Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 45 / Tuesday, March 10, 2009 / Notices 10225 

Washington, DC. Normal reading room 

hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday 

through Friday, except holidays. To be 

sure someone is there to help you, 

please call (202) 690–2817 before 

coming. 

Other Information: Additional 

information about APHIS and its 

programs is available on the Internet at 

http://www.aphis.usda.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. 

Carmen Soileau, Senior Entomolgist, 

Evaluation and Permitting of Regulated 

Organisms and Soil, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 

River Road Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 

20737–1237; (301) 734–5055. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

The Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service (APHIS) is proposing 

to issue permits for release of a weevil, 

Ceratapion basicorne, into the 

environment for use as a biological 

control agent to reduce the severity of 

yellow starthistle infestations in the 

continental United States. 

Yellow starthistle is a highly invasive 

weed that has become one of 

California’s worst pests since its 

introduction prior to 1860. Since then, 

it has been reported in 41 of the 48 

contiguous U.S. States, with the 

heaviest infestations in the States of 

California, Idaho, Oregon, and 

Washington. Yellow starthistle infests 

grassland habitats and displaces 

desirable plants in both natural and 

grazing areas. Its flowers have inch-long 

spines that deter feeding by and cause 

injury to grazing animals and lower the 

utility of recreational lands. Although 

consumption of yellow starthistle by 

grazing animals is rare, consumption by 

horses is toxic. Continued feeding 

causes ulcers in the mouth and results 

in brain lesions that cause a fatal 

syndrome known as ‘‘chewing disease’’ 

or nigropallidal encephalomalacia. 

There are currently several control 

methods for yellow starthistle, 

including herbicides, mowing, timed 

grazing, prescribed burns, and other 

methods. However, these control 

methods have proven to be ineffective. 

Therefore, APHIS is proposing to issue 

permits for the release of a weevil, 

Ceratapion basicorne, into the 

environment for use as a biological 

control agent to reduce the severity of 

yellow starthistle infestations in the 

continental United States. 

The proposed biological control agent, 

C. basicorne, is native to Europe and 

southwestern Asia. The weevil has a 

wide tolerance to climate and is 

therefore expected to become 

established throughout the range of 

yellow starthistle if released in the 

United States. Female C. basicorne lay 

their eggs in the yellow starthistle leaves 

from late March to early May. The eggs 

hatch after approximately 10 days. The 

larvae then mine in the leaf blade and 

down the leaf stalk. During the 

following 2 months, the larvae feed in 

the root crown while they develop. 

Adults emerge in June, feed on the 

yellow starthistle leaves for a few days, 

and then disappear. Field impact 

studies in California show that plants 

infested with C. basicorne have slower 

growth rates and decreased seed 

production compared to uninfested 

plants. 

Host specificity tests indicate that no 

plant species outside the subtribe 

Centaureinae are at risk of larval 

damage. The closest native species to 

yellow starthistle are C. americana and 

C. rothrockii, but they were not able to 

maintain larval development of C. 

basicorne. Test results also indicate that 

there may be low attack and larval 

damage to C. melitensis, Crupino 

vulgaris, Cnicus benedictus, and C. 

cyanus, but risk of attack was not 

measured in specificity experiments 

because there is no interest to protect 

these invasive species in North 

America. Based on these results, release 

of C. basicorne in the continental 

United States is not expected to have 

any negative cumulative impacts. 

APHIS’ review and analysis of the 

potential environmental impacts 

associated with the proposed action are 

documented in detail in an 

environmental assessment (EA) entitled 

‘‘Field Release of Ceratapion basicorne 

(Coleotera: Apionidae), a Weevil for 

Biological Control of Yellow Starthistle 

(Centaurea solstitialis), in the 

Continental United States’’ (October 

2008). We are making the EA available 

to the public for review and comment. 

We will consider all comments that we 

receive on or before the date listed 

under the heading DATES at the 

beginning of this notice. 

The EA may be viewed on the 

Regulations.gov Web site or in our 

reading room (see ADDRESSES above for 

instructions for accessing 

Regulations.gov and information on the 

location and hours of the reading room). 

You may request paper copies of the EA 

by calling or writing to the person listed 

under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT. Please refer to the title of the 

EA when requesting copies. 

The EA has been prepared in 

accordance with: (1) The National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 

(NEPA), as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et 

seq.), (2) regulations of the Council on 

Environmental Quality for 

implementing the procedural provisions 

of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500–1508), (3) 

USDA regulations implementing NEPA 

(7 CFR part 1), and (4) APHIS’ NEPA 

Implementing Procedures (7 CFR part 

372). 

Done in Washington, DC, this 4th day of 

March 2009. 

Kevin Shea, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. E9–5052 Filed 3–9–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Commodity Credit Corporation 

Cooperative Conservation Partnership 

Initiative 

AGENCY: Commodity Credit Corporation, 

Department of Agriculture (USDA). 

ACTION: Notice of request for proposals; 

request for public comment. 

SUMMARY: Section 2707 of the Food, 

Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 

(2008 Act) establishes the Cooperative 

Conservation Partnership Initiative 

(CCPI) by amending Section 1243 of the 

Food Security Act of 1985 [16 U.S.C. 

3843]. The Secretary of Agriculture has 

delegated the authority for CCPI to the 

Chief of the Natural Resources 

Conservation Service (NRCS), who is a 

Vice President of the Commodity Credit 

Corporation (CCC). NRCS is an agency 

of the United States Department of 

Agriculture (USDA). Congress 

established CCPI to assist potential 

partners with focusing conservation 

assistance in defined project areas to 

achieve high-priority natural resource 

objectives. In fiscal year (FY) 2009, 

NRCS will make Environmental Quality 

Incentives Program (EQIP) and Wildlife 

Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP) funds 

available to owners and operators of 

agricultural and nonindustrial private 

forest lands who will participate in 

CCPI projects. 

The purpose of this notice is to inform 

potential partners and producers that 

include nonindustrial private forest 

landowners of the availability of CCPI 

funds and other assistance and to solicit 

proposals from potential partners who 

seek to enter into partnership 

agreements with NRCS to enhance 

conservation outcomes on agricultural 

and nonindustrial private forest land. 

Additionally, NRCS requests public 

comment on how CCPI can contribute to 

the Nation’s efforts on energy, climate 

change, and carbon sequestration within 

the framework of the Initiative. 

10226 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 45 / Tuesday, March 10, 2009 / Notices 

DATES: Proposals must be received in 

the NRCS State office or National office 

(where the project areas are multi-State 

or national) within 45 days of the date 

of this notice. Comments must be 

received within 30 days of the date of 

this notice. 

Addresses for Submitting Proposals: 

Written proposals should be sent to the 

appropriate State Conservationist, 

Natural Resources Conservation Service. 

The telephone numbers and addresses 

of the NRCS State Conservationists are 

attached in the appendix of this notice. 

For multi-State proposals, written 

proposals should be sent to the Chief, 

Attention: Director, Financial 

Assistance Programs Division, Room 

5241 South Building (Subject: CCPI 

Proposals), PO Box 2890, Washington, 

DC 20013. If the project is multi-state in 

scope, all State Conservationists in the 

project area must be sent the proposal 

for review. State Conservationist(s) must 

submit letters to NRCS National 

Headquarters by May 8, 2009. A list of 

NRCS State office addresses and phone 

numbers is included at the end of the 

notice. Potential partners are 

encouraged to consult with the 

appropriate State Conservationist(s) 

during proposal development to discuss 

the letter of review. 

Addresses for Submitting Comments: 

You may send comments which will be 

available to the public in their entirety, 

using any of the following methods: 

Government-wide rulemaking Web 

site: Go to http://regulations.gov and 

follow the instructions for sending 

comments electronically. 

Mail: Financial Assistance Programs 

Division, U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, Natural Resources 

Conservation Service, 1400 

Independence Avenue, SW., Room 5241 

South Building (Subject: CCPI 

Comments), Washington, DC 20250– 

2890; Fax: (202) 720–4265. Hand 

Delivery Room: Room 5241 South 

Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, 

SW., Room 5237, Washington, DC 

20250, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., 

Monday through Friday, except Federal 

Holidays. 

This notice may be accessed via 

Internet. Users can access the NRCS 

homepage at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/ 

; select the Farm Bill link from the 

menu; select the Notices link from 

beneath the Federal Register Notices 

Index title. Persons with disabilities 

who require alternative means for 

communication (Braille, large print, 

audio tape, etc.) should contact the 

USDA TARGET Center at: (202) 720– 

2600 (voice and TDD). 

To view public comments, please ask 

the guard at the entrance to the South 

Building to call (202) 720–4527 to be 

escorted into the building. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Director, Financial Assistance Programs 

Division, NRCS; phone: (202) 720–1845; 

fax: (202) 720–4265; or e-mail: 

CCPI2008@wdc.usda.gov; Subject: CCPI; 

or via Internet. Users can access the 

NRCS homepage at http:// 

www.nrcs.usda.gov/; select the Farm 

Bill link from the menu; select the 

Notices link from beneath the Federal 

Register Notices Index title. Persons 

with disabilities who require alternative 

means for communication (Braille, large 

print, audio tape, etc.) should contact 

the USDA TARGET Center at: (202) 

720–2600 (voice and TDD). 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Availability of Funding 

Effective on the publication date of 

this notice, the CCC announces the 

availability until September 30, 2009, of 

up to $52.4 million of financial 

assistance funds for CCPI. Under CCPI, 

the NRCS State Conservationist or Chief 

enters into multi-year agreements with 

State and local governments, federally 

recognized Indian tribes, producer 

associations, farmer cooperatives, 

institutions of higher education, and 

nongovernmental organizations with a 

history of working cooperatively with 

producers. The Chief has designated 

$5.8 million of financial assistance 

funds for multi-State or national 

projects. Partnership agreement 

selection for National and State projects 

will be based on the criteria established 

in this notice. 

Definitions 

Agricultural land means cropland, 

grassland, rangeland, pasture, and other 

agricultural land, on which agricultural 

and forest-related products or livestock 

are produced and resource concerns 

may be addressed. Other agricultural 

lands may include cropped woodland, 

marshes, incidental areas included in 

the agricultural operation, and other 

types of agricultural land used for 

production of livestock. 

Beginning Farmer or Rancher means a 

person or legal entity who: 

(a) Has not operated a farm or ranch, 

or who has operated a farm or ranch for 

not more than 10 consecutive years. 

This requirement applies to all members 

of an entity who will materially and 

substantially participate in the 

operation of the farm or ranch. 

(b) In the case of a contract with an 

individual, individually, or with the 

immediate family, material and 

substantial participation requires that 

the individual provide substantial dayto-day labor and management of the 

farm or ranch consistent with the 

practices in the county or State where 

the farm is located. 

(c) In the case of a contract with an 

entity or joint operation, all members 

must materially and substantially 

participate in the operation of the farm 

or ranch. Material and substantial 

participation requires that each of the 

members provide some amount of the 

management or labor and management 

necessary for day-to-day activities, such 

that if each of the members did not 

provide these inputs, operation of the 

farm or ranch would be seriously 

impaired. 

Chief means the Chief of NRCS, 

USDA. 

Conservation practice means one or 

more conservation improvements and 

activities including structural practices, 

land management practices, vegetative 

practices, forest management practices, 

and other improvements that achieve 

the program purposes that are planned 

and installed in accordance with NRCS 

standards and specifications. 

Contract means a legal document that 

specifies the rights and obligations of 

any participant accepted to participate 

in EQIP. A contract is a binding 

agreement for the transfer of assistance 

from USDA to the participant to share 

in the costs of applying conservation 

practices. 

Cost-share agreement means a legal 

document that specifies the rights and 

obligations of any participant accepted 

into WHIP. A WHIP cost-share 

agreement is a binding agreement for the 

transfer of assistance from USDA to the 

participant to share in the costs of 

applying conservation. 

Environmental Quality Incentives 

Program (EQIP) means a program 

administered by NRCS in accordance 

with 7 CFR part 1466, which provides 

for the installation and implementation 

of conservation practices on agricultural 

and nonindustrial private forest land. 

Field Office Technical Guide means 

the official local NRCS source of 

resource information and interpretation 

of guidelines, criteria, and standards for 

planning and applying conservation 

treatments and conservation 

management systems. It contains 

detailed information on the 

conservation of soil, water, air, plant, 

and animal resources applicable to the 

local area for which it is prepared. 

Forest management plan means a sitespecific plan that is prepared by a 

professional resource manager, in 

consultation with the participant, and is 

approved by the State Conservationist. 

Forest management plans may include a 

forest stewardship plan, as specified in 

Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 45 / Tuesday, March 10, 2009 / Notices 10227 

Section 5 of the Cooperative Forestry 

Assistance Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 

2103a); another practice plan approved 

by the State Forester; or another plan 

determined appropriate by the State 

Conservationist. The plan must comply 

with Federal, State, tribal, and local 

laws, regulations, and permit 

requirements. 

Indian land means: (1) Land held in 

trust by the United States for individual 

Indians or Indian tribes, or (2) land, the 

title to which is held by individual 

Indians or Indian tribes subject to 

Federal restrictions against alienation or 

encumbrance, or (3) land which is 

subject to rights of use, occupancy, and/ 

or benefit of certain Indian tribes, or (4) 

land held in fee title by an Indian, 

Indian family, or Indian tribe. 

Indian tribe means any Indian Tribe, 

band, nation, or other organized group 

or community, including any Alaska 

Native village or regional or village 

corporation as defined in or established 

pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims 

Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) 

which is recognized as eligible for the 

special programs and services provided 

by the United States to Indians because 

of their status as Indians. 

Limited Resource Farmer or Rancher 

means: 

(a) A person with direct or indirect 

gross farm sales not more than $155,200 

in each of the previous 2 years (adjusted 

for inflation using Prices Paid by Farmer 

Index as compiled by National 

Agricultural Statistical Service), and 

(b) Has a total household income at or 

below the national poverty level for a 

family of four, or less than 50 percent 

of county median household income in 

each of the previous 2 years (to be 

determined annually using Commerce 

Department Data). 

Nonindustrial private forest land 

means rural land, as determined by the 

Secretary, that has existing tree cover or 

is suitable for growing trees; and is 

owned by any nonindustrial private 

individual, group, association, 

corporation, Indian Tribe, or other 

private legal entity that has definitive 

decisionmaking authority over the land. 

Partner means an entity that enters 

into a partnership agreement with NRCS 

to carry out the CCPI activities. Eligible 

partners include federally recognized 

Indian Tribes, State and local units of 

government, producer associations, 

farmer cooperatives, and institutions of 

higher education or nongovernmental 

organizations with a history of working 

cooperatively with producers. 

Participant means a person or legal 

entity, joint operation, or tribe that is 

receiving payment or is responsible for 

implementing the terms and conditions 

of a contract or cost-share agreement 

under a program covered by CCPI. 

Partnership agreement means a multiyear agreement between NRCS and the 

partner. 

Payment means financial assistance 

provided to a participant in accordance 

with a program contract or cost-share 

agreement. Payments and payment rates 

are guided by the existing program 

rules. 

Producer means a person, legal entity, 

or joint operation who has an interest in 

the agricultural operation, according to 

7 CFR part 1400, or who is engaged in 

agricultural production or forestry 

management. 

Resource Concern means a specific 

natural resource problem that represents 

a significant concern in a State or 

region, and is likely to be addressed 

successfully through the 

implementation of conservation 

activities by producers. 

Socially disadvantaged farmer or 

rancher means a farmer or rancher who 

has been subjected to racial or ethnic 

prejudices because of their identity as a 

member of a group without regard to 

their individual qualities. 

State Conservationist means the 

NRCS employee who is authorized to 

implement conservation programs, 

administered by NRCS, and who directs 

and supervises NRCS activities in a 

State, the Caribbean Area, or the Pacific 

Islands Area. 

State Technical Committee means a 

committee established by the Secretary 

in a State pursuant to 16 U.S.C. 3861. 

Technical assistance means technical 

expertise, information, and tools 

necessary for the conservation of natural 

resources on land active in agricultural, 

forestry, or related uses. The term 

includes the following: (1) Technical 

services provided directly to farmers, 

ranchers, and other eligible entities such 

as conservation planning, technical 

consultation, and assistance with design 

and implementation of conservation 

practices; and (2) technical 

infrastructure including activities, 

processes, tools, and agency functions 

needed to support delivery of technical 

services, such as technical standards, 

resource inventories, training, data, 

technology, monitoring, and effects 

analyses. 

Technical Service Provider means an 

individual, private-sector entity, or 

public agency certified by NRCS to 

provide technical services to program 

participants, in lieu of or on behalf of 

NRCS. 

Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program 

(WHIP) means a program administered 

by NRCS in accordance with 7 CFR 636, 

which provides for technical and 

financial assistance to protect, restore, 

develop, and enhance wildlife habitat. 

Overview of the Cooperative 

Conservation Partnership Initiative 

Background 

The CCPI is a voluntary conservation 

initiative that establishes specific 

parameters for working with eligible 

partners to provide financial and 

technical assistance to owners and 

operators of agricultural and 

nonindustrial private forest lands. The 

assistance provided enables participants 

to install and maintain conservation 

practices, including the development 

and adoption of innovative conservation 

practices and management approaches. 

CCPI uses the funds, policies, and 

processes of EQIP and WHIP to deliver 

flexible conservation assistance to 

owners and operators of agricultural and 

nonindustrial private forest land. Under 

CCPI, NRCS enters into partnership 

agreements with eligible entities that 

want to enhance conservation outcomes 

on agricultural and nonindustrial 

private forest land. The intent of CCPI 

is for the Federal government to 

leverage investment in natural resources 

conservation and enhancement from 

non-Federal sources and to coordinate 

Federal efforts with other Federal, State, 

tribal, and local efforts. The purposes of 

a CCPI partnership agreement are to: (1) 

Address conservation priorities 

involving agriculture and nonindustrial 

private forest land on a local, State, 

multi-State, or regional level; (2) to 

encourage producers to cooperate in 

meeting applicable Federal, State, and 

local regulatory requirements related to 

production; (3) to encourage producers 

to cooperate in the installation and 

maintenance of conservation practices 

that affect multiple agricultural or 

nonindustrial private forest land; and 

(4) to promote the development and 

demonstration of innovative 

conservation practices and delivery 

methods, including those for specialty 

crop and organic production and 

precision agriculture producers. 

Partners who may enter into 

partnership agreements with NRCS 

include federally recognized Indian 

Tribes, State and local units of 

government, producer associations, 

farmer cooperatives, institutions of 

higher education, and nongovernmental 

organizations with a history of working 

cooperatively with producers to 

effectively address conservation 

priorities related to agricultural 

production and nonindustrial private 

forest land. Potential partners may 

submit proposals that request assistance 

for a specified project area which may 

10228 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 45 / Tuesday, March 10, 2009 / Notices 

be defined by geo-political boundaries, 

watershed boundaries, or resource 

concern. The proposal must describe the 

area to be covered by the project, 

conservation priorities in the area, 

conservation objectives to be achieved, 

the number of producers, including 

nonindustrial private forest landowners, 

which are likely to participate; a 

description of the partner, or partners, 

collaborating to achieve the objectives of 

the agreement, and the roles, 

responsibilities, and capabilities of the 

partners; a description of the resources 

that are requested from the Secretary 

and the contributions of the partners; a 

description of the plan for monitoring, 

evaluating, and reporting on progress 

made towards achieving the objectives 

of the agreement; and other information 

that may be required by the Secretary. 

Once a partnership proposal is 

selected, eligible individuals wishing to 

participate in the project must apply 

directly to NRCS for funding. Individual 

applications will be evaluated to ensure 

that applications selected for funding 

are most aligned with the project 

objective. All Federal funds made 

available through this CCPI request for 

proposals (RFP) will be provided 

directly to eligible participants through 

EQIP contracts and WHIP cost-share 

agreements. Producers interested in 

applying must meet the eligibility 

requirements of the program for which 

they are applying. 

In FY 2009, the aim of CCPI is to 

deliver EQIP and WHIP assistance to 

achieve high-priority conservation 

objectives in geographic areas defined 

by the partner. Where flexibility is 

needed to meet project objectives, 

program adjustments may be made 

provided such adjustments are within 

the scope of the applicable programs’ 

statutory and regulatory program 

authorities. An example of a program 

adjustment may be bypassing the 

applicable program ranking process in a 

situation where a partner has identified 

the producers approved to participate in 

the project. Other examples of program 

adjustments may include flexibility in 

payment levels, or using a single areawide plan of operations rather than 

individual plans of operations. 

Submitting Proposals 

Prospective partners submit complete 

proposals to the appropriate State 

Conservationist (State Initiatives) or the 

Chief (if the project is multi-State or 

national). All proposals must be 

submitted to the appropriate State 

Conservationist or Chief (Attn: Director, 

Financial Assistance Programs Division) 

within 45 days of the date of this notice. 

If a project is multi-state in scope, all 

State Conservationists in the project 

area must be sent the proposal for 

review. State Conservationist(s) must 

submit letters to the NRCS National 

Headquarters by May 8, 2009. A list of 

NRCS State office addresses and phone 

numbers is included at the end of the 

notice. Potential partners are 

encouraged to consult with the 

appropriate State Conservationist(s) 

during proposal development to discuss 

the letter of review. No agency form is 

provided; rather, applicants must 

provide a narrative proposal following 

the requirements set forth in this notice. 

The Chief or State Conservationist 

will review and evaluate the proposals 

based on the criteria set forth in this 

notice. Incomplete proposals will not be 

considered and will be returned to the 

submitting entity. Positive consideration 

will be given to proposals that provide 

for outreach to beginning, socially 

disadvantaged, and limited resource 

farmers or ranchers within the area 

covered by the project. Positive 

consideration will also be given to 

proposals that both achieve program 

purposes and further the Nation’s efforts 

with renewable energy production, 

energy conservation, mitigating the 

effects of climate change, facilitating 

climate change adaptation, or fostering 

carbon sequestration. An example of 

this type of activity may be planting 

trees along riparian corridors, which not 

only enhances wildlife habitat and 

controls erosion, but also sequesters 

carbon. Once a proposal is selected, 

NRCS will enter into contracts or costshare agreements, depending on the 

applicable program, with eligible 

participants to install and perform 

conservation practices and/or 

enhancements to meet objectives 

described in the project proposal. 

Producers interested in participating 

in CCPI may apply for designated CCPI 

funds at their local United States 

Department of Agriculture (USDA) 

service center. The designated 

conservationist will determine the 

applicable program (EQIP and WHIP) 

requirements depending on the 

practices and/or activities which the 

applicant seeks to install or perform. For 

example, a State Conservationist will 

enter into an EQIP contract with an 

applicant who seeks to apply an 

agricultural waste management facility, 

while an applicant who wishes to apply 

a conservation practice that enhances 

habitat for at-risk or declining species 

enters into a WHIP cost-share 

agreement. 

Producers seeking to participate in a 

CCPI project must meet all programspecific eligibility requirements. The 

requirements that apply to the contract 

or cost-share agreement are determined 

by the program selected, as adjusted by 

any approved flexibility. For 

information on the limitations and 

benefits, including appropriate payment 

limitations which apply to land and 

participants enrolled in EQIP and 

WHIP, please consult the appropriate 

programs’ statutory authority and 

regulations: Environmental Quality 

Incentives Program (U.S.C. 3836a, 7 CFR 

1466) and Wildlife Habitat Incentive 

Program (16 U.S.C. 3839bb–1, 7 CFR 

636). You may also visit the NRCS Web 

site at www.nrcs.usda.gov for additional 

information by selecting the ‘‘Programs’’ 

tab. 

Partner and Land Eligibility 

Entities eligible to participate as 

partners include federally recognized 

Indian Tribes, State and local units of 

government, producer associations, 

farmer cooperatives, institutions of 

higher education, or nongovernmental 

organizations with a history of working 

cooperatively with producers to 

effectively address conservation 

priorities related to agricultural 

production and nonindustrial private 

forest land. 

The following land is eligible for 

enrollment in the CCPI: 

• Private agricultural and 

nonindustrial private forest land, 

• Land meeting the covered programs 

(EQIP and WHIP) eligibility rules. 

Eligible land is defined for each 

program in regulation: 

• EQIP: 7 CFR 1466.8(c) 

• WHIP: 7 CFR 636.4 

Proposal Criteria 

To be eligible for selection, 

prospective partners must submit a 

complete proposal to the Chief or the 

appropriate State Conservationist. The 

proposal must contain the information 

set forth below in order to receive 

consideration: 

(a) A description of the partner(s) 

history of working with producers to 

address the conservation objectives to 

be achieved; 

(b) A description of the geographic 

area covered by the proposal, 

conservation priorities in the area, 

conservation objectives to be achieved, 

and the expected level of participation 

by producers; 

(c) A description of the partner(s) 

collaborating to achieve the objectives of 

the agreement and the roles, 

responsibilities, and capabilities of the 

partner(s); 

(d) A description of the project 

duration, not to exceed 5 years in 

length, and schedule that details when 

the potential partner anticipates 

Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 45 / Tuesday, March 10, 2009 / Notices 10229 

finishing the project and submitting a 

final report; 

(e) A description of the resources that 

are requested from the Secretary, and 

the non-Federal resources that will be 

leveraged by the Federal contribution; 

(f) A description of the plan for 

monitoring, evaluating, and reporting on 

progress made towards achieving the 

objectives of the agreement; 

(g) A list of the criteria to be used to 

prioritize individual producer 

applications to ensure that applications 

most aligned with the proposal’s 

objectives receive priority; 

(h) An estimate of the percentage of 

producers, including nonindustrial 

private forest landowners, in the project 

area that are likely to participate in the 

project; 

(i) A description of the conservation 

practices and activities to be applied on 

the landscape within the project 

timeframe; 

(j) An estimate of the financial 

assistance program funds and acres 

needed to implement the conservation 

practices and activities within the 

project area (for multi-State or national 

projects, provide the funds/acres by 

State); 

(k) A description of any requested 

program adjustments, by program, with 

explanation of why the adjustment is 

needed in order to achieve the 

objectives of the project. If a partner is 

requesting specific program flexibilities 

that depend on detailed participant or 

project information, the proposal must 

provide the needed information. 

Partners should contact their local 

NRCS office to determine the specific 

information required; 

(l) A description of how the partner 

will provide for outreach to beginning, 

limited resource, and small and 

disadvantaged farmers and ranchers and 

Indian Tribes; and 

(m) A description of how the 

proposal’s objectives further the 

Nation’s efforts with renewable energy 

production, energy conservation, 

mitigating the effects of climate change, 

facilitating climate change adaptation, 

or fostering carbon sequestration, if 

applicable. 

Ranking Considerations 

Once the Chief or appropriate State 

Conservationist has assessed the merits 

of each proposal, the Chief or 

appropriate State Conservationist will 

rank the proposals via a competitive 

process. The Chief or State 

Conservationist shall give a higher 

priority to proposals that: 

• Have a high percentage of 

producers actively farming or managing 

working agricultural or nonindustrial 

private forest lands included in the area 

covered by the agreement; 

• Complete the application of the 

conservation practices and/or activities 

on all of the covered program contracts 

or cost-share agreements in 5 years or 

less; 

• Assist the participants in meeting 

local, State, and/or Federal regulatory 

requirements; 

• Significantly leverage non-Federal 

financial and technical resources and 

coordinate with other local, State, or 

Federal efforts; 

• Provide for matching technical 

assistance funds to assist participants 

with the implementation of their EQIP 

contracts and WHIP cost-share 

agreements; 

• Deliver high percentages of applied 

conservation to address water quality, 

water conservation, or State, regional, or 

national conservation initiatives; 

• Provide innovation in conservation 

methods and delivery, including 

outcome-based performance measures 

and methods; 

• Further the Nation’s efforts with 

renewable energy production, energy 

conservation, mitigating the effects of 

climate change, facilitating climate 

change adaptation, or fostering carbon 

sequestration; or 

• Provide for outreach to, and 

participation of, beginning farmers or 

ranchers, socially disadvantaged farmers 

or ranchers, limited resource farmers or 

ranchers, and Indian Tribes within the 

area covered by the agreement. 

Partnership Agreements 

NRCS will enter a partnership 

agreement with a selected partner as the 

mechanism for participation in CCPI. 

The partnership agreement will not 

obligate funds, but will address among 

other things: 

• The role of the partner; 

• The role of NRCS; 

• The responsibilities of the partner 

as it relates to the monitoring and 

evaluation; 

• The format and frequency of reports 

(semi-annual, annual, and final) that are 

required as a condition of the 

agreement; 

• The frequency and duration of the 

monitoring and evaluation that will take 

place within the project area; 

• Plan of Work and Budget to identify 

other funding sources (if applicable) for 

financial and/or technical assistance; 

• The specified project timeframe; 

and 

• Other requirements deemed 

necessary by NRCS to further the 

purposes of the CCPI project. 

Once a proposal is selected and a 

partnership agreement is signed, and 

subject to the availability of funding, 

NRCS begins entering into EQIP 

contracts and/or WHIP cost-share 

agreements directly with producers that 

include nonindustrial private forest 

landowners who are participating in the 

project. The program used will depend 

upon the type of practices or activities 

anticipated to be applied. Participants 

may have multiple contracts through 

CCPI if more than one covered program 

is needed to accomplish the project 

objectives. 

Request for Public Input 

USDA furthers the Nation’s ability to 

increase renewable energy production 

and conservation, mitigate the effects 

and adapt to climate change, and reduce 

net carbon and greenhouse gas (GHG) 

emissions through various assistance 

programs. 

USDA is increasing renewable energy 

production through facilitating the 

availability, adoption, and use of wind, 

solar, and biofuel energy sources. USDA 

encourages renewable energy 

production by funding biofuel 

technology transfer under Conservation 

Innovation Grants and through 

facilitating wind and solar power 

generation facilities for on-farm use on 

conservation lands under the 

Conservation Reserve Program and the 

Grassland Reserve Program. 

Energy conservation is improved 

through more efficient equipment and 

processes. EQIP fosters energy 

conservation on farms and ranches by 

promoting efficient water irrigation 

systems, no-till, and nutrient 

management and promoting renewable 

energy production by installing solargenerated electric fences. 

The effects of climate change can be 

mitigated through improving the 

adaptability of ecosystems and 

flexibility of agricultural management 

systems including reductions in GHG 

emissions. WHIP improves ecosystem 

adaptability by enhancing wildlife 

habitat biodiversity and the Agricultural 

Management Assistance program 

promotes flexible management system 

through integrative pest management. 

Climate change adaptation occurs 

through the adoption of alternative 

management systems which respond to 

changes such as decreasing 

precipitation, longer growing seasons, 

and increasing vulnerability to pest 

damage. USDA conservation programs, 

such as the Agricultural Water 

Enhancement Program, encourage the 

adoption of water conservation systems 

and dry land farming. 

Net carbon emissions can be reduced 

by either reducing fossil fuel use or 

increasing the land’s carbon storage 

10230 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 45 / Tuesday, March 10, 2009 / Notices 

capacity. USDA conservation programs, 

such as EQIP, assist participants with 

reducing fossil fuel use through no-till 

and other conservation-tillage cropping 

systems which require fewer trips over 

a field with a tractor. The Wetlands 

Reserve Program and Healthy Forests 

Reserve Program sequester carbon by 

encouraging agricultural land 

reforestation. The Conservation 

Stewardship Program encourages 

conservation tillage activities that 

improve soil carbon storage. 

While much is underway, USDA has 

adopted a proactive strategy to increase 

its ability to meet these critical national 

needs. Therefore, CCC is using this 

rulemaking opportunity to obtain input 

from the public on how CCPI can 

achieve its program purposes and 

further the Nation’s efforts with 

renewable energy production, energy 

conservation, mitigating the effects of 

climate change, facilitating climate 

change adaptation, or reducing net 

carbon emissions. For further 

information on these subjects, you may 

wish to look at the following Web site: 

http://www.koshland-sciencemuseum.org/exhibitgcc/. 

Signed in Washington, DC, on this date, 

March 5, 2009. 

Dave White, 

Acting Vice President, Commodity Credit 

Corporation and Chief, Natural Resources 

Conservation Service. 

NRCS State Conservationists 

Alabama 

William Puckett, 3381 Skyway Drive, Post 

Office Box 311, Auburn, AL 36830, Phone: 

(334) 887–4535, Fax: (334) 887–4551, 

bill.puckett@al.usda.gov. 

Alaska 

Robert Jones, Atrium Building, Suite 100, 800 

West Evergreen, Palmer, AK 99645–6539, 

Phone: (907) 761–7760, Fax: (907) 761– 

7790, robert.jones@ak.usda.gov. 

Arizona 

David McKay, 230 N First Avenue, Suite 509, 

Phoenix, AZ 85003–1733, Phone: (602) 

280–8801, Fax: (602) 280–8809, 

david.mckay@az.usda.gov. 

Arkansas 

Kalven L. Trice, Federal Building, Room 

3416, 700 West Capitol Avenue, Little 

Rock, AR 72201–3228, Phone: (501) 301– 

3100, Fax: (501) 301–3194, 

kalven.trice@ar.usda.gov. 

California 

Lincoln (Ed) Burton, Suite 4164, 430 G 

Street, Davis, CA 95616–4164, Phone: (530) 

792–5600, Fax: (530) 792–5790, 

ed.burton@ca.usda.gov. 

Caribbean Area 

Juan A. Martinez, Director, IBM Building, 

Suite 604, 654 Munoz Rivera Avenue, Hato 

Rey, PR 00918–4123, Phone: (787) 766– 

5206, Fax: (787) 766–5987, 

juan.martinez@pr.usda.gov. 

Colorado 

James Allen Green, Room E200C, 655 Parfet 

Street, Lakewood, CO 80215–5521, Phone: 

(720) 544–2810, Fax: (720) 544–2965, 

allen.green@co.usda.gov. 

Connecticut 

Douglas Zehner, 344 Merrow Road, Suite A, 

Tolland, CT 06084, Phone: (860) 871–4011, 

Fax: (860) 871–4054, 

doug.zehner@ct.usda.gov. 

Delaware 

Russell Morgan, Suite 100, 1221 College Park 

Drive, Dover, DE 19904–8713, Phone: (302) 

678–4160, Fax: (302) 678–0843, 

russell.morgan@de.usda.gov. 

Florida 

Carlos Suarez, 2614 N.W. 43rd Street, 

Gainesville, FL 32606–6611, Phone: (352) 

338–9500, Fax: (352) 338–9574, 

carlos.suarez@fl.usda.gov. 

Georgia 

James Tillman, Federal Building, Stop 200, 

355 East Hancock Avenue, Athens, GA 

30601–2769, Phone: (706) 546–2272, Fax: 

(706) 546–2120, 

james.tillman@ga.usda.gov. 

Pacific Islands Area 

Lawrence T. Yamamoto, Room 4–118, 300 

Ala Moana Boulevard, Honolulu, HI 

96850–0002, Phone: (808) 541–2600, Ext. 

100, Fax: (808) 541–1335, 

larry.yamamoto@hi.usda.gov. 

Idaho 

Jeff Burwell, Suite C, 9173 West Barnes 

Drive, Boise, ID 83709, Phone: (208) 378– 

5700, Fax: (208) 378–5735, 

jeffery.burwell@id.usda.gov. 

Illinois 

William J. Gradle, 2118 W. Park Court, 

Champaign, IL 61821, Phone: (217) 353– 

6600, Fax: (217) 353–6676, 

bill.gradle@il.usda.gov. 

Indiana 

Jane E. Hardisty, 6013 Lakeside Blvd., 

Indianapolis, IN 46278–2933, Phone: (317) 

290–3200, Fax: (317) 290–3225, 

jane.hardisty@in.usda.gov. 

Iowa 

Richard Sims, 693 Federal Building, Suite 

693, 210 Walnut Street, Des Moines, IA 

50309–2180, Phone: (515) 284–6655, Fax: 

(515) 284–4394, richard.sims@ia.usda.gov. 

Kansas 

Eric Banks, 760 South Broadway, Salina, KS 

67401–4642, Phone: (785) 823–4500, Fax: 

(785) 452–3369, eric.banks@ks.usda.gov. 

Kentucky 

Tom Perrin, Suite 210, 771 Corporate Drive, 

Lexington, KY 40503–5479, Phone: (859) 

224–7350, Fax: (859) 224–7399, 

tom.perrin@ky.usda.gov. 

Louisiana 

Kevin Norton, 3737 Government Street, 

Alexandria, LA 71302, Phone: (318) 473– 

7751, Fax: (318) 473–7626, 

kevin.norton@la.usda.gov. 

Maine 

Juan Hernandez, Suite 3, 967 Illinois Avenue, 

Bangor, ME 04401, Phone: (207) 990–9100, 

Ext. 3, Fax: (207) 990–9599, 

juan.hernandez@me.usda.gov. 

Maryland 

Jon Hall, John Hanson Business Center, Suite 

301, 339 Busch’s Frontage Road, 

Annapolis, MD 21409–5543, Phone: (410) 

757–0861 Ext. 315, Fax: (410) 757–6504, 

jon.hall@md.usda.gov. 

Massachusetts 

Christine Clarke, 451 West Street, Amherst, 

MA 01002–2995, Phone: (413) 253–4351, 

Fax: (413) 253–4375, 

christine.clarke@ma.usda.gov. 

Michigan 

Garry Lee, Suite 250, 3001 Coolidge Road, 

East Lansing, MI 48823–6350, Phone: (517) 

324–5270, Fax: (517) 324–5171, 

garry.lee@mi.usda.gov. 

Minnesota 

William Hunt, Suite 600, 375 Jackson, St. 

Paul, MN 55101–1854, Phone: (651) 602– 

7900, Fax: (651) 602–7913, 

william.hunt@mn.usda.gov. 

Mississippi 

Homer L. Wilkes, Suite 1321, Federal 

Building, 100 West Capitol Street, Jackson, 

MS 39269–1399, Phone: (601) 965–5205 

ext. 130, Fax: (601) 965–4940, 

homer.wilkes@ms.nrcs.usda.gov. 

Missouri 

Roger A. Hansen, Parkade Center, Suite 250, 

601 Business Loop 70 West, West 

Columbia, MO 65203–2546, Phone: (573) 

876–0901, Fax: (573) 876–0913, 

roger.hansen@mo.usda.gov. 

Montana 

Joyce Swartzendruber, Federal Building, 

Room 443, 10 East Babcock Street, 

Bozeman, MT 59715–4704, Phone: (406) 

587–6811, Fax: (406) 587–6761, 

joyce.swartzendruber@mt.usda.gov. 

Nebraska 

Stephen K. Chick, Federal Building, Room 

152, 100 Centennial Mall N., Lincoln, NE 

68508–3866, Phone: (402) 437–5300, Fax: 

(402) 437–5327, steve.chick@ne.usda.gov. 

Nevada 

Bruce Petersen, 1365 Corporate Blvd, Reno, 

NV 89502, Phone: (775) 857–8500 x. 102, 

Fax: (775) 857–8524, 

bruce.petersen@nv.usda.gov. 

New Hampshire 

George W. Cleek IV, Federal Building, 2 

Madbury Road, Durham, NH 03824–2043, 

Phone: (603) 868–9931, Ext. 125, Fax: (603) 

868–5301, george.cleek@nh.usda.gov. 

Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 45 / Tuesday, March 10, 2009 / Notices 10231 

New Jersey 

Thomas Drewes, 220 Davidson Avenue, 4th 

Floor, Somerset, NJ 08873–3157, Phone: 

(732) 537–6040, Fax: (732) 537–6095, 

thomas.drewes@nj.usda.gov. 

New Mexico 

Dennis Alexander, Suite 305, 6200 Jefferson 

Street, NE, Albuquerque, NM 87109–3734, 

Phone: (505) 761–4400, Fax: (505) 761– 

4481, dennis.alexander@nm.usda.gov. 

New York 

Astor Boozer, Suite 354, 441 South Salina 

Street, Syracuse, NY 13202–2450, Phone: 

(315) 477–6504, Fax: (315) 477–6560, 

astor.boozer@ny.usda.gov. 

North Carolina 

Mary K. Combs, 4407 Bland Road, Suite 117, 

Raleigh, NC 27609–6293, Phone: (919) 

873–2101, Fax: (919) 873–2156, 

mary.combs@nc.usda.gov. 

North Dakota 

J.R. Flores, Jr., Federal Building Room 270, 

220 E. Rosser Avenue, Bismarck, ND 

58501–1458, Phone: (701) 530–2000, Fax: 

(701) 530–2110, jr.flores@nd.usda.gov. 

Ohio 

Terry Cosby, Room 522, 200 North High 

Street, Columbus, OH 43215–2478, Phone: 

(614) 255–2472, Fax: (614) 255–2548, 

terry.cosby@oh.usda.gov. 

Oklahoma 

Ronald L. Hilliard, 100 USDA, Suite 206, 

Stillwater, Oklahoma 74074–2655, Phone: 

(405) 742–1204, Fax: (405) 742–1126, 

ron.hilliard@ok.usda.gov. 

Oregon 

Ron Alvarado, 1201 NE Lloyd Blvd., Suite 

900, Portland, OR 97232, Phone: (503) 

414–3200, Fax: (503) 414–3103, 

ron.alvarado@or.usda.gov. 

Pennsylvania 

Craig Derickson, Suite 340, One Credit Union 

Place, Harrisburg, PA 17110–2993, Phone: 

(717) 237–2203, Fax: (717) 237–2238, 

craig.derickson@pa.usda.gov. 

Rhode Island 

Richard ‘‘Pooh’’ Vongkhamdy, Suite 46, 60 

Quaker Lane, Warwick, RI 02886–0111, 

Phone: (401) 828–1300 ext. 844, Fax: (401) 

828–0433, michelle.moore@ri.usda.gov. 

South Carolina 

Niles Glasgow, Strom Thurmond Federal 

Building, Room 950, 1835 Assembly Street, 

Columbia, SC 29201–2489, Phone: (803) 

253–3935, Fax: (803) 253–3670, 

niles.glasgow@sc.usda.gov. 

South Dakota 

Janet L. Oertly, 200 Fourth Street SW, Huron, 

SD 57350–2475, Phone: (605) 352–1200, 

Fax: (605) 352–1288, 

janet.oertly@sd.usda.gov. 

Tennessee 

J. Kevin Brown, 675 U.S. Courthouse, 801 

Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203–3878, 

Phone: (615) 277–2531, Fax: (615) 277– 

2578, kevin.brown@tn.usda.gov. 

Texas 

Donald W. Gohmert, W.R. Poage Federal 

Building, 101 South Main Street, Temple, 

TX 76501–7602, Phone: (254) 742–9800, 

Fax: (254) 742–9819, 

don.gohmert@tx.usda.gov. 

Utah 

Sylvia Gillen, W.F. Bennett Federal Building, 

Room 4402, 125 South State Street, Salt 

Lake City, UT 84138–1100, Phone: (801) 

524–4555, Fax: (801) 524–4403, 

sylvia.gillen@ut.usda.gov. 

Vermont 

Judith Doerner, Suite 105, 356 Mountain 

View Drive, Colchester, VT 05446, Phone: 

(802) 951–6795 ext. 228, Fax: (802) 951– 

6327, judy.doerner@vt.usda.gov. 

Virginia 

Jack Bricker, Culpeper Building, Suite 209, 

1606 Santa Rosa Road, Richmond, VA 

23229–5014, Phone: (804) 287–1691, Fax: 

(804) 287–1737, jack.bricker@va.usda.gov. 

Washington 

Roylene Rides at the Door, Rock Pointe 

Tower II, Suite 450, W. 316 Boone Avenue, 

Spokane, WA 99201–2348, Phone: (509) 

323–2900, Fax: (509) 323–2909, 

roylene.rides-at-the-door@wa.usda.gov. 

West Virginia 

Kevin Wickey, Room 301, 75 High Street, 

Morgantown, WV 26505, Phone: (304) 284– 

7540, Fax: (304) 284–4839, 

kevin.wickey@wv.usda.gov. 

Wisconsin 

Patricia S. Leavenworth, 8030 Excelsior 

Drive, Suite 200, Madison, WI 53717, 

Phone: (608) 662–4422, Fax: (608) 662– 

4430, pat.leavenworth@wi.usda.gov. 

Wyoming 

Xavier Montoya, P.O. Box 33124, Casper, WY 

82602, Phone: (307) 233–6750, Fax: (307) 

233–6753, xavier.montoya@wy.usda.gov. 

[FR Doc. E9–5089 Filed 3–9–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–16–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Allegheny National Forest, PA; 

Reserved and Outstanding Oil and Gas 

Design Criteria 

Correction 

In notice document E9–3862 

beginning on page 8899 in the issue of 

Friday, February 27, 2009, make the 

following correction: 

On page 8899, in the last line of the 

first column, ‘‘March 26, 2009’’ should 

read ‘‘March 30, 2009’’. 

[FR Doc. Z9–3862 Filed 3–9–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 1505–01–D 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

New Mexico Collaborative Forest 

Restoration Program Technical 

Advisory Panel 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of meeting. 

SUMMARY: The New Mexico 

Collaborative Forest Restoration 

Program Technical Advisory Panel will 

meet in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The 

purpose of the meeting is to provide 

recommendations to the Regional 

Forester, USDA Forest Service 

Southwestern Region, on which forest 

restoration grant proposals submitted in 

response to the Collaborative Forest 

Restoration Program Request For 

Proposals best meet the objectives of the 

Community Forest Restoration Act 

(Title VI, Pub. L. No. 106–393). 

DATES: The meeting will be held April 

27–May 1, 2009, beginning at 1 p.m. on 

Monday, April 27 and ending at 

approximately 4 p.m. on Friday, May 1. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

the MCM Elegante Hotel, 2020 Menaul, 

NE., Albuquerque, NM 87107, Tel. 505– 

884–2511. Written comments should be 

sent to Walter Dunn, at the Cooperative 

and International Forestry Staff, USDA 

Forest Service, 333 Broadway, SE., 

Albuquerque, NM 87102. Comments 

may also be sent via e-mail to 

wdunn@fs.fed.us, or via facsimile to 

Walter Dunn at (505) 842–3165. 

All comments, including names and 

addresses when provided, are placed in 

the record and are available for public 

inspection and copying. The public may 

inspect comments received at the 

Cooperative and International Forestry 

Staff, USDA Forest Service, 333 

Broadway, SE., Albuquerque, or during 

the Panel meeting at the MCM Elegante 

Hotel, 2020 Menaul, NE., Albuquerque, 

NM 87107, Tel. 505–884–2511. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Walter Dunn, Designated Federal 

Official, at (505) 842–3425, or Alicia 

San Gil, at (505) 842–3289, Cooperative 

and International Forestry Staff, USDA 

Forest Service, 333 Broadway, SE., 

Albuquerque, NM 87102. 

Individuals who use 

telecommunication devices for the deaf 

(TDD) may call the Federal Information 

Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339 

between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern 

Standard Time, Monday through Friday. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

meeting is open to the public. Panel 

discussion is limited to Forest Service 

staff and Panel members. However, 

project proponents may respond to