Request for Proposals: 2013 Hazardous Fuels Woody Biomass Utilization Grant Program, 11622-11625 [2013-03768]
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Notices
Federal Register
Vol. 78, No. 33
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER
contains documents other than rules or
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Request for Proposals: 2013
Hazardous Fuels Woody Biomass
Utilization Grant Program
U.S. Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Request for Proposals.
AGENCY:
The Department of
Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service,
State and Private Forestry (S&PF),
Technology Marketing Unit, located at
SUMMARY:
the Forest Products Laboratory, requests
proposals for wood energy projects that
require engineering services. These
projects will use woody biomass, such
as material removed from forest
restoration activities, wildfire hazardous
fuel treatments, insect and disease
mitigation, forest management due to
catastrophic weather events, and/or
thinning overstocked stands. The woody
biomass shall be used in a bioenergy
facility that uses commercially proven
technologies to produce thermal,
electrical or liquid/gaseous bioenergy.
The funds from the Hazardous Fuels
Woody Biomass Utilization Grant
program (WBU) must be used to further
the planning of such facilities by
funding the engineering services
necessary for final design and cost
analysis. Examples of projects might
include engineering design of a woody
biomass boiler for steam at a sawmill,
hospital or school; non-pressurized hot
water system for various applications;
and biomass power generation facility.
To join in support of the public interest
and general welfare, to protect
communities and critical infrastructure,
the applicants applying to this program
seek assistance to complete the
necessary engineering design work
required to secure public and/or private
funding for construction for developing
local enterprises to better utilize woody
biomass. An example of public funding
is the USDA Rural Development grants
and loan programs that might help fund
construction of such facilities. The lack
of a professional engineering design
often limits the ability of an applicant
or business to secure Federal, State or
private funding.
DATES: Monday, April 8, 2013,
Application Deadline.
ADDRESSES: All applications must be
sent to the respective Forest Service
Regional Office listed below for initial
review. These offices will be the point
of contact for final awards.
Forest Service Region 1, (MT, ND, Northern ID & Northwestern SD),
ATT: Angela Farr, USDA Forest Service, Northern Region (R1), Federal Building, 200 East Broadway, Missoula, MT 59807,
afarr@fs.fed.us, (406) 329–3521.
Forest Service Region 2, (CO, KS, NE, SD, & WY), ATT: Sherry
Hazelhurst, USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region (R2), 740
Simms St. Golden, CO 80401–4702, shazelhurst@fs.fed.us, (303)
275–5750.
Forest Service Region 3, (AZ & NM), ATT: Dennis Dwyer, USDA Forest Service, Southwestern Region (R3), 333 Broadway Blvd. SE., Albuquerque, NM 87102, ddwyer@fs.fed.us, (505) 842–3480.
Forest Service Region 4, (Southern ID, NV, UT, & Western WY), ATT:
Scott Bell, USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Region (R4), Federal
Building, 324 25th St., Ogden, UT 84401, sbell@fs.fed.us, (801)
625–5259.
Forest Service Region 5, (CA, HI, Guam and Trust Territories of the
Pacific Islands), ATT: Larry Swan, USDA Forest Service, Pacific
Southwest Region (R5), 1323 Club Drive, Vallejo, CA 95492–1110,
lswan01@fs.fed.us, (707) 562–8917.
Forest Service Region 6, (OR & WA), ATT: Ron Saranich, USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region (R6), 333 SW 1st Ave., Portland, OR 97204, rsaranich@fs.fed.us, (503) 808–2346.
Forest Service Region 8, (AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, OK, SC,
TN, TX, VA, Virgin Islands & Puerto Rico), ATT: Dan Len, USDA
Forest Service, Southern Region (R8), 1720 Peachtree Rd. NW., Atlanta, GA 30309, dlen@fs.fed.us, (404) 347–4034.
Forest Service Region 9, (CT, DL, IL, IN, IA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN,
MO, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, VT, WV, WI), ATT: Lew McCreery,
Northeastern Area—S&PF, 180 Canfield St., Morgantown, WV
26505, lmccreery@fs.fed.us, (304) 285–1538.
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Forest Service Region 10, (Alaska), ATT: Daniel Parrent, USDA Forest
Service, Alaska Region (R10), 161 East 1st Avenue, Door 8, Anchorage, AK 99501, djparrent@fs.fed.us, (907) 743–9467.
Detailed information regarding what
to include in the application, definitions
of terms, eligibility, and necessary
prerequisites for consideration is
available at www.fpl.fs.fed.us/tmu and
at www.grants.gov. Paper copies of the
information are also available by
contacting the Forest Service, S&PF
Technology Marketing Unit, One Gifford
Pinchot Drive, Madison, Wisconsin
53726–2398, 608–231–9504.
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For
questions regarding the grant
application or administrative
regulations, contact your appropriate
Forest Service Regional Biomass
Coordinator as listed in the addresses
above or contact the Technology
Marketing Unit, Madison, WI, (608)
231–9504, dtucker@fs.fed.us.mailto:
Individuals who use telecommunication
devices for the deaf (TDD) may call the
Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1–800–
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
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877–8339 twenty-four hours a day,
every day of the year, including
holidays.
To
address the goals of Public Law 110–
234, Food, Conservation, and Energy
Act of 2008, Rural Revitalization
Technologies (7 U.S.C. 6601), and the
anticipated Department of the Interior,
Environment and Related Agencies
Appropriation Act of 2013, the Agency
is requesting proposals to address the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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nationwide challenge of using low-value
woody biomass material to create
renewable energy and protect
communities and critical infrastructure
from wildfires.
Goals of the grant program are to:
• Promote projects that target and
help remove economic and market
barriers to using woody biomass for
renewable energy.
• Assist projects that produce
renewable energy from woody biomass
while protecting the public interest.
• Reduce the public’s cost for forest
restoration by increasing the value of
biomass and other forest products
generated from hazardous fuels
reduction and forest health activities on
forested lands.
• Create incentives and/or encourage
business investment that uses woody
biomass from our nation’s forestlands
for renewable energy projects.
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Grant Requirements
1. Eligibility Information
a. Eligible Applicants. Eligible
applicants are businesses, companies,
corporations, state, local and tribal
governments, school districts,
communities, non-profit organizations,
or special purpose districts (e.g., public
utilities districts, fire districts,
conservation districts, or ports). Only
one application per business or
organization shall be accepted.
b. Cost Sharing (Matching
Requirement). Applicants shall
demonstrate at least a 20% match of the
total project cost. This match shall be
from non-federal sources, which can
include cash or in-kind contributions.
c. DUNS Number. All applicants shall
include a Dun and Bradstreet, Data
Universal Numbering System (DUNS)
number in their application. For this
requirement, the applicant is the entity
that meets the eligibility criteria and has
the legal authority to apply for and
receive a WBU grant. For assistance in
obtaining a DUNS number at no cost,
call the DUNS number request line (1–
866–705–5711) or register on-line at
https://fedgov.dnb.com/webform.
d. System for Award Management
(SAM). The applicant should be aware
that prospective awardees shall be
registered in the SAM database prior to
award, during performance, and through
final payment of any grant resulting
from this solicitation. Further
information can be found at
www.sam.gov. For assistance, contact
the SAM Assistance Center (1–866–606–
8220).
2. Award Information
Total funding anticipated for awards
is about $3.0 million for the 2013 WBU
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program. Individual grants cannot
exceed $250,000. The Federal
government’s obligation under this
program is contingent upon the
availability of 2013 appropriated funds.
No legal liability on the part of the
Government shall be incurred until
appropriated funds are available and
committed in writing through a grant
award letter issued by the grant officer
to the applicant. Grants can be for two
years from the date of award. Written
annual financial performance reports
and semi-annual project performance
reports are required and shall be
submitted to the appropriate grant
officer. A grant awarded under this
program will generate an IRS Form 1099
Miscellaneous Income that will be filed
with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
and provided to the awardee. However,
the USDA expresses no opinion on the
taxability, if any, of the grant funds
awarded. Awardees are expected to
follow all Occupational Safety and
Health Administration (OSHA)
requirements regarding safe working
practices and all applicable Federal,
State and local regulations pertinent to
the proposed project.
3. Application Prerequisites
This grant program requires that
projects have had considerable advance
work completed prior to submitting a
grant application. Only applicants that
have already completed and submitted
with their applications: (a) A
Comprehensive Feasibility Assessment
of the project by qualified and credible
parties, (b) a Woody Biomass Resource
Supply Assessment and, (c) past three
years of financial statements (balance
sheets, income statements and cash flow
analysis) shall be considered. Corporate
annual reports will not be accepted as
evidence of due diligence for a business.
In addition, for-profit applicants, as well
as non-profit organizations should have
a Dun and Bradstreet rating that falls
within the following categories:
(1) Financial stress rating should be 1,
2 or 3;
(2) Credit score should be 1, 2 or 3;
and
(3) Paydex score should be between
60 and 100 (0 being the lowest and 100
the highest).
For state, local and tribal governments
and other governmental entities (school
districts), appropriate sector ratings
from Moody’s should be in the range
from Aaa to A. Entities with Municipal
Bond rating Baa to Ba will be
considered with reservations. Entities
with Municipal Bond Ratings between B
and C (including B, Caa, Ca, and C) will
not qualify. The two assessments and
three years of financial statements shall
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be included with the submission. The
Dun and Bradstreet and Moody’s
financial ratings will be obtained by the
Technology Marketing Unit for the
review process as evidence of the
financial capability of the applicant.
Applicants will not be charged for the
Dun and Bradstreet or Moody’s reports.
All financial information is kept
confidential.
a. The Comprehensive Feasibility
Assessment shall address, at minimum,
the following items:
• Economic feasibility analysis of
site, labor force wages and availability,
utilities, access and transportation
systems, raw material feedstock needs,
and overall economic impact, including
job creation and retention, displayed by
employment associated with operating
the facility itself and supplying the
facility (jobs created and jobs retained
on a full-time equivalent basis). Also
required in the economic analysis is a
market feasibility study, including
analysis of the market(s) for the power,
heat, fuel, or other energy product
produced, market area, marketing plans
for projected output, if needed, extent of
competition for the particular target
market(s), extent of competition for
supply and delivered costs and general
characterization of supply availability
(more detailed information is provided
in the Woody Biomass Resource Supply
Assessment section).
• Technical feasibility analysis shall
include an assessment of the
recommended renewable energy
technology, what other technologies
were considered, why the recommended
renewable energy technology was
chosen, assessment of site suitability
given the recommended renewable
energy technology, actions and costs
necessary to mitigate environmental
impacts sufficient to meet regulatory
requirements, developmental costs,
capital investment costs, operational
costs, projected income, estimated
accuracy of these costs and income
projections, realistic sensitivity analysis
with clear and explicit assumptions,
and identification of project constraints
or limitations.
• Financial feasibility analysis shall
include projected income and cash flow
for at least 36 months, description of
cost accounting system, availability of
short-term credit for operational phase,
and pro forma financial statement with
clear and explicit assumptions.
• List of personnel and teams
undertaking project development,
implementation and operations,
including a clear description of how
continuity between project phases will
be maintained. Describe the
qualification of each team member
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including education and management
experience with the same or similar
projects, and how recently this
experience occurred.
b. The Woody Biomass Resource
Supply Assessment shall provide a
description of the available woody
biomass resource supply. At a minimum
the assessment should address the
following items:
• Feedstock location and
procurement area relative to the project
site;
• Types of biomass fuel available and
realistic pricing information based on
fuel specifications required by the
technology chosen, including explicit
break-out of forest-sourced, agriculturalsourced and urban-sourced biomass.
• Volume potentially available by
ownership, fuel type and source of
biomass supply, considering recovery
rates and other factors, such as Federal,
State and local policy and management
practices;
• Volume realistically and
economically available by ownership,
fuel type and source of biomass supply,
considering recovery rates and other
factors, such as Federal, State and local
policy and management practices;
• Detailed risk assessment of future
biomass fuel supply including, but not
limited to, impacts of potential Federal,
State and local policy changes,
availability of additional fuel types,
increased competition for biomass
resource supply and changes in
transportation costs;
• Summary of total fuel realistically
and economically available compared to
projected annual fuel use (i.e., a ratio
usually exceeding 2.0:1); and
• Minimum five-year biomass fuel
pricing forecast for material or blend of
material meeting fuel specifications
delivered to project site (required for
financial pro forma).
c. Financial Statements: All
applicants shall submit the last three
years of historical financial statements
(balance sheets, income statements, and
cash flow analysis).
4. Application Evaluation
Applications are evaluated against
criteria discussed in Section 5. All
applications shall be screened to ensure
compliance with the administrative
requirements as set forth in this Request
for Proposals (RFP). Applicants not
following the directions for submission
shall be disqualified without appeal.
Directions can be found at
www.fpl.fs.fed.us/tmu under 2013
Woody Biomass Utilization Grant
Program. The appropriate Forest Service
region shall provide a preliminary
review based on grant administrative
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requirements and regional priorities of
environmental, social, and economic
impacts. Each region may submit up to
seven proposals for the nationwide
competition. The nationwide
competition will consist of a technical
and financial review of the proposed
project by Federal experts from different
federal agencies, experienced in energy
systems, financing projects, and/or
forestry. Panel reviewers will
independently evaluate each proposed
project for technical and financial merit
and assign a score using the criteria
listed in Section 5. Technical and
financial merits, along with the regional
priorities, will be submitted to the
Forest Service national leadership for
final selection and announcement.
5. Evaluation Criteria and Point System
If a reviewer determines that a
proposal meets basic requirements for a
criterion, half the number of available
points will be awarded. More points can
be earned if the reviewer determines
that a proposal exceeds the basic criteria
and fewer if a proposal falls short of the
basic criteria. A maximum of 225 total
points can be earned by a proposal.
Criteria:
a. Required Comprehensive
Feasibility Assessment is thorough and
complete, conducted by a qualified and
experienced professional team; and
project is economically viable using
relevant and accepted financial metrics.
Total Points 30
b. Required Woody Biomass Resource
Supply Assessment conforms to
professional standards for size and
complexity of proposed facility, is
suitable for appropriate lender or public
financing review; and projected biomass
quantity and sourcing arrangements
from forested land management
activities are clearly identified on an
annual basis. Total Points 30
c. Number of projected jobs created
and/or retained (direct or indirect) when
project goes in service is reasonable and
substantiated. Total Points 15
d. Amount and type of fossil fuel
offset in therms/year and increased
system fuel use efficiency (in
percentage) once project is operational.
Annualized fuel use efficiency for
average annual system conditions is
calculated as follows: Fuel Use
efficiency = (Net BTUs used by
processes + BTUs of electricity
produced by generator) divided by
(BTUs of inputted fuel to boiler (HHV)).
Project provides impact in geographic
area appropriate for size of projected
facility and is reasonable and
substantiated. (Note: 1 therm = 100,000
BTUs). Examples of typical energy
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efficiencies include: 1) Electricity only =
25%; 2) electricity plus low pressure
steam for dry kilns = 45%; and 3) boiler
processes that use backpressure turbine
ahead of process = 65%. All
calculations shall be shown. (See
www.fpl.fs.fed.us/tmu under Woody
Biomass Grant program for Btu content
of wood at various moisture contents.)
Total Points 30
e. Documentation of collaborations
and qualifications necessary for the
development and operation of the
proposed facility, including roles and
directly relevant qualifications of
Development, Engineering,
Management, Construction, and
Operations Teams or similar, are
adequate and appropriate for project.
Total Points 30
f. Proposed engineering design
components reflect accepted
professional standards for type and
complexity of proposed facility and are
complete. Total Points 20
g. Financial plan and sources of
funding are described in detail for all
phases of the project, including, but not
limited to, development, construction
and operations. Total Points 30
h. Detailed description of federal,
state and local environmental, health
and safety regulatory and permitting
requirements, and realistic projected
timeline for completion are provided.
Total Points 30
i. Description of outreach efforts to
maximize dissemination of project
results and pass on lessons learned.
Total Points 10
6. Application Information
a. Application Submission.
Applications shall be time stamped
showing the time of sending by United
States Postal Service or other
commercial delivery company no later
than midnight Monday, April 8, 2013.
No exceptions. If submitted through
grants.gov, the date submitted shall be
by midnight Monday, April 8, 2013.
One paper copy and an electronic
version shall be submitted to the
Regional Biomass Coordinator of your
Forest Service region, as listed
previously in the ADDRESSES section
even if submitted through grants.gov.
Your Forest Service region is generally
determined by the state in which the
bioenergy facility is located. However,
in a few instances, two Forest Service
regions may exist in one state. Forest
Service regions can be located at https://
www.fs.fed.us/maps/products/guidenational-forests09.pdf. The electronic
version submitted to the Regional
Biomass Coordinator should be a single
pdf file on a USB flash drive or compact
disc (CD). No emails shall be accepted.
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Applications may also be submitted
electronically through www.grants.gov.
b. Application Format and Content.
Each submittal should be in PDF format.
The application template form FPL–
1500–4 is in word format and is
recommended to be used. After
completing the template, the document
should be saved as a PDF format either
using Adobe Acrobat or Word software.
The template form FPL–1500–4 along
with directions for completing can be
found at the www.fpl.fs.fed.us/tmu.
Paper copy shall be single sided on 8.5by 11-inch plain white paper only (no
colored paper, over-sized paper, or
special covers). Do not staple. All forms
and application template can be found
at www.fpl.fs.fed.us/tmu 2013
Hazardous Fuels Woody Biomass
Utilization Grant Program.
Outline of form FPL–1500–4 and
mandatory appendices
(1) Project Summary Sheet
(2) Title Page
(3) Project Narrative
The project narrative shall provide a
clear description of the work to be
performed, impact on removing woody
biomass and creating renewal energy
(e.g., tons of biomass removed that
would have otherwise been burned, cost
savings to landowners, source of
biomass removed from forested areas,
broken-out by ownership), and how jobs
will be created and/or retained, and
sustained. Application narrative should
address the 15 discussion areas listed on
the form FPL–1500–4.
(4) Budget Summary Justification in
Support of SF 424A.
(5) Qualifications and Summary
Portfolio of Engineering Services
For the engineering systems, the
project usually consists of a system
designer, project manager, equipment
supplier, project engineer, construction
contractor or system installer and a
system operator and maintainer. One
individual or entity may serve more
than one role. The project team must
have demonstrated expertise in similar
bioenergy systems development,
engineering, installation, and
maintenance. Authoritative evidence
that project team service providers have
the necessary professional credentials or
relevant experience to perform the
required services must be provided.
Authoritative evidence that vendors of
proprietary components can provide
necessary equipment and spare parts for
the system to operate over its design life
must also be provided. A list of the
same or similar projects designed,
installed and currently operating with
references shall be provided along with
appropriate contacts.
(6) Community Benefit Statement.
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Provide a one page narrative on the
social, environmental and economic
impacts and the importance of the
project to the community. Include
substantiated facts and benefits, such as
local employment rate, per capita
income and fossil fuel impacts with and
without the project. Include letters of
support from community leaders
demonstrating on-going community
collaboration, where appropriate, in the
appendix. Forest Service regions shall
use this information to help evaluate
regional impacts, particularly impact of
job creation and retention as appropriate
at the geographic scale for the region
and how this grant award provides for
the overall general welfare of the region.
(7) Appendices.
The following information shall be
included in the appendices and scanned
into a single PDF file:
a. Comprehensive Feasibility
Assessment.
b. Woody Biomass Resource Supply
Assessment.
c. Quotes for Professional Engineering
Services considered (minimum of two
quotes): Rationale for selection of
engineering firm, if already selected.
d. Letters of Support from Partners,
Individuals, or Organizations: Letters of
support shall be included in an
appendix and are intended to display
the degree of collaboration occurring
between the different entities engaged in
the project. These letters shall include
partner commitments of cash or in-kind
services from all those listed in the SF
424 and SF 424A. Each letter of support
is limited to one page in length.
e. Federal Funds: List all other
Federal funds received for this project
within the last three years. List agency,
program name, and dollar amount.
f. Miscellaneous, such as schematics.
g. Last three years of financial
statements (balance sheets, income
statements, cash flow analysis).
h. Administrative Forms: SF 424, SF
424A, SF 424B and AD 1047, 1048, 1049
and certificate regarding lobbying
activities are standard forms that shall
be included in the application. These
forms can be accessed at
www.fpl.fs.fed.us/tmu under 2013
Woody Biomass Grant Program.
11625
COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS
Agenda and Notice of Public Meeting
of the South Carolina Advisory
Committee
Notice is hereby given, pursuant to
the provisions of the rules and
regulations of the U.S. Commission on
Civil Rights (Commission) and the
Federal Advisory Committee Act
(FACA) that a meeting of the South
Carolina Advisory Committee
(Committee) will convene on Tuesday,
March 5, 2013, at 10:30 a.m. and
adjourn at approximately 11:30 a.m. The
meeting will be held at the Aiken
County Public Library, 314 Chesterfield
Street SW., Aiken, South Carolina,
29801. The purpose of the meeting is for
the Committee to receive ethics training
and orientation and plan future
activities.
Members of the public are entitled to
submit written comments; the
comments must be received in the
regional office by April 5, 2013. Written
comments may be mailed to the
Southern Regional Office, U.S.
Commission on Civil Rights, 61 Forsyth
St. SW., Suite 16T126, Atlanta, GA
30303. They may also be faxed to the
Commission at (404) 562–7005, or
emailed to the Commission at
pminari@usccr.gov. Persons who desire
additional information may contact the
Southern Regional Office at (404) 562–
7000.
Hearing-impaired persons who will
attend the meeting and require the
services of a sign language interpreter
should contact the Southern Regional
Office at least ten (10) working days
before the scheduled date of the
meeting.
Records generated from this meeting
may be inspected and reproduced at the
Southern Regional Office, as they
become available, both before and after
the meeting. Persons interested in the
work of this Committee are directed to
the Commission’s Web site, https://
www.usccr.gov, or may contact the
Southern Regional Office at the above
email or street address.
The meeting will be conducted
pursuant to the rules and regulations of
the Commission and FACA.
Dated: November 2, 2012.
Victoria Christiansen,
Acting Associate Deputy Chief.
Dated in Washington, DC, February 13,
2013.
David Mussatt,
Acting Chief, Regional Programs
Coordination Unit.
[FR Doc. 2013–03768 Filed 2–15–13; 8:45 am]
[FR Doc. 2013–03715 Filed 2–15–13; 8:45 am]
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BILLING CODE 6335–01–P
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[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 33 (Tuesday, February 19, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11622-11625]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-03768]
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Notices
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents
appearing in this section.
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Notices
[[Page 11622]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Request for Proposals: 2013 Hazardous Fuels Woody Biomass
Utilization Grant Program
AGENCY: U.S. Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Request for Proposals.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service, State
and Private Forestry (S&PF), Technology Marketing Unit, located at the
Forest Products Laboratory, requests proposals for wood energy projects
that require engineering services. These projects will use woody
biomass, such as material removed from forest restoration activities,
wildfire hazardous fuel treatments, insect and disease mitigation,
forest management due to catastrophic weather events, and/or thinning
overstocked stands. The woody biomass shall be used in a bioenergy
facility that uses commercially proven technologies to produce thermal,
electrical or liquid/gaseous bioenergy. The funds from the Hazardous
Fuels Woody Biomass Utilization Grant program (WBU) must be used to
further the planning of such facilities by funding the engineering
services necessary for final design and cost analysis. Examples of
projects might include engineering design of a woody biomass boiler for
steam at a sawmill, hospital or school; non-pressurized hot water
system for various applications; and biomass power generation facility.
To join in support of the public interest and general welfare, to
protect communities and critical infrastructure, the applicants
applying to this program seek assistance to complete the necessary
engineering design work required to secure public and/or private
funding for construction for developing local enterprises to better
utilize woody biomass. An example of public funding is the USDA Rural
Development grants and loan programs that might help fund construction
of such facilities. The lack of a professional engineering design often
limits the ability of an applicant or business to secure Federal, State
or private funding.
DATES: Monday, April 8, 2013, Application Deadline.
ADDRESSES: All applications must be sent to the respective Forest
Service Regional Office listed below for initial review. These offices
will be the point of contact for final awards.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Forest Service Region 1, (MT, ND, Forest Service Region 2, (CO, KS,
Northern ID & Northwestern SD), NE, SD, & WY), ATT: Sherry
ATT: Angela Farr, USDA Forest Hazelhurst, USDA Forest Service,
Service, Northern Region (R1), Rocky Mountain Region (R2), 740
Federal Building, 200 East Simms St. Golden, CO 80401-4702,
Broadway, Missoula, MT 59807, shazelhurst@fs.fed.us, (303) 275-
afarr@fs.fed.us, (406) 329-3521. 5750.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Forest Service Region 3, (AZ & NM), Forest Service Region 4, (Southern
ATT: Dennis Dwyer, USDA Forest ID, NV, UT, & Western WY), ATT:
Service, Southwestern Region (R3), Scott Bell, USDA Forest Service,
333 Broadway Blvd. SE., Intermountain Region (R4), Federal
Albuquerque, NM 87102, Building, 324 25th St., Ogden, UT
ddwyer@fs.fed.us, (505) 842-3480. 84401, sbell@fs.fed.us, (801) 625-
5259.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Forest Service Region 5, (CA, HI, Forest Service Region 6, (OR & WA),
Guam and Trust Territories of the ATT: Ron Saranich, USDA Forest
Pacific Islands), ATT: Larry Swan, Service, Pacific Northwest Region
USDA Forest Service, Pacific (R6), 333 SW 1st Ave., Portland,
Southwest Region (R5), 1323 Club OR 97204, rsaranich@fs.fed.us,
Drive, Vallejo, CA 95492-1110, (503) 808-2346.
lswan01@fs.fed.us, (707) 562-8917.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Forest Service Region 8, (AL, AR, Forest Service Region 9, (CT, DL,
FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, OK, SC, IL, IN, IA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN,
TN, TX, VA, Virgin Islands & MO, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, VT,
Puerto Rico), ATT: Dan Len, USDA WV, WI), ATT: Lew McCreery,
Forest Service, Southern Region Northeastern Area--S&PF, 180
(R8), 1720 Peachtree Rd. NW., Canfield St., Morgantown, WV
Atlanta, GA 30309, dlen@fs.fed.us, 26505, lmccreery@fs.fed.us, (304)
(404) 347-4034. 285-1538.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Forest Service Region 10, (Alaska), ...................................
ATT: Daniel Parrent, USDA Forest
Service, Alaska Region (R10), 161
East 1st Avenue, Door 8,
Anchorage, AK 99501,
djparrent@fs.fed.us, (907) 743-
9467.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Detailed information regarding what to include in the application,
definitions of terms, eligibility, and necessary prerequisites for
consideration is available at www.fpl.fs.fed.us/tmu and at
www.grants.gov. Paper copies of the information are also available by
contacting the Forest Service, S&PF Technology Marketing Unit, One
Gifford Pinchot Drive, Madison, Wisconsin 53726-2398, 608-231-9504.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions regarding the grant
application or administrative regulations, contact your appropriate
Forest Service Regional Biomass Coordinator as listed in the addresses
above or contact the Technology Marketing Unit, Madison, WI, (608) 231-
9504, dtucker@fs.fed.us.mailto: Individuals who use telecommunication
devices for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at
1-800-877-8339 twenty-four hours a day, every day of the year,
including holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: To address the goals of Public Law 110-234,
Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, Rural Revitalization
Technologies (7 U.S.C. 6601), and the anticipated Department of the
Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriation Act of 2013,
the Agency is requesting proposals to address the
[[Page 11623]]
nationwide challenge of using low-value woody biomass material to
create renewable energy and protect communities and critical
infrastructure from wildfires.
Goals of the grant program are to:
Promote projects that target and help remove economic and
market barriers to using woody biomass for renewable energy.
Assist projects that produce renewable energy from woody
biomass while protecting the public interest.
Reduce the public's cost for forest restoration by
increasing the value of biomass and other forest products generated
from hazardous fuels reduction and forest health activities on forested
lands.
Create incentives and/or encourage business investment
that uses woody biomass from our nation's forestlands for renewable
energy projects.
Grant Requirements
1. Eligibility Information
a. Eligible Applicants. Eligible applicants are businesses,
companies, corporations, state, local and tribal governments, school
districts, communities, non-profit organizations, or special purpose
districts (e.g., public utilities districts, fire districts,
conservation districts, or ports). Only one application per business or
organization shall be accepted.
b. Cost Sharing (Matching Requirement). Applicants shall
demonstrate at least a 20% match of the total project cost. This match
shall be from non-federal sources, which can include cash or in-kind
contributions.
c. DUNS Number. All applicants shall include a Dun and Bradstreet,
Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number in their application. For
this requirement, the applicant is the entity that meets the
eligibility criteria and has the legal authority to apply for and
receive a WBU grant. For assistance in obtaining a DUNS number at no
cost, call the DUNS number request line (1-866-705-5711) or register
on-line at https://fedgov.dnb.com/webform.
d. System for Award Management (SAM). The applicant should be aware
that prospective awardees shall be registered in the SAM database prior
to award, during performance, and through final payment of any grant
resulting from this solicitation. Further information can be found at
www.sam.gov. For assistance, contact the SAM Assistance Center (1-866-
606-8220).
2. Award Information
Total funding anticipated for awards is about $3.0 million for the
2013 WBU program. Individual grants cannot exceed $250,000. The Federal
government's obligation under this program is contingent upon the
availability of 2013 appropriated funds. No legal liability on the part
of the Government shall be incurred until appropriated funds are
available and committed in writing through a grant award letter issued
by the grant officer to the applicant. Grants can be for two years from
the date of award. Written annual financial performance reports and
semi-annual project performance reports are required and shall be
submitted to the appropriate grant officer. A grant awarded under this
program will generate an IRS Form 1099 Miscellaneous Income that will
be filed with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and provided to the
awardee. However, the USDA expresses no opinion on the taxability, if
any, of the grant funds awarded. Awardees are expected to follow all
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements
regarding safe working practices and all applicable Federal, State and
local regulations pertinent to the proposed project.
3. Application Prerequisites
This grant program requires that projects have had considerable
advance work completed prior to submitting a grant application. Only
applicants that have already completed and submitted with their
applications: (a) A Comprehensive Feasibility Assessment of the project
by qualified and credible parties, (b) a Woody Biomass Resource Supply
Assessment and, (c) past three years of financial statements (balance
sheets, income statements and cash flow analysis) shall be considered.
Corporate annual reports will not be accepted as evidence of due
diligence for a business. In addition, for-profit applicants, as well
as non-profit organizations should have a Dun and Bradstreet rating
that falls within the following categories:
(1) Financial stress rating should be 1, 2 or 3;
(2) Credit score should be 1, 2 or 3; and
(3) Paydex score should be between 60 and 100 (0 being the lowest
and 100 the highest).
For state, local and tribal governments and other governmental entities
(school districts), appropriate sector ratings from Moody's should be
in the range from Aaa to A. Entities with Municipal Bond rating Baa to
Ba will be considered with reservations. Entities with Municipal Bond
Ratings between B and C (including B, Caa, Ca, and C) will not qualify.
The two assessments and three years of financial statements shall be
included with the submission. The Dun and Bradstreet and Moody's
financial ratings will be obtained by the Technology Marketing Unit for
the review process as evidence of the financial capability of the
applicant. Applicants will not be charged for the Dun and Bradstreet or
Moody's reports. All financial information is kept confidential.
a. The Comprehensive Feasibility Assessment shall address, at
minimum, the following items:
Economic feasibility analysis of site, labor force wages
and availability, utilities, access and transportation systems, raw
material feedstock needs, and overall economic impact, including job
creation and retention, displayed by employment associated with
operating the facility itself and supplying the facility (jobs created
and jobs retained on a full-time equivalent basis). Also required in
the economic analysis is a market feasibility study, including analysis
of the market(s) for the power, heat, fuel, or other energy product
produced, market area, marketing plans for projected output, if needed,
extent of competition for the particular target market(s), extent of
competition for supply and delivered costs and general characterization
of supply availability (more detailed information is provided in the
Woody Biomass Resource Supply Assessment section).
Technical feasibility analysis shall include an assessment
of the recommended renewable energy technology, what other technologies
were considered, why the recommended renewable energy technology was
chosen, assessment of site suitability given the recommended renewable
energy technology, actions and costs necessary to mitigate
environmental impacts sufficient to meet regulatory requirements,
developmental costs, capital investment costs, operational costs,
projected income, estimated accuracy of these costs and income
projections, realistic sensitivity analysis with clear and explicit
assumptions, and identification of project constraints or limitations.
Financial feasibility analysis shall include projected
income and cash flow for at least 36 months, description of cost
accounting system, availability of short-term credit for operational
phase, and pro forma financial statement with clear and explicit
assumptions.
List of personnel and teams undertaking project
development, implementation and operations, including a clear
description of how continuity between project phases will be
maintained. Describe the qualification of each team member
[[Page 11624]]
including education and management experience with the same or similar
projects, and how recently this experience occurred.
b. The Woody Biomass Resource Supply Assessment shall provide a
description of the available woody biomass resource supply. At a
minimum the assessment should address the following items:
Feedstock location and procurement area relative to the
project site;
Types of biomass fuel available and realistic pricing
information based on fuel specifications required by the technology
chosen, including explicit break-out of forest-sourced, agricultural-
sourced and urban-sourced biomass.
Volume potentially available by ownership, fuel type and
source of biomass supply, considering recovery rates and other factors,
such as Federal, State and local policy and management practices;
Volume realistically and economically available by
ownership, fuel type and source of biomass supply, considering recovery
rates and other factors, such as Federal, State and local policy and
management practices;
Detailed risk assessment of future biomass fuel supply
including, but not limited to, impacts of potential Federal, State and
local policy changes, availability of additional fuel types, increased
competition for biomass resource supply and changes in transportation
costs;
Summary of total fuel realistically and economically
available compared to projected annual fuel use (i.e., a ratio usually
exceeding 2.0:1); and
Minimum five-year biomass fuel pricing forecast for
material or blend of material meeting fuel specifications delivered to
project site (required for financial pro forma).
c. Financial Statements: All applicants shall submit the last three
years of historical financial statements (balance sheets, income
statements, and cash flow analysis).
4. Application Evaluation
Applications are evaluated against criteria discussed in Section 5.
All applications shall be screened to ensure compliance with the
administrative requirements as set forth in this Request for Proposals
(RFP). Applicants not following the directions for submission shall be
disqualified without appeal. Directions can be found at
www.fpl.fs.fed.us/tmu under 2013 Woody Biomass Utilization Grant
Program. The appropriate Forest Service region shall provide a
preliminary review based on grant administrative requirements and
regional priorities of environmental, social, and economic impacts.
Each region may submit up to seven proposals for the nationwide
competition. The nationwide competition will consist of a technical and
financial review of the proposed project by Federal experts from
different federal agencies, experienced in energy systems, financing
projects, and/or forestry. Panel reviewers will independently evaluate
each proposed project for technical and financial merit and assign a
score using the criteria listed in Section 5. Technical and financial
merits, along with the regional priorities, will be submitted to the
Forest Service national leadership for final selection and
announcement.
5. Evaluation Criteria and Point System
If a reviewer determines that a proposal meets basic requirements
for a criterion, half the number of available points will be awarded.
More points can be earned if the reviewer determines that a proposal
exceeds the basic criteria and fewer if a proposal falls short of the
basic criteria. A maximum of 225 total points can be earned by a
proposal.
Criteria:
a. Required Comprehensive Feasibility Assessment is thorough and
complete, conducted by a qualified and experienced professional team;
and project is economically viable using relevant and accepted
financial metrics. Total Points 30
b. Required Woody Biomass Resource Supply Assessment conforms to
professional standards for size and complexity of proposed facility, is
suitable for appropriate lender or public financing review; and
projected biomass quantity and sourcing arrangements from forested land
management activities are clearly identified on an annual basis. Total
Points 30
c. Number of projected jobs created and/or retained (direct or
indirect) when project goes in service is reasonable and substantiated.
Total Points 15
d. Amount and type of fossil fuel offset in therms/year and
increased system fuel use efficiency (in percentage) once project is
operational. Annualized fuel use efficiency for average annual system
conditions is calculated as follows: Fuel Use efficiency = (Net BTUs
used by processes + BTUs of electricity produced by generator) divided
by (BTUs of inputted fuel to boiler (HHV)). Project provides impact in
geographic area appropriate for size of projected facility and is
reasonable and substantiated. (Note: 1 therm = 100,000 BTUs). Examples
of typical energy efficiencies include: 1) Electricity only = 25%; 2)
electricity plus low pressure steam for dry kilns = 45%; and 3) boiler
processes that use backpressure turbine ahead of process = 65%. All
calculations shall be shown. (See www.fpl.fs.fed.us/tmu under Woody
Biomass Grant program for Btu content of wood at various moisture
contents.) Total Points 30
e. Documentation of collaborations and qualifications necessary for
the development and operation of the proposed facility, including roles
and directly relevant qualifications of Development, Engineering,
Management, Construction, and Operations Teams or similar, are adequate
and appropriate for project. Total Points 30
f. Proposed engineering design components reflect accepted
professional standards for type and complexity of proposed facility and
are complete. Total Points 20
g. Financial plan and sources of funding are described in detail
for all phases of the project, including, but not limited to,
development, construction and operations. Total Points 30
h. Detailed description of federal, state and local environmental,
health and safety regulatory and permitting requirements, and realistic
projected timeline for completion are provided. Total Points 30
i. Description of outreach efforts to maximize dissemination of
project results and pass on lessons learned. Total Points 10
6. Application Information
a. Application Submission. Applications shall be time stamped
showing the time of sending by United States Postal Service or other
commercial delivery company no later than midnight Monday, April 8,
2013. No exceptions. If submitted through grants.gov, the date
submitted shall be by midnight Monday, April 8, 2013. One paper copy
and an electronic version shall be submitted to the Regional Biomass
Coordinator of your Forest Service region, as listed previously in the
ADDRESSES section even if submitted through grants.gov. Your Forest
Service region is generally determined by the state in which the
bioenergy facility is located. However, in a few instances, two Forest
Service regions may exist in one state. Forest Service regions can be
located at https://www.fs.fed.us/maps/products/guide-national-forests09.pdf. The electronic version submitted to the Regional Biomass
Coordinator should be a single pdf file on a USB flash drive or compact
disc (CD). No emails shall be accepted.
[[Page 11625]]
Applications may also be submitted electronically through
www.grants.gov.
b. Application Format and Content. Each submittal should be in PDF
format. The application template form FPL-1500-4 is in word format and
is recommended to be used. After completing the template, the document
should be saved as a PDF format either using Adobe Acrobat or Word
software. The template form FPL-1500-4 along with directions for
completing can be found at the www.fpl.fs.fed.us/tmu. Paper copy shall
be single sided on 8.5- by 11-inch plain white paper only (no colored
paper, over-sized paper, or special covers). Do not staple. All forms
and application template can be found at www.fpl.fs.fed.us/tmu 2013
Hazardous Fuels Woody Biomass Utilization Grant Program.
Outline of form FPL-1500-4 and mandatory appendices
(1) Project Summary Sheet
(2) Title Page
(3) Project Narrative
The project narrative shall provide a clear description of the work
to be performed, impact on removing woody biomass and creating renewal
energy (e.g., tons of biomass removed that would have otherwise been
burned, cost savings to landowners, source of biomass removed from
forested areas, broken-out by ownership), and how jobs will be created
and/or retained, and sustained. Application narrative should address
the 15 discussion areas listed on the form FPL-1500-4.
(4) Budget Summary Justification in Support of SF 424A.
(5) Qualifications and Summary Portfolio of Engineering Services
For the engineering systems, the project usually consists of a
system designer, project manager, equipment supplier, project engineer,
construction contractor or system installer and a system operator and
maintainer. One individual or entity may serve more than one role. The
project team must have demonstrated expertise in similar bioenergy
systems development, engineering, installation, and maintenance.
Authoritative evidence that project team service providers have the
necessary professional credentials or relevant experience to perform
the required services must be provided. Authoritative evidence that
vendors of proprietary components can provide necessary equipment and
spare parts for the system to operate over its design life must also be
provided. A list of the same or similar projects designed, installed
and currently operating with references shall be provided along with
appropriate contacts.
(6) Community Benefit Statement.
Provide a one page narrative on the social, environmental and
economic impacts and the importance of the project to the community.
Include substantiated facts and benefits, such as local employment
rate, per capita income and fossil fuel impacts with and without the
project. Include letters of support from community leaders
demonstrating on-going community collaboration, where appropriate, in
the appendix. Forest Service regions shall use this information to help
evaluate regional impacts, particularly impact of job creation and
retention as appropriate at the geographic scale for the region and how
this grant award provides for the overall general welfare of the
region.
(7) Appendices.
The following information shall be included in the appendices and
scanned into a single PDF file:
a. Comprehensive Feasibility Assessment.
b. Woody Biomass Resource Supply Assessment.
c. Quotes for Professional Engineering Services considered (minimum
of two quotes): Rationale for selection of engineering firm, if already
selected.
d. Letters of Support from Partners, Individuals, or Organizations:
Letters of support shall be included in an appendix and are intended to
display the degree of collaboration occurring between the different
entities engaged in the project. These letters shall include partner
commitments of cash or in-kind services from all those listed in the SF
424 and SF 424A. Each letter of support is limited to one page in
length.
e. Federal Funds: List all other Federal funds received for this
project within the last three years. List agency, program name, and
dollar amount.
f. Miscellaneous, such as schematics.
g. Last three years of financial statements (balance sheets, income
statements, cash flow analysis).
h. Administrative Forms: SF 424, SF 424A, SF 424B and AD 1047,
1048, 1049 and certificate regarding lobbying activities are standard
forms that shall be included in the application. These forms can be
accessed at www.fpl.fs.fed.us/tmu under 2013 Woody Biomass Grant
Program.
Dated: November 2, 2012.
Victoria Christiansen,
Acting Associate Deputy Chief.
[FR Doc. 2013-03768 Filed 2-15-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-P