[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 30 (Thursday, February 13, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6756-6757]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-3566]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Business-Cooperative Service


Inviting Preapplications for Technical Assistance for Rural 
Transportation Systems

AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Rural Business-Cooperative 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

[[Page 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 non-selectees 
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