Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 219 / Tuesday, November 13, 2012 / Notices 67635 

The HSRP will also hold focused 

Stakeholder Breakout Sessions with 

regional and local stakeholders to 

further discuss challenges and issues 

presented during the Stakeholder Panel 

presentations, and other issues not 

previously presented. Three Stakeholder 

Breakout Sessions will be held on 

Thursday, November 29, 2012 with the 

general themes: Hydrographic 

Surveying/Charting; Geospatial 

Positioning; and Tides, Currents and 

Water Levels. Regional and local 

stakeholders with interests in NOAA’s 

navigation services and products are 

invited to actively participate in these 

breakout sessions. You can sign up for 

these sessions by contacting the 

NOAA’s Gulf of Mexico Navigation 

Manager, Mr. Tim Osborn at email: 

Tim.Osbon@noaa.gov; or the HSRP 

Program Coordinator, Kathy Watson at 

email: Kathy.Watson@noaa.gov. The 

breakout sessions are the opportunity 

for stakeholders to raise concerns and 

develop recommended actions to 

address the issues facing the Gulf of 

Mexico region. The HSRP will consider 

input from these breakout sessions, and 

from the other meeting presentations, to 

develop its recommendations to the 

NOAA Under Secretary for improving 

NOAA’s suite of navigation data, 

products, and services for the Gulf of 

Mexico region. 

Other matters to be discussed will 

include HSRP working group updates, 

meetingadministration, and public 

comments. 

Dated: October 31, 2012. 

Gerd F. Glang, 

Director, Office of Coast Survey, National 

Ocean Service, National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration. 

[FR Doc. 2012–27295 Filed 11–9–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–JE–P 

DENALI COMMISSION 

Fiscal Year 2013 Draft Work Plan 

AGENCY: Denali Commission. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Denali Commission 

(Commission) is an independent federal 

agency based on an innovative federalstate partnership designed to provide 

critical utilities, infrastructure and 

support for economic development and 

training in Alaska by delivering federal 

services in the most cost-effective 

manner possible. The Commission was 

created in 1998 with passage of the 

October 21, 1998 Denali Commission 

Act (Act) (Title III of Pub. L. 105–277, 

42 U.S.C. 3121). The Act requires that 

the Commission develop proposed work 

plans for future spending and that the 

annual Work Plan be published in the 

Federal Register, providing an 

opportunity for a 30-day period of 

public review and written comment. 

This Federal Register notice serves to 

announce the 30-day opportunity for 

public comment on the Denali 

Commission Draft Work Plan for Federal 

Fiscal Year 2013 (FY2013). 

DATES: Comments and related material 

to be received by December 11, 2012. 

ADDRESSES: Submit comments to the 

Denali Commission, Attention: Sabrina 

Hoppas, 510 L Street, Suite 410, 

Anchorage, AK 99501. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. 

Sabrina Hoppas, Denali Commission, 

510 L Street, Suite 410, Anchorage, AK 

99501. Telephone: (907) 271–1414. 

Email: shoppas@denali.gov. 

Background: The Denali Commission 

(Commission) is an independent federal 

agency based on an innovative federalstate partnership designed to provide 

critical utilities, infrastructure and 

support for economic development and 

training in Alaska by delivering federal 

services in the most cost-effective 

manner possible. The Commission was 

created in 1998 with passage of the 

October 21, 1998, Denali Commission 

Act (Act) (Title III of Pub. L. 105–277, 

42 U.S.C. 3121). 

The Commission’s mission is to 

partner with tribal, federal, state, and 

local governments and collaborate with 

all Alaskans to improve the 

effectiveness and efficiency of 

government services, to develop a welltrained labor force employed in a 

diversified and sustainable economy, 

and to build and ensure the operation 

and maintenance of Alaska’s basic 

infrastructure. 

By creating the Commission, Congress 

mandated that all parties involved 

partner together to find new and 

innovative solutions to the unique 

infrastructure and economic 

development challenges in America’s 

most remote communities. 

Pursuant to the Act, the Commission 

determines its own basic operating 

principles and funding criteria on an 

annual federal fiscal year (October 1 to 

September 30) basis. The Commission 

outlines these priorities and funding 

recommendations in an annual Work 

Plan. The Work Plan is adopted on an 

annual basis in the following manner, 

which occurs sequentially as listed: 

• Project proposals are solicited from 

local government and other entities. 

• Commissioners forward a draft 

version of the Work Plan to the Federal 

Co-Chair. 

• The Federal Co-Chair approves the 

draft Work Plan for publication in the 

Federal Register providing an 

opportunity for a 30-day period of 

public review and written comment. 

During this time, the draft Work Plan is 

also disseminated widely to 

Commission program partners 

including, but not limited to, the Bureau 

of Indian Affairs (BIA), the Economic 

Development Administration (EDA), 

and the United States Department of 

Agriculture—Rural Development 

(USDA–RD). 

• Public comment concludes and 

Commission staff provides the Federal 

Co-Chair with a summary of public 

comment and recommendations, if any, 

associated with the draft Work Plan. 

• If no revisions are made to the draft, 

the Federal Co-Chair provides notice of 

approval of the Work Plan to the 

Commissioners, and forwards the Work 

Plan to the Secretary of Commerce for 

approval; or, if there are revisions the 

Federal Co- Chair provides notice of 

modifications to the Commissioners for 

their consideration and approval, and 

upon receipt of approval from 

Commissioners, forwards the Work Plan 

to the Secretary of Commerce for 

approval. 

• The Secretary of Commerce 

approves the Work Plan. 

• The Federal Co-Chair then approves 

grants and contracts based upon the 

approved Work Plan. 

FY 2013 Appropriations Summary 

The Commission has historically 

received federal funding from several 

sources. 

These fund sources are governed by 

the following general principles: 

• In FY 2013 no project specific 

direction was provided by Congress. 

• The Energy and Water 

Appropriation is eligible for use in all 

programs. 

• Certain appropriations are restricted 

in their usage. Where restrictions apply, 

the funds may be used only for specific 

program purposes. 

• Final appropriation funds received 

may be reduced due to Congressional 

action, rescissions by the Office of 

Management and Budget, and other 

federal agency action. Final program 

available figures may not be provided 

until later in FY2013. 

• All Energy and Water 

Appropriation funds, including 

operating funds, designated as ‘‘up to’’ 

may be reassigned to other programs, if 

they are not fully expended in a 

program component area or a specific 

project. 

• Total FY 2013 Budgetary Resources 

provided: These are the figures that 


srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with 
67636 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 219 / Tuesday, November 13, 2012 / Notices 

appear in the rows entitled ‘‘FY 2013 

Appropriation’’ and are the original 

appropriations amounts which do not 

include Commission operating funds. 

These funds are identified by their 

source name (i.e., Energy and Water 

Appropriation, USDA–RUS, etc.). The 

grand total for all appropriations 

appears at the end of the FY 2013 

Funding Table. 

• Total FY 2013 Program Available 

Funding: These are the figures that 

appear in the rows entitled ‘‘FY 2013 

Appropriations—Program Available’’ 

and are the amounts of funding 

available for program(s) activities after 

Commission operating funds have been 

deducted. The FY 2013 appropriations 

bill contains language that the 

Commission may utilize more than 5 

percent for operating costs, 

Notwithstanding the limitations 

contained in section 306(g) of the Denali 

Commission Act of 1998. However only, 

5 percent of Trans Alaska Pipeline 

Liability (TAPL) Trust Funds are used 

for agency operating purposes. The 

grand total for all program available 

funds appears at the end of the FY 2013 

Funding Table. 

• Program Funding: These are the 

figures that appear in the rows entitled 

with the specific Program and SubProgram area, and are the amounts of 

funding the Draft FY 2013 Work Plan 

recommends, within each program fund 

source for program components. 

• Subtotal of Program Funding: These 

are the figures that appear in rows 

entitled ‘‘subtotal’’ and are the subtotals 

of all program funding within a given 

fund source. The subtotal must always 

equal the Total FY 2013 Program 

Available Funding. 

DENALI COMMISSION FY 2013 FUNDING TABLE

Totals 

FY 2013 Energy & Water Appropriation .............................................................................................................................. $10,165,000 

FY 2013 Energy & Water Appropriation—Operating Funds ............................................................................................... $3,000,000 

FY 2013 Energy & Water Appropriation—Program Available ............................................................................................ $7,165,000 

Energy: 

• Bulk Fuel Tank Replacement ................................................................................................................................... ........................................

• Rural Power System Upgrades ................................................................................................................................ ........................................

• Transportation—Related Barge Landing, Mooring Points and Marine .................................................................... ........................................

Total Energy Projects .......................................................................................................................................................... Up to $6,865,000 

Pre-Development Program .................................................................................................................................................. Up to $300,000 

Sub-total $ .................................................................................................................................................................... $7,165,000 

FY 2013 TAPL Trust ............................................................................................................................................................ $6,800,000 

FY 2013 TAPL Program Available (less 5% operating funds) ............................................................................................ $6,460,000 

Bulk Fuel Planning, Design & Construction ........................................................................................................................ $6,460,000 

Sub-total $ .................................................................................................................................................................... $6,460,000 

Total FY 2013 Federal Program Available ........................................................................................................... $13,625,000 

FY 2013 Program Details & General 

Information 

The following section provides 

narrative discussion for each of the 

Commission Programs identified for 

funding in the FY 2013 funding table 

above. 

Energy Program 

Basic Rural Energy Infrastructure 

The Energy Program is the 

Commission’s original program and 

focuses on bulk fuel facilities and rural 

power system upgrades/power 

generation (RPSU) across rural Alaska. 

About 94% of electricity in rural 

communities is produced by diesel 

generators and about half of the fuel 

storage in most villages is used for these 

power plants. The majority of the 

Commission’s work in the energy 

program is carried out by two of our 

long-standing partners: Alaska Energy 

Authority (AEA), an agency of the State 

of Alaska, and the Alaska Village 

Electric Cooperative (AVEC), a nonprofit member organization. 

FY 2013 Project Selection Process (Bulk 

Fuel/RPSU/Mooring Ponts and Marine 

Headers) 

The projects selected for FY 2013 

funding are prioritized within the two 

energy program themes: bulk fuel and 

RPSU. The selected projects (in the table 

below) exceed FY 2013 funding levels 

(both TAPL and Energy and Water 

Appropriations), with the 

understanding that projects may 

proceed out of order due to factors such 

as the extended period of time between 

project selections, draft Work Plan 

development, and grant execution; 

match funding availability; and due 

diligence requirements. The 

Commission has been working in 

partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of 

Engineers (USACE) since 2009 to 

complete an assessment of prioritized 

barge landing and mooring point 

upgrades throughout Alaska. In many 

communities barge landing and mooring 

points are positioned adjacent to marine 

fuel headers to allow for the safe and 

efficient bulk delivery of community 

fuel that is used for heating and electric 

generation. However, in some cases 

communities have multiple marine 

header sites and are currently 

undertaking development and 

positioning of new barge landing and 

mooring point locations. Base funds 

(Energy & Water Appropriation) will be 

used in FY 2013, leveraged with 

existing transportation funds from prior 

years, to develop centralized marine 

header locations in coordination with 

prioritized barge landing and mooring 

points design and construction. 

Total project 

cost Cost share DC funding Program partner Priority 

Bulk Fuel Projects 

St. George ........................................................... $2,000,000 $1,000,000 $1,000,000 AEA 1 


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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 219 / Tuesday, November 13, 2012 / Notices 67637 

Total project 

cost Cost share DC funding Program partner Priority 

Emmonak/Alakanuk ............................................. 4,000,000 800,000 3,200,000 AVEC 2 

Tatitlek ................................................................. 2,300,000 460,000 1,840,000 AEA 3 

Pilot Station .......................................................... 3,000,000 600,000 2,400,000 AVEC 4 

RPSU Projects 

Emmonak/Alakanuk ............................................. 6,000,000 1,200,000 4,800,000 AVEC 1 

Nunam Iqua ......................................................... 3,000,000 600,000 2,400,000 AEA 2 

New Stuyahok/Ekwok .......................................... 3,250,000 650,000 2,600,000 AVEC 3 

Koliganek ............................................................. 3,800,000 760,000 3,040,000 AEA 4 

Alaska Energy Authority Project Management .... 157,200 0 157,200 AEA 

Alaska Village Electric Cooperative Project Management ........................................................... 480,000 0 480,000 AVEC 

Barge Landing and Mooring Points Projects 

Barge Landings and Mooring Points ................... 1,200,000 800,000 400,000 USACE 

Pre-Development Program 

The Pre-Development Program (Pre-D) 

is a service provided by The Foraker 

Group in collaboration with the Alaska 

Mental Health Trust Authority, The 

Commission, Mat- Su Health 

Foundation and Rasmuson Foundation. 

Pre-D offers guidance and technical 

resources for planning new facilities 

and renovating or expanding existing 

ones. Services are provided to nonprofit, 

municipal and tribal organizations to 

determine the feasibility of their 

projects and develop the documentation 

needed for funding applications. 

Pre-D’s core purpose is planning 

Sustainable Capital Projects – projects 

that contribute to the long-term viability 

of the organization and the community 

it serves. The Commission has been 

committed to contributing to sustainable 

projects since its inception. Pre-D 

supports successful projects by assisting 

with early planning which considers 

community needs, potential 

collaboration, organizational capacity 

and sustainability. 

The Commission is a founding 

member of Pre-D since 2007. As the 

agency’s capital funds have decreased in 

recent years, the benefits of Pre-D have 

become more evident. It is ever more 

critical to ensure that limited federal 

appropriations be invested in 

sustainable, realistic, right-sized capital 

projects. 

Further information about the 

program can be obtained at the 

following link: 

http://www.forakergroup.org/index.cfm/ 

Shared-Services/Pre-Development 

Joel Neimeyer, 

Federal Co-Chair. 

[FR Doc. 2012–27525 Filed 11–9–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3300–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

Equity and Excellence Commission 

AGENCY: U.S. Department of Education, 

Office for Civil Rights. 

ACTION: Notice of an open meeting. 

SUMMARY: This notice sets forth the 

schedule and proposed agenda of an upcoming meeting of the Equity and 

Excellence Commission (Commission). 

The notice also describes the functions 

of the Commission. Notice of this 

meeting is required by section 10(a)(2) 

of the Federal Advisory Committee Act 

(FACA) and is intended to notify the 

public of their opportunity to attend. 

Date: November 27 and 28, 2012. 

Time: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern 

Standard Time. 

ADDRESSES: The Commission will meet 

in Washington, DC at the National 

Museum of the American Indian at 

Fourth Street & Independence Ave. SW., 

Washington, DC 20560. The 

Commission will meet in the Patron’s 

Lounge of the museum on November 27 

and in the museum’s fourth-floor 

conference room on November 28. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Guy 

Johnson, Designated Federal Official, 

Equity and Excellence Commission, 

U.S. Department of Education, 400 

Maryland Avenue SW., Washington, DC 

20202. Email: 

equitycommission@ed.gov. Telephone: 

(202) 453–6567. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On 

November 27, 2012 from 9:00 a.m. to 

4:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, and 

on November 28, 2012, from 9:00 a.m. 

to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, the 

Equity and Excellence Commission will 

hold an open meeting in Washington, 

DC at the National Museum of the 

American Indian at Fourth Street & 

Independence Ave. SW., Washington, 

DC 20560. The Commission will meet in 

the Patron’s Lounge of the museum on 

November 27 and in the museum’s 

fourth-floor conference room on 

November 28. 

The purpose of the Commission is to 

collect information, analyze issues, and 

obtain broad public input regarding how 

the Federal government can increase 

educational opportunity by improving 

school funding equity. The Commission 

will also make recommendations for 

restructuring school finance systems to 

achieve equity in the distribution of 

educational resources and further 

student performance, especially for the 

students at the lower end of the 

achievement gap. The Commission will 

examine the disparities in meaningful 

educational opportunities that give rise 

to the achievement gap, with a focus on 

systems of finance, and recommend 

appropriate ways in which Federal 

policies could address such disparities. 

The agenda for the Commission’s 

November 27–28, 2012 meeting will 

include final review and deliberation of 

the drafts prepared by the writing teams 

for consideration in the draft report to 

the Secretary of the U.S. Department of 

Education (Secretary), summarizing the 

Commission’s findings and 

recommendations for appropriate ways 

in which Federal policies can improve 

equity in school finance. The 

Commission will also discuss the form 

and substance of the report. Due to time 

constraints, there will not be a public 

comment period. However, individuals 

wishing to provide written comments 

may send their comments to the 

Commission via email at 

equitycommission@ed.gov or via U.S. 

mail to Guy Johnson, Designated 

Federal Official, Equity and Excellence 

Commission, U.S. Department of 

Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., 

Washington, DC 20202. For comments 


srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with