35608 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 145 / Friday, July 27, 2018 / Notices 

night, with an additional $5 extra 

vehicle fee per night for more than two 

vehicles; 

• Bottle Bay, Geisinger, Navigation, 

Plowboy, Teacher Bay, Trapper, and 

Tule Bay Boat-in campgrounds on Priest 

Lake; proposed fee of $15 per night; 

• Green Bay and Whiskey Rock boatin campgrounds on Pend Oreille Lake; 

proposed fee of $15 per night; 

• Reynolds Creek Group camp site; 

proposed fee of $50 per night; 

• Shadowy St. Joe Day Use Boating 

site; proposed fee of $5 per vehicle, per 

day; 

• Priest Lake Information Site (RV 

Dump Station); proposed fee of $10 per 

use. 

Additional construction is required at 

the Spyglass Ground House to complete 

the renovation project and it is 

anticipated that this site would be 

available for the public to rent in May 

of 2019. The Beaver Creek Cabin is 

currently unfurnished and would be 

available to rent in 2018 for $45 per 

night; however, once the cabin is 

furnished the fee would be raised to $55 

per night. 

Reasonable fees, paid by users of 

these sites and services, will help 

ensure that the Forest can continue 

maintaining and improving the sites for 

future generations. A market analysis of 

surrounding recreation sites with 

similar amenities indicates that the 

proposed fees are comparable and 

reasonable. 

Advance reservations for the Beaver 

Creek Cabin, Lunch Peak Lookout, and 

Spyglass Ground House will be 

available through www.recreation.gov or 

by calling 1–877–444–6777. The 

reservation service charges a $10 fee for 

reservations. 

Dated: January 10, 2018. 

Chris French, 

Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest 

System. 

Editorial Note: This document was 

received for publication by the Office of the 

Federal Register on July 23, 2018. 

[FR Doc. 2018–16032 Filed 7–26–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3411–15–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

National Institute of Food and 

Agriculture Service 

[Docket No. NIFA–2018–003] 

Notice of Intent for Renewal of a 

Currently Approved Information 

Collection 

AGENCY: National Institute of Food and 

Agriculture, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and 

Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) regulations, which implemented 

the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 

this notice announces the National 

Institute of Food and Agriculture’s 

(NIFA’s) intention to request an 

extension for a currently approved 

information collection (OMB No. 0524– 

0026) for Form NIFA–666, 

‘‘Organizational Information.’’ 

DATES: Written comments on this notice 

must be received by September 25, 2018 

to be assured of consideration. 

Comments received after that date will 

be considered to the extent practicable. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments 

concerning this notice and requests for 

copies of the information collection may 

be submitted to Robert Martin, Records 

Officer, Information Policy, Planning 

and Training by any of the following 

methods: Mail: Office of Information 

Technology (OIT), NIFA/USDA; Mail 

Stop 2216; 1400 Independence Avenue 

SW; Washington, DC 20250–2299; Hand 

Delivery/Courier: 800 9th Street SW, 

Waterfront Centre, Room 4206, 

Washington, DC 20024; or Email: 

rmartin@nifa.usda.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Robert Martin, Records Officer, 

Information Policy, Planning and 

Training, Office of Information 

Technology, NIFA/USDA, Email: 

rmartin@nifa.usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title of Collection: Organizational 

Information. 

OMB Control Number: 0524–0026. 

Expiration Date of Current Approval: 

October 30, 2018. 

Type of Request: Intent to extend a 

currently approved information 

collection for three years. 

Abstract: NIFA has primary 

responsibility for providing linkages 

between the Federal and State 

components of a broad-based, national 

agricultural research, extension, and 

education system. Focused on national 

issues, its purpose is to represent the 

Secretary of Agriculture and carry out 

the intent of Congress by administering 

capacity and grant funds appropriated 

for agricultural research, extension, and 

education. Before awards can be made, 

certain information is required from 

applicants to effectively assess the 

potential recipient’s capacity to manage 

Federal funds. 

Need and Use of the Information: 

Form NIFA–666 ‘‘Organizational 

Information’’: Enables NIFA to 

determine that the applicants 

recommended for awards will be 

responsible recipients of Federal funds. 

The information requested from the 

applicant pertains to the organizational 

and financial management of the 

potential grantee. This form and the 

attached applicant documents provide 

NIFA with information such as the legal 

name of the organization, certification 

that the organization has the legal 

authority to accept Federal funding, 

identification and signatures of the key 

officials, the organization’s policies for 

employee compensation and benefits, 

equipment insurance, policies on 

subcontracting with other organizations, 

etc., as well the financial condition of 

the organization and certification that 

the organization is not delinquent on 

Federal taxes. All of this information is 

considered prior to award, to determine 

the grantee is both managerially and 

fiscally responsible. This information is 

submitted to NIFA on a one-time basis 

and updated accordingly. If sufficient 

changes occur within the organization, 

the grantee submits revised information. 

Estimate of the Burden: NIFA 

estimates the number of responses for 

the Form NIFA–666 will be 150 with an 

estimated response time of 6.3 hours per 

form, representing a total annual burden 

of 945 hours for this form. These 

estimates are based on a survey of 

grantees that were approved for grant 

awards. 

They were asked to give an estimate 

of time it took them to complete each 

form. This estimate was to include such 

things as: (1) Reviewing the 

instructions; (2) searching existing data 

sources; (3) gathering and maintaining 

the data needed; and (4) actual 

completion of the forms. The average 

time it took each respondent was 

calculated from their responses. 

Comments: Comments are invited on: 

(a) Whether the proposed collection of 

information is necessary for the proper 

performance of the functions of the 

Agency, including whether the 

information will have a practical utility; 

(b) the accuracy of the Agency’s 

estimate of the burden of the proposed 

collection of information, including the 

validity of the methodology and 

assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance 

the quality, utility, and clarity of the 

information to be collected; and (d) 

ways to minimize the burden of the 

information collection on those who are 

to respond, including through the use of 

appropriate automated, electronic, 

mechanical, or other technological 

collection techniques or other forms of 

information technology. 


amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with NOTICES1
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 145 / Friday, July 27, 2018 / Notices 35609 

Done at Washington, DC, this 19th day of 

July 2018. 

Chavonda Jacobs-Young, 

Acting Under Secretary for Research, 

Education and Economics. 

[FR Doc. 2018–16100 Filed 7–26–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Utilities Service 

Broadband e-Connectivity Pilot 

Program 

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of inquiry and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service 

(RUS), an agency of the United States 

Department of Agriculture, invites 

comment on the implementation of 

certain provisions of its pilot broadband 

program (e-Connectivity Pilot) 

established on March 23, 2018, in the 

Consolidated Appropriations Act of 

2018. The e-Connectivity Pilot was 

appropriated $600 million in budget 

authority to be operated under the Rural 

Electrification Act of 1936 on an 

expedited basis. Loans and grants are 

limited to the costs of the construction, 

improvement, and acquisition of 

facilities and equipment for broadband 

service in eligible communities. 

DATES: Comments are due on or before 

5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on 

September 10, 2018. 

ADDRESSES: Submit comments, 

identified as e-Connectivity Pilot, by 

either of the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov and, in the 

lower ‘‘Search Regulations and Federal 

Actions’’ box, select ‘‘Rural Utilities 

Service’’ from the agency drop-down 

menu, then click on ‘‘Submit.’’ In the 

Docket ID column, select RUS–18– 

TELECOM–0004 to submit or view 

public comments and to view 

supporting and related materials 

available electronically. Information on 

using Regulations.gov, including 

instructions for accessing documents, 

submitting comments, and viewing the 

docket after the close of the comment 

period, is available through the site’s 

‘‘User Tips’’ link. 

• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: 

Please send your comment addressed to 

Michele Brooks, Rural Development 

Innovation Center, Regulations Team 

Lead, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

1400 Independence Ave. SW, Stop 

1522, Room 1562, Washington, DC 

20250. Please state that your comment 

refers to Docket No. RUS–18– 

TELECOM–0004. 

Other Information: Additional 

information about Rural Development 

and its programs is available on the 

internet at https://www.usda.gov/topics/ 

rural. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 

779 of the Consolidated Appropriations 

Act of 2018 (Pub. L. 115–141) 

appropriated $600 million for a pilot 

broadband program (e-Connectivity 

Pilot) to be operated under the Rural 

Electrification Act (RE Act) of 1936 (7 

U.S.C. 901 et seq.). The e-Connectivity 

Pilot was directed to expedite loans and 

grants for the costs of the construction, 

improvement, and acquisition of 

facilities and equipment for broadband 

service in eligible rural areas. Those 

areas are defined as having at least 90 

percent of the households without 

sufficient access to broadband, defined 

as 10 Mbps downstream, and 1 Mbps 

upstream. Applications for eligible rural 

areas are prohibited from over-building 

or duplicating broadband expansion 

efforts made by any entity that has 

received a broadband loan from the 

Rural Utilities Service. Applications 

must also be evaluated by the service 

area assessment requirements of Section 

601(d)(10) of the RE Act (7 U.S.C. 

950bb(d)(10)) so that existing broadband 

providers may provide input on service 

in the proposed service area. In the 

absence of responses, RUS is directed to 

use the most current data of the 

National Broadband Map, or any other 

data regarding the availability of 

broadband service that may be collected 

or obtained through reasonable efforts. 

Notice of Inquiry and Request for 

Comment 

RUS seeks input on several questions 

concerning development of the eConnectivity Pilot. Comments are 

requested from a broad range of 

stakeholders with an interest in rural 

broadband deployment. Specifically, 

RUS seeks comment on the following: 

(1) Eligible rural areas are defined as 

having at least 90 percent of the 

households without sufficient access to 

broadband, defined in the law as 10 

Mbps downstream, and 1 Mbps 

upstream. At present, RUS is working to 

determine what types of technologies 

and services are defined as ‘‘sufficient 

access.’’ In particular, RUS is seeking 

information about the transmission 

capacity required for economic 

development, and speed and latency, 

especially in peak usage hours, to 

ensure rural premises have access to 

coverage similar to that offered in urban 

areas. Comments are specifically 

requested on whether affordability of 

service should be included in evaluating 

whether an area already has ‘‘sufficient 

access’’ and how to benchmark 

affordability of internet services. And if 

so, what equates to consumers’ costs 

being so high that they are effectively 

rendered inaccessible to rural 

households? Further, what other 

elements should RUS consider when 

defining sufficient access? 

(2) RUS uses a combination of a 

Public Notice Filing—Public Notice 

Response process through our online 

mapping tool and the most current data 

of the National Broadband Map, or any 

other data regarding the availability of 

broadband service that may be collected 

or obtained through reasonable efforts. 

RUS’ mapping tool will publicly post 

proposed service territories of 

applicants to allow existing service 

providers an opportunity to comment if 

10 Mbps downstream and 1 Mbps 

upstream service exists for households 

in the proposed service area or not. 

Notwithstanding this data, comments 

are sought on how data speeds are to be 

used or verified, given the limited 

availability of publicly-available 

information regarding accurate 

broadband speeds provided to rural 

households. Additionally, what other 

sources of data availability should be 

used for evaluation? 

(3) RUS is working to ensure that 

projects funded by the e-Connectivity 

pilot provide improvements to rural 

prosperity. This includes projects that 

benefit rural industries such as 

agriculture, manufacturing, e-commerce, 

transportation, health care, and 

education. Comments are specifically 

requested on effective methods that can 

measure leading indicators of potential 

project benefits for these sectors, using 

readily available public data. USDA is 

also aiming to improve rural economies, 

especially for those being served. 

Comments are also being sought on how 

to evaluate the viability of applications 

that include local utility partnership 

arrangements, including locally-owned 

telecommunications companies where 

possible. 

Dated: July 17, 2018. 

Jonathan P. Claffey, 

Senior Policy Advisor, Rural Utilities Service. 

[FR Doc. 2018–16014 Filed 7–26–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE P 


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