52736 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 197 / Wednesday, October 14, 2009 / Notices 

validity of the methodology and 

assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance 

the quality, utility, and clarity of the 

information to be collected; and (d) 

ways to minimize the burden of the 

information collection on those who are 

to respond, including through the use of 

appropriate automated, electronic, 

mechanical, or other technological 

collection techniques or other forms of 

information technology. 

Done at Washington, DC, this 6th day of 

October 2009. 

Rajiv J. Shah, 

Chief Scientist, USDA, Under Secretary for 

REE. 

[FR Doc. E9–24677 Filed 10–13–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Food and Nutrition Service 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities: Proposed Collection: 

Comment Request: Supplemental 

Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) 

Education and Administrative 

Reporting System (EARS) 

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service, 

USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 

notice invites the general public and 

other public agencies to comment on a 

proposed information collection. The 

proposed collection is an extension, 

without change, of a currently approved 

collection. 

The purpose of the Education and 

Administrative Reporting System 

(EARS) form is to collect uniform and 

standard information on nutrition 

education activities (SNAP–Ed) funded 

by SNAP. The data collected will inform 

management decisions, support policy 

initiatives, and provide documentation 

for legislative, budget and other requests 

that support planning within the 

agency. 

DATES: Written comments must be 

submitted on or before December 14, 

2009. 

ADDRESSES: Comments are invited on: 

(a) Whether the proposed collection of 

information is necessary for the proper 

performance of the functions of the 

agency, including whether the 

information has practical utility; (b) the 

accuracy of the agency’s estimate of the 

burden of the proposed collection of 

information, including the validity of 

the methodology and assumptions that 

were used; (c) ways to enhance the 

quality, utility, and clarity of the 

information to be collected; and (d) 

ways to minimize the burden of the 

collection of information on those who 

are to respond, including through the 

use of appropriate automated, 

electronic, mechanical, or other 

technological collection techniques or 

other forms of information technology. 

Comments may be sent to Jane 

Duffield, Chief, State Administration 

Branch, Program Accountability and 

Administration Division, Supplemental 

Nutrition Assistance Program, U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, Food and 

Nutrition Service, 3101 Park Center 

Drive, Room 818, Alexandria, VA 

22302. Comments may also be 

submitted via fax to the attention of Jane 

Duffield at 703–605–0795, Room 824 or 

via e-mail to jane.duffield@fns.usda.gov. 

Comments will also be accepted through 

the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov and follow 

the online instructions for submitting 

comments electronically. 

All written comments will be open for 

public inspection at the office of the 

Food and Nutrition Service during 

regular business hours (8:30 a.m. to 5 

p.m. Monday through Friday) at 3101 

Park Center Drive, Room 824 

Alexandria, Virginia 22302. 

All responses to this notice will be 

summarized and included in the request 

for the Office of Management and 

Budget (OMB) approval. 

All comments will also be a matter of 

public record. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Requests for additional information or 

copies of the proposed information 

collection form and instructions should 

be directed to Jane Duffield at (703) 

605–4385. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Education and Administrative 

Reporting System. 

OMB Number: 0584–0542. 

Form Number: FNS–759. 

Expiration Date: 08/31/2010. 

Type of Request: Extension, without 

change, of a currently approved 

collection. 

Abstract: The Food and Nutrition 

Service (FNS) developed the Education 

and Administrative Reporting System 

(EARS) for the nutrition education 

(SNAP–Ed) component of the 

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance 

Program (SNAP), which is provided for 

in Section 11 of the Food and Nutrition 

Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2020 (f)(3)(B)(ii)). 

In 2003, the Agency convened a 

workgroup of diverse stakeholders to 

assist with this task, including people 

from the State, local, and federal levels, 

as well as academia. 

The EARS form was approved by the 

Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) in Fiscal Year (FY) 2007. The 

first phase of EARS implementation, 

launched in FY 2008, required SNAP 

State agencies to report on financial 

questions #9 and #10 on the EARS form. 

Full implementation of all applicable 

EARS questions is required of SNAP 

State agencies by FY 2010. 

EARS provides uniform data and 

information about the nutrition 

education activities of all participating 

States across the country. Data collected 

on the EARS form includes 

demographic characteristics of 

participants receiving nutrition 

education benefits, information about 

education topics and strategies, and use 

of resources. The EARS form is designed 

as an annual report that SNAP State 

agencies submit using the Food and 

Nutrition Service (FNS) web-based Food 

Program Reporting System (FPRS). 

FPRS is available to SNAP State 

agencies between October 15 and 

December 30 of each year for the 

submission of EARS data for the prior 

FY’s nutrition education activities. 

Affected Public: Supplemental 

Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) 

State Agencies, and implementing 

partners such as extension universities 

and non-profit organizations and local 

program operators. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

52. 

Number of Responses per 

Respondent: 1. 

Estimated Total Annual Responses: 

52. 

Hours per Response: 54. 

Total Annual Reporting Hours: 2,808. 

Total Annual Burden Hours: 2,808. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 52 

SNAP State agencies. 

Dated: October 5, 2009. 

Julia Paradis, 

Administrator. 

[FR Doc. E9–24678 Filed 10–13–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Business-Cooperative Service 

Inviting Applications for the Rural 

Economic Development Loan and 

Grant Program for Fiscal Year 2010 

AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative 

Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: This Notice is to invite 

applications for loans and grants under 

the Rural Economic Development Loan 

and Grant (REDLG) program pursuant to 

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Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 197 / Wednesday, October 14, 2009 / Notices 52737 

7 CFR part 4280, subpart A for fiscal 

year (FY) 2010 subject to the availability 

of funding. The commitment of program 

dollars will be made to applicants of 

selected responses that have fulfilled 

the necessary requirements for 

obligation. Expenses incurred in 

developing applications will be at the 

applicant’s risk. Historically, Congress 

has appropriated funding for these 

programs. This Notice is being issued 

prior to passage of a FY 2010 

Appropriations Act, which may or may 

not provide an appropriation for these 

programs, to allow applicants sufficient 

time to leverage financing, submit 

applications, and give the Agency time 

to process applications within the 2010 

fiscal year. A subsequent notice 

identifying the amount received in the 

appropriations will be published, if any. 

DATES: The deadline for receipt of 

applications in the USDA Rural 

Development State Office is: First 

Quarter, September 30, 2009; Second 

Quarter, December 31, 2009; Third 

Quarter, March 31, 2010; and Fourth 

Quarter, June 30, 2010. 

ADDRESSES: Submit applications in 

paper format to the USDA Rural 

Development State Office in the state 

where your project is located. A list of 

the USDA Rural Development State 

Offices addresses and telephone 

numbers are as follows: 

District of Columbia 

USDA Rural Development, Specialty 

Lenders Division, 1400 Independence 

Avenue, SW., STOP 3225, Room 

6867, Washington, DC 20250–3225, 

(202) 720–1400. 

Alabama 

USDA Rural Development State Office, 

Sterling Centre, Suite 601, 4121 

Carmichael Road, Montgomery, AL 

36106–3683, (334) 279–3400/TDD 

(334) 279–3495. 

Alaska 

USDA Rural Development State Office, 

800 West Evergreen, Suite 201, 

Palmer, AK 99645–6539, (907) 761– 

7705/TDD (907) 761–8905. 

Arizona 

USDA Rural Development State Office, 

230 N. 1st First Ave., Suite 206, 

Phoenix, AZ 85003, (602) 280–8701/ 

TDD (602) 280–8705. 

Arkansas 

USDA Rural Development State Office, 

700 West Capitol Avenue, Room 3416, 

Little Rock, AR 72201–3225, (501) 

301–3200/TDD (501) 301–3279. 

California 

USDA Rural Development State Office, 

430 G Street, # 4169, Davis, CA 

95616–4169, (530) 792–5800/TDD 

(530) 792–5848. 

Colorado 

USDA Rural Development State Office, 

655 Parfet Street, Room E100, 

Lakewood, CO 80215, (720) 544– 

2903/TDD (720) 544–2976. 

Delaware-Maryland 

USDA Rural Development State Office, 

1221 College Park Drive, Suite 200, 

Dover, DE 19904, (302) 857–3580/ 

TDD (302) 857–3585. 

Florida/Virgin Islands 

USDA Rural Development State Office, 

4440 NW 25th Place, P.O. Box 

147010, Gainesville, FL 32614–7010, 

(352) 338–3400/TDD (352) 338–3499. 

Georgia 

USDA Rural Development State Office, 

Stephens Federal Building, 355 E. 

Hancock Avenue, Athens, GA 30601– 

2768, (706) 546–2162/TDD (706) 546– 

2034. 

Hawaii 

USDA Rural Development State Office, 

Federal Building, Room 311, 154 

Waianuenue Avenue, Hilo, HI 96720, 

(808) 933–8380/TDD (808) 933–8321. 

Idaho 

USDA Rural Development State Office, 

9173 West Barnes Dr., Suite A1, 

Boise, ID 83709, (208) 378–5600/TDD 

(208) 378–5644. 

Illinois 

USDA Rural Development State Office, 

2118 W. Park Court, Suite A, 

Champaign, IL 61821, (217) 403– 

6200/TDD (217) 403–6240. 

Indiana 

USDA Rural Development State Office, 

5975 Lakeside Boulevard, 

Indianapolis, IN 46278, (317) 290– 

3100/TDD (317) 290–3343. 

Iowa 

USDA Rural Development State Office, 

Federal Building, Room 873, 210 

Walnut Street, Des Moines, IA 50309, 

(515) 284–4663/TDD (515) 284–4858. 

Kansas 

USDA Rural Development State Office, 

1303 S.W. First American Place, Suite 

100, Topeka, KS 66604–4040, (785) 

271–2700/TDD (785) 271–2767. 

Kentucky 

USDA Rural Development State Office, 

771 Corporate Drive, Suite 200, 

Lexington, KY 40503, (859) 224–7300/ 

TDD (859) 224–7422. 

Louisiana 

USDA Rural Development State Office, 

3727 Government Street, Alexandria, 

LA 71302, (318) 473–7921/TDD (318) 

473–7655. 

Maine 

USDA Rural Development State Office, 

967 Illinois Avenue, Suite 4, P.O. Box 

405, Bangor, ME 04402–0405, (207) 

990–9160/TDD (207) 942–7331. 

Massachusetts/Rhode Island/ 

Connecticut 

USDA Rural Development State Office, 

451 West Street, Suite 2, Amherst, 

MA 01002–2999, (413) 253–4300/TDD 

(413) 253–4590. 

Michigan 

USDA Rural Development State Office, 

3001 Coolidge Road, Suite 200, East 

Lansing, MI 48823, (517) 324–5190/ 

TDD (517) 324–5169. 

Minnesota 

USDA Rural Development State Office, 

375 Jackson Street, Suite 410, St. Paul, 

MN 55101–1853, (651) 602–7800/TDD 

(651) 602–3799. 

Mississippi 

USDA Rural Development State Office, 

Federal Building, Suite 831, 100 W. 

Capitol Street, Jackson, MS 39269, 

(601) 965–4316/TDD (601) 965–5850. 

Missouri 

USDA Rural Development State Office, 

601 Business Loop 70 West, Parkade 

Center, Suite 235, Columbia, MO 

65203, (573) 876–0976/TDD (573) 

876–9480. 

Montana 

USDA Rural Development State Office, 

900 Technology Boulevard, Suite B, 

P.O. Box 850, Bozeman, MT 59771, 

(406) 585–2580/TDD (406) 585–2562. 

Nebraska 

USDA Rural Development State Office, 

Federal Building, Room 152, 100 

Centennial Mall North, Lincoln, NE 

68508, (402) 437–5551/TDD (402) 

437–5093. 

Nevada 

USDA Rural Development State Office, 

1390 South Curry Street, Carson City, 

NV 89703–5146, (775) 887–1222/TDD 

(775) 885–0633. 

New Jersey 

USDA Rural Development State Office, 

8000 Midlantic Drive, 5th Floor 

North, Suite 500, Mt. Laurel, NJ 

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52738 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 197 / Wednesday, October 14, 2009 / Notices 

08054, (856) 787–7700/TDD (856) 

787–7784. 

New Mexico 

USDA Rural Development State Office, 

6200 Jefferson Street, NE., Room 255, 

Albuquerque, NM 87109, (505) 761– 

4950/TDD (505) 761–4938. 

New York 

USDA Rural Development State Office, 

The Galleries of Syracuse, 441 South 

Salina Street, Suite 357, Syracuse, NY 

13202–2541, (315) 477–6400/TDD 

(315) 477–6447. 

North Carolina 

USDA Rural Development State Office, 

4405 Bland Road, Suite 260, Raleigh, 

NC 27609, (919) 873–2000/TDD (919) 

873–2003. 

North Dakota 

USDA Rural Development State Office, 

Federal Building, Room 208, 220 East 

Rosser, P.O. Box 1737, Bismarck, ND 

58502–1737, 

(701) 530–2037/TDD (701) 530–2113. 

Ohio 

USDA Rural Development State Office, 

Federal Building, Room 507, 200 

North High Street, Columbus, OH 

43215–2418, (614) 255–2400/TDD 

(614) 255–2554. 

Oklahoma 

USDA Rural Development State Office, 

100 USDA, Suite 108, Stillwater, OK 

74074–2654, (405) 742–1000/TDD 

(405) 742–1007. 

Oregon 

USDA Rural Development State Office, 

1201 NE. Lloyd Blvd., Suite 801, 

Portland, OR 97232, (503) 414–3300/ 

TDD (503) 414–3387. 

Pennsylvania 

USDA Rural Development State Office, 

One Credit Union Place, Suite 330, 

Harrisburg, PA 17110–2996, (717) 

237–2299/TDD (717) 237–2261. 

Puerto Rico 

USDA Rural Development State Office, 

IBM Building, Suite 601, 654 Munos 

Rivera Avenue, San Juan, PR 00918– 

6106, (787) 766–5095/TDD (787) 766– 

5332. 

South Carolina 

USDA Rural Development State Office, 

Strom Thurmond Federal Building, 

1835 Assembly Street, Room 1007, 

Columbia, SC 29201, (803) 765–5163/ 

TDD (803) 765–5697. 

South Dakota 

USDA Rural Development State Office, 

Federal Building, Room 210, 200 

Fourth Street, SW., Huron, SD 57350, 

(605) 352–1100/TDD (605) 352–1147. 

Tennessee 

USDA Rural Development State Office, 

3322 West End Avenue, Suite 300, 

Nashville, TN 37203–1084, (615) 783– 

1300. 

Texas 

USDA Rural Development State Office, 

Federal Building, Suite 102, 101 

South Main, Temple, TX 76501, (254) 

742–9700/TDD (254) 742–9712. 

Utah 

USDA Rural Development State Office, 

Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building, 

125 South State Street, Room 4311, 

Salt Lake City, UT 84138, (801) 524– 

4320/TDD (801) 524–3309. 

Vermont/New Hampshire 

USDA Rural Development State Office, 

City Center, 3rd Floor, 89 Main Street, 

Montpelier, VT 05602, (802) 828– 

6000/TDD (802) 223–6365. 

Virginia 

USDA Rural Development State Office, 

1606 Santa Rosa Road, Suite 238, 

Richmond, VA 23229–5014, (804) 

287–1550/TDD (804) 287–1753. 

Washington 

USDA Rural Development State Office, 

1835 Black Lake Boulevard SW., Suite 

B, Olympia, WA 98512–5715, (360) 

704–7740/TDD (360) 704–7760. 

West Virginia 

USDA Rural Development State Office, 

Federal Building, 75 High Street, 

Room 320, Morgantown, WV 26505– 

7500, (304) 284–4860/TDD (304) 284– 

4836. 

Wisconsin 

USDA Rural Development State Office, 

4949 Kirschling Court, Stevens Point, 

WI 54481, (715) 345–7600/TDD (715) 

345–7614. 

Wyoming 

USDA Rural Development State Office, 

100 East B, Federal Building, Room 

1005, P.O. Box 11005, Casper, WY 

82602–5006, (307) 233–6700/TDD 

(307) 233–6733. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The 

Rural Development State Office 

identified in this Notice where the 

project will be located. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Overview 

Federal Agency: Rural BusinessCooperative Service. 

Funding Opportunity Type: Rural 

Economic Development Loans and 

Grants. 

Announcement Type: Initial 

Announcement. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance Number: 10.854. 

Dates: Application Deadline: 

Completed applications must be 

received in the State Office as follows: 

First Quarter, September 30, 2009; 

Second Quarter, December 31, 2009; 

Third Quarter, March 31, 2010; and 

Fourth Quarter, June 30, 2010. 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

The Regulations for these programs 

are at 7 CFR part 4280, subpart A. The 

primary objective of the program is to 

promote rural economic development 

and job creation projects. Assistance 

provided to rural areas, as defined, 

under this program may include 

business startup costs, business 

expansion, business incubators, 

technical assistance feasibility studies, 

advanced telecommunications services 

and computer networks for medical, 

educational, and job training services 

and community facilities projects for 

economic development. Awards are 

made on a competitive basis using 

specific selection criteria contained in 7 

CFR part 4280, subpart A. Information 

required to be in the application 

includes an SF–424, ‘‘Application for 

Federal Assistance;’’ a Resolution of the 

Board of Directors; AD–1047, 

‘‘Debarment/Suspension Certification;’’ 

Assurance statement for the Uniform 

Act; Restrictions on Lobbying, AD 1049; 

‘‘Certification Regarding Drug-Free 

Workplace Requirements;’’ RD 400–1, 

‘‘Equal Opportunity Agreement;’’ RD 

400–4, ‘‘Assurance Agreement;’’ Seismic 

certification (if construction); Form RD 

1940–20, ‘‘Request for Environmental 

Information;’’ RUS Form 7, ‘‘Financial 

and Statistical Report;’’ and RUS Form 

7a, ‘‘Investments, Loan Guarantees, and 

Loans,’’ or similar information; and 

written narrative of project description. 

Applications will be tentatively scored 

by the State Offices and submitted to the 

National Office for review. 

Definitions 

The definitions are published at 7 

CFR 4280.3. 

II. Award Information 

Type of Awards: Loans and Grants. 

Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2010. 

Maximum Anticipated Award: 

Loans—$740,000; Grant—$300,000. 

mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with NOTICES

Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 197 / Wednesday, October 14, 2009 / Notices 52739 

Anticipated Award Dates: First 

Quarter, December 15, 2009; Second 

Quarter, March 16, 2010; Third Quarter, 

June 15, 2010; and Fourth Quarter, 

September 15, 2010. 

III. Eligibility Information 

A. Eligible Applicants 

Loans and grants may be made to any 

entity that is identified by USDA Rural 

Development as an eligible borrower 

under the Rural Electrification Act. In 

accordance with 7 CFR 4280.13, 

applicants that are not delinquent on 

any Federal debt or otherwise 

disqualified from participation in these 

programs are eligible to apply. An 

applicant must be eligible under 7 

U.S.C. 940c. 

B. Cost Sharing or Matching 

For loans, either the Ultimate 

Recipient or the Intermediary must 

provide supplemental funds for the 

project equal to at least 20 percent of the 

loan to the Intermediary. For grants, the 

Intermediary must provide 

supplemental funds for the project equal 

to at least 20 percent of the grant to the 

Intermediary. 

C. Other Eligibility Requirements 

Applications will only be accepted for 

projects that promote rural economic 

development and job creation. 

D. Completeness Eligibility 

Applications will not be considered 

for funding if they do not provide 

sufficient information to determine 

eligibility or are missing required 

elements. 

IV. Fiscal Year 2010 Application and 

Submission Information 

A. Address To Request Application 

Package 

For further information, entities 

wishing to apply for assistance should 

contact the Rural Development State 

Office identified in this NOFA to obtain 

copies of the application package. 

Applicants are encouraged to submit 

applications through the Grants.gov 

Web site at: http://www.grants.gov. 

Applications may be submitted in either 

electronic or paper format. Users of 

Grants.gov will be able to download a 

copy of the application package, 

complete it off line, and then upload 

and submit the application via the 

Grants.gov Web site. Applications may 

not be submitted by electronic mail. 

• When you enter the Grants.gov Web 

site, you will find information about 

submitting an application electronically 

through the site as well as the hours of 

operation. USDA Rural Development 

strongly recommends that you do not 

wait until the application deadline date 

to begin the application process through 

Grants.gov. To use Grants.gov, 

applicants must have a Dun and 

Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering 

System (DUNS) number which can be 

obtained at no cost via a toll-free request 

line at 1–866–705–5711 or at http:// 

www.dnb.com. 

• You may submit all documents 

electronically through the Web site, 

including all information typically 

included on the application for REDLGs 

and all necessary assurances and 

certifications. 

• After electronically submitting an 

application through the Web site, the 

applicant will receive an automatic 

acknowledgement from Grants.gov that 

contains a Grants.gov tracking number. 

• USDA Rural Development may 

request that the applicant provide 

original signatures on forms at a later 

date. 

• If applicants experience technical 

difficulties on the closing date and are 

unable to meet the deadline, you may 

submit a paper copy of your application 

to your respective Rural Development 

State Office. Paper applications 

submitted to a Rural Development State 

Office must meet the closing date and 

local time deadline. 

Please note that applicants must 

locate the downloadable application 

package for this program by the Catalog 

of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 

or FedGrants Funding Opportunity 

Number, which can be found at http:// 

www.grants.gov. 

B. Content and Form of Submission 

An application must contain all of the 

required elements. Each selection 

priority criterion outlined in 7 CFR 

4280.42(b), must be addressed in the 

application. Failure to address any of 

the criteria will result in a zero-point 

score for that criterion and will impact 

the overall evaluation of the application. 

Copies of 7 CFR part 4280, subpart A, 

will be provided to any interested 

applicant making a request to a Rural 

Development State Office listed in this 

notice. 

C. Submission Dates and Times 

Application Deadline Dates: First 

Quarter, September 30, 2009, Second 

Quarter, December 31, 2009, Third 

Quarter, March 31, 2010, and Fourth 

Quarter, June 30, 2010. 

Explanation of Deadlines: 

Applications must be in the Rural 

Development State Office by the 

deadline dates as indicated above. 

V. Application Review Information 

The National Office will score 

applications based on the grant 

selection criteria and weights contained 

in 7 CFR part 4280, subpart A, and will 

select an Intermediary subject to the 

Intermediary’s satisfactory submission 

of the additional items required by 7 

CFR part 4280, subpart A and the USDA 

Rural Development Letter of Conditions. 

VI. Award Administration Information 

A. Award Notices 

Successful applicants will receive 

notification for funding from the Rural 

Development State Office. Applicants 

must comply with all applicable statutes 

and regulations before the loan/grant 

award will be approved. Provided the 

application requirements have not 

changed, an application not selected 

will be reconsidered in three subsequent 

funding competitions for a total of four 

competitions. If an application is 

withdrawn, it can be resubmitted and 

will be evaluated as a new application. 

B. Administrative and National Policy 

Requirements 

Additional requirements that apply to 

Intermediary’s selected for this program 

can be found in 7 CFR 4280, subpart A. 

Applicable provisions of 7 CFR parts 

3015, 3019, and 3052 also apply. 

VII. Agency Contacts 

For general questions about this 

announcement, please contact your 

Rural Development State Office 

identified in this NOFA. 

VIII. Paperwork Reduction Act 

In accordance with the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995, the information 

collection requirement contained in this 

Notice is approved by the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) under 

OMB Control Number 0570–0024. 

Nondiscrimination Statement 

‘‘The U.S. Department of Agriculture 

(USDA) prohibits discrimination in all 

its programs and activities on the basis 

of race, color, national origin, age, 

disability, and where applicable, sex, 

marital status, familial status, parental 

status, religion, sexual orientation, 

genetic information, political beliefs, 

reprisal, or because all or part of an 

individual’s income is derived from any 

public assistance program. (Not all 

prohibited bases apply to all programs.) 

Persons with disabilities who require 

alternative means for communication of 

program information (Braille, large 

print, audiotape, etc.) should contact 

USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720– 

2600 (voice and TDD). 

mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with NOTICES

52740 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 197 / Wednesday, October 14, 2009 / Notices 

To file a complaint of discrimination, 

write to USDA, Director, Office of 

Adjudication and Compliance, 1400 

Independence Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC 20250–9410, or call 

(800) 795–3272 (voice), or (202) 720– 

6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal 

opportunity provider, employer, and 

lender.’’ 

Dated: September 23, 2009. 

Judith A. Canales, 

Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative 

Service. 

[FR Doc. E9–24612 Filed 10–13–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–XY–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Kings River Experimental Watershed 

Forest Health and Research Project 

AGENCY: Sierra National Forest, Forest 

Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an 

environmental impact statement. 

SUMMARY: The Forest Service will 

prepare a Kings River Experimental 

Watershed Forest Health and Research 

Project (KREW Project) Environmental 

Impact Statement (EIS). The EIS will 

evaluate the environmental effects of the 

KREW Project which is designed to treat 

portions of the Kings River watershed to 

improve forest health and to examine 

the short- and long-term effects of these 

treatments. The research will lead to 

information that will be instrumental in 

future land management planning for 

the Sierra National Forest (SNF) and 

other Sierra Nevada forests. 

DATES: Comments concerning the scope 

of the analysis must be received by 

November 13, 2009. The draft 

environmental impact statement is 

expected December 2009 and the final 

environmental impact statement is 

expected April 2010. 

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to 

Judi Tapia, SNF, Supervisor’s Office, 

1600 Tollhouse Road, Clovis, CA 93611, 

Attn: KREW Project. 

Comments may also be sent via e-mail 

to jetapia@fs.fed.us, or via facsimile to 

559–294 4809. 

It is important that reviewers provide 

their comments at such times and in 

such a way that they are useful to the 

Agency’s preparation of the EIS. We 

intend to use comments received from 

the public to help formulate our draft 

EIS so please provide any suggestions or 

concerns prior to the close of the 

comment period. 

Comments received in response to 

this solicitation, including names and 

addresses of those who comment, will 

be part of the public record for this 

proposed action. Comments submitted 

anonymously will be accepted and 

considered, however. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

research information, contact Carolyn 

Hunsaker, Ecologist, Pacific Southwest 

Research Station (PSW), available by 

phone at 559–323–3211 or via e-mail at 

chunsaker@fs.fed.us. For forest 

management information, contact Judi 

Tapia at 559–297–0706 extension 4938 

or via e-mail at: jetapia@fs.fed.us. 

Information regarding the KREW Project 

EIS can be found on the SNF Web site 

located at: http://www.fs.fed.us/ 

sierralprojects/. 

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: The Forest 

Service routinely conducts land 

management activities to help restore 

forests to a healthy, diverse, fireresilient condition by reducing stand 

densities and fuel loads. Such 

management activities involve thinning 

forests to reduce competition among 

trees for water, nutrients, and sunlight; 

to reduce the continuity of fuels; and to 

protect and/or reestablish a resilient, 

diverse forest ecosystem. 

PSW, in collaboration with the SNF, 

propose to complete a land management 

project to achieve forest health goals, 

part of which is the subject of research 

to assess the response of the ecosystem 

to these management practices. The 

forest management practices are 

designed for ecological restoration: for 

example, to reduce the effects of 

uncharacteristic wildfire, drought, 

invasive species and insect attack while 

providing habitat for wildlife species 

including sensitive species such as 

California spotted owl, Pacific fisher, 

and Yosemite toad. 

The proposed KREW Project 

activities, implemented under the SNF 

Land and Resources Management Plan 

(LRMP) as amended by the 2004 SNF 

LRMP Amendment, have two coupled 

components: Component 1, 

management treatments and Component 

2, research to examine ecosystem 

response to those treatments. The 

research has been underway since 2000 

to instrument the subject watersheds 

and measure baseline (pre-treatment) 

ecological response. Upon completion 

of the forest restoration treatments 

planned post-treatment data collection 

will be completed. 

The project area encompasses 3,051 

acres and has two separate parts: the 

KREW Providence Unit (1,899 acres) 

and the KREW Bull Unit (1,152 acres). 

The KREW Providence Unit is off of the 

Dinkey Creek Road, adjacent to the 

Providence Creek Road. The KREW Bull 

Unit is on Patterson Mountain adjacent 

to the Ross Crossing Road and includes 

part of the Teakettle Experimental 

Forest. 

Much is known about vegetative 

responses to thinning in terms of growth 

rates, resistance to insect attack, and 

resulting fire behavior in treated stands. 

Less is known about physical, 

biological, and chemical responses to 

moderate thinning of trees and 

application of prescribed fire at a 

watershed scale. The KREW Project 

research component is a replicated, 

paired-watershed research area for 

headwater streams in the southern 

Sierra Nevada. The KREW Project 

research addresses both basic and 

applied science questions regarding 

sustainable forests for current and future 

conditions. The KREW Project research 

component is a formal research project 

and has a scientist reviewed study plan 

that is periodically updated (http:// 

www.psw.fs.fed.us/snrc/water/ 

kingsriver). The Forest Service already 

collects data at eight instrumented 

watersheds on the following topics to 

meet KREW Project research goals: 

• Hydrology. 

• Meteorology. 

• Air quality. 

• Sediment & turbidity. 

• Soils & geomorphology. 

• Water chemistry. 

• Biology. 

—Stream macroinvertebrates. 

—Algae. 

—Riparian & upland vegetation & fuels. 

—Yosemite toad. 

In June of 2009, the Sierra Nevada 

Alliance highlighted the need to 

monitor, protect and restore Sierra 

Nevada headwater resources. The 

KREW Project is uniquely positioned to 

allow researchers to collect data from an 

area where a particular management 

practice is applied along with 

corresponding data from a similar, but 

untreated area. By conducting various 

types of thinning and prescribed fire 

treatments and comparing data from 

paired areas, the proposed research 

project is intended to evaluate the 

watershed-scale effects of management 

activities designed to create a more 

sustainable forest in a financially viable 

way. 

Purpose and Need for Action 

The KREW Project has two goals: the 

SNF’s goal of forest health treatment for 

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