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.

Notices Federal Register

77821 

Vol. 75, No. 239 

Tuesday, December 14, 2010 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Commodity Credit Corporation 

Agricultural Water Enhancement 

Program and Cooperative 

Conservation Partnership Initiative 

AGENCY: Commodity Credit Corporation 

and Natural Resources Conservation 

Service, Department of Agriculture. 

ACTION: Notice of request for proposals. 

SUMMARY: The purpose of this request 

for proposals is to solicit proposals from 

potential partners who seek to enter into 

partnership agreements with the Natural 

Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) 

through either the Agricultural Water 

Enhancement Program (AWEP) or the 

Cooperative Conservation Partnership 

Initiative (CCPI) in order to provide 

assistance to producers who enroll in an 

eligible conservation program. The 

Natural Resources Conservation Service 

(NRCS) is responsible for both AWEP 

and CCPI. For fiscal year (FY) 2011, 

applicants are strongly encouraged to 

use the proposal templates available for 

download at: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/ 

programs/AWEP/ for AWEP and http:// 

www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/CCPI/ for 

CCPI. To request a paper version of 

either proposal template, partners may 

send a written request to Gregory K. 

Johnson, Director, Financial Assistance 

Programs Division, Department of 

Agriculture, Natural Resources 

Conservation Service, 1400 

Independence Avenue SW., Room 5239 

South Building, Washington, DC 20250. 

Both AWEP and CCPI were 

established by the Food, Conservation, 

and Energy Act of 2008 (2008 Act). 

AWEP and CCPI are voluntary 

conservation initiatives that enable the 

use of certain conservation programs, 

combined with resources from eligible 

partners who have entered into 

partnership agreements with NRCS, to 

provide financial and technical 

assistance to owners and operators of 

agricultural and nonindustrial private 

forest lands. Through the FY 2011 

AWEP, NRCS will make Environmental 

Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) funds 

available to eligible producers in 

approved AWEP project areas. Through 

the FY 2011 CCPI, NRCS will make 

EQIP, Conservation Stewardship 

Program (CSP), and Wildlife Habitat 

Incentive Program (WHIP) funds 

available to eligible producers in 

approved CCPI project areas consistent 

with the project proposal. 

CCPI opportunities concerning the 

Mississippi River Basin Healthy 

Watersheds Initiative will be announced 

through a separate notice. 

DATES: Effective Date: The notice of 

request is effective December 14, 2010. 

Proposals submitted for both AWEP 

and CCPI via e-mail or U.S. Postal 

Service must be received on or before 

January 28, 2011. 

ADDRESSES: Applicants are highly 

encouraged to submit proposals 

electronically to AWEP@wdc.usda.gov 

for AWEP and CCPI@wdc.usda.gov for 

CCPI. Paper proposals should be mailed 

to Gregory K. Johnson, Director, 

Financial Assistance Programs Division, 

Department of Agriculture, Natural 

Resources Conservation Service, P.O. 

Box 2890, Washington, DC 20013. 

Do not send submissions via 

registered or certified mail to the Post 

Office Box. Do not send the same 

proposal to both the e-mail and Post 

Office Box addresses; use only one of 

the two methods to submit a proposal. 

If submitting more than one project 

proposal, submit each one separately. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Gregory K. Johnson, Director, Financial 

Assistance Programs Division, 

Department of Agriculture, Natural 

Resources Conservation Service; 1400 

Independence Avenue SW., Room 5239 

South Building, Washington, DC 20250; 

Telephone: (202) 720–1845; Fax: (202) 

720–4265; E-mail: AWEP@wdc.usda.gov 

for AWEP or CCPI@wdc.usda.gov for 

CCPI. 

Persons with disabilities who require 

alternative means for communication 

(Braille, large print, audio tape, etc.) 

should contact the USDA TARGET 

Center at: (202) 720–2600 (voice and 

TDD). 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Part A—The Agricultural Water 

Enhancement Program 

Legislative Authority 

The Agricultural Water Enhancement 

Program (AWEP) was authorized as part 

of the Environmental Quality Incentives 

Program (EQIP), 16 U.S.C. 3839aa–9, 

section 2510 of the Food, Conservation, 

and Energy Act of 2008 (2008 Act), 

Public Law 110–246. The Cooperative 

Conservation Partnership Initiative 

(CCPI) was authorized by section 2707 

of that same law. The Secretary of 

Agriculture delegated the authority for 

the administration of EQIP and CCPI to 

the Chief of the Natural Resources 

Conservation Service (NRCS), who is 

Vice President of the Commodity Credit 

Corporation (CCC). EQIP is funded 

under the authorities of the CCC and 

administered by NRCS. 

Overview of the Agricultural Water 

Enhancement Program 

The AWEP is a voluntary program 

that enables the use of EQIP, combined 

with resources from eligible partners 

who have entered into partnership 

agreements with NRCS, to provide 

financial and technical assistance to 

eligible producers to implement 

agricultural water enhancement 

activities on agricultural land for the 

purposes of conserving surface and 

ground water and improving water 

quality. By entering into partnership 

agreements with eligible entities, NRCS 

aims to conserve ground and surface 

water or improve water quality, or both, 

through a regional approach. The 

functions of AWEP can best be 

described in two parts: AWEP 

partnerships and AWEP program 

participation. 

AWEP Partnerships 

Under AWEP, eligible potential 

partners may submit proposals 

addressing the criteria that are outlined 

in this request for proposals. Partners 

who may enter into partnership 

agreements with NRCS include federally 

recognized Indian tribes, State and local 

units of government, agricultural or 

silvicultural associations, and other 

groups of producers such as an 

irrigation association, agricultural land 

trust, or other nongovernmental 

organization that has experience 

working with agricultural producers. 

Individual agricultural producers are 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
77822 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 239 / Tuesday, December 14, 2010 / Notices 

not an eligible partner entity and may 

not submit AWEP proposals. 

Submitted proposals will be evaluated 

through a competitive review process. 

NRCS will use the proposal ranking 

score, along with other review 

commentary, to select proposals for 

funding. After selection, the partners 

will enter into a partnership agreement 

with NRCS. The partnership agreement 

will not obligate funds, but will address: 

1. The role of the partner; 

2. The role of NRCS; 

3. Agricultural water enhancement 

activities anticipated to be addressed 

and conservation practices to be 

implemented; 

4. The responsibilities of the partner 

related to the monitoring as identified in 

the proposal and evaluation of project 

performance; 

5. The frequency and duration of the 

monitoring and evaluation of project 

performance; 

6. The content and format of the final 

project performance report that is 

required as a condition of the 

agreement; 

7. The budget, including other 

funding sources (if applicable), for 

financial and technical assistance; 

8. The specified project schedule; and 

9. Other requirements deemed 

necessary by NRCS to achieve the 

purposes of AWEP. 

AWEP is not a grant program, and all 

Federal funding offered through this 

authority will be paid directly to 

agricultural producers through 

individual contract agreements. 

AWEP Program Participation 

Once NRCS approves and announces 

the selected partner projects, eligible 

agricultural producers located within 

the approved project areas may apply 

directly to NRCS for funding through 

EQIP. The AWEP program uses the 

funds, policies, and process of EQIP to 

deliver assistance to eligible producers 

to implement approved conservation 

practices. Producers interested in 

applying must meet the eligibility 

requirements of EQIP. Individual 

applications from eligible producers 

will be evaluated and ranked to ensure 

that producer applications selected for 

funding are most likely to achieve 

project objectives. Once applications are 

selected, the producers may enter into a 

contract with NRCS. 

Availability of Funding 

Effective upon publication of this 

notice, NRCS announces the availability 

of up to $5 million in AWEP financial 

assistance during fiscal year (FY) 2011. 

Proposal Information 

Proposal Format 

It is highly recommended that the 

proposal be written using the proposal 

template format, including budget and 

schedule templates, to ensure that all 

required components are addressed. 

Consult the NRCS national AWEP Web 

site for an example of an acceptable 

AWEP proposal document at: http:// 

www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/AWEP/. 

Do not submit other documents not 

requested or letters of endorsement. 

Required Information 

The proposal must include the 

following: 

1. Proposal Cover Sheet and 

Summary: 

a. Project Title. 

b. Project director/manager name, 

telephone number, and mailing and email addresses. 

c. Name of lead partner entity 

submitting proposal and other 

collaborating partners. 

d. Short summary of project 

including: 

i. Project start and end dates (not to 

exceed a period of 5 years); 

ii. Project objectives and resource 

concerns to be addressed, and 

specifically what water conservation 

resource issues and water quality 

resource issues the project will address; 

and 

iii. Location of project, specifying if 

the location is within an AWEP national 

priority area (Eastern Snake Plains 

Aquifer, Everglades, Ogallala Aquifer, 

Puget Sound, Red River, Sacramento 

River Basin, and Upper Mississippi 

River Basin). 

Note: Additional information, maps, and a 

list of States and counties located in AWEP 

priority areas are available at: http:// 

www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/awep/. 

e. Amount of AWEP financial 

assistance being requested. 

2. Partner Background and 

Experience: 

a. Demonstrate: 

i. The commitment and experience of 

the partner to accomplish the long-term 

conservation of surface and ground 

water or water quality improvement and 

related historical activities that show 

this experience; 

ii. The ability and history of the 

partner to coordinate water quality and 

quantity efforts among agricultural 

producers; 

iii. The ability to monitor and 

evaluate project effects on natural 

resources; and 

iv. That the partner has the capacity 

to deliver a final project performance 

report. 

b. A description of how the partners 

and entities will collaborate to achieve 

the project objectives. Include: 

i. The roles, responsibilities, and 

capabilities of the partner(s); and 

ii. The financial and technical 

commitments of each of the partners 

and how they will be leveraged by EQIP 

assistance. If partners who do not 

submit this proposal intend to commit 

resources, a letter or other 

documentation from these partners 

confirming a commitment of resources 

is required. Partners need to clearly 

state, by project objective, how they 

intend to leverage Federal funds along 

with partner resources to address water 

quantity or water quality resource 

issues. The funding and time 

contribution by agricultural producers 

to implement agreed-to conservation 

practices in program contracts may not 

be considered any part of a match from 

the potential partner for purposes of 

AWEP. 

3. Project Objectives and Natural 

Resource Concerns: 

a. Identify and provide details about 

the project objectives. Objectives should 

be specific, measurable, achievable, and 

results-oriented. 

b. For each objective, identify the 

actions to be completed to achieve the 

objective and address the identified 

natural resource concern using AWEP 

assistance or the actions being 

addressed using alternate non-Federal 

resources or fund sources. 

c. Identify the total number of acres 

that need conservation treatment along 

with the kinds of conservation practices 

and activities needed to treat priority 

resource concerns in the project area. 

Identify specific priorities within the 

project area that need to be addressed 

first. 

d. A description of the agricultural 

water quality or water conservation 

issues to be addressed by the 

partnership agreement. Provide 

information about the extent and kinds 

of water quality issues to be addressed 

such as pollutants, designated priority 

areas, groundwater overdraft, and 

surface water deficiencies. 

e. The proposed agricultural water 

enhancement activities that may be 

implemented through partner efforts 

alone and those to be implemented 

using AWEP financial support. 

4. Project Description: 

a. Attach a map to the application 

showing the proposed project area. 

Describe the location and size of the 

proposed project area. Identify whether 

the project is located in a water 

conservation priority area. 

b. A list and description of the NRCS 

practices and partner-sponsored 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 239 / Tuesday, December 14, 2010 / Notices 77823 

activities expected to be implemented to 

address the identified agricultural water 

enhancement objectives of the project. 

The description could include activities 

such as types of water conservation 

plans, assessments, or modeling; 

specific efforts to encourage producers 

to convert irrigated land to less waterintensive operations or dryland farming; 

the percentage of the project area 

expected to be converted to dryland 

farming; and types of irrigation system 

improvements. 

i. Describe the general sequence of 

implementation of the project. 

ii. For each conservation practice, 

estimate the extent (feet, acres, number, 

etc.) the partner expects producers to 

implement each fiscal year during the 

life of the project and the amount of 

financial assistance requested to support 

implementation of each practice 

through producer contracts. 

iii. From the estimated amount of 

financial assistance needed to 

implement the identified conservation 

practices, include the total amount of 

financial assistance funds requested for 

each fiscal year of the project to be made 

available for producer contracts. 

iv. Describe whether the project will 

address regulatory compliance and any 

other outcomes the partner expects to 

complete during the project period. 

Note: Information about NRCS practices is 

found in the Field Office Technical Guide 

found at: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/ 

technical/efotg/ and descriptions of practices 

at: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/ 

standards/. 

c. Include the total acres that need 

conservation treatment and the priority 

conservation practices and activities 

that are needed to treat significant 

resource concerns in the project area. 

Identify specific priorities within the 

project area that need to be addressed 

first. 

d. Identify potential criteria to be used 

by NRCS to prioritize and rank 

agricultural producers’ AWEP 

applications in the project area. 

Proposals may include specific ranking 

criteria so that NRCS can evaluate 

applications based upon the 

environmental objectives of the AWEP 

project. Additional guidance and 

examples may be obtained from the 

NRCS State office where the project will 

be located. 

e. A description of the resources 

(financial or technical assistance) 

requested annually from AWEP for 

producer contracts and the non-Federal 

resources provided by the partner that 

will be leveraged by the Federal 

contribution. If resources other than 

funding are being offered by the partner, 

describe the kind of resources and 

services that will be made available to 

producers to help implement 

conservation practices and activities. 

The funding and time contribution by 

agricultural producers to implement 

agreed-to conservation practices in the 

program contracts may not be 

considered as part of a match from the 

potential partner. All funding requests 

and information regarding partner 

resources may be included in the form 

of a budget narrative. 

5. Participant Information: 

a. An estimate of the number of 

eligible agricultural producers the 

partner expects to participate in the 

project compared with the estimated 

total number of producers in the project 

area. Include additional information 

such as: 

i. How will the partner encourage 

participation to guarantee success of the 

project? 

ii. Does the project include any tribal, 

socially disadvantaged, beginning, or 

limited resource farmers or ranchers? 

iii. Are there groups of producers who 

may submit joint program applications 

to address resource issues of common 

interest and need? 

6. Proposal Implementation Plan and 

Schedule: 

a. Potential partners should submit 

project action plans and schedules, not 

to exceed 5 years, detailing activities, 

including timeframes related to project 

milestones and monitoring and 

evaluation activities that will likely be 

documented in the partnership 

agreement. A project action plan should 

describe how often the potential partner 

plans to monitor and evaluate the 

project, how it plans to quantify the 

results or performance of the project for 

the final project performance report, and 

the practices the partner expects to be 

implemented during the project 

timeframe and general sequence of 

project implementation. 

Evaluation Criteria 

The agency will evaluate the 

proposals using a competitive process. 

A higher priority may be given to 

proposals that: 

1. Include high percentages of 

agricultural land and producers in a 

region or other appropriate area; 

2. Result in high levels of applied 

agricultural water quality and water 

conservation activities; 

3. Significantly enhance agricultural 

activity; 

4. Allow for monitoring and 

evaluation by the partner; 

5. Assist agricultural producers in 

meeting a regulatory requirement that 

reduces the economic scope of the 

producer’s operation; 

6. Achieve the project’s land and 

water treatment objectives within 5 

years or less; 

7. Are from States with water quantity 

concerns where the proposal will: 

a. Include conservation practices that 

support the conversion of agricultural 

land from irrigated farming to dryland 

farming; 

b. Leverage Federal funds provided 

under the program with funds provided 

by partners; 

c. Assist producers in States with high 

priority water quantity concerns, as 

determined by the agency. The high 

priority areas are located in the 

following regions: Eastern Snake Plain 

Aquifer, Everglades, Ogallala Aquifer, 

Puget Sound, Red River, Sacramento 

River Basin, and Upper Mississippi 

River Basin. 

d. Include other factors and criteria as 

approved by the agency which help 

identify those proposals which best 

achieve the purposes of AWEP. 

Part B—The Cooperative Conservation 

Partnership Initiative 

Legislative Authority 

The Cooperative Conservation 

Partnership Initiative (CCPI) was 

authorized by section 2707 of the Food, 

Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 

(2008 Act). The CCPI was established by 

amending section 1243 of the Food 

Security Act of 1985 [16 U.S.C. 3843]. 

The Secretary of Agriculture has 

delegated the authority to administer 

CCPI to the Chief of the Natural 

Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), 

who is Vice President of the Commodity 

Credit Corporation (CCC). 

Overview of the Cooperative 

Conservation Partnership Initiative 

The CCPI is a voluntary conservation 

initiative that enables the use of certain 

conservation programs, combined with 

resources from eligible partners, to 

provide financial and technical 

assistance to owners and operators of 

agricultural and nonindustrial private 

forest lands in order to enhance 

conservation outcomes and achieve 

resource conservation objectives. The 

functions of CCPI can best be described 

in two parts: CCPI partnerships and 

CCPI program participation. 

CCPI Partnerships 

Under CCPI, eligible potential 

partners may submit proposals 

addressing the criteria that are outlined 

in this request for proposals. Partners 

who may enter into partnership 

agreements with NRCS include federally 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
77824 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 239 / Tuesday, December 14, 2010 / Notices 

recognized Indian tribes, State and local 

units of government, producer 

associations, farmer cooperatives, 

institutions of higher education, and 

nongovernmental organizations with a 

history of working cooperatively with 

producers to effectively address 

conservation priorities related to 

agricultural production and 

nonindustrial private forest land. 

Individual agricultural producers are 

not an eligible partner entity and may 

not submit CCPI proposals. 

Submitted proposals will be evaluated 

in a competitive review process. NRCS 

will use the proposal ranking score 

along with other review commentary to 

select proposals for funding. After 

selection, the partners will enter into a 

partnership agreement with NRCS. The 

partnership agreement will not obligate 

funds, but will address: 

1. The role of the partner; 

2. The role of NRCS; 

3. The responsibilities of the partner 

as it relates to the monitoring and 

evaluation; 

4. The frequency and duration of 

monitoring and evaluation to be 

completed by the partner; 

5. The format and frequency of reports 

(semi-annual, annual, and final) 

required as a condition of the 

partnership agreement; 

6. Budget which includes other 

funding sources (if applicable) for 

financial and technical assistance; 

7. The specified project schedule and 

timeframe; and 

8. Other requirements deemed 

necessary by NRCS to further the 

purposes of the CCPI project. 

Where flexibility is needed to meet 

project objectives, the partner may 

request that program adjustments be 

allowed, provided such policy 

adjustments are within the scope of the 

applicable programs’ statutory and 

regulatory program authorities. An 

example of a program adjustment may 

be to expedite the applicable program 

ranking process in a situation where a 

partner has identified the producers 

approved to participate in the project. 

Another example of a program 

adjustment may include using a single 

area-wide plan of operations rather than 

individual plan of operations. An 

example of program authority that 

cannot be waived under the provision of 

CCPI flexibility includes program 

payment limits, maximum practice 

payment percentages, and participant 

eligibility requirements. Questions 

regarding proposed requests for CCPI 

flexibility may be directed to 

CCPI@wdc.usda.gov. 

CCPI is not a grant program, and all 

Federal funds made available through 

this request for proposals will be paid 

directly to producers through program 

contract agreements. No technical 

assistance funding may be provided to 

a partner through the CCPI partner 

agreement. However, if requested by a 

partner, the State Conservationist may 

consider development of a separate 

contribution agreement with a qualified 

partner to provide funding for delivery 

of technical services to producers 

participating in an approved CCPI 

project. 

CCPI Program Participation 

Once the agency approves and 

announces the selected partner projects, 

eligible agricultural producers located 

within the approved project areas may 

apply directly to NRCS for funding 

through one or more of the following 

programs: Environmental Quality 

Incentives Program (EQIP), 

Conservation Stewardship Program 

(CSP), or Wildlife Habitat Incentive 

Program (WHIP). CCPI uses the funds, 

policies, and processes of these 

programs to deliver assistance to eligible 

producers to implement approved 

conservation practices, enhancements, 

and activities. Producers interested in 

applying must meet the eligibility 

requirements of the program for which 

they are applying. Individual 

applications from eligible producers 

will be evaluated and ranked to ensure 

that producer applications selected for 

funding are most likely to achieve 

project objectives. Once applications are 

selected, producers may enter into a 

contract or cost-share agreement with 

NRCS. 

Participants may enter into multiple 

program contracts through CCPI if more 

than one program is needed to 

accomplish the project objectives. 

During fiscal year (FY) 2011, an 

objective of CCPI is to deliver EQIP, 

CSP, and WHIP assistance to producers 

to achieve high-priority conservation 

objectives in geographic areas defined 

by the partner. Depending upon the 

program available in the project area, 

the assistance provided enables eligible 

producers to implement conservation 

practices and enhancements, including 

the development and adoption of 

innovative conservation practices and 

management approaches. 

Availability of Funding 

Effective on the publication date of 

this notice, NRCS announces the 

availability of up to $16 million in EQIP 

and $1.8 million in WHIP financial 

assistance; and 229 thousand acres in 

CSP for CCPI during FY 2011 for 

competition. 

Proposal Information 

Proposal Format 

It is highly recommended that the 

proposal be written using the proposal 

template format, including budget and 

schedule templates, to ensure that all 

required components are addressed. 

Consult the NRCS national CCPI Web 

site for an example of an acceptable 

CCPI proposal document at: http:// 

www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/CCPI/. Do 

not submit other documents not 

requested or letters of endorsement. 

Required Information 

The proposal must include the 

following: 

1. Proposal Cover Sheet and 

Summary: 

a. Project Title. 

b. Project director/manager name, 

telephone number, and mailing and email addresses. 

c. Name and contact information for 

lead partner entity submitting proposal 

and other collaborating partners. 

d. Short summary of project 

including: 

i. Project start and end dates (not to 

exceed a period of 5 years); 

ii. Location of project; 

iii. Project objectives and resource 

concerns to be addressed; and 

iv. Amount of CCPI financial 

assistance being requested by program. 

2. Partner Background and 

Experience: 

a. A description of the partner or 

partners’ history of working with 

agricultural producers to address 

conservation priorities. 

b. A description of how the partner(s) 

will collaborate to achieve the objectives 

of the agreement. Include: 

i. The roles, responsibilities, and 

capabilities of the partner(s); and 

ii. The financial or technical 

commitments of each of the partners 

and how they will be leveraged by the 

Federal contribution through EQIP, 

WHIP, or CSP. If partners who do not 

submit this proposal intend to commit 

resources, a letter or other 

documentation from these partners 

confirming a commitment of resources 

is required. Partners need to clearly 

state, by project objective, how they 

intend to leverage Federal funds along 

with partner resources. The funding and 

time contribution by agricultural 

producers to implement agreed-to 

conservation practices in program 

contracts may not be considered any 

part of a match from the potential 

partner for purposes of CCPI. 

3. Project Objectives and Natural 

Resource Concerns: 

a. Identify and provide detail about 

the project objectives. Objectives should 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 239 / Tuesday, December 14, 2010 / Notices 77825 

be specific, measureable, achievable, 

and results-oriented. 

i. Identify and provide details about 

the natural resource concern(s) to be 

addressed in this project. Include in this 

description how the proposal objectives 

will address the listed resource 

concerns. 

Note: A complete list of NRCS approved 

natural resource concerns may be found on 

the CCPI Web site at: http:// 

www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/ccpi/. 

4. Project Description: 

a. A detailed description of the 

geographic area covered by the proposal 

including: 

i. Types of lands to be treated; and 

ii. The location and size of the 

proposed project area. 

b. A detailed map showing the project 

area. Include on the map: 

i. Outlined areas which need 

conservation treatments; 

ii. What conservation treatments are 

needed in what areas; and 

iii. The order of priority for the 

different areas to be treated. 

c. A description of the project 

timeline. Include: 

i. Duration of the project, not to 

exceed 5 years in length; 

ii. Project implementation schedule 

that details when different objectives 

and conservation practices will be 

completed; 

iii. When partner and Federal 

resources will be used within the 

timeframe of the project. Include the 

total amount of financial assistance 

funds requested for each fiscal year of 

the project to be made available for 

producer contracts and cost-share 

agreements (for multi-State projects, 

provide the funds or acres by State as 

appropriate). The proposal must request 

NRCS program funds for obligation in 

producer contracts during FY 2011 

(October 1, 2010 to September 30, 2011). 

Proposals which request funding 

starting after FY 2011 (September 30, 

2011) will not be evaluated or 

considered during this funding cycle; 

and 

iv. When the final project report will 

be submitted. 

d. A description of the plan for 

monitoring, evaluating, and reporting on 

progress made toward achieving the 

objectives of the agreement. 

e. Identify potential criteria to be used 

by NRCS to prioritize and rank 

agricultural producers’ applications for 

EQIP, CSP, and WHIP in the project 

area. Potential partners should 

collaborate with NRCS to develop 

meaningful criteria that NRCS can use 

to evaluate and rank producers’ program 

applications. This will ensure that 

applications which will best accomplish 

the project’s objectives will be selected. 

f. An estimate of the percentage of 

producers, including nonindustrial 

private forest landowners, in the project 

area that may participate in the project 

along with an estimate of the total 

number of producers located in the 

project area. Provide details such as 

how the partner will encourage 

producer participation; whether the 

project includes any tribal producers, 

beginning farmers or ranchers, socially 

disadvantaged farmers or ranchers, or 

limited resource farmers or ranchers; 

and whether there are groups of 

producers who may submit joint 

applications to address resource issues 

of common interest and need. 

g. A listing and description of the 

conservation practices, conservation 

activity plans, enhancements, and 

partner activities to be implemented 

during the project timeframe and the 

general sequence of implementation of 

the project. Also address technical 

assistance efforts that will be made by 

the partner. Describe any activities that 

are innovative or include outcomebased performance measures 

implemented by the partner. 

Information about approved NRCS 

practices is found in the Field Office 

Technical Guide at: http:// 

www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/efotg/. 

Information on eligible enhancements 

can be found at the CSP Web site at: 

http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/

new_csp/csp.html. For each 

conservation practice, estimate the 

amount of practice extent (feet, acres, 

number, etc.) the partner expects 

producers to implement and the amount 

of financial assistance requested to 

support implementation of each practice 

through producer contracts. 

h. Indicate whether the project will 

address regulatory compliance and any 

other outcomes the partner expects to 

complete during the project period. 

i. A detailed description of any 

requested policy adjustments, by 

program, with an explanation of why 

the adjustment is needed in order to 

achieve the objectives of the project. 

j. A description of how the partner 

will provide for outreach to beginning 

farmers or ranchers, limited resource 

farmers or ranchers, socially 

disadvantaged farmers or ranchers, and 

Indian tribes. 

k. A description of how the proposal’s 

objectives may provide additional 

benefits to address renewable energy 

production, energy conservation, 

mitigating the effects of climate change, 

facilitating climate change adaptation, 

or fostering carbon sequestration, if 

applicable. 

Evaluation Criteria 

The agency will evaluate proposals 

using a national competitive process. A 

higher priority may be given to 

proposals that: 

1. Have a high percentage of 

producers actively farming or managing 

working agricultural or nonindustrial 

private forest lands included in the 

proposed project area; 

2. Significantly leverage non-Federal 

financial and technical resources and 

coordinate with other local, State, or 

Federal efforts; 

3. Deliver high percentages of applied 

conservation practices to address water 

quality, water conservation, or State, 

regional, or national conservation 

initiatives; 

4. Provide innovation in approved 

conservation practices, conservation 

methods, and delivery including 

outcome-based performance measures 

and methods; 

5. Complete the application of the 

conservation practices and activities on 

all of the covered program contracts or 

cost-share agreements in 5 years or less; 

6. Assist the participants in meeting 

local, State, and Federal regulatory 

requirements; 

7. Provide for monitoring and 

evaluation of conservation practices, 

enhancements, and activities; 

8. Provide for matching financial 

funds or technical assistance to assist 

participants with the implementation of 

their EQIP and CSP contracts and WHIP 

cost-share agreements; 

9. Further the Nation’s efforts with 

renewable energy production, energy 

conservation, mitigating the effects of 

climate change, facilitating climate 

change adaptation, or fostering carbon 

sequestration; 

10. Provide for outreach to, and 

participation of, beginning farmers or 

ranchers, socially disadvantaged farmers 

or ranchers, limited resource farmers or 

ranchers, and Indian tribes within the 

proposed project area; and 

11. Identify other factors and criteria 

which best achieve the purposes of 

CCPI. 

Part C—General AWEP and CCPI 

Proposal Information 

State Conservationist Letter of Review 

Once a project proposal is received, 

the agency will provide a copy to the 

appropriate State Conservationist(s) for 

evaluation and ranking. If the project is 

multi-State in scope, the proposal will 

be evaluated at the national level, and 

the State Conservationist(s) will submit 

a letter of review to address: 

1. Potential duplication of efforts with 

other projects or existing programs; 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
77826 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 239 / Tuesday, December 14, 2010 / Notices 

2. Adherence to, and consistency 

with, program regulation including 

requirements related to land and 

producer eligibility and use of approved 

NRCS resource concerns and 

conservation practices, enhancements, 

and other program requirements; 

3. Expected benefits for project 

implementation in their State(s); 

4. Other issues or concerns the State 

Conservationist is aware of that should 

be considered by the agency; and 

5. A general recommendation for 

support or denial of project approval. 

Proposal Submission, Review, and 

Notification 

Potential partners are highly 

encouraged to submit proposals, using 

the approved proposal template, to the 

e-mail address or Post Office Box 

provided in the ‘‘ADDRESSES’’ section of 

this notice. The proposal must address, 

in sufficient detail, all the criteria 

outlined in the ‘‘Proposal Information’’ 

section of this notice to allow agency 

reviewers to understand the partner’s 

priority resource concerns, objectives, 

and expected outcomes. 

State Conservationists are expected to 

provide, once requested, guidance to 

potential partners regarding resource 

concerns that may be addressed in the 

proposed project area, local working 

group and State Technical Committee 

natural resource priorities, approved 

conservation practices and activities, 

and other program requirements the 

partner should consider when 

developing a proposal. NRCS may not 

assist in writing or submission of any 

proposal. 

AWEP and CCPI proposals submitted 

to NRCS become the property of the 

agency for use in the administration of 

the program, may be filed or disposed 

of by the agency, and will not be 

returned to the potential partner. Once 

proposals have been submitted for 

review and ranking, there will be no 

further opportunity to change or resubmit the proposal. Incomplete 

proposals or those that do not meet the 

requirements set forth in this notice will 

not be considered, and notification of 

elimination will be mailed to the 

applicant. Partner proposals may be 

withdrawn by written notice to the 

Director, Financial Assistance Programs 

Division at any time prior to selection 

(see ‘‘ADDRESSES’’ section in this notice). 

NRCS will review and evaluate the 

proposals based on the criteria set forth 

in the respective ‘‘Proposal Information’’ 

sections of this notice for both AWEP 

and CCPI. Positive consideration will be 

given to proposals that thoroughly 

address the issues outlined in the 

respective ‘‘Evaluation Criteria’’ sections 

of this notice for AWEP and CCPI. 

Partners whose proposals have been 

selected will receive a letter of official 

notification. Upon notification of 

selection, the partner should contact the 

appropriate State Conservationist to 

develop the required partnership 

agreement and other project 

implementation requirements. Potential 

partners should note that, depending 

upon available funding and agency 

priorities, NRCS may offer a reduced 

amount of program financial assistance 

from what was requested in the 

proposal. Partner submissions of 

proposals that were not selected will 

also be notified. 

Waiver Authority 

To assist in the implementation of 

AWEP projects, the NRCS Chief may 

waive the applicability of the Adjusted 

Gross Income Limitation in producer 

program contracts, on a case-by-case 

basis in accordance with 7 CFR 

1400.500(d)(2). Such waiver requests 

must be submitted in writing from the 

program applicant, addressed to the 

Chief, and submitted through the local 

designated conservationist. 

Signed this 7th day of December, 2010, in 

Washington, DC. 

Dave White, 

Vice President, Commodity Credit 

Corporation and Chief, Natural Resources 

Conservation Service. 

[FR Doc. 2010–31279 Filed 12–13–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–16–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

White River National Forest; Eagle 

County, CO; Beaver Creek Mountain 

Improvements 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an 

environmental impact statement. 

SUMMARY: The White River National 

Forest is preparing an Environmental 

Impact Statement (EIS) to consider and 

disclose the anticipated environmental 

effects of implementing projects from 

Beaver Creek Resort’s 2010 Master 

Development Plan (MIDP). These 

projects are designed to enhance and 

sustain Beaver Creek’s ability to provide 

a world class venue for Alpine ski 

events—a key goal of the MDP. 

DATES: Comments concerning the scope 

of the analysis must be received by 

January 28, 2011. The draft 

environmental impact statement is 

expected to be available for public 

review in August 2011 and the final 

environmental impact statement is 

expected in the winter of 2011. 

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to: 

Scott Fitzwilliams, Forest Supervisor, 

c/o Don Dressier, Winter Sports 

Administrator, White River National 

Forest, PO Box 190, Minturn, CO 81645; 

FAX (970) 945–9343 or by e-mail to: 

wrnf_scoping_comments@fs.fed.us. 

Include ‘‘Beaver Creek Mountain 

Improvements’’ in the subject line. The 

scoping notice and map can be 

reviewed/downloaded at: http:// 

www.fs.usda.gov/whiteriver under 

‘‘Land & Resources Management’’ and 

‘‘Projects.’’ 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Additional information related to the 

proposed project can be obtained from: 

Don Dressier, Winter Sports 

Administrator, Eagle/Holy Cross Ranger 

District, 24747 U.S. Highway 24, PO 

Box 190, Minturn, Colorado 81645. Mr. 

Dressier can be reached by phone at 

(970) 827–5157 or by e-mail at 

drdressler@fs.fed.us. Individuals who 

use telecommunication devices for the 

deaf (TDD) may call the Federal 

Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1– 

800–877–8339 between 8 a.m. and 8 

p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through 

Friday. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Purpose and Need for Action: The 

project primarily focuses on the actions 

necessary for Beaver Creek to host 

Alpine ski racing events. However, 

some elements of the Proposed Action 

are also designed to enable the resort to 

respond to on-going infrastructural and 

guest service needs that are not 

specifically related to Alpine ski racing. 

These projects were identified in Beaver 

Creek’s MDP, and are proposed to 

address the following resort goals and 

objectives: 

—Update mountain facilities and 

infrastructure in order to provide the 

highest quality guest experience 

possible; 

—Update mountain facilities and 

infrastructure related to ski racing to 

continue to provide world class 

venues for Alpine events; and 

—Update guest services across the resort 

to respond to the needs and demands 

of Beaver Creek’s market. 

Beaver Creek has earned the 

opportunity to host the upcoming 2015 

World Alpine Championships. In order 

for Beaver Creek to continue to host 

international Alpine race events 

(including, but not limited to the 2015 

World Alpine Championships) and 

provide the highest quality experience 

for the large number of attendees and 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES