Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 101 /Wednesday, May 27, 1998 / Notices 28989

parties prospectively indicates the

applicant’s compliance with basic loan

eligibility and credit criteria. Half the

application fee is fully earned at the

time NMFS requests its payment. NMFS

will not return this half regardless of

subsequent application disposition. The

other half is fully earned only when

NMFS issues an approval in principal

letter approving an application. Once it

has issued an approval in principle

letter, NMFS will not return the second

half of the application fee.

(9) Transfer eligibility certificate.

Transfer eligibility certificates certify

that parties are eligible to receive (hold)

QS. The RAM Program issues these

certificates to prospective QS

purchasers. If, at the time of application,

an applicant does not already have a

transfer eligibility certificate, NWFSB

will advise the applicant how to apply

for one. If applicants cannot get transfer

eligibility certificates for the QS they

prospectively intend to purchase,

pursuing the loan application process

further is pointless. Applicants who do

not obtain appropriate transfer

eligibility certificates promptly enough

may lose their processing priority to

applicants who do.

VII. Loan Processing

NMFS will, to the maximum extent

possible, process loan applications in

the order of their submission during the

open season. If, however, applicants

cannot, in NWFSB’s discretion,

reasonably promptly comply with

application processing requirements,

they may lose their processing priority

to applicants who can. NWFSB will,

from time to time, specify compliance

time requirements that are responsive to

the administrative need to have all

credit authority fully obligated before

the end of FY 1998. Applicants must

comply or lose their application priority

to other applicants who will.

NWFSB will conduct a standard duediligence credit investigation. This

should be a relatively simple and quick

process. Once NMFS has made a duediligence credit decision, loan approval

requires certain internal clearances that

will add some time to processing, but

NMFS will try to accelerate processing

as much as possible. Upon formal loan

approval, NMFS will issue an approval

in principle letter for the applicant’s

acceptance.

VIII. Loan Closing

NMFS will establish all loan terms

and conditions, prepare all closing

documents, close all loans, and record

all security interests. NMFS should

generally have no need for applicants to

hire attorneys for any loan purpose, but

applicants may do so if they wish.

Generally, the only closing costs to

applicants will be the cost of doing title/

lien searches on, or recording security

interests in, loan QS. NWFSB may need

to do title/lien searches, and record

security interests, in several different

jurisdictions.

IX. Title XI and 50 CFR Part 253

The general rules implementing Title

XI are 50 CFR part 253, subpart B. Loans

will be subject to so much of the other

provisions of Title XI and of its

implementing rules as can reasonably be

applied to loans involving the purchase

under this notice of QS (rather than the

purchase of fishing vessels, fisheries

shoreside facilities, or aquacultural

facilities).

X. Administrative Requirements

(1) In accordance with the provisions

of the Debt Collection Improvement Act

of 1996, a person may not obtain any

Federal financial assistance in the form

of a loan (other than a disaster loan) or

loan guarantee if the person has an

outstanding debt (other than a debt

under the Internal Revenue Code of

1986) with any Federal agency which is

in a delinquent status, as determined

under standards prescribed by the

Secretary of the Treasury.

(2) 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 which

significantly reflect on the applicant’s

management honesty or financial

integrity.

(3) 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.

(4) Applicants must submit a

completed Form CD–511,

‘‘Certifications Regarding Debarment,

Suspension and Other Responsibility

Matters; Drug-Free Workplace

Requirements and Lobbying,’’ and the

following explanations are hereby

provided:

i. Nonprocurement 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;

ii. 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 applications/bids for

grants, cooperative agreements, and

contracts for more than $100,000, and

loans and loan guarantees for more than

$150,000.

Classification

Neither the Administrative Procedure

Act nor any other law requires prior

notice and opportunity for public

comment about this notice (which

concerns loans). Consequently, the

Regulatory Flexibility Act does not

require a regulatory flexibility analysis.

This notice is not significant for

purposes of E.O. 12866.

This document contains a collectionof-information requirement subject to

the Paperwork Reduction Act. OMB has,

under control number 0648–0012,

approved the collection of this

information.

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 of

information displays a currently valid

OMB control number.

Dated: May 20, 1998.

David L. Evans,

Deputy Assistant Administrator for Fisheries,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 98–13979 Filed 5–26–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[Docket No. 980415097–8097–01]

RIN 0648–ZA40

Regional Nonindigenous Species

Research and Outreach and Improved

Methods for Ballast Water Treatment

and Management: Request for

Proposals for 1998

AGENCIES: National Sea Grant College

Program, National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration,

Department of Commerce and Fish and

Wildlife Service, Department of Interior.

ACTION: Notice of request for proposals.
28990 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 101 /Wednesday, May 27, 1998 / Notices

SUMMARY: The purpose of this notice is

to advise the public that the National

Sea Grant College Program (Sea Grant)

and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

(USFWS) are entertaining proposals to

participate in innovative research,

outreach, and demonstration projects

that address the problems of

nonindigenous species in U.S. coastal

waters. Sea Grant will support regional

projects to prevent and/or control

nonindigenous species invasions in the

marine environment. Sea Grant and the

Service will support demonstration

projects to improve ballast water

treatment and management in U.S.

marine waters in general (Service), and

in Chesapeake Bay in particular (Sea

Grant).

DATES: Proposals must be received by

4:00 p.m. EDT on July 8, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Proposals should be

addressed to: National Sea Grant College

Program, R/SG, Attn: Nonindigenous

Species Competition, Room 11877,

NOAA, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver

Spring, MD 20910.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Leon M. Cammen, Nonindigenous

Species Coordinator, or Mary Robinson,

Secretary, National Sea Grant Office,

301–713–2435; facsimile 301–713–0799;

or Robert A. Peoples, U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service, 703–358–2025;

facsimile 703–358–2044.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Program Authority

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 4701 et seq.; 33 U.S.C.

1121 et seq.

Catalog of Federal Assistance Numbers:

11.417, Sea Grant Support; 15.FFA, Fish and

Wildlife Management Assistance.

II. Program Description

Background

Nonindigenous species introductions

are increasing in frequency and causing

substantial damage to the Nation’s

environment and economy. Although

the most prominent of these has been

the zebra mussel, many other

nonindigenous species have been

introduced and have truly become a

nationwide problem that threatens

many aquatic ecosystems. While some

intentional introductions may have had

beneficial effects, there are many other

nonindigenous species already present

in U.S. waters, or with the potential to

invade, that may cause significant

damage to coastal resources and the

economies that depend upon them. In

response, the Nonindigenous Aquatic

Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of

1990 (16 U.S.C. 4701 et seq.) established

a framework for the Nation to address

the problems of aquatic nuisance

species invasions of coastal and Great

Lakes ecosystems.

Although problems such as the zebra

mussel and the sea lamprey within the

Great Lakes have received the most

attention, invasions of nonindigenous

species in coastal marine environments

are an increasing and serious threat. The

National invasive Species Act of 1996

(Pub. L. 104–332, 110 Stat. 4073)

recognized this by calling for Federal

funding to support aquatic nuisance

species prevention and control in five

regions of the U.S. coast: Chesapeake

Bay, the Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific

coast, the Atlantic coast, and the San

Francisco Bay—Delta estuary.

In addition, the Act recognized the

serious threat posed by ballast water

discharge in causing new invasions and

called for ballast water management

demonstration programs. A 1996

National Research Council study of the

ballast water problem, ‘‘Stemming the

Tide,’’ concluded that with the growth

of global shipping, and the changes in

modern shipping practices,

introductions of nonindigenous species

through ballast water discharge were

likely to remain a serious problem. The

study called for the development of

improved technology for the

management of ballast water to

eliminate this threat to the Nation’s

ecosystems. A demonstration project is

currently underway in the Great Lakes

testing filtration of ballast water as

method of reducing introductions, but it

is acknowledged that there is unlikely to

be a single solution that is acceptable for

all modes of shipping operations and

classes of vessels.

Funding Availability and Priorities

The National Sea Grant College

Program encourages proposals that

address one of the following two

program areas:

(1) Regional Research and Outreach to

Prevent and Control Nonindigenous

Species Invasions in Marine

Environments

Projects should provide an ‘‘end-toend’’ approach that integrates the

research with the outreach necessary to

ensure that the results will be applied

to address the problem in that region.

Projects must be targeted toward one (or

more) of the following regions:

Chesapeake Bay, the Gulf of Mexico, the

Pacific coast, the Atlantic coast, and the

San Francisco Bay-Delta estuary.

Possible topics include (but are not

limited to): identification of vectors of

introduction, development of costeffective, realistic methods of

prevention; development of selective,

effective controls that minimize adverse

ecological/environmental impacts—

engineering (redesigning water intakes,

etc.), physical (scraping, filtering, etc.),

chemical (biocides, antifoulants, etc.),

biological (parasites, predators, etc.),

and/or physicochemical (heat, salinity,

pH, etc.); and identification of

mechanisms for further dispersal of

individual established species that will

lead to the development of safeguards

and protocols to prevent and/or slow

the spread of nonindigenous species to

uninfested areas.

A total of $420,000 is available for

this activity in FY1998; an additional

$425,000 will be made available in

FY1999 if appropriated. Proposals may

be submitted for one or two years of

activity; the second year of funding is

contingent upon availability of funds

and submission of an annual report

showing satisfactory progress. Project

activities should include identified

milestones for each project year.

Proposals may request up to $140,000

per year and must include additional

matching funds equivalent to 33% of

the Federal funds requested; for

example, a proposal requesting a total of

$270,000 for two years would have to

include at least an additional $90,000 in

matching funds. The total dollar amount

of indirect costs proposed in an

application under this program area

must not exceed the indirect cost rate

negotiated and approved by the

cognizant Federal agency prior to the

proposed effective date of the award or

100 percent of the total proposed direct

costs dollar amount in the application,

whichever is less. It is anticipated that

from three to five projects will be

supported; no more than one project

will be funded in each region.

(2) Chesapeake Bay Ballast Water

Management

Research to develop workable and

effective methods to eliminate ballast

water discharge as a source of

nonindigenous species introductions

without imposing undue hardships on

the shipping industry. Possible

approaches include (but are not limited

to) development and/or demonstration

of technologies for treatment or

management of ballast water on-board

ship or for on-shore management.

Projects that include on-vessel or onshore demonstrations of feasibility will

be given priority. Projects must be

clearly targeted toward addressing

ballast water management in

Chesapeake Bay, but investigators

located outside the Chesapeake Bay

region may participate if all

demonstrations are carried out on

Chesapeake Bay.
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 101 /Wednesday, May 27, 1998 / Notices 28991

A total of $500,000 is available for

this activity in FY1998. Proposals are

limited to one year of funding, but

activities may extend for up to two

years; an annual report showing

satisfactory progress must be submitted

at the end of the first year. Project

activities should include identified

milestones for each project year.

Proposals may request up to the full

$500,000; matching fund are

encouraged, but not required. The total

of dollar amount of indirect costs

proposed in an application under this

program area must not exceed the

indirect cost rate negotiated and

approved by the cognizant Federal

agency prior to the proposed effective

date of the award or 100 percent of the

total proposed direct costs dollar

amount in the application, whichever is

less.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

encourages proposals that address the

following program area:

(3) National Ballast Water Management

Research to develop workable and

effective methods to eliminate ballast

water discharge as a source of

nonindigenous species introductions

without imposing undue hardships on

the shipping industry. Possible

approaches include (but are not limited

to) development and/or demonstration

of technologies for treatment or

management of ballast water on-board

ship or for on-shore management.

Projects may be carried out in any U.S.

waters except Chesapeake Bay.

A total of $150,000 is available for

this activity in FY1998; support will be

made available at the same level in

FY1999 and FY2000 if funds are

appropriated. Proposals may request up

to three years of funding; the second

and third years of funding are

contingent upon availability of funds

and submission of an annual report

showing satisfactory progress. Project

activities may be phased in and should

include identified milestones for each

project year. Proposals may request up

to the full $150,000; matching funds are

encouraged, but not required. For

proposals submitted under this program

area only, indirect costs may not exceed

15% of direct costs.

III. Eligibility

Applications requesting support

under the ‘‘Regional Research and

Outreach to Prevent and Control

Nonindigenous Species Invasions in

Marine Environments’’ program area are

restricted to universities and nonFederal research institutions.

Applications requesting support under

the ‘‘Chesapeake Bay Ballast Water

Management’’ or ‘‘National Ballast

Water Management’’ program areas may

be submitted by individuals; public or

private corporations, partnerships, or

other associations or entities (including

institutions of higher education,

institutes, or non-Federal laboratories),

or any State, political subdivision of a

State, or agency or officer thereof.

IV. Evaluation Criteria

The evaluation criteria for proposals

submitted for support under the

‘‘Regional Research and Outreach to

Prevent and Control Nonindigenous

Species Invasions in Marine

Environments’’ program area are:

(1) Impact of proposed project (50%):

Significance of the nonindigenous

species problem that will be addressed;

the effect this activity will have on

reducing the impact of nonindigenous

species on the environment and/or the

economy, or the need for this activity as

a necessary step toward such a

reduction in impact.

(2) Scientific or Professional Merit

(20%): Degree to which the activity will

advance the state of the science or

discipline through use and extension of

state-of-the-art methods.

(3) User Relationships (15%): Degree

to which potential users of the results of

the proposed activity has been involved

in planning the activity, will be

involved in the execution of the activity,

and/or are providing matching funds.

(4) Innovativeness (10%): Degree to

which new approaches to solving

problems and exploiting opportunities

in resource management or

development, or in public outreach on

such issues will be employed;

alternatively, the degree to which the

activity will focus on new types of

important or potentially important

resources and issues.

(5) Qualifications and Past Record of

Investigators (5%): Degree to which

investigators are qualified by education,

training, and/or experience to execute

the proposed activity; record of

achievement with previous funding.

The evaluation criteria for proposals

submitted for support under the

‘‘Chesapeake Bay Ballast Water

Management’’ and ‘‘National Ballast

Water Management’’ program areas are:

(1) Impact of proposed project (40%):

Potential effectiveness of ballast water

treatment technologies or practices in

reducing introductions of nonindigerous

species.

(2) Field-Scale Demonstration (10%):

Inclusion of a field-scale demonstration

of the proposed ballast water treatment

technology or practices.

(3) Scientific or Professional Merit

(20%): Degree to which the activity will

advance the state of the science or

discipline through use and extension of

state-of-the-art methods.

(4) User Relationships (15%): Degree

to which potential users of the results of

the proposed activity have been

involved in planning the activity, will

be involved in the execution of the

activity, and/or are providing matching

funds.

(5) Innovativeness (10%): Degree to

which new approaches to solving

problems and exploiting opportunities

in resource management or

development, or in public outreach on

such issues will be employed;

alternatively, the degree to which the

activity will focus on new types of

important or potentially important

resources and issues.

(6) Qualifications and Past Record of

Investigators (5%): Degree to which

investigators are qualified by education,

training, and/or experience to execute

the proposed activity; record of

achievement with previous funding.

V. Selection Procedures

All proposals will be evaluated and

ranked in accordance with the assigned

weights of the above evaluation criteria

by one of two independent peer review

panels consisting of government,

academic, and industry experts; one

panel will review the Regional Research

Proposals and a second panel will

review the Ballast Water Management

proposals. These panel members will

provide individual evaluations on each

proposal, but there will be no consensus

advice. Their recommendations and

evaluations will be considered by the

Program Managers in the final selection.

Those proposals ranked by the panel as

‘‘not recommended for funding’’ will

not be given further consideration. For

the proposals rated either Excellent,

Very Good or Good, the Sea Grant and

USFWS Program Managers will: (a)

ascertain which proposals meet the

objectives, fit the criteria posted, and do

not substantially duplicate other

projects that are currently funded by

NOAA or USFWS or are approved for

funding by other federal agencies,

hence, awards may not necessarily be

made to the highest-scored proposals;

(b) select the proposals to be funded; (c)

determine which components of the

selected projects will be funded; (d)

determine the total duration of funding

for each proposal; and (e) determine the

amount of funds available for each

proposal. No more than one ‘‘Regional

Research’’ project will be funded from

any single region, but this limit will not

be applied to the ‘‘Ballast Water’’

competitions. Investigators may be

asked to modify objectives, work plans,
28992 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 101 /Wednesday, May 27, 1998 / Notices

or budgets prior to final approval of the

award. Subsequent grant administration

procedures will be in accordance with

the individual policies of the awarding

agency. A summary statement of the

scientific review by the peer panel will

be provided to each applicant.

VI. Instructions for Application

General Guidelines

The ideal proposal attacks a welldefined problem that will be or is a

significant societal issue. The

organization or people whose task it

will be to make related decisions, or

who will be able to make specific use

of the projects results, will have been

identified and contacted by the

Principal Investigator(s). The project

will show an understanding of what

constitutes necessary and sufficient

information for responsible decisionmaking or for applied use, and will

show how that information will be

provided by the proposed activity, or in

concert with other planned activities.

Research projects are expected to

have: a rigorous, hypothesis-based

scientific work plan, or a well-defined,

logical approach to address an

engineering problem; a strong rationale

for the proposed research; and a clear

and established relationship with the

ultimate users of the information.

Research undertaken jointly with

industry, business, or other agencies

with interest in the problem will be seen

as being meritorious. Their contribution

to the research may be in the form of

collaboration, in-kind services, or dollar

support. Projects that are solely

monitoring efforts are not appropriate

for funding.

What To Submit

Each proposal should include the

items listed below. All pages should be

single- or double-spaced, typewritten in

at least a 10-point font, and printed on

metric A4 (210 mm x 297 mm) or 81⁄2′′

x 11′′ paper. Brevity will assist

reviewers and program staff in dealing

effectively with proposals. Therefore,

the Project Description may not exceed

15 pages. Tables and visual materials,

including charts, graphs, maps,

photographs and other pictorial

presentations are included in the 15-

page limitation. Conformance to the 15-

page limitation will be strictly enforced.

All information needed for review of the

proposal should be included in the

main text; no appendices are permitted.

(1) Signed title page: The title page

should be signed by the Principal

Investigator and the institutional

representative and should clearly

identify the program area being

addressed by starting the project title

with either ‘‘Regional Research and

Outreach’’, ‘‘Chesapeake Bay Ballast

Water’’, or ‘‘National Ballast Water’’ as

appropriate. The Principal Investigator

and institutional representative should

be identified by full name, title,

organization, telephone number and

address. The total amount of Federal

funds being requested should be listed

for each budget period.

(2) Project Summary: This

information is very important. Prior to

attending the peer review panel

meetings, some of the panelists may

read only the project summary.

Therefore, it is critical that the project

summary accurately describe the

research being proposed and convey all

essential elements of the research. The

project summary should include: 1.

Title: Use the exact title as it appears in

the rest of the application. 2.

Investigators: List the names and

affiliations of each investigator who will

significantly contribute to the project.

Start with the Principal Investigator. 3.

Funding request for each year of the

project, including matching funds if

appropriate. 4. Project Period: Start and

completion dates. Proposals should

request a start date of October 1, 1998,

or later. 5. Project Summary: This

should include the rationale for the

project, the scientific or technical

objectives and/or hypotheses to be

tested, and a brief of summary of work

to be completed.

(3) Project Description (15-page limit):

(a) Introduction/Background/

Justification: Subjects that the

investigator(s) may wish to include in

this section are: a) current state of

knowledge; b) contributions that the

study will make to the particular

discipline or subject area; and c)

contributions the study will make

toward addressing the problem of

nonindigenous species.

(b) Research or Technical Plan: a)

Objectives to be achieved, hypotheses to

be tested; b) Plan of work—discuss how

stated project objectives will be

achieved; and c) Role of project

personnel.

(c) Output: Describe the project

outputs that will enhance the Nation’s

ability to manage and control

nonindigenous species impacts.

(d) Coordination with others Program

Elements: Describe any coordination

with other agency programs or ongoing

research efforts. Describe any other

proposals that are essential to the access

of this proposal.

(4) Budget and Budget Justification:

There should be a separate budget for

each year of the project as well as a

cumulative annual budget for the entire

project. Applicants are encouraged to

use the Sea Grant Budget Form 90–4,

but may use their own form as long as

it provides the same information as the

Sea Grant form. Subcontracts should

have a separate budget page. Matching

funds must be indicated if required;

failure to provide adequate matching

funds will result in the proposal being

rejected without review. Applicants

should provide justification for all

budget items in sufficient detail to

enable the reviewers to evaluate the

appropriateness of the funding

requested. For applications submitted

for the ‘‘Regional Research and

Outreach to Prevent and Control

Nonindigenous Species Invasions in

Marine Environments’’ and the

‘‘Chesapeake Bay Ballast Water

Management’’ program areas, the total

dollar amount of indirect costs must not

exceed the indirect cost rate negotiated

and approved by the cognizant Federal

agency prior to the proposed effective

date of the award or 1000 percent of the

total proposed direct costs dollar

amount in the application whichever is

less. For proposals submitted for the

‘‘National Ballast Water Management’’

program area only, indirect costs may

not exceed 15% of direct costs. The Sea

Grant Budget Form 90–4 is available

through the World Wide Web

(www.mdsg.umd.umd.edu/NSGO/

research/nonindigenous/RFP98.html) or

form Dr. Leon Cammen at the National

Sea Grant Office (phone: 301–713–2435

x136 or e-mail:

leon.cammmen@noaa.gov).

(5) Current and Pending Support:

Applicants must provide information on

all current and pending support for

ongoing projects and proposals,

including subsequent funding in the

case of continuing grants. All current

project support from whatever source

(e.g., Federal, State or local government

agencies, private foundations, industrial

or other commercial organizations) must

be listed. The proposed project and all

other projects or activities requiring a

portion of time of the principal

investigator and other senior personnel

should be included, even if they receive

no Federal salary support from the

project(s). The number of personmonths per year to be devoted to the

projects must be stated, regardless of

source of support. Similar information

must be provided for all proposals

already submitted or submitted

concurrently to other possible sponsors,

including those within NOAA and the

USFWS.

(6) Vitae (2 pages maximum per

investigator).

(7) Research Protocol (if appropriate):

Research activities funded under this
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 101 /Wednesday, May 27, 1998 / Notices 28993

program must not accelerate the spread

of nonindigenous species to noninfested watersheds. Therefore,

investigators whose laboratories or

research study sites are in currently

uninfested areas must adopt procedures

for handling the particular

nonindigenous species that will prevent

its release into the environment. Such

proposals must contain a research

protocol for review by an interagency

committee created under the

Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance

Prevention and Control Act of 1990

before the grant can be awarded.

Guidelines for developing suitable

protocols are available through the

World Wide Web (www.mdsg.umd.edu/

NSGO/research/nonindigenous/

RFP98.html) or from Dr. Leon Cammen

at the National Sea Grant Office (phone:

301–713–2435 x136 or e-mail:

leon.cammen@noaa.gov). Proposals

lacking a suitable protocol will not be

eligible for funding.

(8) Declaration of Vessel Selection (if

appropriate): Applications proposing

on-board demonstrations of ballast

water management should address the

requirements and priorities listed in the

National Invasive Species Act of 1996

for selecting vessels for demonstration

projects. These requirements are

available through the World Wide Web

(www.mdsg.umd.edu/NSGO/research/

nonindigenous/RFP98.html) or from Dr.

Leon Cammen at the National Sea Grant

Office (phone: 301–713–2435 x136 or email: leon.cammen@noaa.gov).

(9) Standard Application Forms:

Applicants may obtain all required

application forms through the World

Wide Web (www.mdsg.umd.edu/NSGO/

research/nonindigenous/RFP98.html) or

from Dr. Leon Cammen at the National

Sea Grant Office (phone: 301–713–2435

x136 or e-mail:

leon.cammen@noaa.gov). The following

forms must be included:

(a) Standard Forms 424, Application

for Federal Assistance, 424A, Budget

Information—Non-Construction

Programs; and 424B, Assurances—NonConstruction Programs, (Rev 4–88).

Applications should clearly identify the

program area being addressed by

starting the project title with either

‘‘Regional Research and Outreach’’,

‘‘Chesapeake Bay Ballast Water’’, or

‘‘National Ballast Water’’ as appropriate.

Please note that both the Principal

Investigator and an administrative

contact should be identified in Section

5 of the SF424. For Section 10,

applicants for the Regional Research

and Outreach to Prevent and Control

Nonindigenous Species Invasions in

Marine Environments and Chesapeake

Bay Ballast Water Management program

areas should enter ‘‘11.417’’ for the

CFDA Number and ‘‘Sea Grant Support’’

for the title; applicants for the National

Ballast Water Management program area

should enter ‘‘15.FFA’’ for the CFDA

Number and ‘‘Fish and Wildlife

Management Assistant’’ for the title. The

form must contain the original signature

of an authorized representative of the

applying institution.

(b) Primary Applicant Certifications.

All primary applicants must submit a

completed Form CD–511,

‘‘Certifications Regarding Debarment,

Suspension and Other Responsibility

Matters; Drug-Free Workplace

Requirements and Lobbying,’’ and the

following explanations are hereby

provided:

(i) Nonprocurement 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;

(ii) Drug-Free Workplace. Grantees (as

defined at 15 CFR Part 26, Section 605)

are subject to 15 CFR Part 26, Subpart

F, ‘‘Governmentwide Requirements for

Drug-Free Workplace (Grants)’’ and the

related section of the certification form

prescribed above applies;

(iii) 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 applications/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

(iv) 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.

(c) Lower Tier Certifications.

Recipients shall require applicant/

bidders for subgrants, 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 Volumtary 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 the Department of Commerce (DOC).

SF–LLL submitted by any tier recipient

or subrecipient should be submitted to

DOC in accordance with the

instructions contained in the award

document.

VII. How To Submit

The original and two (2) copies of

each proposal must be received in the

National Sea Grant Office no later than

4:00 p.m. EDT on the closing date July

8, 1998. Although investigators are not

required to submit more than 3 copies

of the proposal, the normal review

process requires 10 copies. Investigators

are encouraged to submit sufficient

proposal copies for the full review

process if they wish all reviewers to

receive color, unusually sized (not

8.5×11′′), or otherwise unusual materials

submitted as part of the proposal. Only

three copies of the Federally required

forms are needed. Completed

applications should be sent via regular

mail to: National Sea Grant Office, R/

SG, Attn: Nonindigenous Species

Competition, NOAA, 1315 East-West

Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910.

For express mail or courier-delivered

applications, the following address must

be used: National Sea Grant Office, R/

SG, Attn: Nonindigenous Species

Competition, NOAA, Room 11877, 1315

East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD

20910. Phone: 301–713–2435 (for

express mail applications).

Applications received after the

deadline and application that deviate

from the format described above will be

returned to the sender without review.

Fascimile transmissions and electronic

mail submission of full proposals will

not be accepted. If you have any

questions or require further information,

contact one of the agency coordinators

listed above

VIII. Other Requirements

(A) Federal Policies and Procedures—

Recipients and subrecipients are subject

to all Federal laws and Federal,

Department of Commerce (DOC), and

Department of Interior (DOI) policies,

regulations, and procedures applicable

to Federal financial assistance awards.

(B) Past Performance—Unsatisfactory

performance 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

of not being reimbursed by the

Government. Notwithstanding any

verbal or written assurance that may

have been received, there is no

obligation on the part of DOC or DOI to

cover preaward costs.
28994 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 101 /Wednesday, May 27, 1998 / Notices

(D) No Obligation for Future

Funding—If an application is selected

for funding, DOC and DOI have 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 and DOI.

(E) Delinquent Federal Debts—No

award of Federal funds shall be made to

an applicant who has an outstanding

delinquent Federal debt until either:

(1) The delinquent account is paid in

full,

(2) A negotiated repayment schedule

is established and at least one payment

is received, or

(3) Other arrangements satisfactory to

DOC or DOI are made.

(F) Name Check Review—All nonprofit 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

which significantly reflect on the

applicant’s management honesty or

financial integrity.

(G) 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.

(H) Intergovernmental Review—

Applications for support from the

National Sea Grant College Program are

not subject to Executive Order 12372,

‘‘Intergovernmental Review of Federal

Programs. Applications for support from

the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are

subject to Executive Order 12372,

‘‘Intergovernmental Review of Federal

Programs.’’

(I) Purchase of American-Made

Equipment and 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.

IX. Classification

Prior notice and an opportunity for

public comments are not required by the

Administrative Procedure Act or any

other law for this notice concerning

grants, benefits, and contracts.

Therefore, a regulatory flexibility

analysis is not required for purposes of

the Regulatory Flexibility Act.

This action has been determined to be

not significant for purposes of E.O.

12866.

This notice contains collection of

information requirements subject to the

Paperwork Reduction Act. The Sea

Grant Budget Form and Standard Forms

424, 424a, and 424b have been approved

under control numbers 0648–0034,

0348–0043, 0348–0044, and 0348–0040

with average responses estimated to take

15, 45, 180, and 15 minutes,

respectively. These estimates include

the time for reviewing instructions,

searching existing data sources,

gathering and maintaining the data

needed, and completing and reviewing

the collection of information. Send

comments on these estimates or any

other aspect of these collections to

National Sea Grant College Program,

R/SG, NOAA, 1315 East-West Highway,

Silver Spring, MD 20910 (Attention:

Leon M. Cammen) and to the Office of

Information and Regulatory Affairs,

Office of Management and Budget,

Washington, DC 20503 (Attention:

NOAA Desk Officer). Notwithstanding

any other provision of the 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 of

information displays a currently valid

OMB Control Number.

Dated: May 20, 1998.

Alan R. Thomas,

Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of

Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, National

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Dated: May 20, 1998.

Gary B. Edwards,

Assistant Director—Fisheries, U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service.

[FR Doc. 98–13943 Filed 5–26–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–12–M

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 051898D]

North Pacific Fishery Management

Council; Public Meetings

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of meetings of the North

Pacific Fishery Management Council

(Council) and its advisory bodies.

SUMMARY: The Council and its advisory

committees will meet in Dutch Harbor,

AK.

DATES: The meetings will be held during

the week of June 8, 1998.

ADDRESSES: The Council and Scientific

and Statistical Committee (SSC) will

meet at the Grand Aleutian Hotel in

Dutch Harbor, AK. The Advisory Panel

(AP) will meet at the UniSea Galley

Conference Room in the UniSea Central

Building.

Council address: North Pacific

Fishery Management Council, 605 W.

4th Ave., Suite 306, Anchorage, AK

99501–2252.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Council staff, telephone: 907–271–2809.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: All

meetings are open to the public with the

exception of Council executive sessions,

which may be held during the noon

hour during the meeting week, if

necessary, to discuss personnel,

international issues, or litigation.

The SSC will meet beginning at 8:00

a.m. on Monday, June 8, continuing

through at least Wednesday, June 10.

The AP will begin meeting at 8:00

a.m. on Monday, June 8, and continue

through a portion of Friday, June 12.

The Council’s regular plenary session

will begin at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday,

June 10, and continue through a portion

of Monday, June 15, 1998.

Other workgroup or committee

meetings may be held during the week.

Notices of these meetings will be posted

at the hotel.

The agenda for the Council’s plenary

session will include the following

issues. The Council may take

appropriate action on any of the issues

identified.

1. Reports from the NMFS and Alaska

Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G)

on the current status of the fisheries off

Alaska, and enforcement reports from

the U.S. Coast Guard and NMFS

Enforcement.

2. Final action on allocation of

pollock between inshore and offshore

fisheries.

3. Final action on an amendment to

the fishery management plans to

incorporate essential fish habitat

information as required by the

Magnuson-Stevens Act Fishery

Conservation and Management Act

(Magnuson-Stevens Act).

4. Final action on an amendment to

close a 4–mile by 4–mile area off Sitka

(Cape Edgecumbe Pinnacles) to protect

habitat important for juvenile rockfish

and lingcod.

5. Final action on an amendment to

extend the existing vessel moratorium..

6. Preliminary review of proposed

amendments to the license limitation

program for groundfish and crab.

7. Status report on NMFS guidelines

for vessel buyback programs.

8. Final action on an amendment to

roll over the current pollock community