Announcement for Spill Impact Component Planning Grants Restore Council, 78779-78783 [2014-30566]

Agencies

• GULF COAST ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION COUNCIL

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 250 (Wednesday, December 31, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78779-78783]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-30566]


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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 250 / Wednesday, December 31, 2014 / 
Notices

[[Page 78779]]



GULF COAST ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION COUNCIL


Announcement for Spill Impact Component Planning Grants Restore 
Council

    Agency: Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council.
    RFA Name: Spill Impact Component Planning Grants
    Announcement Type: Initial
    Funding Opportunity Number: GCC-GRANT-SEP-15-001
    Fiscal Year: FY 2015 and later
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 87.052
    Dates: Planning State Expenditure Plans will be accepted on a 
rolling basis. All administrative grant application materials are due 
30 days after official written approval of the planning State 
Expenditure Plan.
    Additional information:
    This announcement provides guidance to the Gulf Coast States--
defined as any of the States of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, 
Mississippi, and Texas--or the Gulf Coast States' administrative agents 
and the Gulf Consortium of Florida counties (collectively referred to 
in this announcement as ``eligible entities'') to apply for grants to 
fund planning activities to develop individual State Expenditure Plans 
(SEP) under the Spill Impact Component of the Resources and Ecosystem 
Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the 
Gulf Coast States Act of 2012 (RESTORE Act). The eligible entities may 
apply to the Council for a grant to use the minimum allocation 
available under the Spill Impact Component of the RESTORE Act for 
planning purposes. The submission process for this announcement is 
organized into two phases: (1) The submission of a planning SEP by a 
Gulf Coast State; and (2) the administrative application process, which 
includes the submission of all administrative grant application 
materials by the eligible entities.
    All planning activities proposed under this announcement are 
limited to the development of a comprehensive SEP, including conceptual 
design and feasibility studies related to specific projects. This 
announcement does not include engineering and environmental studies 
related to specific projects. It also does not include any pre-award 
costs incurred prior to August 22, 2014.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    The RESTORE Act, Public Law 112-141 (July 6, 2012), codified at 33 
U.S.C. 1321(t) and note, makes funds available for the restoration and 
protection of the Gulf Coast Region through a new trust fund in the 
Treasury of the United States, known as the Gulf Coast Restoration 
Trust Fund (``Trust Fund''). The Trust Fund will contain 80 percent of 
the administrative and civil penalties paid by the responsible parties 
after July 6, 2012, under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act in 
connection with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. These funds will be 
invested and made available through five components of the RESTORE Act. 
On August 15, 2014, the Department of Treasury (Treasury) issued 
regulations (79 FR 48039) applicable to all five components, and which 
generally describe the responsibilities of the Federal and State 
entities that administer RESTORE Act programs and carry out restoration 
activities in the Gulf Coast Region.
    Two of the five components, the Comprehensive Plan and Spill Impact 
Components, are administered by the Council, an independent federal 
entity created by the RESTORE Act. Under the Spill Impact Component (33 
U.S.C. 1321(t)(3)), 30 percent of funds in the Trust Fund will be 
disbursed to the five Gulf Coast States or their administrative agents 
based on an allocation formula established by the Council by regulation 
based on criteria in the RESTORE Act.
    The Council is currently developing another set of regulations to 
more fully implement the Spill Impact Component of the RESTORE Act. 
These regulations will be published in the Federal Register at a later 
date and will establish how funds made available from the Trust Fund 
will be allocated based on the formula between the five Gulf Coast 
States. It will also generally describe the responsibilities of the 
Gulf Coast States in applying for and administering the financial 
assistance awards made under the Spill Impact Component.

A. Program Objective and Priorities

    The purpose of the announcement is to solicit applications for 
State Expenditure Plans (SEP) planning grants. All planning activities 
proposed under this announcement are limited to the development of a 
comprehensive SEP, including conceptual design and feasibility studies 
related to specific projects. This announcement does not cover 
applications that propose engineering and environmental studies related 
to specific projects. It also does not include any pre-award costs 
incurred prior to publication of the RESTORE Council's RESTORE Act 
Spill Impact Component Planning Allocation Interim Final Rule (79 FR 
49690) on August 22, 2014. Pre-award costs incurred after the date of 
publication will be evaluated pursuant to 2 CFR part 200. Pre-award 
costs, as defined by 2 CFR part 200.458, are those incurred prior to 
the effective date of the Federal award directly pursuant to the 
negotiation and in anticipation of the Federal award where such costs 
are necessary for efficient and timely performance of the scope of 
work. Such costs are allowable only to the extent that they would have 
been allowable if incurred after the date of the Federal award and only 
with the written approval of the Federal awarding agency.
    The submission process for this announcement is organized into two 
phases: (1) The submission of a planning SEP by a Gulf Coast State 
Council member which will be approved by the Chairperson of the RESTORE 
Council; and (2) the administrative application process for the 
planning grants, which includes the submission of all administrative 
grant application materials by the eligible entities.

B. Program Authority

    33 U.S.C. 1321(t)(3), and 40 CFR part 1800, the RESTORE Council's 
RESTORE Act Spill Impact Component Planning Allocation (79 FR 49690, 
August 22, 2014).

II. Award Information

A. Funding Availability

    For this planning grant announcement, an eligible entity cannot

[[Page 78780]]

apply for more than the five (5) percent statutory minimum of the 
current amount available.
    The amount currently available is $48,977,572.60 or $9,795,514.52 
per eligible entity.

B. Project/Award Period

    The award period for these grants should not exceed one year (12 
months).

C. Type of Funding Instrument

    The funds the Council disburses to the eligible entities will be in 
the form of grants.

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Applicants

    Eligible applicants are the Gulf Coast States--defined in 33 U.S.C. 
1321(a)(34) as any of the States of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, 
Mississippi, and Texas--or their administrative agents and the Gulf 
Consortium of Florida counties (collectively referred to in this 
announcement as ``eligible entities'').
    No other entities are eligible to apply under this announcement.

B. Cost-Sharing or Matching

    There is no cost share or match requirement.

C. Other

    This announcement does not include any pre-award costs incurred 
prior to publication of the RESTORE Council's RESTORE Act Spill Impact 
Component Planning Allocation Interim Final Rule (79 FR 49690) on 
August 22, 2014. Pre-award costs incurred after the date of publication 
of the Interim Final Rule will be evaluated pursuant to 2 CFR part 200. 
Pre-award costs, as defined by 2 CFR part 200.458, are those incurred 
prior to the effective date of the Federal award directly pursuant to 
the negotiation and in anticipation of the Federal award where such 
costs are necessary for efficient and timely performance of the scope 
of work. Such costs are allowable only to the extent that they would 
have been allowable if incurred after the date of the Federal award and 
only with the written approval of the Federal awarding agency. Pre-
award costs are subject to review and written approval by the RESTORE 
Council and are not guaranteed under this announcement.

IV. Application and Submission Information

A. Address To Request Application Package

    Eligible entities can download application forms and other material 
necessary to apply for the Spill Impact Component planning grants 
through the RESTORE Council Web site at https://www.restorethegulf.gov/ourwork/spill-impact.

B. Content and Form of Application

    This is a two-phase application process. The first part of the 
application process is the submission of a planning State Expenditure 
Plan by a Gulf Coast State, which must be approved by the RESTORE 
Council Chairperson. The second part of the application process is the 
submission of all administrative grant application materials by the 
eligible entities.
    All planning activities authorized under this announcement must 
relate solely to the development of a comprehensive SEP. This includes 
conceptual design and feasibility studies related to specific projects. 
The intended outcome of awards funded under this announcement is the 
development of a SEP that meets the requirements listed in this 
announcement, is acceptable to the applicable Gulf Coast State and is 
approved by the Council Chairperson. Funds under this announcement 
cannot be used for the following: Engineering and environmental studies 
related to specific projects, or pre-award costs incurred prior to the 
date of publication of the RESTORE Council's RESTORE Act Spill Impact 
Component Planning Allocation Interim Final Rule (79 FR 49690) on 
August 22, 2014. For the purposes of this announcement, all activities 
included in the SEP must be eligible activities as defined by the 
RESTORE Act.
    The RESTORE Act establishes a statutory minimum under which each of 
the five Gulf Coast States is guaranteed five (5) percent of the funds 
made available in the Spill Impact Component in fiscal year 2015.
    The materials submitted under both the planning SEP phase and 
administrative grant application phase should include consecutively 
numbered pages and label all sections. Applications should be formatted 
to print on 8.5 x 11 paper, with 1 
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides, and page numbers at the 
bottom of the page. Fonts should be legible, i.e., preferably 12 point 
Arial, Times New Roman, or other commonly used font.
    Applications for funding under this announcement must include all 
of the following listed under each phase:
    Phase I: Submission of Planning State Expenditure Plan:
    The Planning State Expenditure Plan (SEP) must include the 
following:
    1. Executive Summary:
    a. Entity name and name of Gulf Coast State.
    b. Contact information for the authorizing official--Include the 
name, title, organization, address, telephone number, fax number, and 
email address; if applicable, include contact information for 
additional points of contact.
    2. Planning SEP Narrative addressing the following:
    a. The planning activities proposed are limited to the development 
of a comprehensive SEP (defined as an eligible activity in 33 U.S.C. 
1321(t)(1)(B)(i)(III)), including conceptual design and feasibility 
studies related to specific projects;
    b. Contributes to the overall economic and ecological recovery of 
the Gulf Coast.
    c. Takes into consideration and is consistent with the goals and 
objectives of the Comprehensive Plan.
    d. Does not include costs for infrastructure or engineering and 
environmental studies related to specific projects.
    This planning SEP will be for the limited purpose of developing a 
comprehensive State Expenditure Plan which may include conceptual 
design and feasibility studies related to specific projects. Detailed 
budget and project narrative information is required as part of Phase 
II, see below.
    The planning SEP must be reviewed and approved by the RESTORE 
Council Chairperson prior to an eligible entity's submission of Phase 
II application materials.
    Phase II: Submission of Administrative Grant Application Materials:
    1. Required Forms:
    a. Form SF-424, ``Application for Federal Assistance.''
    b. Form SF-424A, ``Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs.''
    c. Form SF-424B, ``Assurances--Non-Construction Programs.''
    d. Form CD-511, ``Certification Regarding Lobbying.''
    e. Form SF-LLL, ``Disclosure of Lobbying Activities,'' if 
applicable.
    2. Project Narrative: Include a concise project narrative that 
identifies and describes how the funds will be used to develop the SEP.
    3. Budget Narrative: Include a detailed narrative of how the funds 
will be spent on this planning grant. The budget narrative categories 
should match the line item budget categories on the SF-424A (listed 
directly below). Definitions of each line item follow:
    a. Personnel--This refers to salaries and wages paid to employees 
of the

[[Page 78781]]

grantee organization who are directly involved in grant implementation. 
This line item does not include personnel hired by a sub-grantee; those 
costs are included in the ``Contractual'' line item.
    b. Fringe Benefits--This refers to the allowances and services 
provided by employers to their employees as compensation in addition to 
regular salaries and wages. Fringe benefits include, but are not 
limited to, the costs of leave (vacation, family-related, sick or 
military), employee insurance, pensions, and unemployment benefit 
plans.
    c. Travel--This refers to the expenses for transportation, lodging, 
subsistence, and related items incurred by employees who are in travel 
status on official business of the non-Federal entity. Such costs may 
be charged on an actual cost basis, on a per diem or mileage basis in 
lieu of actual costs incurred, or on a combination of the two, provided 
the method used is applied to an entire trip and not to selected days 
of the trip, and results in charges consistent with those normally 
allowed in like circumstances in the non-Federal entity's non-
federally-funded activities and in accordance with non-Federal entity's 
written travel reimbursement policies. This line item does not include 
travel expenses of a sub-grantee; those costs are included in the 
``Contractual'' line item.
    d. Equipment--This refers to tangible personal property (including 
information technology systems) having a useful life of more than one 
year and a per-unit acquisition cost which equals or exceeds the lesser 
of the capitalization level established by the non-Federal entity for 
financial statement purposes, or $5,000.
    e. Supplies--This refers to all tangible personal property other 
equipment. A computing device is a supply if the acquisition cost is 
less than the lesser of the capitalization level established by the 
non-Federal entity for financial statement purposes or $5,000, 
regardless of the length of its useful life.
    f. Contractual--This refers to purchases of property or services 
needed to carry out the project or program under a Federal award. It is 
not specific to the legal instrument being used, so it may include both 
subawards and subcontracts.
    g. Construction--[not applicable]
    h. Other--This refers to Direct costs that do not fit any of the 
aforementioned categories, such as rent for buildings used to conduct 
grant activities, utilities and/or leased equipment, transportation 
expenses, tuition for training, etc.
    i. Indirect costs--This refers to costs incurred for a common or 
joint purpose benefitting more than one cost objective, and not readily 
assignable to the cost objectives specifically benefitted, without 
effort disproportionate to the results achieved. See Section VI.B.3. 
for details on the three percent cap on certain indirect costs.
    4. Certification and Documentation addressing the following:
    a. The applicant has a financial management system in place meeting 
the standards prescribed in 2 CFR part 200 that tracks and records 
program expenditures;
    b. The applicant has an accounting system that identifies the 
receipts and expenditures of program funds separately for each award;
    c. The applicant's history of performance in managing Federal 
awards (e.g. timeliness of compliance with reporting, conformance with 
terms and conditions);
    d. The results of applicant's previous audits; and
    e. The applicant's ability to effectively implement statutory, 
regulatory, or other requirements imposed on non-Federal entities.
    Based on the responses to this certification, the RESTORE Council 
will review the risk posed by applicants or when an applicant or 
recipient has a history of failure to comply with the general or 
specific terms and conditions of a Federal award, or failure to meet 
expected performance goals as described in 2 CFR part Sec.  200.210 
contained in a Federal award, or is not otherwise responsible, the 
RESTORE Council may impose additional specific award conditions as 
needed.

C. Dun and Bradstreet Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number and 
System for Award Management (SAM).

    Each applicant is required to: (i) Be registered in the System for 
Award Management (SAM) before submitting its application 
(www.SAM.gov);\1\ (ii) provide a valid DUNS number in its application; 
and (iii) continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current 
information at all times during which it has an active Federal award or 
an application or plan under consideration by a Federal awarding 
agency. The RESTORE Council may not make a Federal award to an 
applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable DUNS and 
SAM requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the 
requirements by the time the RESTORE Council is ready to make a Federal 
award, the RESTORE Council may determine that the applicant is not 
qualified to receive a Federal award.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ If an applicant previously registered in the Central 
Contractor Registration (CCR), it will need to register with SAM. 
Note that a CCR username will not work in SAM; an applicant must 
create a new SAM User Account to renew or update its registration. 
Authorizations and credential corrections can take several days to 
establish. Please plan accordingly to avoid late submissions. For 
further information please visit the SAM web portal (https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/.)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

D. Submission Dates and Times:

    Applications must be submitted via email to the following address 
sep-grant_applications@restorethegulf.gov or hard copy submission to 
the following address: Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Counsel Office, 
500 Poydras Street, Suite 1117, New Orleans, LA 70130.
    Planning State Expenditure Plans will be accepted on a rolling 
basis.
    All administrative grant application materials are due 30 days 
after official written approval of the planning State Expenditure Plan.

E. Intergovernmental Review

    Executive Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs,'' was issued with the intent to foster the intergovernmental 
partnership and strengthen federalism by relying on State and local 
processes for the coordination and review of proposed Federal financial 
assistance and direct Federal development. Consistent with the RESTORE 
Act, the five Gulf States are voting members of the Council and all 
five States participated in the design and implementation of this grant 
program.

F. Funding Restrictions:

    Of the amounts received by an eligible entity in a grant under this 
announcement, not more than three percent may be used for 
administrative costs. The three percent limit is applied to the total 
amount of funds received by a recipient under each grant. The three 
percent limit does not apply to the administrative costs of 
subrecipients. All subrecipient costs are subject to the cost 
principles in Federal law and policies on grants. Administrative costs 
are defined as those indirect costs for administration incurred by the 
Gulf Coast States, coastal political subdivisions, and coastal zone 
parishes that are allocable to activities authorized under the Act. 
Administrative costs may include costs for general management 
functions, general ledger accounting, budgeting, human resource 
services, general procurement services, and general legal services. 
Administrative costs do not include indirect costs that are identified 
specifically with, or readily assignable to: (1) Facilities; (2) 
Eligible projects, programs, or planning

[[Page 78782]]

activities; or (3) Activities relating to grant applications, awards, 
audit requirements, or post-award management, including payments and 
collections. See the https://www.restorethegulf.gov/ourwork/spill-impact 
Web site for an example of administrative costs.
    All planning activities proposed under this announcement are 
limited to the development of a comprehensive SEP, including conceptual 
design and feasibility studies related to specific projects. This 
announcement does not cover applications that propose engineering and 
environmental studies related to specific projects.

G. Other Submission Requirements:

    None.

V. Application Review Information

A. Evaluation Criteria

    Only eligible recipients (Section III.A.) may apply for Spill 
Impact planning grant funds. The critical components, information, and 
criteria necessary to be provided in an application for planning grant 
funds are identified in, but not limited to, Section IV.

B. Review and Selection Process

    The Spill Impact component is non-competitive with Congressionally-
required authorized uses. Instead of a selection process, there is a 
review and approval process. The RESTORE Council may (1) review and 
approve an application, (2) work with eligible entities to revise 
applications and resubmit, or (3) rescind applications, as appropriate. 
All Spill Impact planning grant funding restrictions, as discussed 
above, must be met and applicants must adhere to the appropriate 
administrative requirements and cost principles prior to receipt of a 
grant award and throughout the grant period.
    Phase I: Review of Planning State Expenditure Plan:
    The RESTORE Council Chairperson will review each minimal State 
Expenditure Plan to ensure that it:
    1. The planning activities proposed are limited to the development 
of a comprehensive SEP (defined as an eligible activity in 33 U.S.C. 
1321(t)(1)(B)(i)(III)), including conceptual design and feasibility 
studies related to specific projects;
    2. Contributes to the overall economic and ecological recovery of 
the Gulf Coast.
    3. Takes into consideration and is consistent with the goals and 
objectives of the Comprehensive Plan.
    4. Does not include costs for infrastructure or engineering and 
environmental studies related to specific projects.
    After reviewing the planning SEP, the Chairperson will approve or 
disapprove the planning SEP. Once the planning SEP is approved, the 
applicant will submit materials required under Phase II, and the review 
process for Phase II will take place. In the event that a planning SEP 
is disapproved, the Council will provide, within 60 days of the receipt 
of the planning SEP, the reason(s) for disapproval in writing and 
consult with the applicant to address any deficiencies with the 
planning SEP. If the planning SEP is disapproved, the applicant may 
submit a revised planning SEP for review and approval.
    Phase II: Review of Administrative Grant Application Materials:
    The RESTORE Council will review the technical, best available 
science and environmental components of a project to ensure compliance 
with RESTORE Council program requirements. The technical reviews 
include evaluating the adequacy of the information submitted, 
including, but not limited to the following:
    1. The clear applicability to the authorized uses;
    2. Clear, concise goals; and
    3. Objectives with measurable planning outcome.
    All required forms and application components (Section IV) will be 
reviewed and approved before the award is made.

D. Anticipated Award Dates

    After receipt of a compliant grant application, grant awards are 
anticipated to be made within 60 days.

VI. Award Administration Information

    Payments will be on a reimbursement basis for these awards. 
Payments are made upon receipt and approval of an invoice from the 
grant recipient. Invoices must be sent directly to the Administrative 
Resource Center at the Department of the Treasury, the office that 
handles the RESTORE Council's accounting, email 
Grants@fiscal.treasury.gov. The RESTORE Council must be copied via 
email to sep-invoicepmts@restorethegulf.gov in the payment request 
invoice email.
    The required invoice information for a payment request is:
     Vendor Name: Grantee name as entered in SAM (or the 
``Doing Business As'' name in SAM)
     Duns #: From SAM
     Invoice # or Account #
     PO#: Invoice should reference the PO#. (It can reference 
PO line and shipment or that can be specified by the invoice approver 
on the approval form)
     Description: Similar to the PO description and includes 
prices, quantities, services provided, etc., as applicable.
     Invoice date or service period
     Dollar Amount
    Once an invoice request has been submitted through the system, 
invoices will be transmitted to the Council's Invoice Approver for 
review and confirm that the request adheres to the terms and conditions 
of the grant award. After the Council Invoice Approver provides the 
Administrative Resource Center with approval, the payment will be made 
by electronic funds transfer, using the banking information that the 
recipient has provided in the System for Awards Management (SAM).

A. Award Notices

    Successful applicants will receive official notification of funding 
signed by an authorizing Grants Officer. Notifications will be issued 
to the Authorizing Official either electronically or in hard copy. 
Unsuccessful applicants will be notified by the Council after 
successful applicants receive notification.

B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

1. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
    Administrative and national policy requirements for all RESTORE 
Council awards apply to this competition. These requirements may be 
found in the Council Pre-Award Notification Requirements for Grants 
Agreements, published in the Federal Register on November 24, 2014 (79 
FR 69822). This notice may be accessed at the Government Printing 
Office (GPO) Web site at https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/browse/collection.action?collectionCode=FR.
2. Limitation of Liability
    In no event will the RESTORE Council be responsible for proposal 
preparation costs if these projects or programs fail to receive funding 
or are cancelled because of other agency priorities. Publication of 
this announcement does not oblige the RESTORE Council to award any 
specific project or program, or to obligate any available funds. 
Recipients are subject to all Federal laws and agency policies, 
regulations, and procedures applicable to Federal financial assistance 
awards.
3. Three Percent Cap on Indirect Costs
    The total allowable indirect costs are subject to the three (3) 
percent cap on administrative costs stated in 33 U.S.C. 
1321(t)(1)(iii). Pursuant to 31 CFR 34.2,

[[Page 78783]]

administrative costs means those indirect costs for administration 
incurred by the Gulf Coast States, coastal political subdivisions, and 
coastal zone parishes that are allocable to activities authorized under 
the Act. Administrative costs may include costs for general management 
functions, general ledger accounting, budgeting, human resource 
services, general procurement services, and general legal services. 
Administrative costs do not include indirect costs that are identified 
specifically with, or readily assignable to: (1) Facilities; (2) 
Eligible projects, programs, or planning activities; or (3) Activities 
relating to grant applications, awards, audit requirements, or post-
award management, including payments and collections.

C. Reporting

    Recipients will be required to submit financial and performance 
(technical) reports (also known as progress reports). All financial 
reports shall be submitted to Office of Finance and Budget, Chief 
Financial Officer/Director of Administration, RESTORE in accordance 
with the award conditions. Electronic submission of financial reports 
is preferred via email to sep-financialrpts@restorethegulf.gov. 
Performance reports should be submitted to the Deputy Director/Director 
of Programs. Performance reports must include the status of a SEP that 
meets the requirements listed in this announcement, specifically, that 
it is acceptable to the applicable Gulf Coast State and is approved by 
the Council Chairperson. Electronic submission of performance reports 
is preferred via email to sep-performancerpts@restorethegulf.gov. All 
reports will be submitted on a basis determined by the results of an 
applicant's risk assessment. In any event, reports will be submitted no 
less frequently than annually, and no more frequently than quarterly, 
unless more frequent reporting is deemed necessary. Reports must be 
submitted no later than 30 days following the end of each period, if 
reporting is less than annually, from the start date of the award. The 
comprehensive final report is due 90 days after the award expiration.
    The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 
includes a requirement for awardees of applicable Federal grants to 
report information about first-tier sub-awards and executive 
compensation under Federal assistance awards issued in FY 2011 or 
later. All awardees of applicable grants and cooperative agreements are 
required to report to the Federal Sub-award Reporting System (FSRS) 
available at www.FSRS.gov on all sub-awards over $25,000.

VII. Agency Contacts

    The contact for questions about this announcement is Mary Pleffner. 
Her email contact information is email: 
mary.pleffner@restorethegulf.gov; telephone number: 813-995-2025; and 
mailing address is Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Counsel Office, 500 
Poydras Street, Suite 1117, New Orleans, LA 70130.

VIII. Other Information

A. New Program

    This is an announcement for a new Federal grant program authorized 
by the Oil Spill Restoration Impact Allocation Component of the 
Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and 
Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act of 2012 (RESTORE Act), 
specifically, 33 U.S.C. 1321(t)(3), and 40 CFR part 1800, RESTORE 
Council's RESTORE Act Spill Impact Component Planning Allocation (79 FR 
49690, August 22, 2014).

B. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)

    Council adopts the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 
(FOIA) as 5 U.S.C. 552. This statute sets forth rules for the Council 
regarding making requested materials, information, and records publicly 
available under the FOIA. Applications submitted in response to this 
announcement may be subject to requests for release under the FOIA. In 
the event that an application contains information or data that the 
applicant deems to be confidential commercial information which is 
exempt from disclosure under FOIA, that information should be 
identified, bracketed, and marked as Privileged, Confidential, 
Commercial or Financial Information. Based on these markings, the 
confidentiality of the contents of those pages will be protected to the 
extent permitted by law.

C. Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit 
Requirements for Federal Awards

    On December 26, 2013, OMB published final guidance titled Uniform 
Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements 
for Federal Awards (OMB Uniform Guidance) (https://www.Federalregister.gov/articles/2013/12/26/2013-30465/uniform-administrative-requirements-cost-principles-and-audit-requirements-for-Federal-awards), which streamlines the language from eight existing OMB 
circulars, including Cost Principles (OMB Circulars A-21, A-87, A-122) 
and administrative requirements (OMB Circulars A-102 and A-110), into 
one consolidated set of guidance applicable to Federal assistance 
awards. The OMB Uniform Guidance applies to awards made by the RESTORE 
Council. Applicants should familiarize themselves with the OMB Uniform 
Guidance. Additional information on the substance of and transition to 
the OMB Uniform Guidance may be found at https://cfo.gov/cofar/.

Will D. Spoon,
Program Analyst.
[FR Doc. 2014-30566 Filed 12-30-14; 8:45 am]
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