Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 213 / Thursday, November 2, 2000 / Notices 65889

Columbus, Ohio 43215, a registered

holding company, has file a posteffective amendment under sections

6(a), 7, 9(a), 10 and 12(b) of the Act and

rule 54 under the Act, to a previously

file application-declaration.

By order dated December 13, 1996

(HCAR No. 26627), Credit was

authorized, through December 31, 2000,

to factor the accounts receivable of

associate and nonassociate utilities

companies, provided that the average

amount of nonassociate utility

receivables for the proceeding 12 month

period outstanding as of the end of any

calendar month would be less than the

average amount of receivables acquired

from associate companies outstanding

as of the end of each calendar month

during the preceding 12 month period

(‘‘50% Restriction’’).

Credit now seeks to extend its

authority to factor the accounts

receivable of associate and nonassociate

utility company through September 30,

2005, subject to the 50% Restriction.

Unitil Corporation (70–9633)

Unitil Corporation (‘‘Unitil’’), a

registered holding company, and its

public utility subsidiary companies,

Concord Electric Company, Exeter &

Hampton Electric Company, Fitchburg

Gas and Electric Light Company

(‘‘Fitchburg’’) and Unitil Power

Corporation (collectively,

‘‘Subsidiaries’’), all located at 6 Liberty

Lane West, Hampton, New Hampshire

03842–1720, have filed a post-effective

amendment under sections 6(a), 7, 9(a)

and 10 of the Act and rules 43 and 54

under the Act to an applicationdeclaration previously filed under the

Act.

By orders dated June 30, 1997 and

June 9, 2000 (HCAR Nos. 26737 and

27182) (‘‘Orders’’), among other things,

Unitil was authorized to issue and sell

short-term notes (‘‘Notes’’) to banks in

an aggregate outstanding amount not

exceeding $25 million (‘‘Short-Term

Debt Limitation’’) and to operate, and

lend funds to members of, the Unitil

system money pool (‘‘Money Pool’’),

through June 30, 2003. The Orders

provided that Unitil’s short-term debt

would bear interest at the lending

bank’s base, prime or money market rate

and mature not more than nine months

from issuance.

Unitil now proposes to increase the

Short-Term Debt Limitation from $25

million to $35 million, through June 30,

2003. The Notes will be issued under

the same terms and conditions as

provided by the Orders. The proceeds

may be used to fund the Money Pool;

however, Fitchburg is not requesting

increased authority to effect Money Pool

borrowings.

For the Commission by the Division of

Investment Management, pursuant to

delegated authority.

Jonathan G. Katz,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 00–28138 Filed 11–1–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8010–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 3461]

Bureau of Educational and Cultural

Affairs; English Language Fellow

Program

NOTICE: Request for proposals.

SUMMARY: The Office of English

Language Programs of the Bureau of

Educational and Cultural Affairs

announces an open competition for the

2001 English Language Fellow Program.

The program consists of English

Language Fellows, who are recent

TEFL/TESL M.A. graduates (within the

last five years), and senior English

Language Fellows, who are experienced

English as a foreign language teacher

trainers.

Public and private non-profit

organizations meeting the provisions

described in IRS regulation 26 CFR

1.501[c] may submit proposals to

administer and manage the English

Language Fellow Program, which is

designed to provide universities,

binational centers, teacher-training

colleges, ministries of education and

other educational language institutions

worldwide with professionally trained

American expertise in English as a

Foreign Language (EFL).

The goal of this program is to promote

the teaching of English to facilitate

democratic institution building and to

encourage participation in the global

economy. An introduction to American

English, methodology and materials

opens the door for advanced study in

the U.S., and to develop and promote

mutual understanding.

Program Information

The Bureau of Educational and

Cultural Affairs is soliciting proposals

from U.S. non-profit educational

institutions/organizations to manage

and administer the 2001 English

Language Fellow Programs. English

Language Fellows must be U.S. citizens.

The programs are for an eleven-month

period beginning with academic year

2001–2002. One-year extensions will be

granted only under exceptional

circumstances, and require agreement of

the Bureau, U.S. Embassy, host

institution, and the fellow.

The English Language Fellows are not

employees of the Bureau or the grantee

organization. Selection of countries

which will receive English Language

Fellows will be made by the Bureau.

The programs have placed over 250

English language professionals

worldwide in the past five years,

promoting English Teaching as a

response to the dramatic increase in the

demand for English caused by political

and/or economic changes.

The program is open to English

language professionals at two different

levels:

A. The English Language Fellows are

recent TEFL/TESL M.A. graduates

(within the last five years) who provide

expertise to institutions selected by U.S.

Embassies abroad while gaining

international teaching experience. The

fellows serve as full-time teachers of

English as a Foreign Language (EFL).

They may teach up to 20 hours of

English a week in the host program. In

addition, they may be asked to work in

materials and test development or

teacher-training activities. They should

not be assigned administrative duties.

The sum of all duties should not exceed

40 hours per week.

B. The senior English Language

Fellows are experienced EFL trainers

who have a M.A. or higher degree in

TEFL/TESL or a closely related field

and have overseas teacher training

experience. The senior fellows serve as

full-time teacher trainers of English as a

foreign language as well as serving in

program-related activities such as: (1)

Teaching English for Specific Purposes

(ESP) in a variety of professional fields

such as business, law and economics;

(2) designing and developing EFL

curricula and materials; (3) conducting

program evaluation and design; (4)

testing; and (5) organizing and hosting

country-wide workshops and

conferences.

The grant period should begin on/

about January 15, 2001 and extend

through September 30, 2002.

The grantee organization is

responsible for the management and

administrative aspects of the program,

which include the following:

—Recruitment, selection and placement of

approximately 24 English Language

Fellows and approximately 36 senior

English Language Fellows in all areas of

the world at universities, binational

centers, teacher-training colleges,

ministries of education and other

educational language institutions;

—Pre-departure orientations;

—Mid-year senior English Language Fellow

conference (optional);

65890 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 213 / Thursday, November 2, 2000 / Notices

—Fiscal management and logistics;

—Travel management (reservations/

itineraries, ticketing);

—Medical insurance enrollment;

—Development of promotional materials in

support of programs;

—Monitoring: programs and individuals;

—Extensive monitoring, review and

evaluation of English Language Fellow

reports, including a preliminary report, a

mid-year report, and a final, year-end

report;

—Evaluation of and follow-on activities for

programs;

—Establishment and maintenance of an

alumni database of English Language

Fellows.

The period of the program is from on/

about February 15, 2001 through

September 30, 2002. The recruitment

and selection process will begin at the

2001 TESOL Convention in St. Louis,

Missouri, February 2001; pre-departure

orientations, third or fourth week of

August 2001; and the fellows’

departures to overseas assignments, first

and second week of September 2001.

The grantee organization should

provide a time line for all activities. The

fellows will receive a basic stipend,

living and housing allowance, predeparture orientation travel to

Washington, DC, pre-departure

allowance, international round trip

travel from U.S. residence to host

country; book or materials allowance,

miscellaneous expense and health/

medical coverage up to $50,000 per

illness/injury.

Programs must comply with J–1 visa

regulations. Please refer to Solicitation

Package for further information.

Budget Guidelines

Grants awarded to eligible

organizations with less than four years

of experience in conducting

international exchange programs will be

limited to $60,000. The Bureau

anticipates awarding one grant in an

amount not to exceed $2,725,000.

Applicants must submit a

comprehensive budget for the entire

program. There must be a summary

budget as well as breakdowns reflecting

both administrative and program

budgets. Applicants may provide

separate sub-budgets for each program

component, phase, location, or activity

to provide clarification.

(1) Basic stipend ................... $13,750

(2) Round trip travel ............ 4,000

(3) Living allowance ............. 6,000

(4) Pre-departure orientation

travel .................................. 1,800

(5) Pre-departure allowance 500

(6) Shipping allowance ........ 400

(7) Miscellaneous expense ... 200

(8) Promotional/educational

materials ............................ 100

B. Allowable costs for the senior

English Language Fellows

(approx. 6 worldwide) include

the following:

(1) Basic stipend ................... 21,000

(2) Round trip travel ............ 4,000

(3) Living allowance ............. 10,000

(4) Pre-departure round trip

travel .................................. 1,800

(5) Pre-departure allowance 500

(6) Shipping allowance ........ 400

(7) Book allowance (up to) .. 850

(8) In-country arrival orientation (1–2 days) (if not

based in the host country) 700

(9) In-country travel allowance (up to) ....................... 750

(10) Miscellaneous expenses 200

(11) Mid-year senior English

Language Fellow conference (optional—if conference is held, grant will

be amended to add additional funds).

C. Allowable costs for the senior

English Language Fellows for

Eastern Europe, the Balkans

and the NIS (approx. 18) include the following: Albania

(3), Azerbaijan (2), Croatia (2)

Kosovo (6), Kazakhstan (1),

Kyrgyzstan (1), Moldova (1),

Ukraine (2)

(1) Basic stipend ................... 21,000

(2) Round trip travel ............ 4,000

(3) Living allowance ............. 16,000

(4) Pre-departure round trip

travel .................................. 1,800

(5) Pre-departure allowance 500

(6) Shipping allowance ........ 400

(7) Book allowance (up to) .. 850

(8) In-country arrival orientation (1–2 days) (if not

based in capital city) ........ 700

(9) In-country travel allowance (up to) ....................... 1,500

(10) Miscellaneous expenses 200

(11) Mid-year senior English

Language Fellow conference (optional—if conference is held, grant will

be amended to add additional funds).

D. Allowable costs for the senior

English Language Fellows for

Russia (approx. 12) include

the following:

(1) Basic stipend ................... 21,000

(2) Basic stipend (2) regional

coordinators ...................... 25,000

(3) Round trip travel ............ 4,000

(4) Living allowance ............. 16,500

(5) Pre-departure round trip

travel .................................. 1,800

(6) Pre-departure allowance 500

(7) Shipping allowance ........ 400

(8) Book allowance (up to) .. 850

(9) In-country arrival orientation (1–2 days) (if not

based in capital city) ........ 700

(10) In-country travel allowance (up to) ....................... 5,000

(11) Miscellaneous expenses 255

(12) Mid-year senior English

Language Fellow conference (optional—if conference is held, grant will

be amended to add additional funds).

Please refer to the Solicitation

Package for complete budget guidelines

and formatting instructions.

Announcement Title and Number

All correspondence with the Bureau

concerning this RFP should reference

the above title and number ECA/A/L–

01–01.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The

Office of English Language Programs,

ECA/A/L, Room 304, U.S. Department

of State, 301 4th Street, SW.,

Washington, DC 20547, telephone: 202/

619–5869 and fax number: 202/401–

1250, Internet address: http://

exchanges.state.gov/education/rfps to

request a Solicitation Package. The

Solicitation Package contains detailed

award criteria, required application

forms, specific budget instructions, and

standard guidelines for proposal

preparation. Please specify Bureau

Program Officer Catherine Williamson

on all other inquiries and

correspondence.

Please read the complete Federal

Register announcement before sending

inquiries or submitting proposals. Once

the RFP deadline has passed, Bureau

staff may not discuss this competition

with applicants until the proposal

review process has been completed.

To Download a Solicitation Package via

Internet

The entire Solicitation Package may

be downloaded from the Bureau’s

website at http://exchanges.state.gov/

education/rfps. Please read all

information before downloading.

Deadline for Proposals

All proposal copies must be received

at the Bureau of Educational and

Cultural Affairs by 5 p.m. Washington,

DC time on Friday, December 22, 2000.

Faxed documents will not be accepted

at any time. Documents postmarked the

due date but received on a later date

will not be accepted. Each applicant

must ensure that the proposals are

received by the above deadline.

Applicants must follow all

instructions in the Solicitation Package.

The original and ten copies of the

application should be sent to: U.S.

Department of State, SA–44, Bureau of

Educational and Cultural Affairs, Ref.:

ECA/A/L–01–01, Program Management,

ECA/EX/PM, Room 534, 301 4th Street,

SW., Washington, DC 20547.

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 213 / Thursday, November 2, 2000 / Notices 65891

Diversity, Freedom and Democracy

Guidelines

Pursuant to the Bureau’s authorizing

legislation, programs must maintain a

non-political character and should be

balanced and representative of the

diversity of American political, social,

and cultural life. ‘‘Diversity’’ should be

interpreted in the broadest sense and

encompass differences including, but

not limited to ethnicity, race, gender,

religion, geographic location, socioeconomic status, and physical

challenges.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to

adhere to the advancement of this

principle both in program

administration and in program content.

Please refer to the review criteria under

the ‘‘Support for Diversity’’ section for

specific suggestions on incorporating

diversity into the total proposal. Public

Law 104–319 provides that ‘‘in carrying

out programs of educational and

cultural exchange in countries whose

people do not fully enjoy freedom and

democracy,’’ the Bureau ‘‘shall take

appropriate steps to provide

opportunities for participation in such

programs to human rights and

democracy leaders of such countries.’’

Public Law 106–113 requires that the

governments of the countries described

above do not have inappropriate

influence in the selection process.

Proposals should reflect advancement of

this goal in their program contents, to

the fullest extent deemed feasible.

Review Process

The Bureau will acknowledge receipt

of all proposals and will review them

for technical eligibility. Proposals will

be deemed ineligible if they do not fully

adhere to the guidelines stated herein

and in the Solicitation Package. All

eligible proposals will be reviewed by

the program office, as well as the Public

Diplomacy section overseas, where

appropriate. Proposals may also be

reviewed by the Office of the Legal

Adviser or by other Department

elements. Final funding decisions are at

the discretion of the Department of

State’s Assistant Secretary for

Educational and Cultural Affairs. Final

technical authority for assistance

awards (grants or cooperative

agreements) resides with the Bureau’s

Grants Officer.

Review Criteria

Technically eligible applications will

be competitively reviewed according to

the criteria stated below. These criteria

are not rank ordered and all carry equal

weight in the proposal evaluation:

1. Program Planning: Detailed agenda

and relevant work plan should

demonstrate substantive undertakings

and logistical capacity. Agenda and plan

should adhere to the program overview

and guidelines described above.

2. Ability To Achieve Program

Objectives: Objectives should be

reasonable, feasible, and flexible.

Proposals should clearly demonstrate

how the institution will meet the

program’s objectives and plan.

3. Multiplier Effect/Impact: Proposed

programs should strengthen long-term

mutual understanding, including

maximum sharing of information and

establishment of long-term institutional

and individual linkages.

4. Support of Diversity: Proposals

should demonstrate substantive support

of the Bureau’s policy on diversity.

Achievable and relevant features should

be cited in both program administration

(selection of participants, program

venue and program evaluation) and

program content (orientation and wrapup sessions, program meetings, resource

materials and follow-up activities).

5. Institutional Capacity: Proposed

personnel and institutional resources

should be adequate and appropriate to

achieve the program or project’s goals.

6. Institution’s Record/Ability:

Proposals should demonstrate an

institutional record of successful

exchange programs, including

responsible fiscal management and full

compliance with all reporting

requirements for past Bureau grants as

determined by Bureau Grant Staff. The

Bureau will consider the past

performance of prior recipients and the

demonstrated potential of new

applicants.

7. Follow-on Activities: Proposals

should provide a plan for continued

follow-on activity (without Bureau

support) ensuring that Bureau

supported programs are not isolated

events.

8. Project Evaluation: Proposals

should include a plan to evaluate the

activity’s success, both as the activities

unfold and at the end of the program. A

draft survey questionnaire or other

technique plus description of a

methodology to use to link outcomes to

original project objectives is

recommended. Successful applicants

will be expected to submit intermediate

reports after each project component is

concluded or quarterly, whichever is

less frequent.

9. Cost-effectiveness/cost-sharing: The

overhead and administrative

components of the proposal, including

salaries and honoraria, should be kept

as low as possible. All other items

should be necessary and appropriate.

Proposals should maximize cost-sharing

through other private sector support as

well as institutional direct funding

contributions.

10. Value to U.S.-Partner Country

Relations: Proposed projects should

receive positive assessments by the U.S.

Department of State’s geographic area

desk and overseas officers of program

need, potential impact, and significance

in the partner country(ies).

11. TEFL/TESL Background: Proposal

should demonstrate a plan to network

that allows for the greatest

dissemination of information to the

profession of Teachers of English as a

Second or Foreign Language; moreover,

grantee must be able to provide

knowledgeable, TEFL/TESL-qualified,

experienced staff capable of

interviewing candidates and evaluating

their qualifications for teaching and/or

developing materials or for conducting

teacher training in the context of

English as a foreign language in

accordance with criteria established by

the Bureau.

Authority

Overall grant making authority for

this program is contained in the Mutual

Educational and Cultural Exchange Act

of 1961, Public Law 87–256, as

amended, also known as the FulbrightHays Act. The purpose of the Act is ‘‘to

enable the Government of the United

States to increase mutual understanding

between the people of the United States

and the people of other countries * * *;

to strengthen the ties which unite us

with other nations by demonstrating the

educational and cultural interests,

developments, and achievements of the

people of the United States and other

nations * * * and thus to assist in the

development of friendly, sympathetic

and peaceful relations between the

United States and the other countries of

the world.’’

The funding authority for the program

above is provided through legislation.

There will be three (3) sources of

funding for this program: The Bureau’s

Exchanges Appropriation; and Support

for East European Democracy (SEED)

and Freedom Support Act (FSA)

interagency transfers.

Notice

The terms and conditions published

in this RFP are binding and may not be

modified by any Bureau representative.

Explanatory information provided by

the Bureau that contradicts published

language will not be binding. Issuance

of the RFP does not constitute an award

commitment on the part of the

Government. The Bureau reserves the

right to reduce, revise, or increase

proposal budgets in accordance with the

needs of the programs and the

65892 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 213 / Thursday, November 2, 2000 / Notices

availability of funds. Awards made will

be subject to periodic reporting and

evaluation requirements.

Notification

Final awards cannot be made until

funds have been appropriated by

Congress, allocated and committed

through internal Bureau procedures.

Dated: October 26, 2000.

Helena Kane Finn,

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau

of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S.

Department of State.

[FR Doc. 00–28185 Filed 11–1–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8230–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 3460]

Bureau of Educational and Cultural

Affairs; Fulbright Student Program

NOTICE: Conference for bidders.

SUMMARY: The State Department’s

Bureau of Educational and Cultural

Affairs announces a Conference for

Bidders, inviting for discussion

organizations that are interested in

submitting a Proposal to administer the

Fulbright Student Program. The

conference will take place November 9,

2000 at 2 p.m. at the following location:

SA–44, Room 800–A, 301 4th Street,

SW., Washington, DC 20547.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Interested organizations should contact

Rosalind Swenson at (202) 619–5384

prior to November 9, 2000 to schedule

their attendance at the Conference.

The Fulbright Student Program was

announced in the Federal Register,

Volume 65, Number 206, on October 24,

2000.

Dated: October 25, 2000.

William B. Bader,

Assistant Secretary for Educational and

Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State.

[FR Doc. 00–28184 Filed 11–1–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4710–05–P

TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY

Tellico Reservoir Land Management

Plan, Blount, Loudon, and Monroe

Counties, TN

AGENCY: Tennessee Valley Authority

(TVA).

ACTION: Issuance of record of decision.

SUMMARY: This notice is provided in

accordance with the Council on

Environmental Quality’s regulations (40

CFR parts 1500 to 1508) and TVA’s

procedures implementing the National

Environmental Policy Act. On August

29, 2000, the TVA Board of Directors

decided to adopt the preferred

alternative (Allocation Alternative)

identified in its Final Environmental

Impact Statement (EIS), Tellico

Reservoir Land Management Plan.

The Final EIS was made available to

the public in July, 2000. A Notice of

Availability of the Final EIS was

published in the Federal Register on

July 7, 2000. Under the Allocation

Alternative, TVA seeks to provide a

clear statement on how it will manage

its lands, based on scientific, cultural,

and economic principles. The plan and

EIS cover 12,643 acres of TVA lands on

Tellico Reservoir. About half (6,103

acres) of the land is currently committed

to specific uses, which would be

continued. The remaining 6,540 acres

have no outstanding commitments and

their use is determined in the plan. The

total 12,643 acres is allocated as follows:

9,321 acres for natural resource

conservation and management; 635

acres for TVA project operations and

public works; 331 acres for industrial

and commercial development uses;

1,804 acres for recreation developments;

and 552 acres for shoreline residential

access.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Charles P. Nicholson, NEPA Specialist,

Environmental Policy and Planning,

Tennessee Valley Authority, 400 West

Summit Hill Drive, WT 8C, Knoxville,

Tennessee 37902–1499; telephone (865)

632–3592 or email

cpnicholson@tva.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: During the

development of the Tellico Project, TVA

purchased about 37,737 acres of land.

About 13,943 acres are normally

covered by water during the summer,

resulting in a reservoir pool with 360.8

miles of shoreline. About 11,150 acres

of the remaining project lands were sold

to the Tellico Reservoir Development

Agency (TRDA) in November 1982. TVA

has since entered into agreements for

the use of about half the remaining

lands. The management of the lands

retained under TVA’s control, as well as

the lands sold to TRDA, is prescribed by

the land plan included in a 1982 joint

agreement (Contract No. TV–60000A)

between TVA and TRDA.

In its 1999 Record of Decision on its

Shoreline Management Initiative (SMI)

Final EIS, TVA committed to

developing comprehensive land

management plans for all its reservoirs.

These plans are intended to integrate

land and water benefits, provide for the

optimum public benefit, and balance

competing, and sometimes, conflicting

resource uses. In doing so, these plans

will provide a clear statement of how

TVA manages reservoir lands and

identify the specific uses of individual

land parcels.

TVA began public scoping and

preparation of this plan in 1997. In late

1998, TVA determined that an EIS

would be the appropriate level of

environmental review. TVA then issued

a Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS on

January 14, 1999, and held a public

scoping meeting two weeks later. The

Notice of Availability for the Draft EIS

was published on March 17, 2000. TVA

subsequently held a public meeting in

Lenoir City, Tennessee on March 28,

2000, to solicit comments on the Draft

plan and EIS. Written and oral

comments on the EIS were received

from 36 parties. The Notice of

Availability for the Final EIS was

published on July 7, 2000.

Alternatives Considered

TVA considered two alternatives for

planning the uses of 12,643 acres of

Tellico Reservoir lands. A third

alternative, which included the use of

850 acres of TVA land for a commercial

development proposed by Tellico

Landing, Inc., was dropped after the

TVA Board announced on March 15,

1999, that it would not consider this

proposal.

Under both alternatives, TVA would

implement the categorization of

residential and flowage easement

shoreline, as defined in the SMI. The

results of this categorization are as

follows: Shoreline Protection, 1 mile;

Residential Mitigation, 38 miles; and

Managed Residential, 23 miles. TVA

would also continue existing land uses

on lands transferred to TRDA and other

parties, and continue existing land uses

on 6,103 acres of TVA lands under

easement or other committed long-term

use. About 6,540 acres have no

committed uses and are considered

plannable lands.

Under Alternative A, the No Action

Alternative, TVA would continue to use

the 1982 land use plan established by

Contract No. TV–60000A with TRDA.

The largest land use category is

Cultural/Public Use/Open Space (61

percent of the area). Other categories

include TVA Dam Reservation (5

percent), Natural/Wildlife (15 percent),

Industrial Development (3 percent),

Private Residential (3 percent),

Recreation (11 percent), and Eastern

Band of Cherokee Indians Memorial (1

percent).

Under Alternative B, the Allocation

Alternative, TVA would adopt a new

Reservoir Land Management Plan for

139 tracts of TVA land. The TVA lands

would be allocated as follows: 5 percent