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

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 federalagency 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 federalagency 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 ofgovernment 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


### 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 entitledwith 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.



### D ENALI 

### COMMISSION 

### FY 2013 F UNDING 

### 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 VillageElectric 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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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 AEAAlaska 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 theschedule 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