Notice of 2011 National Organic Certification Cost-Share Program, 54999 [2011-22611]
Download as PDF
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 172 / Tuesday, September 6, 2011 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Marketing Service
[Doc. No. AMS–NOP–11–0072; NOP–11–13]
Notice of 2011 National Organic
Certification Cost-Share Program
Agricultural Marketing Service,
USDA.
ACTION: Notice of Funds Availability:
Inviting Applications from State
Departments of Agriculture for the
National Organic Certification CostShare Program.
AGENCY:
This Notice invites all States
of the United States of America, its
territories, the District of Columbia, and
the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico,
(hereinafter collectively called States) to
submit an Application for Federal
Assistance (Standard Form 424) and to
enter into a cooperative agreement with
the Agricultural Marketing Service
(AMS) for the allocation of National
Organic Certification Cost-Share Funds.
Beginning in Fiscal Year 2008, the AMS
allocated $22.0 million for the national
organic certification cost-share program.
These funds will be allocated annually
to States through cooperative
agreements until exhausted. Funds are
available to States interested in
providing cost-share assistance to
organic producers and handlers certified
under the USDA Organic Regulations (7
CFR 205). States interested in obtaining
cost-share funds must submit an
Application for Federal Assistance and
enter into a cooperative agreement with
AMS for allocation of funds.
DATES: Completed Applications for
Federal Assistance and signed
cooperative agreements must be
received by the National Organic
Program (NOP) no later than September
23, 2011.
ADDRESSES: Applications for federal
assistance shall be submitted via
http://www.grants.gov. Paper
applications will not be accepted.
Instructions for submitting applications
are available on the National Organic
Program’s Web site at http://
www.ams.usda.gov/NOPCostSharing.
Signed cooperative agreements should
be sent via express mail to Betsy Rakola,
Agricultural Marketing Specialist,
National Organic Program, USDA/AMS/
NOP, Room 2646–South, Ag Stop 0268,
1400 Independence Avenue, SW.,
Washington, DC 20250–0268.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Betsy Rakola, Agricultural Marketing
Specialist, National Organic Program,
USDA/AMS/NOP, Room 2646–South,
Ag Stop 0268, 1400 Independence
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Mar<15>2010
18:00 Sep 02, 2011
Jkt 223001
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250–
0268; Telephone: (202) 720–3252. Email: Betsy.Rakola@ams.usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This
National Organic Certification CostShare Program is authorized under 7
U.S.C. 6523, as amended by section
10301 of the Food, Conservation and
Energy Act of 2008 (Act). The Act
authorizes the Department to provide
certification cost-share assistance to
producers and handlers of organic
agricultural products in all States.
Beginning in Fiscal Year 2008, the AMS
allocated $22 million for this program to
be distributed to interested States, until
funding has been exhausted. The
Program provides financial assistance to
organic producers and handlers certified
to the USDA Organic Regulations (7
CFR 205). The National Organic
Program is authorized under the
Organic Foods Production Act of 1990,
as amended (7 U.S.C. 6501 et seq.).
To participate in the program,
interested States, through their State
Department of Agriculture, must
complete an Application for Federal
Assistance (Standard Form 424) and
enter into a written cooperative
agreement with AMS. State Department
of Agriculture refers to agencies,
commissions, or departments of State
government responsible for
implementing regulation, policy or
programs on agriculture within their
State. The program will provide costshare assistance, through participating
States, to organic producers and
handlers receiving certification or
incurring expenses for the continuation
of certification by a USDA accredited
certifying agent during the period of
October 1, 2011, through September 30,
2012. Under the Act, cost-share
assistance payments are limited to 75%
(seventy-five percent) of an individual
producer’s or handler’s certification
costs up to a maximum of $750 (sevenhundred and fifty dollars) per year. To
receive cost-share assistance, organic
producers and handlers should contact
their State Departments of Agriculture.
Procedures for applying are outlined in
the program’s policies and procedures
document at http://1.usa.gov/
OrganicCostShare.
For producers in the states of
Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine,
Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New
Hampshire, New Jersey, New York,
Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah,
Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming,
cost-share funding is available under the
Agricultural Management Assistance
(AMA) Organic Certification Cost-Share
Program. The AMA program is
authorized under Section 1524 of the
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 9990
54999
Federal Crop Insurance Act, as amended
(7 U.S.C. 1501–1524). As provided in a
notice of Funds Availability published
separately in the Federal Register,
completed applications for the AMA
federal assistance program, along with
signed cooperative agreements, must be
received by the NOP no later than
September 23, 2011. Information on the
AMA program can be found on the
NOP’s Web site at http://
www.ams.usda.gov/NOPCostSharing.
How to Submit Applications: To
receive funds for cost-share assistance, a
State Department of Agriculture must
complete an Application for Federal
Assistance (Standard Form 424) and
enter into a written cooperative
agreement with AMS. Interested States
should submit the Application for
Federal Assistance, (Standard Form 424)
electronically via Grants.gov, the
Federal grants Web site, at http://
www.grants.gov. For information on
how to use Grants.Gov, please consult
http://www.grants.gov/GetRegistered.
Applications must be filed by Friday,
September 23, 2011. Cooperative
agreements will be sent by the AMS to
participating State Departments of
Agriculture via express mail. The
cooperative agreement must have the
original signature of an official who has
authority to apply for Federal
assistance. The signed cooperative
agreement must be sent by express mail
and received by the NOP by September
23, 2011 at the address specified
previously.
The National Organic Certification
Cost-share Program is listed in the
‘‘Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance’’ under number 10.171.
Subject agencies must adhere to Title VI
of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which
bars discrimination in all Federallyassisted programs. Additional
information on the National Organic
Certification Cost-share Program can be
found on the NOP’s Web site at
http://www.ams.usda.gov/
NOPCostSharing.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 6523.
Dated: August 29, 2011.
Ellen King,
Acting Administrator, Agricultural Marketing
Service.
[FR Doc. 2011–22611 Filed 9–2–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–02–P
E:\FR\FM\06SEN1.SGM
06SEN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 172 (Tuesday, September 6, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 54999]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-22611]
[[Page 54999]]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Marketing Service
[Doc. No. AMS-NOP-11-0072; NOP-11-13]
Notice of 2011 National Organic Certification Cost-Share Program
AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of Funds Availability: Inviting Applications from State
Departments of Agriculture for the National Organic Certification Cost-
Share Program.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This Notice invites all States of the United States of
America, its territories, the District of Columbia, and the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, (hereinafter collectively called States)
to submit an Application for Federal Assistance (Standard Form 424) and
to enter into a cooperative agreement with the Agricultural Marketing
Service (AMS) for the allocation of National Organic Certification
Cost-Share Funds. Beginning in Fiscal Year 2008, the AMS allocated
$22.0 million for the national organic certification cost-share
program. These funds will be allocated annually to States through
cooperative agreements until exhausted. Funds are available to States
interested in providing cost-share assistance to organic producers and
handlers certified under the USDA Organic Regulations (7 CFR 205).
States interested in obtaining cost-share funds must submit an
Application for Federal Assistance and enter into a cooperative
agreement with AMS for allocation of funds.
DATES: Completed Applications for Federal Assistance and signed
cooperative agreements must be received by the National Organic Program
(NOP) no later than September 23, 2011.
ADDRESSES: Applications for federal assistance shall be submitted via
http://www.grants.gov. Paper applications will not be accepted.
Instructions for submitting applications are available on the National
Organic Program's Web site at http://www.ams.usda.gov/NOPCostSharing.
Signed cooperative agreements should be sent via express mail to Betsy
Rakola, Agricultural Marketing Specialist, National Organic Program,
USDA/AMS/NOP, Room 2646-South, Ag Stop 0268, 1400 Independence Avenue,
SW., Washington, DC 20250-0268.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Betsy Rakola, Agricultural Marketing
Specialist, National Organic Program, USDA/AMS/NOP, Room 2646-South, Ag
Stop 0268, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-0268;
Telephone: (202) 720-3252. E-mail: Betsy.Rakola@ams.usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This National Organic Certification Cost-
Share Program is authorized under 7 U.S.C. 6523, as amended by section
10301 of the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 (Act). The Act
authorizes the Department to provide certification cost-share
assistance to producers and handlers of organic agricultural products
in all States. Beginning in Fiscal Year 2008, the AMS allocated $22
million for this program to be distributed to interested States, until
funding has been exhausted. The Program provides financial assistance
to organic producers and handlers certified to the USDA Organic
Regulations (7 CFR 205). The National Organic Program is authorized
under the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990, as amended (7 U.S.C.
6501 et seq.).
To participate in the program, interested States, through their
State Department of Agriculture, must complete an Application for
Federal Assistance (Standard Form 424) and enter into a written
cooperative agreement with AMS. State Department of Agriculture refers
to agencies, commissions, or departments of State government
responsible for implementing regulation, policy or programs on
agriculture within their State. The program will provide cost-share
assistance, through participating States, to organic producers and
handlers receiving certification or incurring expenses for the
continuation of certification by a USDA accredited certifying agent
during the period of October 1, 2011, through September 30, 2012. Under
the Act, cost-share assistance payments are limited to 75% (seventy-
five percent) of an individual producer's or handler's certification
costs up to a maximum of $750 (seven-hundred and fifty dollars) per
year. To receive cost-share assistance, organic producers and handlers
should contact their State Departments of Agriculture. Procedures for
applying are outlined in the program's policies and procedures document
at http://1.usa.gov/OrganicCostShare.
For producers in the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii,
Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New
York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and
Wyoming, cost-share funding is available under the Agricultural
Management Assistance (AMA) Organic Certification Cost-Share Program.
The AMA program is authorized under Section 1524 of the Federal Crop
Insurance Act, as amended (7 U.S.C. 1501-1524). As provided in a notice
of Funds Availability published separately in the Federal Register,
completed applications for the AMA federal assistance program, along
with signed cooperative agreements, must be received by the NOP no
later than September 23, 2011. Information on the AMA program can be
found on the NOP's Web site at http://www.ams.usda.gov/NOPCostSharing.
How to Submit Applications: To receive funds for cost-share
assistance, a State Department of Agriculture must complete an
Application for Federal Assistance (Standard Form 424) and enter into a
written cooperative agreement with AMS. Interested States should submit
the Application for Federal Assistance, (Standard Form 424)
electronically via Grants.gov, the Federal grants Web site, at http://www.grants.gov. For information on how to use Grants.Gov, please
consult http://www.grants.gov/GetRegistered. Applications must be filed
by Friday, September 23, 2011. Cooperative agreements will be sent by
the AMS to participating State Departments of Agriculture via express
mail. The cooperative agreement must have the original signature of an
official who has authority to apply for Federal assistance. The signed
cooperative agreement must be sent by express mail and received by the
NOP by September 23, 2011 at the address specified previously.
The National Organic Certification Cost-share Program is listed in
the ``Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance'' under number 10.171.
Subject agencies must adhere to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of
1964, which bars discrimination in all Federally-assisted programs.
Additional information on the National Organic Certification Cost-share
Program can be found on the NOP's Web site at http://www.ams.usda.gov/NOPCostSharing.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 6523.
Dated: August 29, 2011.
Ellen King,
Acting Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-22611 Filed 9-2-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P