Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 42 / Tuesday, March 4, 1997 / Notices 9751

The scoping meeting for Alaska will

be held at the Swan Lake Senior Center,

402 Lake Street, Sitka, AK 99835.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Joseph R. Blum (301) 713–1401.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Background and rationale for this

action were provided in the notice of

intent (62 FR 3873, January 27, 1997)

and are not repeated here.

Special Accommodations

Requests for sign language

interpretation or other auxiliary aids

should be directed to Tamra Faris (907)

586–7228 at least 3 days before the

meeting date.

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.; 42 U.S.C.

et. seq.

Dated: February 26, 1997.

Gary C. Matlock,

Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–5263 Filed 3–3–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

[Docket No. 970121009–7009–01]

RIN 0648–ZA27

Coastal Services Center Coastal

Management Fellowship

AGENCY: National Ocean Service (NOS),

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of availability of Federal

assistance.

SUMMARY: The Coastal Services Center is

issuing this notice to solicit applications

for the Coastal Services Center Coastal

Management Fellowship program. The

Fellowship program was established to

provide professional on-the-job

education and training opportunities for

post-graduate students in coastal

resource management and policy and to

provide specific technical assistance for

state coastal resource management

programs. For two years the Fellows

will work on substantive state-level

coastal resource management issues that

pertain to Federal management policies

and regulations. The grants will be

provided to the Sea Grant Programs of

the States hosting the Fellows. These

Sea Grant Programs will administer the

grants.

DATES: Applications for Fellowship

positions will be available from all Sea

Grant Program offices and the Coastal

Services Center beginning on 21

February 1997. Applications will be due

to State Sea Grant Directors no later

than 28 March 1997. Each Sea Grant

Directors may nominate up to two

qualified candidates. These nominations

from the Sea Grant Directors are due to

the Coastal Services Center no later than

11 April 1997. Those candidates

selected to be finalists will be notified

by 30 April 1997. Fellowships and

selected projects will begin 1 October

1997.

ADDRESSES: Send requests for the

Fellowship Selection Application

packages as well as completed

nomination packages to CSC Coastal

Management Fellowships, Attn: Mr.

Michael Pentony, NOAA Coastal

Services Center, 2234 South Hobson

Avenue, Charleston, South Carolina,

29405–2413.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

Michael Pentony, Coastal Management

Services, at (803) 974–6257.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Authority

Statutory authority for these awards is

provided under 16 USC 1456.c

[Technical Assistance]; 15 USC Sec.

1540 [Cooperative Agreements]; and, 33

USC 1442 [Research program respecting

possible long-range effects of pollution,

overfishing, and man-induced changes

of ocean ecosystems].

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

(CFDA)

The CSC Program is listed in the

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

under Number 11.473.

Program Description

The goal of the Coastal Services

Center is to build capabilities around

the nation which simultaneously

address pressing issues of coastal health

and change by conserving coastal

environments including coastal

wetlands, riparian forested wetlands,

maritime forests, fisheries/shell

fisheries, and other living marine

resources and by promoting efficient

and sustainable industry, farming,

commercial and residential

development, urban redevelopment, and

tourism.

Seven competitive post-graduate

fellowships will be awarded for

meritorious recent Masters,

professional, and Ph.D. degree

recipients to spend two years working

with coastal resource management

agencies on state-level needs and federal

management issues. State coastal zone

programs provided project proposals in

a competition for placement of one of

the CSC Coastal Management Fellows

(see section on Application

Requirements).

The project selection process was

completed before the fellow selection

process in order to give the Sea Grant

Directors and prospective Fellows better

guidance as to the nature of the projects

for which they will be competing. Given

that the projects are being selected

independently of the fellow selection

and the desire to broaden the

educational experience of selected

fellows, they will most likely be serving

outside of their Sea Grant home state.

Funding Availability

Coastal Service Center funding for

each twenty-four month fellowship is

expected to be $64,000, for a total of

$448,000 for the seven fellowships over

the fellowship period. Publication of

this announcement does not require

NOAA CSC to make any specific award

or to obligate any amount of the funds

available. The two year grant of $64,000

with an additional $12,000 State match

made for each Fellow to the receiving

state’s Sea Grant program includes

$30,000 per year for the Fellow divided

into a $20,000 stipend and $10,000 for

per diem. The remaining $8,000 per

year will be roughly divided as follows:

$5,000 for benefits, including health

insurance; $1,000 for moving expenses;

$1,500 for travel associated with the

fellowship experience; and, $500 for

any administrative costs incurred by the

administering Sea Grant program.

Required travel for the Fellows includes

attending either the Coastal Zone

Conference or the bi-annual meeting of

The Coastal Society, depending on the

year. NOAA will provide funding

directly to the Sea Grant Programs that

will administer the grants.

Matching Requirements

Cost sharing of a portion of the fellow

cost for the second year of the

fellowship is required by each state in

which a Fellow is placed, in the amount

of $12,000. Additionally, the coastal

zone program is expected to provide inkind support (office space, phone

service, computer equipment, etc.) for

the entire term of the fellowship.

Type of Funding Instrument

The projects will be awarded as a

Grant, distributed by the Coastal

Services Center. NOAA anticipates that

there be no substantial involvement of

the Coastal Services Center in the

performance of activities under this

assistance program.

Eligibility Criteria

Any student who has completed a

master’s, doctoral, or professional

degree program in coastal, marine, or

Great Lakes related studies at any
9752 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 42 / Tuesday, March 4, 1997 / Notices

accredited United States institution of

higher education in 1996 or by 30

September 1997, is eligible to apply

through the state Sea Grant Program

nearest their residence or graduate

institution. Knauss Marine Policy

Fellows from the previous year, who

have finished their degree requirements,

may also apply.

All states with federally approved

coastal zone management programs, and

states developing such programs for

approval, were eligible to submit one

application for this program through the

NOAA Coastal Services Center. All

eligible agencies were notified for the

project proposal application process by

mail in December 1996, and projects

were selected in February 1997. The

seven selected project agencies will

serve as hosts to the CSC Coastal

Management Fellows.

Once the seven Fellows have been

selected and matched to the state host

agencies, the Sea Grant Programs in

those states will be asked to prepare a

grant application package in order to

receive the grant from NOAA. Those

grant application packages will be due

to NOAA no later than 30 June 1997.

Award Period

The twenty-four month fellowship

commences 1 October 1997.

Indirect Costs

Funds to support the Coastal

management Fellowship program will

be given directly to the state Sea Grant

programs, and the maximum allowable

Administrative or Indirect Costs are five

hundred dollars per year.

Application Requirements

The Coastal Services Center, in

cooperation with the Coastal States

Organization, National Sea Grant

College Program Office, and the

National Ocean Service’s Office of

Ocean and Coastal Resource

Management (OCRM), is seeking

applications from qualified individuals

to complete for Fellowship projects.

These projects will directly involve the

Fellow in such activities as natural

coastal hazards planning, mitigation and

recovery; habitat evaluation or

restoration; and mitigation of habitat

impacts caused by a major project or

type of projects.

All fellowship applications must

include:

A. A personal and academic resume

or curriculum vitae.

B. An educational and career goal

statement from the applicant with

emphasis on what the prospective

Fellow expects from the experience.

Placement preference in terms of

geographical placement or topic of focus

may be stated by the applicant, and will

be honored to the extend practical.

Prospective fellows should keep in

mind that limited descriptions of

placement or topic will make final

placement more difficult.

C. Two letters of recommendation,

including one from the student’s major

professor.

D. A detailed letter of endorsement

from the sponsoring state Sea Grant

Director, as a result of a face to face

interview, addressing such important

topics as communication skills,

philosophical approach toward work,

and ability to work with people.

E. Copies of all undergraduate and

graduate student transcripts.

F. Standard Form 424, ‘‘Application

for Federal Assistance.’’

All Fellow applicants will be

evaluated and chosen only on their

qualifications, therefore letters of

endorsements from individuals such as

members of Congress, friends, and/or

relatives should not be submitted.

Sea Grant Programs submitting grant

applications will be required to submit

the following:

A. SF–424, ‘‘Application for Federal

Assistance;’’

B. SF–424A, ‘‘Budget Information—

Non-Construction Programs;’’

C. SF–42B, ‘‘Assurances—NonConstruction Programs;’’

D. Budget with necessary supporting

detail, Budget Narrative;

E. Audit Information; and,

F. CD–511, ‘‘Certifications Regarding

Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension and

Other Responsibility Matters; and DrugFree Workplace requirements and

Lobbying;’’

Project Funding Priorities

Funds will be awarded for the support

of the Fellow, as delineated in Section

7.f. of this notice. Funds for the

fellowship will be given to the Sea

Grant programs in the states receiving

Fellows and not to the state coastal

programs that submitted project

proposals.

Evaluation Criteria

Fellow applications will be evaluated

based on the following criteria:

(a) Support of Sea Grant Director

(25%);

(b) Support of major professor (15%);

(c) Strength of academic performance

(15%);

(d) Diversity of academic background

(15%);

(e) Experience working in coastal

management or marine affairs

(10%);

(f) Written and verbal communications

skills (10%); and

(g) Ability to work with people (10%).

All qualified applicants will be

considered regardless of age, race, color,

sex, creed, marital status, national

origin, lawful political affiliation,

religious preference or nondisqualifying physical handicap.

Academic discipline, geographic

representation, and individual state

coastal program needs will be

considered in balancing the class.

Selection Procedures

Applications will be received at the

Sea Grant program office nearest the

applicant’s graduate institution. All

applications will be reviewed by the Sea

Grant Director, or a designee.

Applications which do not conform to

the requirements may not be considered

for further evaluation. Each Sea Grant

Director may nominate up to two

applicants for further consideration. The

complete application package, with a

letter of endorsement by the nominating

Sea Grant Director, will be submitted to

the Coastal Services Center at the

address listed above under the

ADDRESSES section of this notice.

A finalist selection panel will be

convened, by 28 April 1997, to review

and recommend selection of the top

fourteen Fellow applicants using the

criteria outlined above. This selection

panel will present its recommendations

to the CSC Coastal Management

Fellowship Program Director. The panel

will consist of the Coastal States

Organization Executive Director and

representatives from the Coastal

Services Center, a Sea Grant Director

representative from the Sea Grant

Directors’ Association, a representative

from the NOAA Office of Ocean and

Coastal Resources Management, and a

current Fellow. Representatives from

these groups will be chosen according to

availability, timing, and other

exigencies. Final decision will be made

by 28 April 1997, and all Fellow

applicants will be notified of the

selection decision.

Although the fourteen selected Fellow

applicants will be considered finalists,

only seven of the finalists will become

Fellows and be placed with state coastal

management program hosts. Each of the

selected host states will send a

representative, preferably the Fellow

mentor, to the final placement

workshop in Charleston, SC, 28–30 May

1997. The fourteen Fellow finalists will

be brought by CSC to the workshops for

final interviews and placement. The

placement workshops will serve as the

final selection and placement point and

will consist of: 1. Orientation to the

program; 2. Host office project proposal

presentations; 3. Finalist presentations;
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 42 / Tuesday, March 4, 1997 / Notices 9753

4. Finalist-Host interviews; and 5.

Fellow Matching.

By 7 May 1997, CSC will send each

finalist a packet of information detailing

the interview process during the

placement workshop in Charleston. This

packet will include information on each

of the final seven coastal resource

management projects, the host agencies,

and background on the area of

assignment. No contact between

prospective hosts and finalists should

be made prior to the placement

workshop.

Other Requirements

Federal Policies and Procedures

Recipients and sub-recipients are

subject to all Federal laws and Federal

and DOC policies, regulations, and

procedures applicable to Federal

financial assistance awards.

Past Performance

Unsatisfactory performance under

prior Federal awards may result in an

application not being considered for

funding.

Pre-Award Activities

If applicants incur any costs prior to

an award being made, they do so solely

at their own risk of not being

reimbursed by the Government.

Notwithstanding any verbal or written

assurance that may have been received,

there is no objection on the part of DOC

to cover pre-award costs.

No Obligation for Future Funding

If an application is selected for

funding, DOC has no obligation to

provide any additional future funding in

connection with that award. Renewal of

an award to increase funding or extend

the period of performance is at the total

discretion of DOC.

Delinquent Federal Debts

No award of Federal Funds shall be

made to an applicant who has an

outstanding delinquent Federal debt

until either:

(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

DOC are made.

Primary Applicant Certifications

All Sea Grant Programs preparing

grant applications must submit a

completed Form CD–511,

‘‘Certifications Regarding Debarment,

Suspension, and Other Responsibility

Matters; Drug-Free Workplace

Requirements and Lobbying,’’ and

explanations are hereby provided:

Non-procurement Debarment and

Suspension. Prospective participants (as

defined at 15 CFR Part 26, Section 105)

are subject to 15 CFR Part 26,

‘‘Nonprocurement Debarment and

Suspension’’ and the related section of

the certification form prescribed above

applies;

Drug-Free Workplace. Grantees (as

defined at 15 CFR Part 26, Section 605)

are subject to 15 CFR Part 26, Subpart

F, ‘‘Government side Requirements for

Drug-Free Workplace (Grants)’’ and the

related section of the certification form

prescribed above applies;

Anti-Lobbying. Persons (as defined at

15 CFR Part 28, Section 105) are subject

to the lobbying provisions of 31 U.S.C.

1352, ‘‘Limitation on use of

appropriated funds to influence certain

Federal contracting and financial

transactions,’’ and the lobbying section

of the certification form prescribed

above applies to application/bids for

grants, cooperative agreements, and

contracts for more than $100,000, and

loans and loan guarantees for more than

$150,000, or the single family maximum

mortgage limit for affected programs,

whichever is greater; and

Anti-Lobbying Disclosures. Any

applicant that has paid or will pay for

lobbying using any funds must submit

an SF–LLL, ‘‘Disclosure of Lobbying

Activities,’’ as required under 15 CFR

Part 28, Appendix B.

Lower-Tier Certifications

Recipients shall require applicants/

bidders for sub-grants, contracts,

subcontracts, or other lower-tier-covered

transactions at any tier under the award

to submit, if applicable, a completed

Form CD–512, ‘‘Certifications Regarding

Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility

and Voluntary Exclusion-Lower Tier

Covered Transactions and Lobbying’’

and disclosure form, SF–LLL,

‘‘Disclosure of Lobbying Activities.’’

Form CD–512 is intended for the use of

recipients and should not be transmitted

to DOC. SF–LLL submitted by any tier

recipient or sub-recipient should be

submitted to DOC in accordance with

the instructions contained in the award

document.

False Statements

A false statement on an application is

grounds for denial or termination of

funds and grounds for possible

punishment by a fine or imprisonment

as provided in 18 U.S.C. 1001.

Intergovernmental Review

Applications under this program are

subject to Executive Order 12372,

‘‘Intergovernmental Review of Federal

Programs.’’

Buy American-Made Equipment or

Products

Applicants are hereby notified that

they will be encouraged, to the greatest

extent practicable, to purchase

American-made equipment and

products with funding provided under

this program in accordance with

Congressional intent.

Classification

This action has been determined to be

not significant for purposes of Executive

Order 12866.

This notice contains a collection-ofinformation requirement subject to the

Paperwork Reduction Act. The

collection-of-information has been

approved by OMB, OMB Control

Numbers 0348–0043, 0348–0044, 0348–

0040 and 0348–0046.

Dated: February 20, 1997.

David L. Evans,

Acting Deputy Assistant Administrator for

Ocean Services and Coastal Zone

Management.

[FR Doc. 97–5265 Filed 3–3–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–12–M

CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Submission for OMB Review;

Comment Request

February 25, 1997

The Corporation for National and

Community Service (CNCS) has

submitted the following public

information collection requests (ICRs) to

the Office of Management and Budget

(OMB) for review and approval in

accordance with the Paperwork

Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104–13,

44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). Copies of these

individual ICRs, with applicable

supporting documentation, may be

obtained by calling the Corporation for

National and Community Service

Deputy Director, AmeriCorps Leaders

Program, Julie Catlett, (202) 606–5000,

Extension 164.

Comments should be sent to the

Office of Information and Regulatory

Affairs, Attn: OMB Desk Officer for the

Corporation for National and

Community Service, Office of

Management and Budget, Room 10235,

Washington, D.C. 20503. (202) 395–

7316, within 30 days from the date of

this publication in the Federal Register.

The OMB is particularly interested in

comments which:

* Evaluate whether the proposed

collection of information is necessary