equity financing through selling a stake in the business to investors. But, these tools have not been as readily available in many rural areas as they have been in more metropolitan areas, even when the overall economy was very strong. The Agency offers a variety of tools designed to make debt financing more available and more affordable, such as capitalizing locally-controlled revolving loan funds through the Intermediary Relending Program and reducing lender risk to make more favorable rates and terms possible for business owners through the Business & Industry Loan Guarantee Program. However, the Farm Bill authorized only one equity E:\FR\FM\29MRN1.SGM 29MRN1 15410 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 59 / Monday, March 29, 2010 / Notices financing program, the Rural Business Investment Program (Section 6027), and no funding has been requested or appropriated. The Agency is particularly interested in recruiting best practice projects that identify alternative and replicable equity sources, such as community-based organizations, private foundations or networks of private investors willing to focus on rural economic and community development. 5. Innovative utilization of natural resources as a strategy to expand business opportunities—Creative integration of local natural resources can result in multiple avenues for new or enhanced economic activity that will increase rural wealth. For example, forest resources can be used to encourage eco-tourism resulting in increased demand for businesses to provide supporting services or private pasture land can be used for hunting. If a region becomes known for its unique features, it can create additional sources of income by promoting itself as a destination. Once there, visitors can support businesses such as art galleries, spas, etc. The Agency is particularly interested in recruiting best practice projects that identify alternative and replicable innovations of natural resource projects as strategies for long term economic development. In addition, within the key strategy categories, the Agency is also interested in applications that integrate economically and environmentally sustainable methods of growth, in particular in transportation, housing, and economic development. II. Award Information Type of Award: Grant. Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2010. Total Funding: $7.48 million. Approximate Number of Awards: 30. Maximum Award: $250,000, except as otherwise specifically provided herein. Anticipated Award Date: September 15, 2010. Specially designated places: Tribal lands, Rural Economic Area Partnership (REAP) Zones. cprice-sewell on DSK89S0YB1PROD with NOTICES III. Eligibility Information A. Eligible Applicants Grants may be made to public bodies, nonprofit corporations, Indian Tribes on Federal or State reservations and other Federally-recognized Tribal groups, and cooperatives with members who are primarily rural residents and that conduct activities for the mutual benefit of the members. B. Cost Sharing or Matching Matching funds are not required; however, regulatory selection criteria VerDate Nov<24>2008 09:18 Apr 05, 2010 Jkt 220001 encourage applications that leverage Federal funds. C. Other Eligibility Requirements The purpose of the RBOG program is to facilitate sustainable economic development opportunities for rural people. D. Completeness Eligibility Applications must be complete to be considered for FY 2010 funding. The required elements of a complete application are in the RBOG program regulations at 7 CFR Part 4284, Subpart G. Copies of the regulations are available from Rural Development State Offices or can be obtained online from the Rural Development Web site: https://www.rurdev.usda.gov/regs/ regs_toc.html. IV. Fiscal Year 2010 Application and Submission Information A. Address To Request Application Package Applicants should contact the Rural Development State Office serving the State, territory, or Tribal lands in which the project, or the majority of the project, would be physically located. Contact information for Rural Development State Offices is listed above. Applications may be submitted in paper format; however, applicants are encouraged to submit applications through the Grants.gov Web site at https://www.grants.gov. Applications will not be accepted by electronic mail. The Grants.gov Web site provides all necessary information about how to submit an electronic application through the Web site as well as the hours of operation. Users of Grants.gov will be able to download a copy of the full application package, complete it offline, and then upload and submit the application and all necessary assurances and certifications via the Grants.gov Web site. In addition: • Applicants are strongly encouraged not to wait until the final day of application acceptance to begin the Grants.gov process; • In the event of technical difficulties on the final day of application acceptance, an applicant may choose to submit a paper application instead; however, the application must be received by the respective Rural Development State Office by 4 p.m. on June 28, 2010; • Applicants must have a Dunn and Bradstreet Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number. A DUNS number can be obtained at no cost by calling toll-free 1–866–705–5711 or online at: https:// fedgov.dnb.com/webform; PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 • Applicants submitting through the Grants.gov Web site will receive an automatic acknowledgement of the submission containing a Grants.gov tracking number; • The Agency may request that an applicant provide original signatures on forms at a later date; and • Applicants can locate the downloadable application package for the RBOG program on the Grants.gov Web site by using the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number, which is 10.773, or by searching the FedGrants Funding Opportunity Number, which can be found at https:// www.fedgrants.gov. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the information collection requirement contained in this Notice is approved by the Office of Management Budget (OMB) under OMB Control Number 0570–0024. B. Content and Form of Submission An application must be consistent with the statutory requirements of the RBOG program, found in 7 U.S.C. 1926(a)(11), as amended. In addition, an application must contain all of the required elements articulated in the RBOG regulations, found at 7 CFR part 4284, subpart G. Each selection criterion outlined in 7 CFR 4284.639 must be addressed in the application. Failure to address any of the criteria will result in a zero point score for that criterion and will impact the overall evaluation of the application. Copies of pertinent provisions of the regulations can be obtained from a Rural Development State Office listed above or can be obtained electronically from the Rural Development Web site: https:// www.rurdev.usda.gov/regs/ regs_toc.html. C. Submission Dates and Times Application Deadline: Completed applications for these funds must be received by the respective Rural Development State Office no later than 4 p.m. on June 28, 2010 for grant funding. Any applications received after that time will not be considered for FY 2010 funding; however, the Agency reserves the right to extend the application deadline. Application pre-review: Prospective applicants may submit an application for an informal eligibility pre-review no later than April 28, 2010. The prereview is intended to provide feedback to the prospective applicant, but is not binding on the Agency. V. Application Review Information The National Office will score applications based on the grant E:\FR\FM\29MRN1.SGM 29MRN1 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 59 / Monday, March 29, 2010 / Notices selection criteria and point scores contained in 7 CFR part 4284, subpart G and will select a grantee subject to the grantee’s satisfactory submission of any additional items required by 7 CFR part 4284, subpart G and the RBS Letter of Conditions. VI. Award Administration Information A. Award Notices Successful applicants will receive notification for funding from the Rural Development State Office. Applicants must comply with all applicable statutes and regulations before the grant award will be approved. Unsuccessful applicants will receive notification, including mediation procedures and appeal rights, by mail. Additional requirements that apply to grantees selected for this program can be found in the RBOG regulations, contained in 7 CFR part 4284, subpart G. This regulation may be obtained at: https://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/ page1. VII. Agency Contacts For general questions about how to apply or to receive an application package, please contact the Rural Development State Office serving the State or territory where the project, or a majority of the project, would be located. For specific questions about multijurisdictional ‘‘Great Region’’ applications or information about other programs or agencies in USDA, please call 202–720–7558. cprice-sewell on DSK89S0YB1PROD with NOTICES Nondiscrimination Statement ‘‘The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at 202–720– 6382 (TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Adjudication and Compliance, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250–9410, or call 800–795–3272 (voice), or 202–720–6382 09:18 Apr 05, 2010 Jkt 220001 Appeal Process Dated: March 18, 2010. David R. Myers, Designated Federal Official. [FR Doc. 2010–6743 Filed 3–26–10; 8:45 am] All adverse determinations regarding applicant eligibility and the awarding of points as part of the selection process are appealable pursuant to 7 CFR part 11. Instructions on the appeal process will be provide at the time an applicant is notified of the adverse decision. Dated: February 18, 2010. Judith A. Canales, Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative Service. [FR Doc. 2010–6860 Filed 3–26–10; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410–11–M DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Okanogan and Wenatchee National Forests Resource Advisory Committee Forest Service, USDA. Notice of meeting. AGENCY: ACTION: ADDRESSES: B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements VerDate Nov<24>2008 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.’’ 15411 SUMMARY: The Wenatchee-Okanogan Resource Advisory Committee will meet on May 5, May 13, and May 20 at the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest Headquarters Office, 215 Melody Lane, Wenatchee, WA. These meetings will begin at 9 a.m. and continue until 3 p.m. On May 5, committee members will review Kittitas County projects, on May 13, committee members will review Okanogan County projects, and on May 20, committee members will review Chelan County and Yakima County projects proposed for Resource Advisory Committee consideration under Title II of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000. All Wenatchee-Okanogan Resource Advisory Committee meetings are open to the public. Interested citizens are welcome to attend. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Direct questions regarding this meeting to Robin DeMario, Public Affairs Specialist, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, 215 Melody Lane, Wenatchee, Washington 98801, (509) 664–9200. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dated: March 23, 2010. Clinton Kyhl, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, Forest Supervisor. BILLING CODE 3410–XY–P DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Southwest Montana Resource Advisory Committee Meeting AGENCY: ACTION: Forest Service, USDA. Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: Pursuant to the authorities in the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92–463) and under the Secure Rural Schools and Community SelfDetermination Act of 2000 (Pub. L. 106– 393) the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest’s Southwest Montana Resource Advisory Committee will meet on Monday April 19, 2010, from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m., in Dillon, Montana. The purpose of the meeting is to review funding proposals for Title II funding. Monday, April 19, 2010, from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. DATES: The meeting will be held at the Beaverhead-Deerlodge Forest Head quarters located at 420 Barrett Street, Dillon, Montana (MT 59725). Patty Bates, Committee Coordinator, Beaver head-Deerlodge National Forest, 420 Barrett Road, Dillon, MT 59725 (406) 683–3979; e-mail pbates@fs.fed.us. Agenda for this meeting include discussion about (1) Orientation to the reauthorized legislation; (2) Purpose of the Secure Rural Schools Act; (3) Roles and responsibilities of the Southwest Montana RAC; (3) Election of Conmiittee Chairperson; (4) Meeting structure, processes and agendas; (5) Budget; and (6) Project solicitation. The meeting is open to the public. Time for public input will be provided and individuals will have the opportunity to address the Committee. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 [FR Doc. 2010–6869 Filed 3–26–10; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410–11–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request The Department of Commerce will submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). Agency: Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS). E:\FR\FM\29MRN1.SGM 29MRN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 59 (Monday, March 29, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15406-15411]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-6860]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Business--Cooperative Service


Inviting Applications for Rural Business Opportunity Grants

AGENCY: Rural Business--Cooperative Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Rural Business--Cooperative Service (RBS), an Agency 
within the Rural Development mission area, announces the availability 
of grants under the Rural Business Opportunity Grant (RBOG) program for 
fiscal year (FY) 2010, to be competitively awarded based on the terms 
of this notice and RBOG program regulations found at 7 CFR part 4284, 
subpart G in the following amounts:
    1. Up to $250,000 per application.
    These dollar limits do not apply to Federally Recognized Native 
American Tribes'' (FRNAT), and Rural Economic Area Partnerships, for 
which the RBOG appropriation for FY 2010 provided specific funding.
    Grant applications may be submitted for a work period not to exceed 
two years.
    Applicants are strongly encouraged to review the regulations prior 
to submitting an application.
    While not precluding any of the previous uses of these funds, the 
Agency is particularly interested in recruiting applications that will 
establish ``best practice'' projects in the area of regional economic 
and community development using key strategies of the United States 
Department of Agriculture (USDA). Regions can be either multi-
jurisdictional areas within a State, territory, or Federally-designated 
Tribal land or can cross State, territory, or Tribal boundaries, and 
are herein referred to as ``Great Regions'' applicants. A Great Region 
application focusing on one or more of the key strategies outlined 
below may be eligible for additional discretionary points in the 
application scoring as outlined in the selection criterion in 7 CFR 
4284.639(f). Projects should be

[[Page 15407]]

designed to help rural communities in the region create wealth so they 
are self-sustaining, repopulating and thriving economically, especially 
using any of the following USDA key strategies in sustainable ways:
    1. Local and regional food systems as a strategy for encouraging 
production agriculture and related industries in new wealth creation;
    2. Renewable energy generation, energy conservation, and/or climate 
change adaptation or mitigation as strategies for quality job creation;
    3. Use of broadband and other critical infrastructure as a strategy 
to facilitate local entrepreneurship and expansion of market 
opportunities for small businesses;
    4. Access to capital in rural areas as a strategy to ensure 
continuous business development and job creation/retention; and
    5. Innovative utilization of natural resources as a strategy to 
expand business opportunities.
    Applicants are encouraged to consider all available resources in 
their geographic area that can contribute to supporting their chosen 
strategies * * * After selection, grantees may be provided with 
targeted technical assistance by USDA or other Federal agencies as 
available and appropriate.

DATES: The deadline for the receipt of applications in the respective 
Rural Development State Office is 4 p.m. local time on June 28, 2010. 
Any applications received after that time will not be considered for FY 
2010 funding; however, the Agency reserves the right to extend the 
application deadline.
    Prospective applicants may submit an application for an informal 
eligibility pre-review no later than April 28, 2010. The pre-review is 
intended to provide feedback to the prospective applicant, but is not 
binding on the Agency.

ADDRESSES: Entities wishing to apply for a grant should contact a Rural 
Development State Office for additional information and copies of the 
application package. All applications should be submitted to the Rural 
Development State Office serving the State or territory where the 
project, or a majority of the project, would be located. Electronic 
applications must be submitted through the Grants.gov Web site at: 
https://www.grants.gov, following the instructions found on this Web 
site. Applicants whose projects would serve a multi-State area do not 
need to apply to each State Office. Following is the contact 
information for Rural Development State Offices:

Alabama

USDA Rural Development State Office, Sterling Centre, Suite 601, 
4121 Carmichael Road, Montgomery, AL 36106-3683. (334) 279-3400/TDD 
(334) 279-3495.

Alaska

USDA Rural Development State Office, 800 West Evergreen, Suite 201, 
Palmer, AK 99645-6539. (907) 761-7705/TDD (907) 761-8905.

Arizona

USDA Rural Development State Office, 230 N. 1st Ave., Suite 206, 
Phoenix, AZ 85003. (602) 280-8701/TDD (602) 280-8705.

Arkansas

USDA Rural Development State Office, 700 West Capitol Avenue, Room 
3416, Little Rock, AR 72201-3225. (501) 301-3200/TDD (501) 301-3279.

California

USDA Rural Development State Office, 430 G Street,  4169, 
Davis, CA 95616-4169. (530) 792-5800/TDD (530) 792-5848.

Colorado

USDA Rural Development State Office, 655 Parfet Street, Room E-100, 
Lakewood, CO 80215. (720) 544-2903/TDD (720) 544-2976.

Connecticut (see Massachusetts)

Delaware/Maryland

USDA Rural Development State Office, 1221 College Park Drive, Suite 
200, Dover, DE 19904. (302) 857-3580/TDD (302) 857-3585.

Florida/Virgin Islands

USDA Rural Development State Office, 4440 NW. 25th Place, P.O. Box 
147010, Gainesville, FL 32614-7010. (352) 338-3400/TDD (352) 338-
3499.

Georgia

USDA Rural Development State Office, Stephens Federal Building, 355 
E. Hancock Avenue, Athens, GA 30601-2768. (706) 546-2162/TDD (706) 
546-2034.

Hawaii

USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Room 311, 154 
Waianuenue Avenue, Hilo, HI 96720. (808) 933-8380/TDD (808) 933-
8321.

Idaho

USDA Rural Development State Office, 9173 West Barnes Drive, Suite 
A1, Boise, ID 83709. (208) 378-5600/TDD (208) 378-5644.

Illinois

USDA Rural Development State Office, 2118 West Park Court, Suite A, 
Champaign, IL 61821. (217) 403-6200/TDD (217) 403-6240.

Indiana

USDA Rural Development State Office, 5975 Lakeside Boulevard, 
Indianapolis, IN 46278. (317) 290-3100/TDD (317) 290-3343.

Iowa

USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Room 873, 210 
Walnut Street, Des Moines, IA 50309. (515) 284-4663/TDD (515) 284-
4858.

Kansas

USDA Rural Development State Office, 1303 SW. First American Place, 
Suite 100, Topeka, KS 66604-4040. (785) 271-2700/TDD (785) 271-2767.

Kentucky

USDA Rural Development State Office, 771 Corporate Drive, Suite 200, 
Lexington, KY 40503. (859) 224-7300/TDD (859) 224-7422.

Louisiana

USDA Rural Development State Office, 3727 Government Street, 
Alexandria, LA 71302. (318) 473-7921/TDD (318) 473-7655.

Maine

USDA Rural Development State Office, 967 Illinois Avenue, Suite 4, 
P.O. Box 405, Bangor, ME 04402-0405. (207) 990-9160/TDD (207) 942-
7331.

Maryland (see Delaware)

Massachusetts/Rhode Island/Connecticut

USDA Rural Development State Office, 451 West Street, Suite 2, 
Amherst, MA 01002-2999. (413) 253-4300/TDD (413) 253-4590.

Michigan

USDA Rural Development State Office, 3001 Coolidge Road, Suite 200, 
East Lansing, MI 48823. (517) 324-5190/TDD (517) 324-5169.

Minnesota

USDA Rural Development State Office, 375 Jackson Street, Suite 410, 
St. Paul, MN 55101-1853. (651) 602-7800/TDD (651) 602-3799.

Mississippi

USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Suite 831, 
100 West Capitol Street, Jackson, MS 39269. (601) 965-4316/TDD (601) 
965-5850.

Missouri

USDA Rural Development State Office, 601 Business Loop 70 West, 
Parkade Center, Suite 235, Columbia, MO 65203. (573) 876-0976/TDD 
(573) 876-9480.

Montana

USDA Rural Development State Office, 900 Technology Boulevard, Suite 
B, P.O. Box 850, Bozeman, MT 59771. (406) 585-2580/TDD (406) 585-
2562.

Nebraska

USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Room 152, 100 
Centennial Mall North, Lincoln, NE 68508. (402) 437-5551/TDD (402) 
437-5093.

Nevada

USDA Rural Development State Office, 1390 South Curry Street, Carson 
City, NV 89703-5146. (775) 887-1222/TDD (775) 885-0633.

[[Page 15408]]

New Jersey

USDA Rural Development State Office, 8000 Midlantic Drive, 5th Floor 
North, Suite 500, Mt. Laurel, NJ 08054. (856) 787-7700/TDD (856) 
787-7784.

New Hampshire (see Vermont)

New Mexico

USDA Rural Development State Office, 6200 Jefferson Street, NE., 
Room 255, Albuquerque, NM 87109. (505) 761-4950/TDD (505) 761-4938.

New York

USDA Rural Development State Office, The Galleries of Syracuse, 441 
South Salina Street, Suite 357, Syracuse, NY 13202-2541. (315) 477-
6400/TDD (315) 477-6447.

North Carolina

USDA Rural Development State Office, 4405 Bland Road, Suite 260, 
Raleigh, NC 27609. (919) 873-2000/TDD (919) 873-2003.

North Dakota

USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Room 208, 220 
East Rosser, P.O. Box 1737, Bismarck, ND 58502-1737. (701) 530-2037/
TDD (701) 530-2113.

Ohio

USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Room 507, 200 
North High Street, Columbus, OH 43215-2418. (614) 255-2400/TDD (614) 
255-2554.

Oklahoma

USDA Rural Development State Office, 100 USDA, Suite 108, 
Stillwater, OK 74074-2654. (405) 742-1000/TDD (405) 742-1007.

Oregon

USDA Rural Development State Office, 1201 NE Lloyd Blvd., Suite 801, 
Portland, OR 97232. (503) 414-3300/TDD (503) 414-3387.

Pennsylvania

USDA Rural Development State Office, One Credit Union Place, Suite 
330, Harrisburg, PA 17110-2996. (717) 237-2299/TDD (717) 237-2261.

Puerto Rico

USDA Rural Development State Office, IBM Building, Suite 601, 654 
Munos Rivera Avenue, San Juan, PR 00918-6106. (787) 766-5095/TDD 
(787) 766-5332.

Rhode Island (see Massachusetts)

South Carolina

USDA Rural Development State Office, Strom Thurmond Federal 
Building, 1835 Assembly Street, Room 1007, Columbia, SC 29201. (803) 
765-5163/TDD (803) 765-5697.

South Dakota

USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Room 210, 200 
Fourth Street, SW., Huron, SD 57350. (605) 352-1100/TDD (605) 352-
1147.

Tennessee

USDA Rural Development State Office, 3322 West End Avenue, Suite 
300, Nashville, TN 37203-1084. (615) 783-1300.

Texas

USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Suite 102, 
101 South Main, Temple, TX 76501. (254) 742-9700/TDD (254) 742-9712.

Utah

USDA Rural Development State Office, Wallace F. Bennett Federal 
Building, 125 South State Street, Room 4311, Salt Lake City, UT 
84138. (801) 524-4320/TDD (801) 524-3309.

Vermont/New Hampshire

USDA Rural Development State Office, City Center, 3rd Floor, 89 Main 
Street, Montpelier, VT 05602. (802) 828-6000/TDD (802) 223-6365.

Virgin Islands (see Florida)

Virginia

USDA Rural Development State Office, 1606 Santa Rosa Road, Suite 
238, Richmond, VA 23229-5014. (804) 287-1550/TDD (804) 287-1753.

Washington

USDA Rural Development State Office, 1835 Black Lake Boulevard SW., 
Suite B, Olympia, WA 98512-5715. (360) 704-7740/TDD (360) 704-7760.

West Virginia

USDA Rural Development State Office, 75 High Street, Room 320, 
Morgantown, WV 26505-7500. (304) 284-4860/TDD (304) 284-4836.

Wisconsin

USDA Rural Development State Office, 4949 Kirschling Court, Stevens 
Point, WI 54481. (715) 345-7600/TDD (715) 345-7614.

Wyoming

USDA Rural Development State Office, 100 East B, Federal Building, 
Room 1005, P.O. Box 11005, Casper, WY 82602-5006. (307) 233-6700/TDD 
(307) 233-6733.

U.S. Territories

Guam (see Hawaii)

Western Pacific (see Hawaii)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:


Overview

    Federal Agency: Rural Business--Cooperative Service (RBS).
    Funding Opportunity Type: Rural Business Opportunity Grants (RBOG).
    Announcement Type: Initial Solicitation Announcement.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 10.773
    Dates: Application Deadline: Unless extended by the Agency, 
completed applications for these funds must be received in the 
respective Rural Development State Office no later than 4 p.m. on June 
28, 2010, to be eligible for FY 2010 grant funding. Any applications 
received after that time will not be considered for FY 2010 funding; 
however, the Agency reserves the right to extend the application 
deadline. Electronic applications must be submitted through the 
Grants.gov Web site at: https://www.grants.gov, following the 
instructions found on this Web site.
    Application pre-review: Prospective applicants may submit an 
application for an informal eligibility pre-review no later than April 
28, 2010. The pre-review is intended to provide feedback to the 
prospective applicant, but is not binding on the Agency.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    While all of the many eligible purposes for Rural Business 
Opportunity Grants will continue to be considered, the Agency is 
particularly interested in recruiting applications that will establish 
``best practice'' projects in the area of regional economic and 
community development using key strategies of the USDA as identified 
below. To ensure that a broad range of communities have the opportunity 
to benefit from the program, no grant will exceed $250,000. These 
limits do not apply to funding for rural areas designated as FRNATs or 
Rural Economic Area Partnerships.
    Multi-County and Multi-State applicants, referred to as ``Great 
Regions'' applicants, can be either multi-jurisdictional areas within a 
State, territory, or Federally recognized Tribes with land in multiple 
States or a consortium of Federally recognized Tribes.
    Great Regions applications should focus on the economic integration 
and cohesion of their self-defined geographic area. The Great Regions 
approach is intended to combine the resources of the Agency with those 
of State and local governments, educational institutions, and the 
private and nonprofit sectors to implement regional economic and 
community development strategies. Accordingly, the Agency will alert 
the grantee of other potential assistance both within USDA and across 
the Federal government in support of their project including USDA's 
various programs and sources of expertise.
    The Agency encourages applications that promote substantive 
economic growth, including job creation, as well as specifically 
addressing the circumstances of those sectors within the region that 
have fewer prospects and the greatest need for improved economic 
opportunity.
    Applications should demonstrate:

[[Page 15409]]

    A. Clear leadership in organizing and coordinating a regional 
initiative;
    B. Evidence that the applicant region has a common economic basis 
that supports the likelihood of success in implementing its strategy;
    C. Evidence that the participants in the regional plan have the 
capacity to assess their circumstance, determine a long term 
sustainable vision for the region, and implement a comprehensive 
strategic plan, including identifying performance measures and 
establishing a system to collect the data to allow assessment of those 
performance measures;
    D. Evidence that the participants in the regional plan are willing 
to work collaboratively with a broad range of institutions (e.g., 
Federal agencies, State, local, and Tribal governments, non-profits, 
universities and colleges, private firms, philanthropic organizations);
    E. Evidence that the participants in the regional plan will seek 
contributions or investments in the regional strategy from a board 
range of institutions;
    F. Evidence that participants in the regional plan are willing to 
assure broad citizen participation in its regional work;
    G. Evidence of consideration of the demographic diversity within 
the region; and,
    H. Evidence of adequate funding support to disadvantaged 
communities.
    A Great Regions project should be designed to help rural 
communities in the region create prosperity so they are self-
sustaining, repopulating and economically thriving. A Great Region 
application focusing on one or more of the following key strategies may 
be eligible for additional discretionary points in the application 
scoring as outlined in the selection criterion in 7 CFR 4284.639(f).:
    1. Local and regional food systems that encourage agriculture and 
related industries in new wealth creation--Section 6015 of the Food, 
Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (Farm Bill) defines ``locally or 
regionally produced agricultural food products'' to be any agricultural 
food product that is raised, produced, and distributed in:
    (I) The locality or region in which the final product is marketed, 
so that the total distance that the product is transported is less than 
400 miles from the origin of the product; or (II) the State in which 
the product is produced.
    Local or regional food systems are the infrastructure behind 
locally or regionally produced agricultural food products*. This 
includes both the land, buildings, equipment, professional services 
such as veterinary care or crop consulting, and feed, seed, fertilizer 
and other inputs necessary to produce the crops and livestock leading 
to these food products and the harvesting, transportation, processing, 
storage, handling, distribution, and retail networks required to give 
consumers real access to locally or regionally produced food products. 
Best practice projects should acknowledge the role of producers and 
consumers, individually or collectively, including through the creation 
of new or expansion of existing cooperatives.
    *(This definition is included for informational purposes only and 
Applicants should not be constrained by it in formulating their 
geographic boundaries for RBOG application purposes.)
    2. Renewable energy generation and energy conservation as 
strategies for quality job creation as well as climate change reduction 
and mitigation--As America turned from the 19th to the 20th Century, 
rural areas provided much of the workforce and natural resources that 
powered the Industrial Revolution. While those jobs created prosperity 
in rural communities, they often came at the price of worker health and 
the quality of water, air, and soil in the region. As new technologies 
emerge to create power and fuels from renewable sources, rural 
Americans look forward to new opportunities to harness the sun that 
shines on the desert Southwest, the wind that sweeps across the 
heartland, and to turn agricultural wastes and by-products into power 
and fuel sources for generations to come. But, from manufacturing 
photovoltaic films to repairing wind turbines to mastering biomass crop 
production, harvesting, and storage, realizing those opportunities 
requires workforce recruitment and development.
    There are similar job opportunities in energy conservation, from 
conducting energy audits for farmers and other rural business owners to 
jobs in the home improvement business reducing home heating and cooling 
costs. As is often the case in rural areas, though, sparse population 
can make entrepreneurship difficult to support.
    Best practice projects in this area will demonstrate rural/urban 
connections and explore the interface of Federal and State level 
incentives with permitting and regulatory frameworks.
    3. Access to broadband and other critical infrastructure as a 
strategy for facilitating local entrepreneurship and attracting people 
into rural areas--The Rural Utilities Service, another of the agencies 
forming the Rural Development mission area, has been financing 
expansion of electricity into rural areas since 1935 and 
telecommunications since 1949. In both the Farm Bill and the American 
Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Congress modernized USDA's 
telecommunications mission by providing Rural Utilities Service with 
tools to expand access to broadband in rural areas. Availability of 
high-speed Internet access has become one of the factors Americans 
consider in choosing where to live, along with the availability of 
clean water, sanitary sewer systems, and the quality and availability 
of housing, schools, and other essential community facilities. Over its 
75-year history, Rural Utilities Service and its predecessor, the Rural 
Electrification Administration, have improved the quality of life for 
millions of rural Americans and made modern commerce possible. However, 
it is not enough to make fiber-optic cable, wireless services, or even 
satellite capability available to rural communities. For the economic 
promise of broadband technologies to be realized, they must be used. 
Buyers and sellers must be able to find each other quickly and easily 
anywhere and anytime. Health care and other service providers must use 
available technology to improve the quality of the services they offer. 
Employers must use available technology to recruit, train, and retain a 
modern workforce. As changes in whole sectors of the American economy--
from wood products to automotive parts to the poultry industry--ripple 
through supply chains in rural communities, broadband access offers 
hope for new markets and new economic opportunities, but only if it is 
used.
    4. Access to capital in rural areas as a strategy to ensure 
continuous business development and job creation/retention--Like all 
business owners, rural entrepreneurs need access to capital to start or 
expand their businesses. And, like all business owners, rural 
entrepreneurs have two basic choices when they need to raise capital: 
Debt financing through a loan or equity financing through selling a 
stake in the business to investors. But, these tools have not been as 
readily available in many rural areas as they have been in more 
metropolitan areas, even when the overall economy was very strong.
    The Agency offers a variety of tools designed to make debt 
financing more available and more affordable, such as capitalizing 
locally-controlled revolving loan funds through the Intermediary 
Relending Program and reducing lender risk to make more favorable rates 
and terms possible for business owners through the Business & Industry 
Loan Guarantee Program. However, the Farm Bill authorized only one 
equity

[[Page 15410]]

financing program, the Rural Business Investment Program (Section 
6027), and no funding has been requested or appropriated. The Agency is 
particularly interested in recruiting best practice projects that 
identify alternative and replicable equity sources, such as community-
based organizations, private foundations or networks of private 
investors willing to focus on rural economic and community development.
    5. Innovative utilization of natural resources as a strategy to 
expand business opportunities--Creative integration of local natural 
resources can result in multiple avenues for new or enhanced economic 
activity that will increase rural wealth. For example, forest resources 
can be used to encourage eco-tourism resulting in increased demand for 
businesses to provide supporting services or private pasture land can 
be used for hunting. If a region becomes known for its unique features, 
it can create additional sources of income by promoting itself as a 
destination. Once there, visitors can support businesses such as art 
galleries, spas, etc.
    The Agency is particularly interested in recruiting best practice 
projects that identify alternative and replicable innovations of 
natural resource projects as strategies for long term economic 
development. In addition, within the key strategy categories, the 
Agency is also interested in applications that integrate economically 
and environmentally sustainable methods of growth, in particular in 
transportation, housing, and economic development.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Grant.
    Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2010.
    Total Funding: $7.48 million.
    Approximate Number of Awards: 30.
    Maximum Award: $250,000, except as otherwise specifically provided 
herein.
    Anticipated Award Date: September 15, 2010.
    Specially designated places: Tribal lands, Rural Economic Area 
Partnership (REAP) Zones.

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Applicants

    Grants may be made to public bodies, nonprofit corporations, Indian 
Tribes on Federal or State reservations and other Federally-recognized 
Tribal groups, and cooperatives with members who are primarily rural 
residents and that conduct activities for the mutual benefit of the 
members.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching

    Matching funds are not required; however, regulatory selection 
criteria encourage applications that leverage Federal funds.

C. Other Eligibility Requirements

    The purpose of the RBOG program is to facilitate sustainable 
economic development opportunities for rural people.

D. Completeness Eligibility

    Applications must be complete to be considered for FY 2010 funding. 
The required elements of a complete application are in the RBOG program 
regulations at 7 CFR Part 4284, Subpart G. Copies of the regulations 
are available from Rural Development State Offices or can be obtained 
online from the Rural Development Web site:  https://www.rurdev.usda.gov/regs/regs_toc.html.

IV. Fiscal Year 2010 Application and Submission Information

A. Address To Request Application Package

    Applicants should contact the Rural Development State Office 
serving the State, territory, or Tribal lands in which the project, or 
the majority of the project, would be physically located. Contact 
information for Rural Development State Offices is listed above.
    Applications may be submitted in paper format; however, applicants 
are encouraged to submit applications through the Grants.gov Web site 
at  https://www.grants.gov. Applications will not be accepted by 
electronic mail.
    The Grants.gov Web site provides all necessary information about 
how to submit an electronic application through the Web site as well as 
the hours of operation. Users of Grants.gov will be able to download a 
copy of the full application package, complete it offline, and then 
upload and submit the application and all necessary assurances and 
certifications via the Grants.gov Web site. In addition:
     Applicants are strongly encouraged not to wait until the 
final day of application acceptance to begin the Grants.gov process;
     In the event of technical difficulties on the final day of 
application acceptance, an applicant may choose to submit a paper 
application instead; however, the application must be received by the 
respective Rural Development State Office by 4 p.m. on June 28, 2010;
     Applicants must have a Dunn and Bradstreet Universal 
Numbering System (DUNS) number. A DUNS number can be obtained at no 
cost by calling toll-free 1-866-705-5711 or online at: https://fedgov.dnb.com/webform;
     Applicants submitting through the Grants.gov Web site will 
receive an automatic acknowledgement of the submission containing a 
Grants.gov tracking number;
     The Agency may request that an applicant provide original 
signatures on forms at a later date; and
     Applicants can locate the downloadable application package 
for the RBOG program on the Grants.gov Web site by using the Catalog of 
Federal Domestic Assistance Number, which is 10.773, or by searching 
the FedGrants Funding Opportunity Number, which can be found at https://www.fedgrants.gov.
    In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
information collection requirement contained in this Notice is approved 
by the Office of Management Budget (OMB) under OMB Control Number 0570-
0024.

B. Content and Form of Submission

    An application must be consistent with the statutory requirements 
of the RBOG program, found in 7 U.S.C. 1926(a)(11), as amended. In 
addition, an application must contain all of the required elements 
articulated in the RBOG regulations, found at 7 CFR part 4284, subpart 
G. Each selection criterion outlined in 7 CFR 4284.639 must be 
addressed in the application. Failure to address any of the criteria 
will result in a zero point score for that criterion and will impact 
the overall evaluation of the application. Copies of pertinent 
provisions of the regulations can be obtained from a Rural Development 
State Office listed above or can be obtained electronically from the 
Rural Development Web site: https://www.rurdev.usda.gov/regs/regs_toc.html.

C. Submission Dates and Times

    Application Deadline: Completed applications for these funds must 
be received by the respective Rural Development State Office no later 
than 4 p.m. on June 28, 2010 for grant funding. Any applications 
received after that time will not be considered for FY 2010 funding; 
however, the Agency reserves the right to extend the application 
deadline.
    Application pre-review: Prospective applicants may submit an 
application for an informal eligibility pre-review no later than April 
28, 2010. The pre-review is intended to provide feedback to the 
prospective applicant, but is not binding on the Agency.

V. Application Review Information

    The National Office will score applications based on the grant

[[Page 15411]]

selection criteria and point scores contained in 7 CFR part 4284, 
subpart G and will select a grantee subject to the grantee's 
satisfactory submission of any additional items required by 7 CFR part 
4284, subpart G and the RBS Letter of Conditions.

VI. Award Administration Information

A. Award Notices

    Successful applicants will receive notification for funding from 
the Rural Development State Office. Applicants must comply with all 
applicable statutes and regulations before the grant award will be 
approved. Unsuccessful applicants will receive notification, including 
mediation procedures and appeal rights, by mail.

B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

    Additional requirements that apply to grantees selected for this 
program can be found in the RBOG regulations, contained in 7 CFR part 
4284, subpart G. This regulation may be obtained at: https://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/page1.

VII. Agency Contacts

    For general questions about how to apply or to receive an 
application package, please contact the Rural Development State Office 
serving the State or territory where the project, or a majority of the 
project, would be located.
    For specific questions about multi-jurisdictional ``Great Region'' 
applications or information about other programs or agencies in USDA, 
please call 202-720-7558.

Nondiscrimination Statement

    ``The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits 
discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, 
color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, 
marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual 
orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or 
because all or part of an individual's income is derived from any 
public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all 
programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for 
communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, 
etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at 202-720-6382 (TDD). To 
file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of 
Adjudication and Compliance, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, 
DC 20250-9410, or call 800-795-3272 (voice), or 202-720-6382 (TDD). 
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.''

Appeal Process

    All adverse determinations regarding applicant eligibility and the 
awarding of points as part of the selection process are appealable 
pursuant to 7 CFR part 11. Instructions on the appeal process will be 
provide at the time an applicant is notified of the adverse decision.

    Dated: February 18, 2010.
Judith A. Canales,
Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-6860 Filed 3-26-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-XY-P
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