62706 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 203 / Thursday, October 19, 2000 / Notices

fishing and nonfishing threats, as well

as other components of FMPs required

under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery

Conservation and Management Act

(Magnuson-Stevens Act).

The proposed FMP and its associated

regulatory analyses would be the

Council’s fourth FMP for the exclusive

economic zone off the West Coast.

Development of the FMP is timely,

considering the new mandates under

the Magnuson-Stevens Act, efforts by

the United Nations to promote

conservation and management of HMS

resources through domestic and

international programs, and the

increased scope of activity of the InterAmerican Tropical Tuna Commission in

HMS fisheries in the eastern Pacific

Ocean.

Although non-emergency issues not

contained in the HMSPDT meeting

agenda may come before the HMSPDT

for discussion, those issues may not be

the subject of formal HMSPDT action

during these meetings. HMSPDT action

will be restricted to those issues

specifically listed in this document and

any issues arising after publication of

this document that require emergency

action under section 305(c) of the

Magnuson-Stevens Act, provided the

public has been notified of the

HMSPDT’s intent to take final action to

address the emergency.

Special Accommodations

The meeting is physically accessible

to people with disabilities. Requests for

sign language interpretation or other

auxiliary aids should be directed to Ms.

Carolyn Porter at (503) 326-6352 at least

5 days prior to the meeting date.

Dated: October 12, 2000.

Richard W. Surdi,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 00–26939 Filed 10–18–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[Docket No. 000817236-0236-01; I.D.

091100B]

RIN 0648-ZA92

General Grant Administration Terms

and Conditions of the CoastalOcean

Program

AGENCY: Center for Sponsored Coastal

Ocean Research/Coastal Ocean Program

(CSCOR/COP), National Ocean Service

(NOS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice for financial assistance

for project research grants and

cooperative agreements.

SUMMARY: It is the intent of NOAA/NOS/

CSCOR/COP to provide direct financial

assistance in the form of discretionary

research grants and cooperative

agreements under its program for the

management of coastal ecosystems.

This document does not solicit

proposals but rather describes the

general grant administration terms and

conditions of the CSCOR/COP program

for fiscal year 2001. It is CSCOR/COP’s

intent to issue supplemental

Announcements of Opportunities (AOs)

to request proposals on specific projects

throughout the year on an as-needed

basis. Any AOs will be issued through

the Federal Register. Information

regarding these announcements will be

made available on the CSCOR/COP

Home Page and CSCOR/COP’s e-mail

list. These announcements will provide

specific program descriptions.

CSCOR/COP supports research on

critical issues that exist in the Nation’s

estuaries, coastal waters, and the Great

Lakes and translates research findings

into accessible information for coastal

managers, planners, lawmakers, and the

public. CSCOR/COP’s projects are

multi-disciplinary, large in scale, and

long in duration (usually 3 to 5 years.)

Projects covering more than 1 year will

usually be funded on an annual basis.

DATES: Effective October 19, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Center for Sponsored

Coastal Ocean Research/Coastal Ocean

Program, National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration, 1315 East

West Highway, Room 9700, Silver

Spring, MD 20910-3282

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Leslie McDonald, CSCOR/COP Grants

Administrator,(301)713-3338/x137.

NOAA Standard Form and COPspecific application forms are accessible

with instructions on the following COP

Internet Site: http://www.cop.noaa.gov,

under the COP Grants Support section,

Part D, Application Forms for Initial

Proposal Submission. If you are unable

to access this information, you may call

COP at 301-713-3338 to leave a mailing

request. Further information on this

program may be viewed at the same web

site.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

(1) Program Authority(s): 16 U.S.C

1456c, 33 U.S.C 1121 et seq.; 33 U.S.C

883a et seq.; 33 U.S.C 1442; and Pub. L.

105-383.

(2) Catalog of Federal Domestic

Assistance (CFDA): 11.478 Coastal

Ocean Program.

(3) Program Description: NOAA’s

CSCOR/COP provides predictive

capability for managing coastal

ecosystems through sponsorship of

research. CSCOR/COP seeks to deliver

the highest quality science in a timely

manner for important coastal decisions.

It supports research on critical issues

that exist in the Nation’s estuaries,

coastal waters, and Great Lakes and

translates its findings into accessible

information for coastal managers,

planners, lawmakers, and the public.

The COP also supports educational

activities at the graduate and

undergraduate level to facilitate the

development of qualified professionals

in the fields of coastal science,

management, and policy.

Coastal Ecosystem Oceanography

CSCOR/COP supports the

conservation and management of marine

ecosystems through sponsorship of

improved ecological and oceanographic

predictions for resource management.

Studies focus on (1) understanding

critical processes that control the

abundance, distribution, and

replenishment of fishery resources; (2)

determining critical habitat processes

that influence fishery ecosystems; and

(3) quantifying ecosystem species

interactions to develop models that can

be used in management decisions.

Current efforts support studies dealing

with Bering Sea pollock, cod and

haddock on Georges Bank, salmon in

the Pacific Northwest, and the finfish

and shellfish resources of the Gulf of

Mexico.

Cumulative Coastal Impacts

CSCOR/COP sponsors a series of

regional watershed projects on the

causes and impacts of multiple stresses

on coastal ecosystems. Studies focus on

(l) developing indicators of stress; (2)

predicting impacts of multiple stresses

(3) valuing natural resources in

ecological and economical terms; and

(4) predicting the outcomes of

management strategies. Current efforts

are located in Chesapeake Bay, Florida

Bay and the Keys, the Great Lakes and

coastal areas of South Carolina, the

Pacific Northwest, and coral reefs in

Florida and Hawaii.

Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) and

Hypoxia

CSCOR/COP also sponsors studies on

the ecology and oceanography of

harmful algal blooms (HABs), focusing

on identifying and modeling linkages

between the physiology, ecology,

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 203 / Thursday, October 19, 2000 / Notices 62707

behavior and toxicity of HABs and

local/regional circulation patterns and

water quality. These results will not

only generate greater general knowledge

of problematic species in the U.S.

coastal waters, but also provide a

foundation for development of regional

HAB forecasting capabilities, eventually

providing a means to assess the

effectiveness of prevention, control, and

mitigation strategies developed in the

programs. Current regional efforts are

located in the Gulf of Maine, eastern

Long Island, the coastal regions of the

mid-Atlantic States, and the western

coast of Florida.

Eutrophication and resulting hypoxia

have become common problems

affecting living marine resources and

recreational uses of coastal waters. The

CSCOR/COP supports research

examining the influences of nutrient

loading, physical forcing, climate

change, and extent of hypoxic

conditions (i.e., the ‘‘dead zone’’) on the

ecosystem and fisheries of the northern

Gulf of Mexico.

Benefits of the CSCOR/COP

Continued population pressures on

the Nation’s coastal areas and ongoing

changes in the environment will

continue to stress our coastal waters,

bays, and estuaries and the Great Lakes.

CSCOR/COP has focused on developing

information for longer range U.S.

management and policy at large and

complex scales. CSCOR/COP research

will help the U.S. respond to the major

challenges of the next century and to

balance the needs of economic growth

with those of conserving the

environment and its coastal resources.

(4) Funding Availability: On average,

annual funding for each Announcement

of Opportunity is approximately

$l,000,000. Each CSCOR/COP project

generally consists of several coordinated

investigations with separate awards,

ranging from $5,000 to $500,000. Actual

funding levels will depend upon the

final budget appropriations for the fiscal

year. Individual AOs will be released

with specific applicable dollar amounts.

The financial history of CSCOR/COP

grants, interagency agreements, and

intra-NOAA funding transfers is as

follows: FY97 $10.00M; FY98 $8.5M;

FY99 $8.5M, and FY00 $8.5M.

Publication of this notice does not

obligate Commerce/NOAA to any

specific award or to obligate any part of

the entire amount of funds available.

Recipients and subrecipients are subject

to all Federal laws and agency policies,

regulations, and procedures applicable

to Federal financial assistance awards.

If an application for a financial

assistance award is selected for funding,

CSCOR/COP has no obligation to

provide any additional prospective

funding in connection with that award

in subsequent years.

(5) Matching Requirements: None.

(6) Type of Funding Instrument: They

are project grants and cooperative

agreements, interagency agreements and

transfers, and intra-NOAA funding

transfers.

In an effort to maximize the use of

limited resources, applications from

non-Federal, non-NOAA Federal and

NOAA applicants will be competed

against each other. Research proposals

selected for funding from non-Federal

researchers will be funded through a

project grant. Research proposals

selected for funding from non-NOAA

Federal applicants will be funded

through an interagency transfer,

provided legal authority exists for the

Federal applicant to receive funds from

another agency. Support may be solely

through COP or partnered with other

Federal offices and agencies.

(7) Eligibility Criteria: CSCOR/COP

funding opportunities are open to all

interested, qualified, non-Federal, and

Federal researchers. Researchers must

be affiliated with a not-for-profit

institution, and proposals must be

submitted through a not-for-profit

institution. Non-Federal researchers

should comply with their institutional

requirements for proposal submission.

Non-NOAA Federal applicants will be

required to submit certifications or

documentation showing that they have

specific legal authority to receive funds

from the Department of Commerce

(DOC) for this research. Foreign

researchers must subcontract with U.S.

proposers. Non-Federal researchers

affiliated with NOAA-University Joint

Institutes should comply with joint

institutional requirements; they will be

funded through grants either to their

institutions or to joint institutes.

Proposals deemed acceptable from

Federal researchers will be funded

through a mechanism other than a grant

or cooperative agreement, where legal

authority allows for such funding. DOC

requirements will prevail if there is a

conflict between DOC requirements and

institutional requirements.

(8) Award Period: Typically, CSCOR/

COP’s projects average 1 to 5 years in

length. Projects covering more than 1

year will usually be funded on an

annual basis.

(9) Application Forms: When

applying for financial assistance under

a published AO, applicants will be able

to obtain both the standard NOAA

application forms and COP-specific

application forms at the COP home

page. Forms may be viewed and, in

most cases, filled in by computer. All

forms must be printed, completed, and

mailed to CSCOR/COP with original

signatures in blue ink. If you are unable

to access this information, you may also

call (301)713-3338 to leave a mail

request. At time of submission, the

applicant will follow the proposal

requirements presented in the funding

announcement.

At time of original application for

financial assistance, all proposers are

required to submit the NOAA Standard

Form 424 (Rev July 1997), ‘‘Application

for Federal Assistance’’ and a COP

Summary Proposal Budget Form for

each fiscal year increment in lieu of the

NOAA Standard Form 424A (Rev July

1997),‘‘Budget Information for NonConstruction Programs.’’ Applicants

shall also include a budget narrative/

justification that supports all proposed

budget categories. The SF-424A shall be

requested only those recipients

subsequently recommended for award.

Multi-institution proposals must

include a Summary Proposal Budget

Form from each institution.

Applications not adhering to these

stated guidelines will be returned to the

applicant without further review.

In addition, other forms required as

part of a complete application package

from only those recipients subsequently

recommended for award include the

NOAA Standard Form 424-B,

’’Assurances for Non-Construction

Programs’’; the CD-511, ‘‘Certifications

Regarding Debarment, Suspension and

Other Responsibility Matters; Drug-Free

Workplace Requirements and

Lobbying’’; the CD-512, ‘‘Certification

Regarding Debarment, Suspension,

Ineligibility and Voluntary ExclusionLower Tier Covered Transactions and

Lobbying’’ (this certification is to

remain with the recipient and is not

forwarded to the Grants Officer); and the

SF-LLL,’’Disclosure of Lobbying

Activities’’ (if applicable).

(10) Project Funding Priorities:

Priority considerations will be given to

proposals that promote balanced

coverage of the science objective stated

in the later AOs, avoid duplication of

completed or ongoing work, and

increase geographic diversity.

Additional and/or other priorities may

be detailed in CSCOR/COP AOs.

(11) Evaluation Criteria: Unless

otherwise stated in an individual

funding announcement, the following

criteria and evaluation weightings will

be used for evaluating both solicited and

unsolicited proposals:

(a) Scientific Merit (20 percent):

Intrinsic scientific value of the proposed

work and the likelihood that it will lead

to fundamental advancements, new

62708 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 203 / Thursday, October 19, 2000 / Notices

discoveries or will have substantial

impact on progress in that field;

(b) Research Performance Competence

(20 percent): The capability of the

investigator and collaborators to

complete the proposed work as

evidenced by past research

accomplishments, previous cooperative

work, timely communication, and the

sharing of findings, data, and other

research products;

(c) Relevance (20 percent): Likelihood

that the research will make substantial

contributions or develop products

leading to improved management of

coastal resources;

(d) Technical Approach (20 percent):

The proposed work has focused science

objectives and a complete and efficient

strategy for making measurements and

observations in support of the

objectives. The approach is sound and

logically planned throughout the cycle

of the proposed work;

(e) Linkages (10 percent): Connections

to existing or planned studies, or

demonstrated cooperative arrangements

to provide or use data or other research

results to achieve the objectives.

(f) Costs (10 percent): Adequacy of the

proposed resources to accomplish the

proposed work, and the appropriateness

of the requested funding with respect to

the total available funds.

(12) Selection Procedures: All

proposals will be evaluated and ranked

individually in accordance with the

assigned weights of the above

evaluation criteria by independent peer

mail review and/or by independent peer

panel review. Both Federal and nonFederal experts in the field may be used

in this process. The peer mail reviewers

will be several individuals with

expertise in the subjects addressed by

particular proposals. Each mail reviewer

will see only certain individual

proposals within his or her area of

expertise, and rank them individually

on a scale of one to five, where scores

represent respectively: Excellent, Very

Good, Good, Fair, Poor.

The peer panel will comprise of 6 to

12 individuals, with each individual

having expertise in a separate area, so

that the panel, as a whole, covers a

range of scientific expertise. The panel

will have access to all mail reviews of

proposals, and will use the mail reviews

in discussion and evaluation of the

entire slate of proposals.

The program officer(s) will neither

vote or rank proposals as part of the

independent peer panel nor participate

in discussion of the merits of the

proposal. Those proposals receiving an

average panel rank of ‘‘Fair’’ or ‘‘Poor’’

will not be given further consideration,

and proposers will be notified of nonselection.

For the proposals rated by the panel

as either ‘‘Excellent,’’ ‘‘Very Good,’’ or

‘‘Good’’, the program managers will

,first, select the proposals to be

recommended for funding by applying

the project funding priorities listed in

section 10 and specific objectives

published in the AO; second, determine

the total duration of funding for each

proposal; and, third, determine the

amount of funds available for each

proposal. Because of consideration of

the project funding priorities, awards

may not necessarily be made in rank

order.

Investigators may be asked to modify

objectives, work plans or budgets, and

provide supplemental information

required by the agency prior to the

award. When a decision has been made

(whether an award or declination),

verbatim anonymous copies of reviews

and summaries of review panel

deliberations, if any, will be made

available to the proposer.

(13) Other Requirements:

(a) Federal Policies and Procedures:

Recipients and subrecipients are subject

to all Federal laws and Federal and DOC

policies, regulations, and procedures

applicable to Federal financial

assistance awards.

(b) Past Performance: Unsatisfactory

performance by a recipient under prior

Federal awards may result in an

application not being considered for

funding.

(c) Preaward Activities: If applicants

incur any costs prior to an award being

made, they do so solely at their own

risk. Notwithstanding any verbal

assurance that they may have received

regarding an award, there is no

obligation on the part of the Department

of Commerce to cover pre-award

expenditures unless approved by the

Grants Officer, in writing, as part of the

terms when the award is made.

(d) No Obligation for Future Funding:

If an application is selected for funding,

DOC/NOAA has no obligation to

provide any additional future funding in

connection with that award.

Amendment of an award to increase

funding or, unless the award

specifically provides to the contrary, to

extend the period of performance is at

the total discretion of DOC/NOAA.

(e) Delinquent Federal Debts: No

award of Federal funds shall be made to

an applicant who has an outstanding

delinquent Federal debt until:

(i) The delinquent account is paid in

full.

(ii) A negotiated repayment schedule

is established, and at least one payment

is received, or

(iii) Other arrangements satisfactory to

the Department of Commerce are made.

(f) Name Check Review: All non-profit

and for-profit applicants are subject to a

name check review process. Name

checks are intended to reveal if any key

individuals associated with the

applicant have been convicted of, or are

presently facing criminal charges such

as fraud, theft, perjury, or other matters

that significantly reflect on the

applicant’s management honesty or

financial integrity.

(g) Debarment, Suspension, Drug-Free

Workplace, and Lobbying Provisions:

All applicants must comply with the

requirements of l5 CFR part 26,

‘‘Government-wide Debarment and

Suspension (nonprocurement) and

Government-wide Requirements for

Drug-Free Workplace (Grants)’’ and with

l5 CFR part 28, ‘‘New Restrictions on

Lobbying,’’ including the submission of

required forms and the acquisition of

certifications from lower tier applicants/

bidders.

(h) False Statements: A false

statement on an application is grounds

for denial or termination of funds

andgrounds for possible punishment by

a fine or imprisonment as provided in

18 U.S.C. l00l.

(i) Intergovernmental Review:

Applications under this program are not

subject to Executive Order l2372,

‘‘Intergovernmental Review of Federal

Programs.’’

(j) Executive Order 12866: This action

was determined to be not significant for

purposes of Executive Order 12866.

(k) Minority Serving Institutions:

Pursuant to Executive Orders 12876,

12900, and 13021, the Department of

Commerce, National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (DOC/

NOAA), is strongly committed to

broadening the participation of

Historically Black Colleges and

Universities, Hispanic Serving

Institutions, and Tribal Colleges and

Universities in its educational and

research programs. The DOC/NOAA

vision, mission, and goals are to achieve

full participation by Minority Serving

Institutions (MSI) in order to advance

the development of human potential, to

strengthen the nation’s capacity to

provide high-quality education, and to

increase opportunities for MSIs to

participate in, and benefit from, Federal

Financial Assistance programs. DOC/

NOAA encourages all applicants to

include meaningful participation of

MSIs.

(l) Buy America: Applicants are

hereby notified that they are

encouraged, to the greatest practicable

extent, to purchase American-made

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 203 / Thursday, October 19, 2000 / Notices 62709

equipment and products with funding

provided under this program.

(m) Data Archiving: Any data

collected in projects supported by

CSCOR/COP must be delivered to a

National Data Center (NDC), such as the

National Oceanographic Data Center

(NODC), in an electronic format to be

determined by the institution, the

NODC, and Program Officer. It is the

responsibility of the institution for the

delivery of these data; the DOC will not

provide additional support for delivery

beyond the award. Additionally, all

biological cultures established,

molecular probes developed, genetic

sequences identified, mathematical

models constructed, or other resulting

information products established

through support provided by CSCOR/

COP must be made available to the

general research community at no or

modest handling charge (to be

determined by the institution, Program

Officer, and DOC). For more details,

refer to CSCOR/COP data policy posted

at the COP home page.

(n) Please note that NOAA is

developing a policy on internal

overhead charges, NOAA scientists

considering submission of proposals

should contact the appropriate CSCOR/

COP Program Manager for the latest

information.

(o) Paperwork Reduction Act: This

notification involves collection-ofinformation requirements subject to the

Paperwork Reduction Act. The use of

Standard Forms 424, 424A, 424B, and

SF-LLL has been approved by the Office

of Management and Budget (OMB)

under control numbers 0348-0043,

0348-0044, 0348-0040 and 0348-0046.

The COP Grants Application Package

has been approved by OMB under

control number 0648-0384 and includes

the following information collections: a

Summary Proposal Budget Form, a

Project Summary Form, standardized

formats for the Annual Performance

Report and the Final Report, and the

submission of up to 20 copies of

proposals. Copies of these forms and

formats can be found on the COP Home

Page.

Notwithstanding any other provision

of law, no person is required to respond

to, nor shall any person be subject to a

penalty for failure to comply with a

collection of information subject to the

requirements of the Paperwork

Reduction Act, unless that collection

displays a currently valid OMB control

number.

Dated: October 12, 2000.

Margaret A. Davidson,

Acting Assistant Administrator for Ocean

Services and Coastal Zone Management.

[FR Doc. 00–26937 Filed 10–18–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–JS–S

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 101200D]

South Atlantic Fishery Management

Council; Public Meeting

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of public meetings.

SUMMARY: The South Atlantic Fishery

Management Council’s (Council)

Scientific and Statistical Committee

(SSC) will meet.

DATES: The SSC meeting will be held on

November 8, 2000, from 1:30 p.m. to 5

p.m., and on November 9, 2000, from 9

a.m. to 3 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at

the Town & Country Inn, 2008

Savannah Highway, Charleston, SC

29407; telephone: (843) 571-1000 or 1-

800/334-6660.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kim

Iverson, Public Information Officer,

telephone: (843) 571-4366; fax: (843)

769-4520; email: kim.iverson@noaa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The SSC

will review and provide comments and

guidance on the following: proposed

Maximum Sustainable Yield and

overfishing definitions to meet

Sustainable Fisheries Act requirements;

presentations on population

assessments and age/growth

comparisons for white grunt off the

Southeastern coast and age, growth and

mortality of gray snapper from the East

coast of Florida; status of the vessel

capacity program; a report on the status

of the spiny lobster fishery in Florida;

the status of the Council’s activities

regarding marine reserves; the rock

shrimp limited entry options paper; a

report on an ethnographic social

network tracing study; a report on the

Council/NMFS cost and returns study;

and a review of the information

available on the use of powerheads to

harvest snapper/grouper species.

Although non-emergency issues not

contained in this agenda may come

before this group for discussion, those

issues may not be the subject of formal

action during this meeting. Action will

be restricted to those issues specifically

identified in this notice and any issues

arising after publication of this notice

that require emergency action under

section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens

Fishery Conservation and Management

Act, provided the public has been

notified of the Council’s intent to take

final action to address the emergency.

Special Accommodations

These meetings are physically

accessible to people with disabilities.

Requests for sign language

interpretation or other auxiliary aids

should be directed to the Council office

(see ADDRESSES) by October 30, 2000.

Dated: October 12, 2000.

Richard W. Surdi,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 00–26938 Filed 10–18–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 101200B]

Endangered Species; Permits

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Receipt of application for a

research/enhancement permit (1266);

issuance of permits (1236, 1200, 1258).

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the

following actions regarding permits for

takes of endangered and threatened

species for the purposes of scientific

research and/or enhancement: NMFS

has received a research/enhancement

permit application from John Glass of

REMSA, Inc. (REMSA) (1266); and

NMFS has issued permits to: Dr. Jack

Musick, Virginia Institute of Marine

Science (VIMS) (1236); David Stier,

Springfield Science Museum (SSM)

(1200) and David Jones, North Carolina

Zoological Park (NCZoo)(1258).

DATES: Comments or requests for a

public hearing on any of the new

applications or modification requests

must be received at the appropriate

address or fax number no later than 5

pm eastern standard time on November

20, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on any of

the new applications or modification

requests should be sent to the

appropriate office as indicated below.

Comments may also be sent via fax to

the number indicated for the application