42482 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 152 / Thursday, August 7, 1997 / Notices

Permit No. Permittee Date issued Organisms Field test

location

97–071–01r .. University of Wisconsin ............ 6–3–97 Rhizobium and Sinorhizobium bacterial strains genetically engineered to enhance yield on host legumes.Wisconsin.

97–083–02r .. Sanford Scientific, Inc .............. 6–3–97 Geranium plants genetically engineered for disease resistance

and extended flower life.

California.

97–087–02r .. Pure Seed Testing, Inc ............ 6–24–97 Creeping bentgrass plants genetically engineered for tolerance

to the herbicide glufosinate and to contain the proteinase inhibitor gene derived from potato.

Oregon.

The environmental assessments and

findings of no significant impact have

been prepared in accordance with: (1)

The National Environmental Policy Act

of 1969, as amended (NEPA)(42 U.S.C.

4321 et seq.), (2) regulations of the

Council on Environmental Quality for

implementing the procedural provisions

of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500–1508), (3)

USDA regulations implementing NEPA

(7 CFR part 1b), and (4) APHIS’ NEPA

Implementing Procedures (7 CFR part

372).

Done in Washington, DC, this 31st day of

July 1997.

Terry L. Medley,

Administrator, Animal and Plant Health

Inspection Service.

[FR Doc. 97–20752 Filed 8–6–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Housing Service

Rural Business-Cooperative Service

Farm Service Agency

Inviting Preapplications for Rural

Cooperative Development Grants

AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative

Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The Rural BusinessCooperative Service (RBS) announces

the availability of approximately $1.7

million in competing Rural Cooperative

Development Grant (RCDG) funds for

fiscal year (FY) 1997. This action will

comply with legislation which

authorizes grants for establishing and

operating centers for rural cooperative

development. The intended effect of this

notice is to solicit preapplications for

FY 1997 and award grants before

September 15, 1997.

DATES: The deadline for receipt of a

preapplication is August 20, 1997.

Preapplications received after that date

will not be considered for FY 1997

funding.

ADDRESSES: Entities wishing to apply for

assistance should contact the Rural

Development State Offices to receive

further information and copies of the

preapplication package.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

James E. Haskell, Assistant Deputy

Administrator, Cooperative Services,

Rural Business-Cooperative Service,

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Stop

3250, Room 4016, South Agriculture

Building, 1400 Independence Avenue,

SW., Washington, DC 20250–3250.

Telephone (202) 720–8460.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Rural

Technology and Cooperative

Development Grants (RTCDG) program

was established by interim rule on

August 12, 1994 (59 FR 41386–98) and

published as a final rule February 12,

1996 (61 FR 3779–87) and was

authorized by section 310B(f) through

(h) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural

Development Act (7 U.S.C. § 1932). The

Federal Agriculture Improvement and

Reform Act of 1996 (the 1996 Act)

removed ‘‘technology’’ from RTCDG,

thereby directing the focus of the

program specifically to cooperative

development. The 1996 Act also

clarified that public bodies were not

eligible applicants, and modified

application requirements and applicant

selection criteria. The primary objective

of the RCDG program is to improve the

economic condition of rural areas

through cooperative development. The

program is administered through Rural

Development State Offices acting on

behalf of RBS. RBS is one of the

successors of the Rural Development

Administration pursuant to the

Department of Agriculture

Reorganization Act of 1994 (Pub. L.

103–354).

Grants will be awarded on a

competitive basis to nonprofit

corporations and institutions of higher

education based on specific selection

criteria. The priorities described in this

paragraph will be used by RBS to rate

preapplications. RBS review of

preapplications will include the

complete preapplication package

submitted to the Rural Development

State Office. Points will be distributed

according to ranking as compared with

other preapplications on hand. All

factors will receive equal weight with

points awarded to each factor on a 5, 4,

3, 2, 1 basis depending on the

applicant’s ranking compared to other

applicants.

(a) Preference will be given to

applications that:

(1) demonstrate a proven track record

in administering a nationally

coordinated, regionally or State-wide

operated project;

(2) demonstrate previous expertise in

providing technical assistance in rural

areas;

(3) demonstrate the ability to assist in

the retention of business, facilitate the

establishment of cooperatives and new

cooperative approaches, and generate

employment opportunities that will

improve the economic conditions of

rural areas;

(4) demonstrate the ability to create

horizontal linkages among businesses

within and among various sectors in

rural areas of the United States and

vertical linkages to domestic and

international markets;

(5) commit to providing technical

assistance and other services to

underserved and economically

distressed rural areas of the United

States;

(6) commit to providing greater than

a 25 percent matching contribution with

private funds and in-kind contributions;

(7) evidence transferability or

demonstration value to assist rural areas

outside of project area; and

(8) demonstrate that any cooperative

development activity is consistent with

positive environmental stewardship.

Fiscal Year 1997 Preapplication

Submission

Due to the short preapplication period

for FY 1997 funds, qualified applicants

should begin the preapplication process

as soon as possible. Preapplications

must include a clear statement of the

goals and objectives of the project and

a plan which describes the proposed

project as required by the statute and 7

CFR part 4284, subpart F. Each

preapplication received in the State

Office will be reviewed to determine if

the preapplication is consistent with the

eligible purposes outlined in 7 CFR part

4284, subpart F. Preapplications

without supportive data to address
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 152 / Thursday, August 7, 1997 / Notices 42483

selection criteria will not be considered.

Copies of 7 CFR part 4284, subpart F,

will be provided to any interested

applicant by making a request to the

Rural Development State Office or RBS

National Office.

Preapplications must be completed

and submitted to the State Rural

Development Office as soon as possible

but no later than August 20.

For ease of locating information, each

preapplication must contain a detailed

Table of Contents containing page

numbers for each component of the

preapplication. The preapplication must

also contain a project summary of 250

words or less on a separate page. This

page must include the title of the project

and the names of the primary project

contacts and the applicant organization,

followed by the summary. The summary

should be self-contained and should

describe the overall goals, relevance of

the project, and a listing of all

organizations involved in the project.

The project summary should

immediately follow the Table of

Contents.

The National Office will score

applicants based on the grant selection

criteria contained in 7 CFR part 4284,

subpart F, and will select awardees

subject to the availability of funds and

the awardee’s satisfactory submission of

a formal application and related

materials in accordance with subpart F.

Entities submitting preapplications that

are selected for award will be invited by

the State Office to submit a formal

application prior to September 15. It is

anticipated that grant awardees will be

selected by September 15, 1997.

Dated: July 30, 1997.

Jill Long Thompson,

Under Secretary, Rural Development.

[FR Doc. 97–20739 Filed 8–6–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–XY–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Natural Resources Conservation

Service

Glenwhite Run Watershed,

Pennsylvania

AGENCY: Natural Resources

Conservation Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of a finding of no

significant impact.

SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C)

of the National Environmental Policy

Act of 1969; the Council on

Environmental Quality Guidelines (40

CFR, Part 1500); and the Natural

Resources Conservation Service

(formerly the Soil Conservation Service)

Guidelines (7 CFR, Part 650); the

Natural Resources Conservation Service,

U.S. Department of Agriculture, gives

notice that an environmental impact

statement is not being prepared for the

Glenwhite Run Watershed, Blair and

Cambria Counties, Pennsylvania.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.

Janet L. Oertly, State Conservationist,

USDA—Natural Resources Conservation

Service, One Credit Union Place, Suite

340, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17110–

2993, telephone (717) 782–2202.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

environmental assessment of this

federally-assisted action indicates that

the project will not cause significant

local, regional, or national impacts on

the environment. As a result of these

findings, Janet L. Oertly, State

Conservationist, has determined that the

preparation and review of an

environmental impact statement is not

needed for this project.

The project concerns a plan for water

quality improvement. The planned

works of improvement involve eight

treatment sites that are the source of

ground and surface water pollution.

Treatment of these sites will involve the

installation of waterways, diversions,

and passive treatment systems.

The ‘‘Notice of a Finding of No

Significant Impact’’ (FONSI) has been

forwarded to the U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency. A limited number of

copies of the FONSI are available to fill

single copy requests at the above

address. The environmental assessment

and basic data may be reviewed by

contacting Janet L. Oertly.

No administrative action on

implementation of the proposal will be

taken until thirty (30) days after the date

of this publication in the Federal

Register.

(This activity is listed in the Catalog of

Federal Domestic Assistance Program No.

10.904—Watershed Protection and Flood

Prevention and is subject to the provisions of

Executive Order 12372 which requires

intergovernmental consultation with State

and local officials)

Janet L. Oertly,

Statement Conservationist.

[FR Doc. 97–20777 Filed 8–6–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–16–M

COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS

Agenda and Notice of Public Meeting

of the Georgia Advisory Committee

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to

the provisions of the rules and

regulations of the U.S. Commission on

Civil Rights, that a meeting of the

Georgia Advisory Committee to the

Commission will convene at 1:00 p.m.

and adjourn at 4:00 p.m. on Friday,

August 29, 1997, at the Atlanta Federal

Center, Dining Room Two, 61 Forsyth

Street, SW (at Martin Luther King, Jr.

Drive), Atlanta, Georgia 30303. The

purpose of the meeting is to: (1) Discuss

the status of the Commission; (2)

discuss civil rights conference plans; (3)

discuss civil rights problems and/or

progess in the State and nation; and (4)

hold a brief new member orientation

session.

Persons desiring additional

information, or planning a presentation

to the Committee, should contact

Committee Chairperson Victoria

Jenkins, 404–758–6350, or Bobby D.

Doctor, Director of the Southern

Regional Office, 404–562–7000 (TDD

404–562–7004). Hearing-impaired

persons who will attend the meeting

and require the services of a sign

language interpreter should contact the

Regional Office at least five (5) working

days before the scheduled date of the

meeting.

The meeting will be conducted

pursuant to the provisions of the rules

and regulations of the Commission.

Dated at Washington, DC, July 30, 1997.

Carol-Lee Hurley,

Chief, Regional Programs Coordination Unit.

[FR Doc. 97–20836 Filed 8–6–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6335–01–P

COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS

Agenda and Notice of Public Meeting

of the Kentucky Advisory Committee

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to

the provisions of the rules and

regulations of the U.S. Commission on

Civil Rights, that a meeting of the

Kentucky Advisory Committee to the

Commission will convene at 1:00 p.m.

and adjourn at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday,

September 4, 1997, at the Louisville

Free Public Library, Western Branch,

604 S. 10th Street, Louisville, Kentucky

40203. The purpose of the meeting is to:

(1) Release the report, Bias and Bigotry

in Kentucky; (2) discuss the status of the

Commission; (3) discuss plans for

adopting a new project; and (4) discuss

civil rights problems and/or progress in

the State and nation.

Persons desiring additional

information, or planning a presentation

to the Committee, should contact

Committee Chairperson Emily C. Boone,

502–585–3430, or Bobby D. Doctor,

Director of the Southern Regional

Office, 404–562–7000 (TDD 404–562–

7004). Hearing-impaired persons who

will attend the meeting and require the

services of a sign language interpreter