31880 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 98 / Friday, May 19, 2000 / Notices

components of the MOU, and an

opportunity for discussion.

The purpose of the proposed MOU is

to develop and maintain a system in the

United States that will (a) recognize

competent laboratory accreditation

bodies to accredit testing and calibration

laboratories when the services of such

laboratories are required to demonstrate

compliance with procurement and

regulatory requirements of government

at Federal, state or local levels, and to

meet the needs of the private sector; (b)

promote the use by government and the

private sector of such accreditation

bodies; and, (c) recognize competent

laboratory accreditation bodies to carry

out designated activities under

government-to-government agreements

on the mutual recognition of conformity

assessment activities in support of

NIST’s role as a designating authority

under those agreements.

The proposed MOU with NACLA will

support a key goal of the National

Technology Transfer and Advancement

Act of 1995 (NTTAA) by reducing

redundancy and complexity in the

development and promulgation of

conformity assessment requirements

and measures by government at all

levels. The draft MOU will be posted on

the NIST website at http://

www.ts.nist.gov by June 1st. Copies of

the draft MOU may also be requested

from NIST. Interested parties are invited

to submit comments to NIST a any time

before the workshop. There is no charge

to attend the workshop.

DATES: The workshop will be held on

June 23, 2000, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The workshop will be held

at The National Institute Standards and

Technology, Administration Building,

Lecture Room A, 100 Bureau Drive,

Gaithersburg, MD 20899. Comments on

the proposed MOU should be sent to the

attention of ‘‘NACLA Comments’’ at the

Office of the Director, Technology

Services, National Institute of Standards

and Technology, Mail Stop 2000,

Gaithersburg, MD 20899–2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For

further information, you may telephone

301–975–2396 or e-mail:

mary.saunders@nist.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

National Technology Transfer and

Advancement Act of 1995 (PL 104–113,

1996) directs NIST to coordinate

Federal, state and local conformity

assessment activities with the private

sector with the goal of eliminating

unnecessary duplication and

complexity in the development and

promulgation of conformity assessment

requirements and measures. NIST

focused on coordination of laboratory

accreditation as a key element of

conformity assessment in the

Implementation Plan it provided to

Congress. NIST believes that a proposed

MOU with NACLA supports an

important goal of the NTTAA, to reduce

redundancy and complexity in the

development and promulgation of

conformity assessment requirements

and measures by government at all

levels. The MOU will also improve

coordination and communication

between and within the private and

public sectors on conformity assessment

requirements and practices.

The purpose of the MOU will be to

develop and maintain a system in the

United States that will (a) recognize

competent laboratory accreditation

bodies to accredit testing calibration

laboratories when the services of such

laboratories are required to demonstrate

compliance with procurement and

regulatory requirements of government

at Federal, state or local levels; (b)

promote the use by government and the

private sector of such accreditation

bodies; and, (c) recognize competent

laboratory accreditation bodies to carry

out designated activities under

government-to-government agreements

on the mutual recognition of conformity

assessment activities in support of

NIST’s role as a designating authority

under those agreements.

A brief presentation on the MOU will

be made at the workshop. After the

presentation there will be an

opportunity for public discussion.

Written comments may be submitted to

NIST at any time prior to the workshop.

There is no attendance fee.

Raymond G. Kammer,

Director.

[FR Doc. 00–12636 Filed 5–18–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–13–M

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[Docket No. 000404094–0094–01]

RIN 0648–ZA84

Improved Methods for Ballast Water

Treatment and Management and

Prevention of Small Boat Transport of

Invasive Species: Request for

Proposals for FY 2000

AGENCIES: National Sea Grant College

Program, National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration,

Department of Commerce and Fish and

Wildlife Service, Department of the

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of request for proposals.

SUMMARY: The purpose of this notice is

to advise the public that the National

Sea Grant College Program (Sea Grant)

and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

(Service) are entertaining proposals to

participate in innovative research,

outreach, and demonstration projects

that address the problems of aquatic

invasive species in U.S. waters. In FY

2000 only, Sea Grant expects to make

available about $700,000, and the

Service $300,000, to support projects to

improve ballast water treatment and

management in the Chesapeake Bay and

the Great Lakes in particular (Sea

Grant), and in U.S. coastal and Great

Lakes waters in general (Service). Also

in FY 2000 only, Sea Grant expects to

make available about $40,000 to support

projects to reduce the transport of

invasive species by small boats in the

Lake Champlain Basin.

DATES: Proposals must be submitted

before 5 p.m. EST on June 19, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Proposals must be

submitted to the National Sea Grant

Office at: National Sea Grant College

Program, R/SG, Attn: Invasive Species

Competition, Room 11841, NOAA, 1315

East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD

20910.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Leon M. Cammen, Invasive Species

Coordinator, National Seat Grant

College Program, R/SG, NOAA, 1315

East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD

20910, or Mary Robinson, Secretary,

National Sea Grant Office, 301–713–

2435; facsimile 301–713–0799; or

Sharon Gross, U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service, 703–358–1718; facsimile 703–

358–2044.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. Program Authority

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 4701 et seq.; 33 U.S.C.

1121–1131.

Catalog of Federal Assistance Number:

11.417, Sea Grant Support; 15.FFA, Fish and

Wildlife Management Assistance.

II. Program Description

Background

Nonindigenous species introductions

are increasing in frequency and causing

substantial damage to the Nation’s

environment and economy. Although

the most prominent of these

introductions in the aquatic

environment has been the zebra mussel,

many other nonindigenous species have

been introduced and have truly become

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 98 / Friday, May 19, 2000 / Notices 31881

a nationwide problem that threatens

many aquatic ecosystems. While some

intentional introductions may have been

beneficial effects, many other

nonindigenous species already present

in U.S. waters, or with the potential to

invade, may cause significant damage to

coastal resources and the economies

that depend upon them. In response, the

Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance

Prevention and Control Act of 1990 (16

U.S.C. 4701 et seq.) and the National

Invasive Species Act of 1996 (16 U.S.C.

4711–4714) established a framework for

the Nation to address the problems of

aquatic nuisance species invasions of

coastal and Great Lakes ecosytems.

In addition, the Acts recognized the

serious threat posed by ballast water

discharge in causing new invasions and

called for ballast water management

demonstration programs. A 1996

National Research Council study of the

ballast water problem, ‘‘Stemming the

Tide,’’ concluded that with the growth

of global shipping, and the changes

modern shipping practices,

introductions of nonindigenous species

through ballast water discharge were

likely to remain a serious problem. The

study called for the development of

improved technology for the

management of ballast water to

eliminate this threat to the Nation’s

ecosystems. A demonstration project

testing filtration of ballast water as a

method of reducing introductions has

been carried out in the Great Lakes, but

the possibility that there will be a single

solution that is acceptable for all modes

of shipping operations and classes of

vessels is unlikely.

In addition, vessels that declare No

Ballast On Board (NOBOB) may still

pose a potential risk for introducing

nonindigenous species by reballasting

into tanks containing residual ballast

(including sediments) and subsequently

discharging this mixture into the

receiving waters. Although the concern

has been most strongly expressed with

respect to the Great Lakes, residual

water and sediment also represent a

potential problem in other regions of the

country.

In addition to the potential for

introductions of nonindigenous species

from large ships, small recreational

boats are a major vector of movement of

some invasive species. For example,

recreational boating has been identified

as a major cause of the movement of

zebra mussels from larger bodies of

water, such as the Great Lakes and Lake

Champlain, to smaller inland lakes.

Outreach and educational activities

targeting the recreational boating

community appear to be the most

effective means of addressing this

problem.

Funding Availability and Priorities

(1) Ballast Water Treatment and

Management

The National Sea Grant College

Program of the National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of

the Department of Commerce (DOC) and

the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of the

Department of the Interior (DOI)

encourage proposals that address one of

the following three program areas:

(a) Research to develop workable and

effective methods to eliminate

nonindigenous species introductions

from ballast water without imposing

undue hardships on the shipping

industry. Possible approaches include

(but are not limited to) development

and/or demonstration of ship-board or

on-shore technologies for treatment or

management of ballast water. Projects

that include on-vessel demonstrations of

feasibility will be given priority.

(b) Research and/or synthesis of

existing information and measurement

to develop a set of ballast water effluent

standards and/or test methods that can

be used to evaluate the effectiveness of

ballast water exchange and other

technologies or treatments that may be

developed, such that by meeting such a

standard, any ballast water pumped into

the environment would not pose an

unacceptable risk of introduction on

nonindigenous species to the receiving

waters.

(c) Research and/or synthesis of

information and measurements to

determine the risk of the introduction of

nonindigenous species to the receiving

waters from vessels carrying residual

ballast (also known as vessels declaring

No Ballast On Board, or NOBOB).

Research should include consideration

of vessels that have reballasted into

tanks containing residual ballast and

subsequently discharged this mixture

into the receiving waters. Studies that

examine the risk of introductions by

NOBOBs, through analyses of shipping

patterns and biological components,

would be useful in developing

preventative technology and practices.

An approach that compared NOBOB

patterns and risks of the Great Lakes and

Chesapeake Bay would be very useful,

as the Chesapeake could serve as a

model for other U.S. coastal port

systems.

The National Sea Grant College

Program will support only those ballast

water projects that clearly target ballast

water management issues in the

Chesapeake Bay and/or the Great Lakes,

but investigators located outside those

regions may participate if all

demonstrations are carried out in the

targeted regions. About $700,000 is

available from Sea Grant to support

these activities in FY 2000. The Federal

funding requested for individual

projects may not exceed $350,000;

matching funds may also be included,

but are not required. Proposals are

limited to one year of funding, but

activities may extend for up to two

years; an annual report showing

satisfactory progress must be submitted

at the end of the first year. Project

activities should include identified

milestones for each project year.

Regardless of any approved indirect cost

rate applicable to the award, the

maximum dollar amount of allocable

indirect costs for which the Department

of Commerce will reimburse the

recipient shall be the lesser of: (a) The

Federal share of the total allocable

indirect costs of the award based on the

negotiated rate with the cognizant

Federal agency as established by audit

or negotiation; or (b) the line item

amount for the Federal share of indirect

costs contained in the approved budget

of the award.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

will support projects that address ballast

water management issues anywhere in

coastal waters of the United States.

About $300,000 is available to support

these activities in FY 2000. The Federal

funding requested for individual

projects may not exceed $150,000;

matching funds may also be included,

but are not required. The indirect cost

rate may not exceed 15 percent of direct

costs. Proposals are limited to one year

of funding, but activities may extend for

up to two years; an annual report

showing satisfactory progress must be

submitted at the end of the first year.

Project activities should include

identified milestones for each project

year.

(2) Small Boat Transport of Zebra

Mussels and Other Aquatic Nuisance

Species From Lake Champlain

The National Sea Grant College

Program encourages proposals that

address the following program area:

(a) Outreach and education to prevent

the spread of aquatic nuisance species

from Lake Champlain to nearby waters.

Project activities should be consistent

with the Recreational Activities

Guidelines developed by the Aquatic

Nuisance Species Task Force [Federal

Register, April 13, 2000, Volume 65,

Number 72, Pages 19953–19957].

About $40,000 is available from Sea

Grant to support the ‘‘Small Boat

Transport’’ program area in FY 2000;

matching funds may also be included,

31882 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 98 / Friday, May 19, 2000 / Notices

but are not required. Proposals are

limited to one year of funding, but

activities may extend for up to two

years; an annual report showing

satisfactory progress must be submitted

at the end of the first year. Project

activities should include identified

milestones for each project year.

Regardless of any approved indirect cost

rate applicable to the award, the

maximum dollar amount of allocable

indirect costs for which the Department

of Commerce will reimburse the

recipient shall be the lesser of: (a) The

Federal share of the total allocable

indirect costs of the award based on the

negotiated rate with the cognizant

Federal agency as established by audit

or negotiation; or (b) the line item

amount for the Federal share of indirect

costs contained in the approved budget

of the award.

III. Eligibility

Any person may apply for funding in

response to this announcement.

Applications from non-Federal and

eligible Federal applicants will be

competed against each other. Proposals

selected for funding from non-Federal

applicants will be funded through a

project grant or cooperative agreement

under the terms of this notice. Federal

agencies will be funded through an

inter-agency transfer.

Please Note: A Federal applicant will be

considered eligible only if it can demonstrate

that it has legal authority to receive funds

from another federal agency in excess of its

appropriation. The Economy Act (31 U.S.C.

1535) will not be considered as legal

authority to transfer funds since awards

issued under this announcement will not

constitute a purchase of goods or services by

DOC or DOI.

IV. Evaluation Criteria

The evaluation criteria for proposals

submitted for support under this

announcement are as follows:

(1) Impact of Proposed Project (65%):

The effect this activity will have on

reducing the impact of invasive species

on the environment and/or the

economy, or the need for this activity as

a necessary step toward such a

reduction in impact; inclusion of fieldscale demonstration for projects

proposing to develop ballast water

treatment technologies or practices; and

the degree to which potential users of

the results of the proposed activity have

been involved in planning the activity

and will be involved in the execution of

the activity as appropriate.

(2) Scientific or Professional Merit

(35%): Degree to which the activity will

advance the state of the science or

discipline through synthesis of existing

information and use and extension of

cutting edge as well as state-of-the-art

methods; degree to which new

approaches to solving problems and

exploiting opportunities in resource

management or development, or in

public outreach on such issues will be

employed; degree to which investigators

are qualified by education, training and/

or experience to execute the proposed

activity; and record of achievement with

previous funding.

V. Selection Procedures

Proposals will be subjected to peer

review and ranked in accordance with

the assigned weights of the above

evaluation criteria by an independent

panel consisting of government,

academic, and industry experts. Panel

members will provide individual

evaluations on each proposal, but there

will be no consensus advice. Their

recommendations and evaluations will

be considered by the Federal Program

Officers for Sea Grant and the Service

who will: (a) Ascertain which proposals

best meet the program priorities, as

described in Section II under Funding

Availability and Priorities, giving

consideration to geographic distribution

and representation, maintaining a

balanced program of research, and not

substantially duplicating other projects

that are currently funded or are

approved for funding by NOAA, DOI,

and other State and Federal agencies

(hence, awards may not necessarily be

made to the highest-scored proposal);

(b) select the proposals to be funded; (c)

determine which components of the

selected projects will be funded; (d)

determine the total duration of funding

for each proposal; and (e) determine the

amount of funds available for each

proposal.

Investigators may be asked to modify

objectives, work plans, or budgets prior

to final approval of the award.

Subsequent grant administration

procedures will be in accordance with

current DOC or DOI grants procedures.

A summary statement of the scientific

review by the peer panel will be

provided to each applicant.

VI. Instructions for Application

Timetable

June 19, 2000, 5 p.m. EST—Full

proposals due at NSGO.

July 15, 2000 (approximate)—

Successful applicants notified.

October 1, 2000 (approximate)—

Funds awarded to successful applicants;

projects begin.

General Guidelines

The ideal proposal attacks a welldefined problem that will be or is a

significant societal issue. The

organization or people whose task it

will be to make related decisions, or

who will be able to make specific use

of the project’s results, will have been

identified and contacted by the

Principal Investigator(s). The project

will show an understanding of what

constitutes necessary and sufficient

information for responsible decisionmaking or for applied use, and will

show how that information will be

provided by the proposed activity, or in

concert with other planned activities.

Research projects are expected to

have: A rigorous, hypothesis-based

scientific work plan, or a well-defined,

logical approach to address an

engineering problem; a strong rationale

for the proposed research; and a clear

and established relationship with the

ultimate users of the information. Their

contribution to the research may be in

the form of collaboration, in-kind

services, or dollar support. Projects that

are solely monitoring efforts are not

appropriate for funding.

What To Submit

Each proposal must include the first

seven items listed below; the standard

forms included as Item 8 will be

required only for proposals selected for

funding. All pages should be single- or

double-spaced, typewritten in at least a

10-point font, printed on metric A4 (210

mm x 297 mm) or 8.5′′ x 11′′ paper.

Brevity will assist reviewers and

program staff in dealing effectively with

proposals. Therefore, the Project

Description may not exceed 15 pages.

Tables and visual materials, including

figures, charts, graphs, maps,

photographs, and other pictorial

presentations, are included in the 15-

page limitation for the Project

Description; letters of support, if any,

are not included in the 15-page

limitation. Conformance to the 15-page

limitation will be strictly enforced. All

information needed for review of the

proposal should be included in the

main text; no appendices, other than

support letters, if any, are permitted.

Failure to adhere to the above

limitations will result in the proposal

being rejected without review.

(1) Signed Title Page: The title page

should be signed by the Principal

Investigator and the institutional

representative. The Principal

Investigators and collaborators and the

institutional representative should be

identified by affiliation and contact

information. The total amount of

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 98 / Friday, May 19, 2000 / Notices 31883

Federal funds being requested should be

listed for each budget period; for

projects involving multiple institutions,

the total should include all subrecipient

budgets. (2) Project Summary: This

information is very important. Prior to

attending the peer review panel

meetings, some of the panelists may

read only the project summary.

Therefore, it is critical that the project

summary accurately describes the

research being proposed and conveys all

essential elements of the research.

Applicants are encouraged to use the

Sea Grant Project Summary Form 90–2,

but may use their own form as long as

it provides the following information: 1. Title: Use the exact title as it

appears in the rest of the application.

2. Investigators: List the names and

affiliations of each investigator who will

significantly contribute to the project.

Start with the Principal Investigator.

3. Funding: Funding request for each

year of the project, including matching

funds if appropriate.

4. Project Period: Start and

competition dates. Proposals should

request a start date of September 1,

2000, or later.

5. Project Summary: This should be a

brief statement of the rationale for the

project, the scientific or technical

objectives and/or hypotheses to be

tested, and a summary of work to be

completed.

(3) Project Description (15-Page Limit)

(a) Introduction/Background/

Justification: Subjects that the

investigator(s) may wish to include in

this section are: (i) current state of

knowledge; (ii) contributions that the

study will make to the particular

discipline or subject area; (iii)

contributions and impacts the study

will make toward reducing the problem

of aquatic invasive species; and (iv) as

appropriate, contributions of

investigator’s previously funded

research results to current proposal.

(b) Research or Technical Plan: (i)

Objectives to be achieved, hypotheses to

be tested; (ii) plan of work—discuss

how stated project objectives will be

achieved; and (iii) role of project

personnel.

(c) Output: Describe the project

outputs and impacts that will enhance

the Nations’s ability to reduce the

impacts of aquatic invasive species.

(d) Coordination with other Program

Elements: Describe any coordination

with other agency programs or ongoing

research efforts. Describe any other

proposals that are essential to the

success of this proposal.

(e) Vessel Selection (if appropriate):

Applications proposing on-board

demonstrations of ballast water

management should address the

requirements and priorities listed in the

National Invasive Species Act of 1996

(16 U.S.C. 4711–4714) for selecting

vessels for demonstration projects.

These requirements are available

through the Sea Grant web site

(www.mdsg.umd.edu/NSGO/research/

nonindigenous/RFPOO.html) or from

Dr. Leon Cammen at the National Sea

Grant Office (phone: 301–713–2435

x136 or e-mail:

leon.cammen@noaa.gov).

(4) Literature Cited

(5) Budget and Budget Justification:

There should be a separate budget for

each year of the project as well as a

cumulative annual budget for the entire

project. Applicants are encouraged to

use the Sea Grant Budget Form 90–4,

but may use their own form as long as

it provides the same information as the

Sea Grant form. Subcontracts should

have a separate budget page. Matching

funds must be indicated if provided.

Applicants should provide justification

for all budget items in sufficient detail

to enable the reviewers to evaluate the

appropriateness of the funding

requested. For those applications to be

supported by the Service, the indirect

cost rate may not exceed 15 percent of

direct costs. For those applications to be

supported by Sea Grant, regardless of

any approved indirect cost rate

applicable to the award, the maximum

dollar amount of allocable indirect costs

for which the Department of Commerce

will reimburse the Recipient shall be the

lesser of: (a) The Federal share of the

total allocable indirect costs of the

award based on the negotiated rate with

the cognizant Federal agency as

established by audit or negotiation; or

(b) the line item amount for the Federal

share of indirect costs contained in the

approved budget of the award.

(6) Current and Pending Support:

Applicants must provide information on

all current and pending support for

ongoing projects and proposals,

including subsequent funding in the

case of continuing grants. All current

project support from whatever source

(e.g., Federal, State, or local government

agencies, private foundations, industrial

or other commercial organizations) must

be listed. The proposed project and all

other projects or activities requiring a

portion of time of the Principal

Investigator and other senior personnel

must be included, even if they receive

no Federal salary support from the

project(s). The number of personmonths per year to be devoted to the

projects must be stated, regardless of

source of support. Similar information

must be provided for all proposals

already submitted or submitted

concurrently to other possible sponsors,

including those within the Departments

of Commerce and the Interior.

(7) Vitae (2 pages maximum per

investigator). (8) Standard Application Forms:

These forms will be required only for

those proposals selected for funding

following the review process.

Applicants may obtain all required

application forms through the Sea Grant

web site: (http://www.nsgo.seagrant.

org/research/rfp/index. html#3) or from

Dr. Leon M. Cammen at the National

Sea Grant Office (phone: 301–713–2435

x136 or e-mail:

leon.cammen@noaa.gov). (a) Standard Forms 424, Application

for Federal Assistance, and 424B,

Assurances—Non-Construction

Programs, (Rev 4–88). Please note that

both the Principal Investigator and an

administrative contact should be

identified in Section 5 of the SF424. For

Section 10, applicants should enter

either ‘‘11.417’’ for the CFDA Number

and ‘‘Sea Grant Support’’ for the title or

‘‘15.FFA’’ for the CFDA Number and

‘‘Fish and Wildlife Management

Assistance’’ for the title depending on

the agency that will be supporting the

project. The form must contain the

original signature of an authorized

representative of the applying

institution.

(b) Primary Applicant Certifications.

All primary applicants must submit a

completed Form CD–511,

‘‘Certifications Regarding Debarment,

Suspension and Other Responsibility

Matters; Drug-Free Workplace

Requirements and Lobbying’’, and the

following explanations are hereby

provided: (i) Non-Procurement Debarment and

Suspension. Prospective participants (as

defined at 15 CFR part 26, Section 105)

are subject to 15 CFR part 26, ‘‘NonProcurement Debarment and

Suspension’’ and the related section of

the certification form prescribed above

applies; (ii) Drug-Free Workplace. Grantees (as

defined at 15 CFR part 26, Section 605)

are subject to 15 CFR part 26, Subpart

F, ‘‘Government-wide Requirements for

Drug-Free Workplace (Grants)’’ and the

related section of the certification form

prescribed above applies; (iii) Anti-Lobbying. Persons (as

defined at 15 CFR part 28, Section 105)

are subject to the lobbying provisions of

31 U.S.C. 1352, ‘‘Limitation on use of

appropriated funds to influence certain

Federal contracting and financial

transactions’’, and the lobbying section

of the certification form prescribed

above applies to applications/bids for

31884 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 98 / Friday, May 19, 2000 / Notices

grants, cooperative agreements, and

contracts for more than $100,000, and

loans and loan guarantees for more than

$150,000, or the single-family maximum

mortgage limit for affected programs,

whichever is greater; and

(iv) Anti-Lobbying Disclosures. Any

applicant that has paid or will pay for

lobbying using any funds must submit

an SF–LLL, ‘‘Disclosure of Lobbying

Activities’’, as required under 15 CFR

part 28, Appendix B.

(c) Lower Tier Certifications.

Recipients shall require applicants/

bidders for subgrants, contracts,

subcontracts, or other lower tier covered

transactions at any tier under the award

to submit, if applicable, a completed

Form CD–512, ‘‘Certifications Regarding

Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility

and Voluntary Exclusion-Lower Tier

Covered Transactions and Lobbying’’

and disclosure form, SF–LLL,

‘‘Disclosure of Lobbying Activities’’.

Form CD–512 is intended for the use of

recipients and should not be transmitted

to DOC. SF–LLL submitted by any tier

recipient or subrecipient should be

submitted to DOC in accordance with

the instructions contained in the award

document.

VII. How To Submit

Proposals must be submitted to the

National Sea Grant Office according to

the schedule outlined above. Although

investigators are not required to submit

more than 3 copies of each proposal, the

normal review process requires 10

copies. Investigators are encouraged to

submit sufficient copies for the full

review process, if it does not cause a

financial hardship, if they wish all

reviewers to receive color, unusually

sized (not 8.5′′ x 11′′), or otherwise

unusual materials submitted as part of

the proposal. Only three copies of the

Federally required forms are needed.

Proposals should be addressed to:

National Sea Grant Office, R/SG, Attn.:

Mrs. Geraldine Taylor, Invasive Species

Competition, 1315 East-West Highway,

Room 11806, Silver Spring, MD 20910

(phone number for express mail

applications is 301–713–2435).

Applications received after the

deadline and applications that deviate

from the format described above or

exceed the budget limitations will be

returned to the sender without review.

Facsimile transmissions and electronic

mail submission of proposals will not be

accepted.

VIII. Other Requirements

(1) Federal Policies and Procedures—

Recipients and subrecipients are subject

to all Federal laws and Federal, DOC,

and DOI policies, regulations, and

procedures applicable to Federal

financial assistance awards.

(2) Past Performance—Unsatisfactory

performance under prior Federal awards

may result in an application not being

considered for funding.

(3) Pre-Award Activities—If

applicants incur any costs prior to an

award being made, they do so solely at

their own risk of not being reimbursed

by the Government. Notwithstanding

any verbal or written assurance that may

have been received, there is no

obligation on the part of DOC or DOI to

cover pre-award costs.

(4) No Obligation for Future

Funding—If an application is selected

for funding, DOC and DOI have no

obligation to provide any additional

future funding in connection with that

award. Renewal of an award to increase

funding or extend the period of

performance is at the total discretion of

DOC or DOI.

(5) Delinquent Federal Debts—No

award of Federal funds shall be made to

an applicant who has an outstanding

delinquent Federal debt until either:

(a) The delinquent account is paid in

full,

(b) A negotiated repayment schedule

is established and at least one payment

is received, or

(c) Other arrangements satisfactory to

DOC or DOI are made.

(6) Name Check Review—All nonprofit and for-profit applicants are

subject to a name check review process.

Name checks are intended to reveal if

any key individuals associated with the

applicant have been convicted of or are

presently facing criminal charges such

as fraud, theft, perjury, or other matters

that significantly reflect on the

applicant’s management honesty or

financial integrity.

(7) False Statements—A false

statement on an application is grounds

for denial or termination of funds and

grounds for possible punishment by a

fine or imprisonment as provided in 18

U.S.C. 1001.

(8) Intergovernmental Review—

Applications for support from the

National Sea Grant College Program are

not subject to Executive Order 12372,

‘‘Intergovernmental Review of Federal

Programs’’.

(9) Purchase of American-Made

Equipment and Products—Applicants

are hereby notified that they will be

encouraged, to the greatest extent

practicable, to purchase American-made

equipment and products with funding

provided under this program.

(10) Pursuant to Executive Orders

12876, 12900, and 13021, DOC/NOAA

is strongly committed to broadening the

participation of Historically Black

Colleges and Universities (HBCU),

Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI), and

Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCU)

in its educational and research

programs. The DOC/NOAA vision,

mission, and goals are to achieve full

participation by Minority Serving

Institutions (MSI) in order to advance

the development of human potential, to

strengthen the Nation’s capacity to

provide high-quality education, and to

increase opportunities for MSIs to

participate in and benefit from Federal

Financial Assistance programs. DOC/

NOAA encourages all applicants to

include meaningful participation of

MSIs. Institutions eligible to be

considered HBCU/MSIs are listed at the

following Internet website: http://

www.ed.gov/offices/OCR/99minin.html.

(11) For awards receiving funding for

the collection or production of

geospatial data (e.g., GIS data layers),

the recipient will comply to the

maximum extent practicable with E.O.

12906, Coordinating Geographic Data

Acquisition and Access, The National

Spatial Data Infrastructure, 59 FR 17671

(April 11, 1994). The award recipient

must document all new geospatial data

collected or produced using the

standard developed by the Federal

Geographic Data Center and make that

standardized documentation

electronically accessible. The standard

can be found at the following Internet

website: (http://www.fgdc.gov/

standards/standards/html).

Classification

Prior notice and an opportunity for

public comments are not required by the

Administrative Procedure Act or any

other law for this notice concerning

grants, benefits, and contracts.

Therefore, a regulatory flexibility

analysis is not required for purposes of

the Regulatory Flexibility Act.

This action has been determined to be

not significant for purposes of E.O.

12866.

This notice contains collection of

information requirements subject to the

Paperwork Reduction Act. The Sea

Grant Budget Form, 90–4, Sea Grant

Summary Form, 90–2, and Standard

Forms 424 and 424b have been

approved under control numbers 0648–

0362, 0648–0362, 0348–0043, and 0348–

0040, respectively. Send comments on

any aspect of these collections to

National Sea Grant College Program,

R/SG, NOAA, 1315 East-West Highway,

Silver Spring, MD 20910 (Attention:

Francis S. Schuler) and to the Office of

Information and Regulatory Affairs,

Office of Management and Budget,

Washington, DC 20503 (Attention:

NOAA Desk Officer). Notwithstanding

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 98 / Friday, May 19, 2000 / Notices 31885

any other provision of the law, no

person is required to respond to, nor

shall any person be subject to a penalty

for failure to comply with, a collection

of information subject to the

requirements of the Paperwork

Reduction Act, unless that collection of

information displays a currently valid

OMB Control Number.

Dated: May 12, 2000.

Louisa Koch,

Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of

Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, National

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Dated: May 10, 2000.

Cathleen Short,

Assistant Director—Fisheries, Fish and

Wildlife Service.

[FR Doc. 00–12627 Filed 5–18–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–KA–M

COMMITTEE FOR THE

IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE

AGREEMENTS

Adjustment of Import Limits for Certain

Cotton, Wool, Man-Made Fiber, Silk

Blend and Other Vegetable Fiber

Textiles and Textile Products

Produced or Manufactured in the

People’s Republic of China

May 15, 2000.

AGENCY: Committee for the

Implementation of Textile Agreements

(CITA).

ACTION: Issuing a directive to the

Commissioner of Customs adjusting

limits.

EFFECTIVE DATE: May 19, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Roy

Unger, International Trade Specialist,

Office of Textiles and Apparel, U.S.

Department of Commerce, (202) 482–

4212. For information on the quota

status of these limits, refer to the Quota

Status Reports posted on the bulletin

boards of each Customs port, call (202)

927–5850, or refer to the U.S. Customs

website at http://www.customs.gov. For

information on embargoes and quota reopenings, call (202) 482–3715.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Authority: Section 204 of the Agricultural

Act of 1956, as amended (7 U.S.C. 1854);

Executive Order 11651 of March 3, 1972, as

amended.

The current limits for certain

categories are being adjusted for

carryforward used.

A description of the textile and

apparel categories in terms of HTS

numbers is available in the

CORRELATION: Textile and Apparel

Categories with the Harmonized Tariff

Schedule of the United States (see

Federal Register notice 64 FR 71982,

published on December 22, 1999). Also

see 64 FR 69228, published on

December 10, 1999.

D. Michael Hutchinson,

Acting Chairman, Committee for the

Implementation of Textile Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile

Agreements

May 15, 2000.

Commissioner of Customs,

Department of the Treasury, Washington, DC

20229.

Dear Commissioner: This directive

amends, but does not cancel, the directive

issued to you on December 6, 1999, by the

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation

of Textile Agreements. That directive

concerns imports of certain cotton, wool,

man-made fiber, silk blend and other

vegetable fiber textiles and textile products,

produced or manufactured in China and

exported during the twelve-month period

which began on January 1, 2000 and extends

through December 31, 2000.

Effective on May 19, 2000, you are directed

to adjust the limits for the following

categories, as provided for under the terms of

the current bilateral textile agreement

between the Governments of the United

States and the People’s Republic of China:

Category Adjusted twelve-month

limit 1

Sublevels in Group I

315 ........................... 134,267,555 square

meters.

336 ........................... 176,630 dozen.

338/339 .................... 2,340,182 dozen of

which not more than

1,727,430 dozen

shall be in Categories 338–S/339–

S2.

341 ........................... 684,724 dozen of

which not more than

415,540 shall be in

Cateogry 341–Y3.

342 ........................... 269,911 dozen.

345 ........................... 128,000 dozen.

347/348 .................... 2,302,424 dozen.

351 ........................... 567,560 dozen.

352 ........................... 1,642,583 dozen.

360 ........................... 8,076,935 numbers of

which not more than

5,369,811 shall be in

Category 360–P4.

361 ........................... 4,343,917 numbers.

362 ........................... 7,264,329 numbers.

443 ........................... 129,225 numbers.

445/446 .................... 284,457 dozen.

447 ........................... 69,344 dozen.

640 ........................... 1,359,055 dozen.

647 ........................... 1,539,516 dozen.

648 ........................... 1,107,760 dozen.

649 ........................... 961,354 dozen.

651 ........................... 787,814 dozen of

which not more than

140,341 dozen shall

be in Category 651–

B5.

659–S6 .................... 637,529 kilograms

Category Adjusted twelve-month

limit 1

Group II

330, 332, 349, 353,

354, 359–O 7, 431,

432, 439, 459,

630, 632, 653, 654

and 659–O 8, as a

group.

125,767,893 square

meters equivalent.

Group IV

832, 834, 838, 839,

843, 850–852, 858

and 859, as a

group.

11,881,397 square

meters equivalent.

Level not in a Group

870 ........................... 33,149,638 kilograms.

1The limits have not been adjusted to account for any imports exported after December

31, 1999. 2 Category 338–S: all HTS numbers except

6109.10.0012, 6109.10.0014, 6109.10.0018

and 6109.10.0023; Category 339–S: only HTS

numbers 6104.22.0060, 6104.29.2049,

6106.10.0010, 6106.10.0030, 6106.90.2510,

6106.90.3010, 6109.10.0070, 6110.20.1030,

6110.20.2045, 6110.20.2075, 6110.90.9070,

6112.11.0040, 6114.20.0010 and

6117.90.9020. 3 Category 341–Y: only HTS numbers

6204.22.3060, 6206.30.3010, 6206.30.3030

and 6211.42.0054. 4 Category 360–P: only HTS numbers

6302.21.3010, 6302.21.5010, 6302.21.7010,

6302.21.9010, 6302.31.3010, 6302.31.5010,

6302.31.7010 and 6302.31.9010. 5 Category 651–B: only HTS numbers

6107.22.0015 and 6108.32.0015. 6 Category 659–S: only HTS numbers

6112.31.0010, 6112.31.0020, 6112.41.0010,

6112.41.0020, 6112.41.0030, 6112.41.0040,

6211.11.1010, 6211.11.1020, 6211.12.1010

and 6211.12.1020. 7 Category 359–O: all HTS number except

6103.42.2025, 6103.49.8034, 6104.62.1020,

6104.69.8010, 6114.20.0048, 6114.20.0052,

6203.42.2010, 6203.42.2090, 6204.62.2010,

6211.32.0010, 6211.32.0025, 6211.42.0010

(Category 359–C); 6103.19.2030,

6103.19.9030, 6104.12.0040, 6104.19.8040,

6110.20.1022, 6110.20.1024, 6110.20.2030,

6110.20.2035, 6110.90.9044, 6110.90.9046,

6201.92.2010, 6202.92.2020, 6203.19.1030,

6203.19.9030, 6204.12.0040, 6204.19.8040,

6211.32.0070 and 6211.42.0070 (Category

359–V). 8 Category 659–O: all HTS numbers except

6103.23.0055, 6103.43.2020, 6103.43.2025,

6103.49.2000, 6103.49.8038, 6104.63.1020,

6104.63.1030, 6104.69.1000, 6104.69.8014,

6114.30.3044, 6114.30.3054, 6203.43.2010,

6203.43.2090, 6203.49.1010, 6203.49.1090,

6204.63.1510, 6204.69.1010, 6210.10.9010,

6211.33.0010, 6211.33.0017, 6211.43.0010

(Category 659–C); 6502.00.9030,

6504.00.9015, 6504.00.9060, 6505.90.5090,

6505.90.6090, 6505.90.7090, 6505.90.8090

(Category 659–H); 6112.31.0010,

6112.31.0020, 6112.41.0010, 6112.41.0020,

6112.41.0030, 6112.41.0040, 6211.11.1010,

6211.11.1020, 6211.12.1010 and

6211.12.1020 (Category 659–S).

The Committee for the Implementation of

Textile Agreements has determined that

these actions fall within the foreign affairs

exception to the rulemaking provisions of 5

U.S.C. 553(a)(1).