6756 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 30 / Thursday, February 13, 1997 / Notices

estimate of the burden of the proposed

collection of information; (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

respondents, including the use of

automated collection, electronic,

mechanical, or other technological

collection techniques or other forms of

information technology.

Use of Comments

All comments received in response to

this notice will be summarized and

included in the request for OMB

approval. All comments will also

become a matter of public record.

Dated: February 10, 1997.

David G. Unger,

Associate Chief.

[FR Doc. 97–3626 Filed 2–12–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M

Blue Mountains Natural Resources

Institute, Board of Directors, Pacific

Northwest Research Station, Oregon

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: The Blue Mountains Natural

Resources Institute (BMNRI) Board of

Directors will meet on March 11, 1997,

at Oregon Department of Transportation

Conference Room, 3012 Island Avenue,

La Grande, Oregon. The meeting will

begin at 9:00 a.m. and continue until

4:00 p.m. Agenda items to be covered

will include: (1) Program status; (2)

research results of specific projects; (3)

outreach activities; (4) identification of

issues of interest; (5) budget and plan of

work; (6) report on Initiatives; (7)

presentation on Oregon Initiatives in

natural resources; (8) public comments.

All BMNRI Board Meetings are open to

the public. Interested citizens are

encouraged to attend. Members of the

public who wish to make a brief oral

presentation at the meeting should

contact Larry Hartmann, BMNRI, 1401

Gekeler Lane, La Grande, Oregon 97850,

541–962–6537, no later than March 7,

1997, to have time reserved on the

agenda.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Direct questions regarding this meeting

to Larry Hartmann, Manager, BMNRI,

1401 Gekeler Lane, La Grande, Oregon

97850, 541–962–6537.

Dated: February 3, 1997.

Larry Hartmann,

Manager.

[FR Doc. 97–3590 Filed 2–12–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M

Rural Business-Cooperative Service

Inviting Preapplications for Technical

Assistance for Rural Transportation

Systems

AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative

Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The Rural BusinessCooperative Service (RBS), an Agency

within the Rural Development mission

area, announces the availability of

$500,000 in competing Rural Business

Enterprise Grant (RBEG) funds for fiscal

year (FY) 1997 specifically for technical

assistance for rural transportation

systems. The funds are designed to

assist private nonprofit corporations

serving rural areas in providing

technical assistance, for planning and

developing transportation systems, and

for training for rural communities

needing improved passenger

transportation systems or facilities in

order to promote economic

development through a link between

transportation and economic

development initiatives. The RBEG

program is administered on behalf of

RBS at the State level by the Rural

Development State Offices.

DATES: The deadline for receipt of a

preapplication in the Rural

Development State Office is May 1,

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. A list of State

Offices follows:

State Director, Rural Development,

Sterling Center Suite 601, 4121

Carmichael Road, Montgomery, AL

36106–3683, (332) 279–3400

State Director, Rural Development, 800

West Evergreen, Suite 201, Palmer,

AK 99645, (907) 745–2176

State Director, Rural Development, 3003

North Central Avenue, Suite 900,

Phoenix, AZ 85012, (602) 280–8700

State Director, Rural Development, 700

West Capitol, P. O. Box 2778, Little

Rock, AR 72203, (501) 324–6281

State Director, Rural Development, 194

West Main Street, Suite F, Woodland,

CA 95695–2915, (916) 668–2000

State Director, Rural Development, 655

Parfet Street, Room E 100, Lakewood,

CO 80215, (303) 236–2801

State Director, Rural Development,

(Delaware and Maryland), 5201 South

Dupont Highway, P. O. Box 400,

Camden, DE 19934–9998, (302) 697–

4300

State Director, Rural Development, 4440

NW 25th Place, P. O. Box 147010,

Gainesville, FL 32614–7010, (352)

338–3400

State Director, Rural Development,

Stephens Federal Building, 355 E

Hancock Avenue, Athens, GA 30601,

(706) 546–2162

State Director, Rural Development,

Federal Building, Room 311, 154

Waianuenue Avenue, Hilo, HI 96720,

(808) 933–3000

State Director, Rural Development, 3232

Elder Street, Boise, ID 83705, (208)

378–5600

State Director, Rural Development, Illini

Plaza, Suite 103, 1817 South Neil

Street, Champaign, IL 61820, (217)

398–5235

State Director, Rural Development, 5975

Lakeside Blvd, Indianapolis, IN

46278, (317) 290–3100

State Director, Rural Development,

Federal Building, Rm 873, 210 Walnut

Street, Des Moines, IA 50309, (515)

284–4663

State Director, Rural Development, 1200

SW Executive Drive, P.O. Box 4653,

Topeka, KS 66604, (913) 271–2700

State Director, Rural Development, 771

Corporate Drive, Suite 200, Lexington,

KY 40503, (606) 224–7300

State Director, Rural Development, 3727

Government Street, Alexandria, LA

71302, (318) 473–7920

State Director, Rural Development, 444

Stillwater Avenue, Suite 2, P.O. Box

405, Bangor, ME 04402–0405, (207)

990–9106

State Director, Rural Development,

(Massachusetts, Rhode Island,

Connecticut), 451 West Street,

Amherst, MA 01002, (413) 253–4300

State Director, Rural Development, 3001

Coolidge Road, Suite 200, East

Lansing, MI 48823, (517) 337–6635

State Director, Rural Development, 410

Agri Bank Building, 375 Jackson

Street, St Paul, MN 55101, (612) 290–

3842

State Director, Rural Development,

Federal Building, Suite 831, 100 W

Capitol Street, Jackson, MS 39269,

(601) 965–4316

State Director, Rural Development, 601

Business Loop 70 West, Parkade

Center, Suite 235, Columbia, MO

65203, (573) 876–0976

State Director, Rural Development, 900

Technology Blvd., Unit 1, Suite B,

P.O. Box 850, Bozeman, MT 59715,

(406) 585–2580

State Director, Rural Development,

Federal Building, Room 308, 100

Centennial Mall N, Lincoln, NE

68508, (402) 437–5551

State Director, Rural Development, 1390

South Curry Street, Carson City, NV

89703–5405, (702) 887–1222
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 30 / Thursday, February 13, 1997 / Notices 6757

State Director, Rural Development,

Tarnsfield Plaza, Suite 22, 790

Woodlane Road, Mt Holly, NJ 08060,

(609) 265–3600

State Director, Rural Development, 6200

Jefferson Street, NE, Room 255,

Albuquerque, NM 87109, (505) 761–

4950

State Director, Rural Development,

Galleries of Syracuse, 441 S Salina

Street, Syracuse, NY 13202, (315)

477–6400

State Director, Rural Development, 4405

Bland Road, Suite 260, Raleigh, NC

27609, (919) 873–2000

State Director, Rural Development,

Federal Building, Room 208, 220 East

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

58502, (701) 250–4781

State Director, Rural Development,

Federal Building, Room 507, 200

North High Street, Columbus, OH

43215, (614) 469–5600

State Director, Rural Development, 100

USDA, Suite 108, Stillwater, OK

74074, (405) 742–1000

State Director, Rural Development, 101

SW Main Street, Suite 1410, Portland,

OR 97204–2333, (503) 414–3300

State Director, Rural Development, 1

Credit Union Place, Suite 330,

Harrisburg, PA 17110–2996, (717)

782–4476

State Director, Rural Development, New

San Juan Office Building, Room 501,

159 Carlos E Chardon Street, Hato

Rey, PR 00918–5481, (809) 766–5095

State Director, Rural Development,

Strom Thurmond Federal Building,

1835 Assembly Street, Room 1007,

Columbia, SC 29201, (803) 765–5163

State Director, Rural Development,

Federal Building, Room 308, 200 4th

Street, SW, Huron, SD 57350, (605)

352–1100

State Director, Rural Development, 3322

West End Avenue, Suite 300,

Nashville, TN 37203–1071, (615) 783–

1300

State Director, Rural Development,

Federal Building, Suite 102, 101

South Main, Temple, TX 76501, (817)

298–1301

State Director, Rural Development,

Federal Building, Room 5438, 125

South State Street, Salt Lake City, UT

84138, (801) 524–4063

State Director, Rural Development,

(Vermont, New Hampshire, Virgin

Islands), City Center, 3rd Floor, 89

Main Street, Montpelier, VT 05602,

(802) 828–6002

State Director, Rural Development,

Culpeper Building, Suite 238, 1606

Santa Rosa Road, Richmond, VA

23229, (804) 287–1550

State Director, Rural Development,

Federal Building, Room 319, 301

Yakima Street, P.O. Box 2427,

Wenatchee, WA 98807, (509) 664–

0240

State Director, Rural Development, 75

High Street, P.O. Box 678,

Morgantown, WV 26505, (304) 291–

4791

State Director, Rural Development, 4949

Kirschling Court, Stevens Point, WI

54481, (717) 345–7600

State Director Rural Development, 100

East B, Federal Building, Rm 1005,

P.O. Box 820, Casper, WY 82602,

(307) 261–6300

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Carole S. Boyko, Rural Development,

Specialist, Specialty Lenders Division,

Room 5404, South Agriculture Building,

1400, Independence Avenue, SW.,

Washington, D.C. 20250–0700.

Telephone: (202)720–1400.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Refer to

section 310B(c) (7 U.S.C. 1932) of the,

Consolidated Farm and Rural

Development Act, as amended, and

FmHA Instruction 1942–G for the

information collection requirements of

the RBEG program. The RBEG program

was previously administered by the

former Rural Development

Administration. Under the

reorganization of the Department of

Agriculture, the responsibility for

administering this program was

transferred to RBS. Part 1942–G of title

7 of the Code of Federal Regulations

provides details on what information

must be contained in the preapplication

package.

The RBEG program is authorized by

section 310B of the Consolidated Farm

and Rural, Development Act (7 U.S.C.

1932), as amended. The primary

objective of the program is to improve

the economic conditions of rural areas.

The RBEG program will achieve this

objective by assisting private nonprofit

corporations serving rural areas in

providing technical assistance for

planning and developing transportation

systems and for training for rural

communities needing improved

passenger transportation systems or

facilities in order to promote economic

development through a link between

transportation and economic

development initiatives.

RBEG grants are competitive and will

be awarded to nonprofit institutions

based on specific selection criteria, as

required by legislation and set forth in

7 CFR part 1942, subpart G. Project

selection will be given to those projects

that contribute the most to the

improvement of economic conditions in

rural areas. Preapplications will be

tentatively scored by the State Offices

and submitted to the National Office for

review, final scoring, and selection.

Fiscal Year 1997 Preapplication

Submission

Qualified applicants should begin the

preapplication process as soon as

possible and have their preapplication

submitted to the State Offices no later

than May 1, 1997. Each preapplication

received in a State Office will be

reviewed to determine if the

preapplication is consistent with the

eligible purposes outlined in 7 CFR part

1942, subpart G. Each criteria outlined

in 7 CFR part, 1942, subpart G must be

addressed in the preapplication. Failure

to address any of the criteria will result

in a zero-point score for that criteria and

can impact preapplication competence.

Copies of 7 CFR part 1942, subpart G,

will be provided to any interested

applicant by making a request to the

Rural Development State Office or the

RBS National Office. All projects to

receive technical assistance through

these grant funds are to be identified

when the preapplication is submitted to

the State Office. Multiple project

preapplications must identify each

individual project, indicate the amount

of funding requested for each individual

project, and address the criteria as

stated above for each individual project.

Multiple project applicants should

indicate if the applicant wishes the

projects scored individually or as an

aggregate average.

All eligible preapplications, along

with tentative scoring sheets and the

State Director’s recommendation, will

be referred to the National Office no

later than June 2, 1997, for final scoring

and selection for award.

The National Office will score

preapplications based on the grant

selection criteria and weights set forth

in 7 CFR part 1942, subpart G, 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 G. It is

anticipated that grant awardees will be

selected by July 28, 1997. All applicants

will be notified by the RBS of the

Agency decision on awards, and nonselectees will be provided appeal rights

in accordance with 7 CFR part 11. The

information collection requirements

within this Notice are covered under

OMB No. 0575–0132 and 7 CFR part

1942, subpart G.

Dated: February 3, 1997.

Jill Long Thompson,

Under Secretary, Rural Development.

[FR Doc. 97–3566 Filed 2–12–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–XY–U