15068 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 60 / Friday, March 28, 1997 / Notices

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Cooperative State Research,

Education, and Extension Service

Rangeland Research Grants Program

for Fiscal Year 1997; Solicitation of

Applications

AGENCY: Cooperative State Research,

Education and Extension Service

ACTION: Notice of application.

SUMMARY: The Cooperative State

Research, Education, and Extension

Service (CSREES) is announcing the

solicitation for proposals for Fiscal Year

1997 for standard grants for basic

studies in certain areas of rangeland

research.

DATES: Applications must be received

on or before May 12, 1997. Proposals

received after May 12, 1997 will not be

considered for funding.

ADDRESSES: Proposals must be

submitted to the following address:

Proposal Services Unit; Grants

Management Branch; Office of

Extramural Programs; Cooperative State

Research, Education, and Extension

Service; U.S. Department of Agriculture;

STOP 2245; 1400 Independence

Avenue, SW; Washington, DC 20250–

2245. The telephone number is: (202)

401–5048.

Hand-delivered proposals, including

those submitted through an express mail

or a courier service, must be submitted

to the following address: Proposal

Services Unit; Grants Management

Branch; Office of Extramural Programs;

Cooperative State Research, Education,

and Extension Service; U.S. Department

of Agriculture; Room 303, Aerospace

Center; 901 D Street, SW; Washington,

DC 20024. The telephone number is:

(202) 401–5048.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul

McCawley; Cooperative State Research,

Education, and Extension Service; U.S.

Department of Agriculture; STOP 2210;

1400 Independence Avenue, SW;

Washington, DC 20250–2210; telephone

(202) 401–5620 or (202) 401–4141;

Internet: pmccawley@reeusda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is

hereby given that under the authority in

section 1480 of the National

Agricultural Research, Extension, and

Teaching Policy Act of 1977, as

amended (7 U.S.C. 3333), the

Cooperative State Research, Education,

and Extension Service (CSREES) of the

United States Department of Agriculture

(USDA) will award standard grants for

basic studies in certain areas of

rangeland research. No more than

$80,000 will be awarded for the support

of any one project, regardless of the

amount requested. The total amount of

funds available for grants under the

Rangeland Research Grants Program

during fiscal year 1997 is $449,231.

Eligibility and Limitations on Use of

Funds

Under this program, subject to the

availability of funds, the Secretary may

award grants to land-grant colleges and

universities, State agricultural

experiment stations, and to colleges,

universities, and Federal laboratories

having a demonstrable capacity in

rangeland research, as determined by

the Secretary. Except in the case of

Federal laboratories, each grant

recipient shall match the Federal funds

expended on a research project based on

a formula of 50 percent Federal and 50

percent non-Federal funding. Proposals

received from scientists at non-United

States organizations or institutions will

not be considered for support. Pursuant

to section 1473 of the National

Agricultural Research, Extension, and

Teaching Policy Act of 1977, as

amended (7 U.S.C. 3319), funds made

available under this program to

recipients other than Federal

laboratories shall not be subject to

reduction for indirect costs or for tuition

remission costs. Since these costs are

not allowable costs for purposes of this

program, such costs incurred by a grant

recipient may not be used to meet the

matching fund requirement.

Section 712 of the Agriculture, Rural

Development, Food and Drug

Administration, and Related Agencies

Appropriations Act, 1997, Pub. L. 104–

180, prohibits CSREES from paying

indirect costs on research grants that

exceed 14 percent of total Federal funds

provided for each award under this

program. In addition, section 716 of that

Act provides that, in the case of any

equipment or product that may be

authorized to be purchased with funds

appropriated under that Act, entities

receiving such funds are encouraged to

use such funds to purchase only

American-made equipment or products.

Applicable Regulations

This program is subject to the

provisions found in 7 CFR part 3401, as

amended (61 FR 27752, May 31, 1996),

which sets forth procedures to be

followed when submitting grant

proposals, rules governing the

evaluation of proposals, processes

regarding the awarding of grants, and

regulations relating to the post-award

administration of grant projects. In

addition, other Federal statutes and

regulations, including the Uniform

Administrative Requirements for Grants

and Agreements with Institutions of

Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other

Nonprofit Organizations, 7 CFR part

3019, and the Audits of Institutions of

Higher Education and Other Nonprofit

Institutions, 7 CFR part 3051, apply to

this program.

Specific Areas of Research To Be

Supported in Fiscal Year 1997

Standard grants will be awarded to

support basic research in certain areas

of rangeland research. Proposals will be

considered in the following specific

areas: (1) Management of rangelands

and agricultural land as integrated

systems for more efficient utilization of

crops and waste products in the

production of food and fiber; (2)

methods of managing rangeland

watersheds to maximize efficient use of

water and improve water yield, water

quality, and water conservation, to

protect against onsite and offsite damage

to rangeland resources from floods,

erosion, and other detrimental

influences, and to remedy unsatisfactory

and unstable rangeland conditions; and

(3) revegetation and rehabilitation of

rangelands including the control of

undesirable species of plants.

Compliance With the National

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

As outlined in 7 CFR part 3407 (the

CSREES regulations implementing the

National Environmental Policy Act of

1969), environmental data for any

proposed project is to be provided to

CSREES so that CSREES may determine

whether any further action is needed.

The applicant shall review the following

categorical exclusions and determine if

the proposed project may fall within

one or more of these categories.

(1) Department of Agriculture

Categorical Exclusions (7 CFR 1b.3)

(i) Policy development, planning and

implementation which are related to

routine activities such as personnel,

organizational changes, or similar

administrative functions;

(ii) Activities which deal solely with

the functions of programs, such as

program budget proposals,

disbursements, and transfer or

reprogramming of funds;

(iii) Inventories, research activities,

and studies, such as resource

inventories and routine data collection

when such actions are clearly limited in

context and intensity;

(iv) Educational and informational

programs and activities;

(v) Civil and criminal law

enforcement and investigative activities;

(vi) Activities which are advisory and

consultative to other agencies and

public and private entities; and
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 60 / Friday, March 28, 1997 / Notices 15069

(vii) Activities related to trade

representation and market development

activities abroad.

(2) CSREES Categorical Exclusions (7

CFR 3407.6(a)(2))

Based on previous experience, the

following categories of CSREES actions

are excluded because they have been

found to have limited scope and

intensity and to have no significant

individual or cumulative impacts on the

quality of the human environment:

(i) The following categories of

research programs or projects of limited

size and magnitude or with only shortterm effects on the environment:

(A) Research conducted within any

laboratory, greenhouse, or other

contained facility where research

practices and safeguards prevent

environmental impacts;

(B) Surveys, inventories, and similar

studies that have limited context and

minimal intensity in terms of changes in

the environment; and

(C) Testing outside of the laboratory,

such as in small isolated field plots,

which involves the routine use of

familiar chemicals or biological

materials.

(ii) Routine renovation, rehabilitation,

or revitalization of physical facilities,

including the acquisition and

installation of equipment, where such

activity is limited in scope and

intensity.

In order for CSREES to determine

whether any further action is needed

with respect to NEPA, pertinent

information regarding the possible

environmental impacts of a particular

project is necessary; therefore, Form

CSREES–1234, ‘‘NEPA Exclusions

Form’’ must be included in the proposal

indicating whether the applicant is of

the opinion that the project falls within

one or more of the categorical

exclusions and the reasons therefor. If it

is the applicant’s opinion that the

proposed project falls within one or

more of the categorical exclusions, the

specific exclusion(s) must be identified.

The information submitted shall be

identified in the Table of Contents as

‘‘NEPA Considerations’’ and Form

CSREES–1234 and supporting

documentation shall be placed after the

Form CSREES–661, ‘‘Application for

Funding,’’ in the proposal.

Even though a project may fall within

one or more of the categorical

exclusions, CSREES may determine that

an Environmental Assessment or an

Environmental Impact Statement is

necessary for a proposed project if

substantial controversy on

environmental grounds exists or if other

extraordinary conditions or

circumstances are present that may

cause such activity to have a significant

environmental effect.

How to Obtain Application Materials

Copies of this solicitation, the

Application Kit, and the Administrative

Provisions for this program (7 CFR part

3401, as amended (61 FR 27752, May

31, 1996)) may be obtained by writing

to the address or calling the telephone

number which follows: Proposal

Services Unit; Grants Management

Branch; Office of Extramural Programs;

Cooperative State Research, Education,

and Extension Service; U.S. Department

of Agriculture; Room 303, Aerospace

Center; STOP 2245; 1400 Independence

Avenue, SW; Washington, DC. 20250–

2245; Telephone: (202) 401–5048.

These materials may also be requested

via Internet by sending a message with

your name, mailing address (not e-mail)

and phone number, to psb@reeusda.gov

which states that you want a copy of the

application materials for the Fiscal Year

1997 Rangeland Research Grants

Program. The materials will then be

mailed to you (not e-mailed) as quickly

as possible.

What to Submit

An original and nine copies of each

proposal must be submitted. This

number of copies is necessary to permit

thorough, objective merit evaluation of

all proposals received before funding

decisions are made.

Every effort should be made to ensure

that the proposal contains all pertinent

information when submitted. Prior to

mailing, compare your proposal with

the guidelines contained in the

Administrative Provisions which govern

the Rangeland Research Grants Program,

7 CFR part 3401, as amended (61 FR

27752, May 31, 1996). Proposals

submitted by organizations other than

Federal laboratories shall state how the

50 percent non-Federal funding

requirement will be met.

Each copy of each proposal must

include a Form CSREES–661,

‘‘Application for Funding.’’ Applicants

should note that one copy of this form,

preferably the original, must contain

pen-and-ink signatures of the principal

investigator(s) and the authorized

organizational representative. (Form

CSREES–661 and the other required

forms and certifications are contained in

the Application Kit.)

Grant proposals shall be limited to 10

pages (single-spaced and typed on one

side of the page only), exclusive of

required forms, bibliography and vitae

of the principal investigator(s), senior

associate(s), and other professional

personnel.

All copies of each proposal shall be

mailed in one package. Please make sure

that each copy of each proposal is

stapled securely in the upper left-hand

corner. DO NOT BIND.

One copy of each proposal not

selected for funding will be retained for

a period of one year. The remaining

copies will be destroyed.

Where and When to Submit

Applications for Funding

To be considered for funding during

Fiscal Year 1997, proposals must be

submitted by May 12, 1997.

Proposals submitted through the

regular mail must be postmarked by

May 12, 1997, and should be sent to the

following address: Proposal Services

Unit; Grants Management Branch; Office

of Extramural Programs; Cooperative

State Research, Education, and

Extension Service; US Department of

Agriculture; STOP 2245; 1400

Independence Avenue SW.;

Washington, DC 20250–2245. The

telephone number is: (202) 401–5048.

Hand-delivered proposals, including

those submitted through an express mail

or a courier service, must be received at

the following address by May 12, 1997:

Proposal Services Unit; Grants

Management Branch; Office of

Extramural Programs; Cooperative State

Research, Education, and Extension

Service; U.S. Department of Agriculture;

Room 303, Aerospace Center; 901 D

Street SW.; Washington, DC 20024. The

telephone number is: (202) 401–5048.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

Rangeland Research Grants Program is

listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic

Assistance under No. 10.200. For

reasons set forth in the Final Rulerelated Notice to 7 CFR part 3015,

subpart V (48 FR 29115, June 24, 1983),

this program is excluded from the scope

of Executive Order 12372, which

requires intergovernmental consultation

with State and local officials.

Under the provisions of the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980, as

amended (44 U.S.C. 3504(h)), the

collection of information requirements

contained in this notice have been

approved under OMB Document Nos.

0524–0022 and 0524–0033.

Done at Washington, DC, this 24th day of

March 1997.

B.H. Robinson,

Administrator, Cooperative State Research,

Education, and Extension Service.

[FR Doc. 97–7864 Filed 3–27–97; 8:45 am]

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