This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains documents other than rules or

proposed rules that are applicable to the

public. Notices of hearings and investigations,

committee meetings, agency decisions and

rulings, delegations of authority, filing of

petitions and applications and agency

statements of organization and functions are

examples of documents appearing in this

section.

Notices Federal Register

19702

Vol. 63, No. 76

Tuesday, April 21, 1998

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Commodity Credit Corporation

Conservation Farm Option Pilot

Programs

AGENCY: Commodity Credit Corporation,

United States Department of

Agriculture.

ACTION: Notice of Request for Proposals

(RFP) to establish Conservation Farm

Option (CFO) Pilot Programs.

SUMMARY: Section 335 of the Federal

Agriculture Improvement and Reform

Act of 1996 (the 1996 Act) established

the Conservation Farm Option (CFO)

Pilot Programs. The Commodity Credit

Corporation (CCC) administers the CFO

under the general supervision of a Vice

President of the CCC who is the Chief

of the Natural Resources Conservation

Service (NRCS), with concurrence

throughout the process by the Executive

Vice President of the CCC who is the

Administrator of the Farm Service

Agency (FSA). CCC is requesting

proposals from individuals, States or

subdivisions thereof, Tribes,

universities, and other organizations to

cooperate in the development and

implementation of CFO pilot programs

for producers of wheat, feed grains,

upland cotton, and rice.

DATES: Proposals must be received by

June 1, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Please send proposals to

one of the following individuals: Gary

Nordstrom, Director, Conservation

Operations Division, Natural Resources

Conservation Service, P.O. Box 2890,

Attention CFO, Washington, DC 20013–

2890; or George T. Denley, Director,

Conservation and Environmental

Programs Division, Farm Service

Agency, Mail Stop 0513, 1400

Independence Avenue, SW,

Washington, DC 20013–0513; Attention:

CFO.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dan

Smith, Water Issues Team Leader,

Conservation Operations Division,

Natural Resource and Conservation

Service, phone 202–720–3524; fax: 202–

720–4265; e-mail: dan.smith@usda.gov,

Attention: CFO; or Edward Rall,

Economic and Policy Analysis Staff,

Farm Service Agency, phone 202–720–

7795; fax: 202–720–8261; e-mail:

erall@wdc.fsa.usda.gov, Attention: CFO.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Availability of Funding in Fiscal Year

1998

Congress authorized a $15 million

CFO pilot program for fiscal year 1998.

Effective on the date of publication of

this notice, proposals will be accepted

from individuals, States, Tribes,

universities, and other organizations to

establish CFO pilot programs for

producers of wheat, feed grains, upland

cotton, and rice who have production

flexibility contracts under the

Agricultural Market Transition Act. The

proposals must be for the purpose(s) of

conserving soil, water, and related

resources; protecting or improving water

quality; restoring, protecting and

creating wetlands; developing and

protecting wildlife habitat; or other

similar conservation purposes. Other

requirements set forth in this notice

must also be met. Proposals must be

received by June 1, 1998. Contracts for

FY 1998 funds need to be executed by

September 30, 1998.

Background

Traditional agricultural conservation

programs provide farmers and ranchers

with cost-share and land retirement

payments as incentives to protect and

conserve soil, water, and other natural

resources, and provide technical

assistance to implement conservation

practices. In certain cases, however,

these traditional programs lack

sufficient flexibility to allow farmers

and ranchers to operate in a manner

they consider optimal or to address

natural resource concerns for which

warrant innovative solutions. The CFO

is intended to promote innovative and

environmentally-sound methods for

addressing these concerns. CFO pilot

programs should address resource

problems and needs that are well

documented and on a scale that will

facilitate the evaluation of the

effectiveness of the systems/practices

installed, as well as that of the entire

program. CFO pilot programs are

intended to be simple, flexible, and

should reward sustainable agricultural

production practices and support

locally led conservation goals. The CFO

pilot program will substitute a single

payment for the different types of

payments available under the

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP),

the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP),

and the Environmental Quality

Incentives Program (EQIP), provide an

incentive for coordinated, long-term

natural resource planning, and be

flexible enough to allow farmers and

ranchers to operate in economically

efficient, but innovative ways. The CFO

provides for a locally led approach by

allowing individual farmers and

ranchers or groups of farmers and

ranchers to implement innovative

solutions to natural resource problems

and encourages implementation of

sustainable agricultural production

practices. The CFO is a program that

permits farmers and ranchers to

maximize environmental benefits with

minimal land retirement, while

maintaining agricultural production.

Overview of the Conservation Farm

Option Pilot Program

In accordance with the Food Security

Act of 1985 as amended (1985 Act), CCC

will establish CFO pilot programs for

producers of wheat, feed grains, upland

cotton, and rice. Only those owners and

producers that have a farm with contract

acres enrolled in production flexibility

contracts established under the 1996

Act are eligible to participate in the

CFO. Producers accepted into the CFO

must enter into 10-year contracts which

may be extended an additional 5 years.

The purposes of CFO pilot programs

include: (1) Conservation of soil, water,

and related resources; (2) water quality

protection or improvement; (3) wetland

restoration, protection, and creation; (4)

wildlife habitat development and

protection; and (5) other similar

conservation purposes. To enroll in the

program, the 1985 Act requires

producers to prepare a conservation

farm plan which becomes part of the

CFO contract. The plan describes all

conservation practices to be

implemented and maintained on

acreage subject to contract. An

important goal is to promote the

adoption of resource conserving crop

rotations while maintaining agricultural

production and maximizing
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 76 /Tuesday, April 21, 1998 / Notices 19703

environmental benefits. The 1985 Act

also requires the plan to contain a

schedule for the implementation and

maintenance of the practices, comply

with highly erodible land and wetland

conservation requirements of Title XII of

the 1985 Act, and contain such other

terms as the Secretary may require.

Producers must also agree to forgo

payments under the Conservation

Reserve Program (CRP), the Wetlands

Reserve Program (WRP), and the

Environmental Quality Incentives

Program (EQIP). In lieu of these

payments, the 1985 Act requires the

Secretary to offer annual payments

under the contract that are equivalent to

the payments the owner or producer

would have received had the owner or

producer participated in the CRP, the

WRP and the EQIP. CCC will determine

the CFO payment rates taking into

consideration the payments that would

have been received under the CRP,

WRP, and EQIP, as applicable. CRP

payments will not exceed the maximum

bid price accepted for similar land in

the vicinity.

The CFO pilot program will substitute

a single annual payment for the

different types of payments available

under the CRP, the WRP, and EQIP,

provide an incentive for coordinated,

long-term natural resource planning,

and be flexible enough to allow farmers

and ranchers to operate in economically

efficient, but innovative ways. The CFO

provides for a locally-led approach by

allowing individual farmers and

ranchers, or groups of and ranchers to

implement innovative solutions to

natural resource problems and

encourages implementation of

sustainable agricultural production

practices. The CFO is a program that

permits farmers and ranchers to

maximize environmental benefits with

minimal land retirement, while

maintaining agricultural production.

CCC will determine CFO participation

in a two step process: First, CCC will

select CFO pilot project areas based on

proposals submitted by the public; then,

CCC will accept applications from

eligible producers within the selected

pilot project areas.

CFO Pilot Projects

CFO pilot projects will address

resource problems and needs that are

well documented and on a scale that

will facilitate the evaluation of the

effectiveness of the systems and

practices installed, as well as that of the

entire program. CFO pilot projects are

intended to be simple, flexible, and

should encourage sustainable

agricultural production practices and

support locally led conservation goals.

CCC will select CFO pilot project

areas based on the extent the proposal:

1. demonstrates innovative

approaches to conservation program

delivery and administration;

2. demonstrates innovative

conservation technologies and systems;

3. creates environmental benefits in a

cost effective manner;

4. addresses conservation of soil,

water, and related resources, water

quality protection or improvement;

wetland restoration, protection, and

creation; and wildlife habitat

development and protection;

5. ensures effective monitoring and

evaluation of the pilot effort;

6. considers multiple stakeholder

participation (partnerships) within the

pilot area; and

7. provides additional non-Federal

funding.

An interdepartmental committee

made up of representatives of several

Federal agencies will review the

proposals and make recommendations

to the Chief, NRCS, who is a Vice

President of the CCC, based on criteria

available to the public in the CFO

proposal package. The CFO proposal

package includes the CFO Pilot Proposal

Form CCC–1210, instructions for

completion of the CCC–1210, and the

criteria for evaluating proposals. The

CFO proposal package is available from

any FSA or NRCS local office. CCC will

give preference to proposals that have

high ratings based on the criteria upon

which proposals will be evaluated.

Pilot projects can involve either an

individual or a group. In either case, to

be considered for enrollment in CFO,

each individual or entity within an

approved pilot project area must submit

an application which is the basis for the

contract between the participant and

CCC.

Payment Eligibility

Producers of wheat, feed grains,

upland cotton, and rice who have farms

with contract acres enrolled in

production flexibility contracts

established under the Agricultural

Market Transition Act are eligible for

payment.

No funds will be paid or transferred

to any group, or entity or individual

other than through the CFO contracts

with the individual producers.

Pilot Project Area Proposal Submission

Any individual, organization, or

entity may submit a proposal for a CFO

pilot program. Proposals must be

submitted according to instructions

found in the CFO proposal package

available from any FSA or NRCS local

office.

Responsibilities

For group proposals, the individual,

organization, or entity submitting the

proposal will be responsible for

providing leadership in the overall local

planning effort which may include

education, information delivery,

monitoring and coordination with local,

state or subdivisions thereof, tribal, and

Federal agencies.

Individual CFO pilot program

participants will be responsible for

meeting CFO pilot program

requirements on their farm or ranch,

including development and

implementation of a comprehensive,

long-term conservation farm plan, and

will be responsible for education,

information delivery, and monitoring, if

included in the proposal.

Minimum Requirements of CFO Pilot

Program Proposals

A completed CFO pilot proposal form.

Participation in CFO projects shall be

open to all production flexibility

contract holders without regard to race,

color, national origin, sex, religion, age,

disability, political beliefs and marital

or familial status.

Monitoring and Impact Assessment

An important goal of the CFO pilot

programs is to assess the impacts of the

systems/practices applied by monitoring

key environmental indicators.

Individuals may seek assistance from

NRCS in meeting any applicable

assessment and/or monitoring

requirements. Results from impact

assessments will be used to develop and

modify existing and future conservation

systems, practices, and programs.

Compliance

If a participant fails to carry out the

terms and conditions of a CFO contract,

CCC may terminate the CFO contract. If

the CFO contract is terminated by CCC:

the participant shall forfeit all rights to

further payments under such contract

and may be requested to refund all

payments previously received with

interest and pay liquidated damages to

CCC for CRP and WRP type practices in

the amount specified in such contract.

Selection of CFO Pilot Program

Proposals/Inter-Departmental Review

The most important aspect of the

program is its capacity to test new

approaches to achieving environmental

benefits, through either program design

or new technology. Preference will be

given to proposals that could not be

funded by other programs, such as CRP,

WRP or EQIP.

Proposals will be reviewed by an

interdepartmental committee which will
19704 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 76 /Tuesday, April 21, 1998 / Notices

make recommendations to the Chief,

NRCS based on criteria set forth in the

CFO proposal package. The review

committee may be drawn from the

Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Indian

Affairs, Bureau of Land Management,

Bureau of Reclamation, Cooperative

Extension Service, Cooperative State

Research, Education and Extension

Service, Department of Energy,

Economic Research Service,

Environmental Protection Agency, Farm

Service Agency, Forest Service, National

Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration, Natural Resources

Conservation Service, U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service, and the U.S.

Geological Survey. The Chief, NRCS,

will select proposals for funding. Upon

selection of pilot project proposals, all

producers with production flexibility

contracts under AMTA within project

areas will be eligible to participate in

the CFO. CFO conservation farm plans

will be approved by NRCS and the CFO

contracts will be approved and

payments made by the local FSA office.

Signed in Washington, D.C. on April 14,

1998.

Pearlie S. Reed,

Vice President, Commodity Credit

Corporation.

[FR Doc. 98–10511 Filed 4–20–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–16–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Business—Cooperative Service

Notice of Request for Approval of New

Information Collection

AGENCY: Rural Business—Cooperative

Service, USDA.

ACTION: Proposed collection; comments

requested.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this

notice announces RBS’ intention to

request approval of information

collection in support of the

Intermediary Relending Program (IRP),

Rural Business Enterprise Grant

Program, and Rural Economic

Development Grant Program.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be

received by June 22, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: M.

Wayne Stansbery, Loan Specialist, Rural

Business—Cooperative Service, USDA,

STOP 1521, Washington, DC 20250,

Telephone: (202) 720–6819.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Survey of revolving loan funds

capitalized by USDA Rural

Development.

Type of Request: New Information

Collection.

Abstract: The Rural Business—

Cooperative Service (RBS), an agency

within the Rural Development mission

area of the United States Department of

Agriculture, operates several programs

that provide funds to intermediary

organizations (intermediaries) to be

used for loans to third-party recipients

(ultimate recipients). RBS has entered

into a cooperative agreement with

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State

University (VA Tech) to develop an

automated data base of information on

ultimate recipient loans.

Information will be collected from

intermediaries about each ultimate

recipient loan, to identify the borrower,

date of the loan, loan size, terms,

interest rates, collateral, repayment

history, location, type of business, jobs

impacted, other funds leveraged, and

minority owned businesses assisted.

The first reason for developing the

data base is to analyze the feasibility of

secondary market sales of the loans held

by the intermediaries. The data will

help to determine whether the loans are

salable and, if so, under what terms and

conditions. If determined feasible,

secondary market sales of loans will

allow intermediaries that have received

and used money to establish revolving

funds to recapitalize almost

immediately with private funds, rather

than waiting for term loans to be repaid

over time.

The second reason for creating the

data base is to give RBS better measures

and more accurate and complete

information for measuring program

impact, in accordance with the National

Performance and Results Act. Without

more data on the ultimate recipients,

RBS is limited in its ability to measure

the full impact of programs that operate

through intermediaries and ultimate

recipients.

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting

burden for this collection of information

is estimated to average 3 hours per

response.

Respondents: Non-profit corporations,

public agencies, Indian tribes, and

cooperatives.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

550.

Estimated Number of Annual

Responses per Respondent: 1.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on

Respondents: 2750 hours.

Copies of this information collection

can be obtained from Cheryl Thompson,

Programs Team Information Collection

Coordinator, (202) 720–9750.

Comments

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether

the proposed collection of information

is necessary for the proper performance

of the functions of the Agency,

including whether the information will

have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of

the agency’s estimate of the burden of

the proposed collection of information

including the validity of the

methodology and assumptions used; (c)

ways to enhance the quality, utility, and

clarity of the information to be

collected; and (d) ways to minimize the

burden of the collection of information

on those who respond, including

through the use of appropriate

automated, electronic, mechanical, or

other technological collection

techniques or other forms of information

technology. Comments may be sent to

Cheryl Thompson, Regulations and

Paperwork Management Branch, U.S.

Department of Agriculture, Rural

Development, STOP 0743, 1400

Independence Avenue, SW,

Washington, DC 20250–0743.

Comments may be submitted via the

Internet by addressing them to

‘‘Comments@rus.usda.gov’’ and must

contain the word ‘‘revolving’’ in the

subject. All responses to this notice will

be summarized and included in the

request for OMB approval. All

comments will become a matter of

public record.

Dated: April 9, 1998.

Dayton J. Watkins,

Administrator, Rural Business—Cooperative

Service.

[FR Doc. 98–10433 Filed 4–20–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–XY–U

COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS

Hearing on Schools and Religions

AGENCY: Commission on Civil Rights.

ACTION: Notice of hearing.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given

pursuant to the provisions of the Civil

Rights Commission Amendments Act of

1994, section 3, Public Law 103–419,

108 Stat. 4338, as amended, and 45 CFR

702.3, that a public hearing before the

U.S. Commission on Civil Rights will

commence on Wednesday, May 20,

1998, beginning at 9:30 a.m., in the

YWCA Building, Conference Room 540,

located at 624 Ninth Street, NW.,

Washington, DC 20425.

The purpose of the hearing is to

collect information within the

jurisdiction of the Commission, under

45 CFR 702.2, to examine the operation

of the Equal Access Act and similar