[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 195 (Friday, October 6, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59885-59887]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-25753]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Coast Guard

[USCG-2000-8047]


National Boating Safety Activities: Funding for National 
Nonprofit Public Service Organizations

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard seeks applications for grants and cooperative 
agreements from national, nongovernmental, nonprofit, public service 
organizations. These grants and cooperative agreements would be used to 
fund projects on various subjects promoting boating safety on the 
national level. This notice provides information about the grant and 
cooperative agreement application process and some of the subjects of 
particular interest to the Coast Guard.

DATES: Application packages may be obtained on or after October 10, 
2000. Proposals for the fiscal year 2001 grant cycle must be received 
before 4:30 p.m. eastern time, January 12, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Application packages may be obtained by calling the Coast 
Guard Infoline at 800-368-5647. Submit proposals to: Commandant (G-OPB-
1), U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters, 2100 Second Street SW., Room 3100, 
Washington, DC 20593-0001. This notice is available from the Coast 
Guard Infoline and on the Internet at http://dms.dot.gov or at the Web 
Site for the Office of Boating Safety at http://www.uscgboating.org.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Albert Marmo or Ms. Vickie 
Hartberger, Office of Boating Safety, U.S. Coast Guard (G-OPB-1/room 
3100), 2100 Second Street, SW., Washington, DC 20593-0001; 202-267-0950 
or 202-267-0974.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title 26, United States Code, section 9504, 
establishes the Boat Safety Account of the Aquatic Resources Trust 
Fund. From this trust fund, the majority of funds are allocated to the 
States, and up to 5% of these funds may be distributed by the Coast 
Guard for grants and cooperative agreements to national, nonprofit, 
public service organizations for national boating safety activities. It 
is anticipated that $2,950,000 will be available for fiscal year 2001. 
Twenty four awards totaling $2,948,343 were made in fiscal year 2000 
ranging from $5,000 to $436,200. Nothing in this announcement should be 
construed as committing the Coast Guard to dividing available funds 
among qualified applicants or awarding any specified amount.
    It is anticipated that several awards will be made by the Director 
of Operations Policy, U.S. Coast Guard. Applicants must be national, 
nongovernmental, nonprofit, public service organizations and must 
establish that their activities are, in fact, national in scope. An 
application package may be obtained by writing or calling the point of 
contact listed in ADDRESSES on or after October 10, 2000. The 
application package contains all necessary forms, an explanation of how 
the grant program is administered, and a checklist for submitting a 
grant application. Specific information on organization eligibility, 
proposal requirements, award procedures, and financial administration 
procedures may be obtained by contacting the person listed in FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

[[Page 59886]]

    Prospective grantees may propose up to a five-year grant with 
twelve-month (fiscal year) increments. In effect, an award would be 
made for the first year and thereafter renewal is optional. Each annual 
increment would not be guaranteed. Under a continuation (multi-year) 
grant type of award the Coast Guard agrees to support a grant project 
at a specific level of effort for a specified period of time, with a 
statement of intention to provide certain additional future support, 
provided funds become available, the achieved results warrant further 
support, and are in support of the needs of the government. Award of 
continuation grants will be made on a strict case by case basis to 
assist planning certain large scale projects and ensure continuity. 
Procedures also provide for awarding noncompetitive grants or 
cooperative agreements on a case by case basis. This authority is 
judiciously used to fund recurring annual projects or events which can 
only be carried out by one organization, and projects that present 
targets of opportunity for timely action on new or emerging program 
requirements or issues. The following list includes items of specific 
interest to the Coast Guard, however, potential applicants should not 
be constrained by the list. We welcome any initiative that supports the 
organizational objectives of the Recreational Boating Safety Program to 
save lives, reduce the number of boating accidents, injuries and 
property damage, and lower associated health care costs. We have a high 
interest in initiatives that focus on recreational anglers, canoeists, 
kayakers, and/or personal watercraft operators. Some project areas of 
continuing and particular interest for grant funding include the 
following:
    1. Develop and Conduct a National Annual Safe Boating Campaign. The 
Coast Guard seeks a grantee to develop and conduct the year 2002 
National Annual Safe Boating Campaign that targets specific boater 
market segments and recreational boating safety topics. This year-round 
campaign must support the organizational objectives of the Recreational 
Boating Safety Program, as well as support the nationwide grassroots 
activity of the many volunteer groups who coordinate local media 
events, education programs, and public awareness activities. The major 
focus of the campaign will be to affect the behavior of all boaters 
with special emphasis on paddlers, hunters and anglers, and users of 
personal watercraft. Efforts will also be coordinated, year-round, with 
other national transportation safety activities and special media 
events. Point of Contact: Ms. Jo Calkin, 202-267-0994.
    2. Develop and Conduct a National Recreational Boating Safety 
Outreach and Awareness Conference. The Coast Guard seeks a grantee to 
plan, implement, and conduct a National Recreational Boating Safety 
Outreach and Awareness Conference that supports the organizational 
objectives of the Recreational Boating Safety Program. The overall 
conference focus should have promotional strategies which address the 
following specific targeted audiences: Paddlers, anglers and hunters, 
and personal watercraft users. Point of Contact: Ms. Jo Calkin, 202-
267-0994.
    3. State/Federal/Boating Organizations Cooperative Partnering 
Efforts. The Coast Guard seeks a grantee to provide programs to 
encourage greater participation and uniformity in boating safety 
efforts. Applicants would provide a forum to encourage greater 
uniformity of boating laws and regulations, reciprocity among 
jurisdictions, and closer cooperation and assistance in developing, 
administering, and enforcing Federal and State laws and regulations 
pertaining to boating safety. Point of Contact: Ms. Sandy Brown, 202-
267-6010.
    4. Voluntary Standards Development Support. The Coast Guard seeks a 
grantee to carry out a program to encourage active participation by 
members of the public and other qualified persons in the development of 
technically sound voluntary safety standards for boats and associated 
equipment. Point of Contact: Mr. Peter Eikenberry, 202-267-6984.
    5. Develop and Conduct Boating Accident Seminars. The Coast Guard 
seeks a grantee to develop, provide instructional material, and conduct 
training courses nationwide for boating accident investigators, 
including three courses at the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve Training Center 
in Yorktown, Virginia. Point of Contact: Mr. Rick Gipe, 202-267-0985.
    6. National Estimate of Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs) Wear 
Rate. The Coast Guard seeks a grantee to develop a statistically valid 
national estimate and evaluation of wear rates of PFDs by recreational 
boaters. Wear rate should be determined by actual observation of 
boaters rather than other means such as surveys. Point of Contact: Mr. 
Peter Eikenberry, 202-267-6894.
    7. Risk Analysis. The Coast Guard seeks a grantee to apply risk 
analysis and risk management techniques to validate a speed versus 
proposed intervention matrix for the operation of recreational boats. 
Point of Contact: Mr. Philip Cappel, 202-267-0988.
    8. Recreational Boating Safety Needs Assessment. The Coast Guard 
seeks a grantee to perform a comprehensive assessment of funding needs 
for State recreational boating safety programs. Point of Contact: Ms. 
Jeanne Timmons, 202-267-0857.
    9. Develop a State-by-State Boater Risk Exposure Study. The Coast 
Guard seeks a grantee to perform an analysis of national boater survey 
and accident data to provide a better understanding of the relative 
risk boaters face as a function of the amount of time actually spent on 
the water. The study would provide insights regarding State-to-State 
comparisons of boaters' relative risk, highlighting differences based 
on boaters' relative exposure time. Point of Contact: Mr. Bruce 
Schmidt, 202-267-0955.
    10. Reference Guide to State Boating Education Laws and 
Regulations. The Coast Guard seeks a grantee to collect, compile and 
effectively disseminate State specific boating safety education laws 
and regulations to the boating community to encourage uniformity and 
reciprocity across and between States. The project will include a 
survey of the State authorities to ascertain the common elements 
contained in State boating education laws and will present these 
elements in a standardized, easy-to-use format. The data will be 
published both in printed and electronic formats to facilitate online 
access. Point of Contact: Mr. Vann Burgess, 202-267-6717.
    11. Uniform Implementation of National Boating Education Standards. 
The Coast Guard seeks a grantee to develop and conduct seminars to 
train State personnel in the accurate and effective use and 
interpretation of the National Boating Education Standards to better 
provide course review and enhance the approval process. Point of 
Contact: Mr. Vann Burgess, 202-267-6717.
    12. Establish Boat Operator Knowledge Exam Quality Criteria. The 
Coast Guard seeks a grantee to develop nationally recognized and 
accepted final written boating safety education examination criteria. 
Criteria elements should address all core elements as presented in the 
National Boating Education Standards. Identifiable elements should 
include such items, but not limited to: total number of questions, 
number of questions per educational segment, types/style of questions 
to be used, test validity, and educational efficacy. Point of Contact: 
Mr. Vann Burgess, 202-267-6717.
    13. Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) Education. 
The

[[Page 59887]]

Coast Guard seeks a grantee to develop a training aid to educate the 
recreational boating public on GMDSS, including information on GMDSS 
history, component systems, GMDSS Sea Areas, carriage requirements, 
potential difficulties non-GMDSS equipped recreational boat may 
encounter in trying to communicate with SOLAS-class vessels, Digital 
Selective Calling, and system implementation time frame. Point of 
Contact: CWO Michael Wedda, 202-267-1263.
    14. Boating Safety Problem-Specific Awareness. The Coast Guard 
seeks a grantee to develop an informational package dealing with 
several safety issues, including carbon monoxide dangers, propeller 
injury prevention, off throttle steering properties and others to be 
specified. The information would be reproducible in pamphlet form as 
well as in format for inclusion on the Office of Boating Safety Web 
site. Elements must support the year-round national campaign. Point of 
Contact: Ms. Diane Schneider, 202-267-1196.
    15. Navigation Light Glare Minimization. The Coast Guard seeks a 
grantee to investigate the aspects of recreational boat navigation 
light glare, especially with regard to the use of the ``all around'' 
white light, and determine what technologies or methodologies, if any, 
might eliminate or minimize the negative effects of glare on the vision 
of the operator. Point of Contact: Mr. Randolph J. Doubt, 202-267-6810.
    16. Flotation Foam Study. The Coast Guard seeks a grantee to 
perform testing and analysis of current flotation foams used in 
recreational vessels to determine degree of water absorption, effects 
of temperature variations, effects of vibration, and effects of aging. 
Study shall include both in-situ and as-installed testing. Point of 
Contact: Mr. Gary Larimer, 202-267-0986.
    17. Carbon Monoxide Study. The Coast Guard seeks a grantee to 
perform testing on current and emerging technologies for detection of 
carbon monoxide in a marine environment. Grantee shall also perform an 
analysis of in-use carbon monoxide detection equipment. Point of 
Contact: Mr. Randolph J. Doubt, 202-267-6810.
    18. Carbon Monoxide Build-up Relative to Vessel Configurations 
Study. The Coast Guard seeks a grantee to investigate levels of carbon 
monoxide build-up on recreational vessels relative to particular vessel 
design and equipment configuration. Point of Contact: Mr. Randolph J. 
Doubt, 202-267-6810.
    19. Revise, Reprint and Produce On-line the Guide for Multiple Use 
Waterways Management. The Coast Guard seeks a grantee to revise and 
update ``A Guide for Multiple Use Waterway Management'' produced under 
a prior Coast Guard grant, providing new management tools and 
techniques that have been developed or modified since the publication's 
initial release. In addition to providing the Guide in a printed format 
to satisfy current and anticipated future demand, this project would 
also format the Guide for availability and dissemination through the 
Internet. Point of Contact: CWO Michael Wedda, 202-267-1263.
    20. Disseminate Personal Watercraft (PWC) Renter Orientation 
Checklist. The Coast Guard seeks a grantee to package and disseminate 
printed copies of a newly developed two-part PWC Renter Orientation 
Checklist for broad distribution to PWC livery operators and others 
nationwide. The Checklist would also be made available online via the 
Internet. Point of Contact: Mr. Vann Burgess, 202-267-6717. Potential 
grantees should focus on partnership, i.e., exploring other sources, 
linkages, in-kind contributions, cost sharing, and partnering with 
other organizations or corporations. You may obtain a more detailed 
discussion of specific projects of interest to the Coast Guard by 
contacting the Coast Guard Infoline at 800-368-5647 and requesting a 
copy of a specific proposal. We also encourage proposals addressing 
other boating safety concerns.

    The Boating Safety Financial Assistance Program is listed in 
section 20.005 of the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance.

    Dated: October 3, 2000.
Kenneth T. Venuto,
Rear Admiral, Coast Guard, Director of Operations Policy.
[FR Doc. 00-25753 Filed 10-5-00; 8:45 am]
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