29090 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 103 / Tuesday, May 29, 2001 / Notices

DATES: Written comments on the draft

FMEP must be received no later than 5

p.m. Pacific standard time on June 28,

2001.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and

requests for copies of the draft FMEP

should be addressed to Richard Turner,

Sustainable Fisheries Division, Hatchery

and Inland Fisheries Branch, 525 N.E.

Oregon Street, Suite 510, Portland, OR

97232 or faxed to 503–872–2737. The

documents are also available on the

Internet at http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/.

Comments will not be accepted if

submitted via e-mail or the Internet.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Richard Turner, Portland, OR at phone

number 503–736–4737 or e-mail:

rich.turner@noaa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This

notice is relevant to the Lower Columbia

River chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus

tshawytscha) Evolutionarily Significant

Unit (ESU).

Background

ODFW has submitted to NMFS an

FMEP for inland recreational and

commercial fisheries potentially

affecting listed adults and juveniles of

the LCR chinook salmon ESU. These

include all freshwater fisheries managed

under the sole jurisdiction of the State

of Oregon occurring within the

boundaries of the LCR chinook salmon

ESU including all tributaries of the

Columbia River from the mouth at the

Pacific Ocean upstream to the Hood

River, except for the Willamette River

above Willamette Falls and spring

chinook in the Clackamas River. Also

included are the chinook salmon

impacts in LCR mainstem recreational

and commercial fisheries between the

Columbia River mouth and the Hood

River mouth. The objective of the

fisheries is to harvest known, hatcheryorigin spring chinook and natural and

hatchery fall chinook and other fish

species in a manner that does not

jeopardize the survival and recovery of

the listed LCR ESU. All spring chinook

fisheries included in this FMEP will be

managed such that only hatcheryproduced adult spring chinook that are

adipose fin clipped may be retained.

The tributary fisheries for fall chinook

salmon will be managed to meet natural

and hatchery escapements and limited

by total impacts from all fisheries

including those that occur in the Pacific

Ocean and mainstem Columbia River.

Impact levels to the listed LCR chinook

ESU are specified in the FMEP.

Population viability analysis and risk

assessments in the FMEP indicate the

extinction risk for the listed ESU under

the proposed fishery impact levels to be

low. A variety of monitoring and

evaluation tasks are specified in the

FMEP to assess the abundance of

chinook salmon, determine fishery

effort and catch of chinook salmon and

angler compliance. ODFW will annually

conduct a review of fisheries

compliance with the provisions of the

FMEP. ODFW will conduct, at a

minimum of every 5 years, a

comprehensive review to evaluate the

effectiveness of the FMEP.

As specified in the July 10, 2000, ESA

4(d) rule for salmon and steelhead (65

FR 42422), NMFS may approve an

FMEP if it meets criteria set forth in §

223.203 (b)(4)(i)(A) through (I). Prior to

final approval of an FMEP, NMFS must

publish notification announcing its

availability for public review and

comment.

Authority

Under section 4 of the ESA, the

Secretary of Commerce is required to

adopt such regulations as he deems

necessary and advisable for the

conservation of species listed as

threatened. The ESA salmon and

steelhead 4(d) rule (65 FR 42422, July

10, 2000) specifies categories of

activities that contribute to the

conservation of listed salmonids and

sets out the criteria for such activities.

The rule further provides that the

prohibitions of paragraph (a) of the rule

do not apply to activities associated

with fishery harvest provided that an

FMEP has been approved by NMFS to

be in accordance with the salmon and

steelhead 4(d) rule (65 FR 42422, July

10, 2000).

Dated: May 23, 2001.

Phil Williams,

Acting Chief, Endangered Species Division,

Office of Protected Resources, National

Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 01–13433 Filed 5–25–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[Docket No. 010410087–1131–02; I.D.

032901A]

RIN 0648–AO07

New England Fishery Management

Council; Notice and Request for Sea

Scallop Research Proposals

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of solicitation for

applications.

SUMMARY: NMFS issues this document

to describe how you, the researcher,

may submit a proposal for and be

selected to perform sea scallop research

projects during fishing years 2001

(March 1, 2001, through February 28,

2002) and 2002 (March 1, 2002, through

February 28, 2003) funded by a 1-

percent set-aside of the scallop total

allowable catch (TAC) under

Framework Adjustment 14 to the New

England Fishery Management Council’s

(Council) Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery

Management Plan (FMP), and how

NOAA and the Council will determine

whether to select your proposal.

DATES: To be considered under this

solicitation, all research proposals that

would utilize the fishing year 2001 TAC

set-aside must be received between May

29, 2001 and 5 p.m., EDT, on June 19,

2001 (see ADDRESSES section of this

document). To be considered under this

solicitation, all research proposals that

would utilize only the fishing year 2002

TAC set-aside must be received between

May 29, 2001 and 5 p.m., EST, on

November 1, 2001, in the Northeast

Regional Office (see ADDRESSES section

of this document).

Postmarks indicating the proposals

were mailed on these dates will not be

sufficient. Facsimile applications will

not be accepted. For further information

related to the timeframe and procedures

for submission, review, and selection of

proposals to be conducted with TAC

set-aside funds from the Hudson

Canyon and Virginia Beach Areas, see

Section A, Background, under

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION of this

document.

ADDRESSES: Proposals must be

submitted to Patricia A. Kurkul,

Regional Administrator, NMFS,

Northeast Regional Office, One

Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930.

Mark proposals ‘‘Attention—Sea Scallop

Research Proposals.’’

Copies of the Standard Forms for

submission of research proposals may

be found on the Internet in a PDF

(Portable Document Format) version at

http://www.ofa.noaa.gov/grants/

index.html under the title ‘‘Grants

Management Forms,’’ or by contacting

the Council office (see FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT)

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Patricia M. Fiorelli, New England

Fishery Management Council, (978)

465–0492, or Peter Christopher, NMFS,

(978) 281–9288.

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 103 / Tuesday, May 29, 2001 / Notices 29091

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Background

The final rule implementing

Framework 14 was published in the

Federal Register on May 1, 2001 (66 FR

21639). Framework 14 implements a

Scallop Area Access Program for the

Hudson Canyon and Virginia Beach

Areas (formerly referred to as the

Hudson Canyon South and Virginia

Beach Closed Areas, respectively).

These areas have been closed since

1998. Under this areas access program,

limited access sea scallop vessels would

be allowed to land scallops in excess of

the possession limit, or take additional

trips above those provided for in the

program, and use the proceeds of the

excess catch or additional trips to offset

the costs of the research proposals

submitted in response to this notice.

The Hudson Canyon and Virginia Beach

Sea Scallop Access Areas were reopened to scallop fishing upon

implementation of the final rule

implementing Framework 14 (May 1,

2001). Authorization to fish in the two

Sea Scallop Access Areas would

continue through the 2002 fishing year.

Each year, the areas would remain open

until one of three events triggered a

closure: (a) The fishing year ends

(February 28, 2002, for fishing year

2001, and February 28, 2003, for fishing

year 2002); (b) the scallop landings from

an area exceed the TAC and it is closed

by the Regional Administrator,

Northeast Region, NMFS (Regional

Administrator); or (c) vessels use all

authorized trips to fish for scallops

within one or both of the areas.

Framework 14 authorizes three trips per

vessel for each area in fishing year 2001

and three trips per vessel for each area

in fishing year 2002, unless modified by

action taken by the Regional

Administrator. NOAA, in cooperation

with the Council, is soliciting proposals

for sea scallop research for both the

2001 and 2002 fishing years utilizing

TAC set-aside from the Hudson Canyon

and Virginia Beach Areas. Vessels

participating in an approved project and

fishing in the Sea Scallop Access Areas

would be authorized by the Regional

Administrator to take additional trips

into the areas and/or to land scallops in

excess of the 17,000-lb (7,711.1-kg)

possession limit specified for fishing

year 2001 and in excess of the 18,000-

lb (8,164.7-kg) possession limit for

fishing year 2002.

All research proposals to be

conducted with TAC set-aside funds

from the Hudson Canyon and Virginia

Beach Areas must be received during

the submission period identified in the

DATES section of this document.

Applicants must submit one signed

original and two signed copies of the

completed application (including

supporting information). Once the

applications are received, NOAA will

either seek comments from the Council

through the Council’s public review

process, or convene a Review Team,

which will include representatives from

the Council and may include

independent technical experts, for the

purpose of reviewing proposals in

closed meetings under the direction of

NOAA.

The total set-aside available for

research is 293,256 lb (133.0 mt), an

amount of scallops that has an

approximate value of $1,173,024 (with

prices varying according to season and

availability). The TAC set-aside for sea

scallop research for the 2001 fishing

year is as follows: 139,575 lb (63 mt) for

the Hudson Canyon Area; and 6,238 lb

(3 mt) for the Virginia Beach Area. For

the 2002 fishing year, the TAC set-aside

for research is: 141,428 lb (64 mt) for the

Hudson Canyon Area; and 6,015 lb (3

mt) for the Virginia Beach Area.

NOAA will award a grant to

successful applicants through its grant

award process. The project period for

sea scallop research cannot predate the

current Atlantic sea scallop fishing year.

The project period may not extend

beyond February 28, 2003, and any

portion of the 2001 fishing year TAC

awarded must be caught for

compensation by February 28, 2002.

The actual research portion of the

proposals could be conducted up

through February 28, 2003, provided the

compensation portion of the proposal is

conducted during the fishing year from

which the research TAC set-aside is

being requested. Proposals to fund

research that started on or after the

project period began are eligible for

consideration. However, if the project is

not approved, any research or

expenditures related to this project will

be the sole responsibility of the

researcher without any further

compensation from the TAC set-aside

funds.

NMFS may, with the concurrence of

the Council, publish a second Request

for Proposals for the fishing year 2002

if it is deemed necessary.

B. Authority

Issuing grants is consistent with

sections 402(e), 303(b)(11), 304(e), and

404(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery

Conservation and Management Act, 16

U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

C. Catalog of Federal Domestic

Assistance

11.454, Unallied Management Projects

D. Funding Instrument and Project

Period

NOAA will award a grant to

successful applicants through its grant

award process. The project period for

sea scallop research can not predate the

current Atlantic sea scallop fishing year,

March 1, 2001. The project period may

not extend beyond February 28, 2003.

Any portion of the 2001 fishing year

TAC awarded must be caught for

compensation by February 28, 2002.

Proposals to fund research started on or

after the project period are eligible for

consideration. However, if the project is

not approved, any research or

expenditures related to this project will

be the sole responsibility of the

researcher without any further

compensation from the TAC set-aside

funds.

E. Funding Availability

No Federal funds are provided for sea

scallop research under this notice. The

Federal Government’s contribution to

the project will be a Letter of

Authorization that will provide special

fishing privileges in response to sea

scallop research proposals selected to

participate in this program. The Federal

Government shall not be liable for any

costs incurred in the conduct of the

project. The funds generated from the

additional landings authorized in the

Letter of Authorization shall be used to

cover the cost of the sea scallop

research, including vessel costs, and to

compensate vessel owners for expenses

incurred. Therefore, the owner of each

fishing vessel selected to land scallops

in excess of the trip limit or from

additional authorized trips must use the

proceeds of the sale of the excess catch

to compensate the researcher for costs

associated with the research activities

and use of the vessel. Any additional

funds above the cost of the research

activities (or excess program income)

shall be retained by the vessel owner as

compensation for the use of his/her

vessel.

F. Scope of Sea Scallop Research

Projects funded under the sea scallop

TAC set-aside program should enhance

understanding of the scallop resource or

contribute to the body of information on

which management decisions are made.

Sea scallop research may be conducted

in or outside of the Hudson Canyon and

Virginia Beach Areas, within or outside

of the Sea Scallop Area Access Program

timeframe, and on board a fishing or

other type of vessel. Sea scallop

research conducted with these TAC setaside funds also may or may not involve

the harvest of scallops.

29092 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 103 / Tuesday, May 29, 2001 / Notices

Funds generated from the set-aside

landings shall be used to cover the cost

of the research activities, including

vessel costs, and to compensate boats

for expenses incurred during the

collection of set-aside scallops. For

example, these funds could be used to

pay for gear modifications, monitoring

equipment, additional provisions (e.g.,

fuel, ice, food for scientists) or the

salaries of research personnel. The

Federal Government is not liable for any

costs incurred by the researcher or

vessel owner, should the sale of the

excess catch not fully reimburse the

researcher or vessel owner for their

expenses.

G. Eligibility Criteria

All commercial organizations; nonprofit organizations; state, local or tribal

governments; institutions of higher

education; and individuals are eligible

to apply, provided that all proposal

requirements are satisfied and the

proposal is received by the date

specified in this document.

Pursuant to Executive Orders 12876,

12900, and 13021, the Department of

Commerce, National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (DOC/

NOAA) is strongly committed to

broadening the participation of

Historically Black Colleges and

Universities, Hispanic Serving

Institutions and Tribal Colleges and

Universities in its educational and

research programs. The DOC/NOAA

vision, mission and goals are to achieve

full participation by Minority Serving

Institutions (MSIs) in order to advance

the development of human potential, to

strengthen the nation’s capacity to

provide high-quality education, and to

increase opportunities for MSIs to

participate in, and benefit from, Federal

Financial Assistance programs. DOC/

NOAA encourages all applicants to

include meaningful participation of

MSIs.

H. Proposal Requirements

Proposals must be submitted to

NOAA and must identify the sea scallop

research to be conducted and the Sea

Scallop Access Area within which the

research and/or compensation trip is to

be conducted, and the total amount of

scallops requested for the project,

including, using a scallop meat value of

$4.50 per pound, their average

approximate monetary value over the

last year. Additionally, each proposal

must identify the requirements for the

participating vessel(s) that would make

a Sea Scallop Access Area trip to collect

the scallop set-aside. The vessel selected

by the applicant should be listed in the

proposal, if possible, or specifically

identified prior to final approval by

NOAA. The proposal must also include

the agreement between the vessel owner

and researcher that shows exactly how

the research activity is to be paid for, if

possible, or such agreement must be

provided prior to final approval by

NOAA. Proposals may request that the

scallop set-aside be collected separately

from the sea scallop research trip or

other related research trip. The separate

sea scallop research compensation trips

do not necessarily have to be conducted

by the same vessel. The Council or

NMFS contact person may provide

assistance to researchers who are

seeking vessels to participate in the

collection of set-aside scallops or

directly in research projects. The

Council or NMFS may publish a list of

those vessel owners willing to

participate through their respective

homepages.

I. Confidentiality of Information

In the event that an application

contains information or data that the

applicant does not want disclosed prior

to award for purposes other than the

evaluation of the application, the

applicant should mark each page

containing such information or data

with the words ‘‘Privileged,

Confidential, Commercial, or Financial

Information - Limited Use’’ at the top of

the page to assist NOAA in making

disclosure determinations. DOC

regulations implementing the Freedom

of Information Act (FOIA) are found at

15 CFR part 4, ‘‘Public Information,’’

which sets forth rules for DOC to make

requested materials, information, and

records publicly available under FOIA.

To the extent permitted under FOIA, the

contents of applications and proposals

submitted by successful applicants may

be released in response to FOIA

requests.

J. Project Funding Priorities

Sea scallop research projects that

identify and evaluate gear to reduce

groundfish bycatch and habitat impacts

and that provide improved information

concerning scallop abundance estimates

are considered high priority by the

Council. Sea scallop research that

involves evaluating the distribution,

size composition, and density of

scallops in the closed areas prior to the

open periods also will be considered

high priority. Other research needs (not

listed in order of priority) that also will

be considered by the Council and

NOAA follow:

1. Evaluation of ways to control

predation on scallops; Research to

actively manage spat collection and

seeding of sea scallops;

2. Social and economic impacts and

consequences of closing areas to

enhance productivity and improve yield

for sea scallops and other species;

3. High resolution surveys that

include distribution, recruitment,

mortality and growth rate information;

4. Estimation of factors affecting

fishing power for eachlimited access

vessel;

5. Demonstration projects to identify

ways to reducediscard mortality,

increase efficiency without increasing

fishing power (e.g., decreasing

processing time with sorters) and

improve safety;

6. Research to identify scallop habitat

and ecological relationships that affect

reproduction, recruitment mortality and

growth, including those enhanced/

impeded by area closures;

7. Quantification of fishing costs

related to fishing for sea scallops in

specific areas (e.g., fishing gear

modification, steaming time, and

opportunity cost);

9. Identification of fishermen’s

perceptions about area-based

management and alternative strategies;

10. Processing and analyzing of data

that will be collected or that have

already been collected;

11. Broader investigations of

variability in dredging efficiency across

habitats (substrates, current velocities,

etc.) times, areas, and gear designs; and

12. Research that provides more

detailed sea scallop lifehistory

information (especially on age-and areaspecific natural mortality and growth)

and to identify stock-recruitment

relationships.

K. Evaluation Criteria

The Council or the Review Team

convened by NOAA will evaluate

proposals based on the assigned score

for each of the following criteria:

1. A clear definition of the problem,

need, issue or hypothesis to be

addressed (10 points);

2. A clear definition of the approach

to be used, including theoretical studies,

laboratory analyses, and/or field work

(15 points);

3. Adequate justification as to how the

project is likelyto achieve its stated

objectives (20 points);

4. Identification of anticipated

benefits, potential users and methods of

disseminating results (10 points);

5. Relevance of the project to the

research needs identified by the Council

(20 points);

6. Demonstration of support,

cooperation and/or collaboration with

the fishing industry (15 points); and

7. Cost-effectiveness of the project (10

points).

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 103 / Tuesday, May 29, 2001 / Notices 29093

L. Selection Procedures

Applications may be reviewed and

evaluated by either the Council at the

request of NOAA or by the Review

Team convened by NOAA. If the

Council is requested to review the

proposals, the proposals will be

reviewed in a public meeting process by

representatives of the Council based on

the criteria contained in Section K of

this notice. The Council’s

representatives would then make

recommendations to the Council. The

Council would consider the

recommendations of its representatives,

the Project Funding Priorities identified

in Section J, the Evaluation Criteria

identified in Section K, and may also

consider the time of year the research

activities are to be conducted, ability to

meet requirements under Section O of

this notice, and logistic concerns. The

Council would then make its

recommendations to the Regional

Administrator. NOAA would consider

the Council’s recommendations, provide

final approval of the projects, and

authorize selected vessel(s) to exceed

the possession limit, take additional

trips, or be exempt from other

regulations specified in the FMP

through written notification to the

applicant. Because NOAA will take into

account time of year the research

activities are to be conducted, ability to

meet requirements under Section O of

this notice, including evaluations of

proposals through the Experimental

Fishery Procedures contained in 50 CFR

600.745 and 648.12, and logistic

concerns, projects may not be selected

in the order recommended by the

Council.

If the Council does not participate in

the evaluation of the proposals, NOAA

will solicit written technical evaluations

based on the evaluation criteria

contained in Section K of this notice

from three or more private and/or public

sector experts to determine the technical

merit of the proposal. Following

completion of the technical evaluation,

NOAA will convene a Review Team

whose members would evaluate the

proposals using the Project Funding

Priorities identified in Section J and the

Evaluation Criteria identified in Section

K of this notice. Based on the individual

recommendations of each of the

members of this Review Team, and

based on program policy factors

identified in this notice, NOAA will

provide final approval and authorize

vessels to participate in the research

projects. All sea scallop research must

be conducted in accordance with

provisions approved by NOAA and

provided in a Letter of Authorization

issued by NMFS.

M. Proposal Format

Proposals should be limited to 6

pages, excluding item 5 here. The

format may vary, but must include:

1. A project summary;

2. A narrative project description to

include: (a) Projectgoals and objectives;

(b) the relationship of the proposed

project to management needs or

priorities identified by the Council; (c)

a statement of work (project design and

management--who is responsible,

expected products, participants other

than applicant); and (d) a summary of

the existing state of knowledge related

to project and contribution and

relevance of the proposed work;

3. A description of all funding sources

(including revenues derived from the

sale of scallops harvested under the

research TAC set-aside) and funding

needs. This element of the proposal

must include the amount of scallop TAC

set-aside requested, state which scallop

closed area the research and/or

compensation trip is to be conducted in,

and the expected funds to be generated

by the sale of those scallops; also the

expected percentage of funds to be

allocated to the researcher and any

involved fishing vessel;

4. A budget that includes a

breakdown of costs (permit costs,

equipment, supplies, overhead);

applicants must submit a Standard

Form 424 ‘‘Application for Federal

Assistance’’ including a detailed budget

using Standard Form 424A, ‘‘Budget

Information—Non-Construction

Programs,’’ Standard Form 424B,

‘‘Assurances—Non-Construction

Programs,’’ and Commerce Department

Form CD-511, ‘‘Certifications Regarding

Debarment, Suspension and Other

Responsibility Matters: Drug Free

Workplace Requirements and

Lobbying.’’ Copies of these Standard

Forms may be found on the Internet in

a PDF (Portable Document Format)

version at http://www.ofa.noaa.gov/

grants/index.html under the title

‘‘Grants Management Forms,’’ or by

contacting the Council office (see FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT); and

5. Supporting documents (resumes,

cooperative researchagreements,

contracts, etc.).

N. Final Reports

NOAA and the Council will require

project researchers to submit an interim

and/or final report describing their

research project results, or other

acceptable deliverable(s), in a timeframe

that is specific to the type of research

conducted. The format of the final

report may vary, but must contain:

1. A brief summary of the final report;

2. A description of the issue/problem

that was addressed;

3. A detailed description of methods

of data collectionand analyses;

4. A discussion of results and any

relevant conclusionspresented in a

format that is understandable to a nontechnical audience; this should include

benefits and/or contributions to

management decision-making;

5. A list of entities, firms or

organizations that actually performed

the work and a description of how that

was accomplished; and

6. A detailed final accounting of all

funds used toconduct sea scallop

research, including those provided

through the research set-aside. The

financial information must be submitted

on Office of Management and Budget

Standard Form-269. Copies of this

Standard Form may be found on the

Internet in a PDF version at http://

www.ofa.noaa.gov/grants/

index.htmlunder the title ‘‘Grants

Management Forms’’, or by contacting

the Council office (see FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT).

O. Other Requirements

Evaluations of the impacts of sea

scallop research, which involve

exemptions to the current fishing

regulations, other than those stated in

the FMP, will be made by NMFS.

Vessels conducting certain types of sea

scallop research requiring relief from

fishery regulations may be required to

obtain an Exempted Fishing Permit

(EFP). To apply for an EFP, interested

parties must submit an application to

NMFS at least 60 days before the

effective date of the EFP. Additional

time could be necessary for NMFS to

make determinations regarding

requirements under the National

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and

other applicable laws.

P. Other Requirements of Recipients

1. Federal Policies and Procedures

Recipients and subrecipients are

subject to all Federal laws and Federal

and DOC policies, regulations, and

procedures applicable to Federal

financial assistance awards.

2. Past Performance

Unsatisfactory performance under

prior Federal awards may result in a

proposal not being selected

3. Delinquent Federal Debt

A proposal submitted by an applicant

who has an outstanding delinquent

Federal debt is not eligible for selection

until either:

i. The delinquent account is paid in

full,

29094 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 103 / Tuesday, May 29, 2001 / Notices

ii. A negotiated repayment schedule is

established and at least one payment is

received, or

iii. Other arrangements satisfactory to

DOC are made.

4. Name Check Review

All non-profit 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 that

significantly reflect on the applicant’s

management, honesty, or financial

integrity.

5. 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 26.105) 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 26.605) 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 28.105) 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 here

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;

and

iv. Anti-lobbying Disclosures. Any

applicant who 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.

6. Lower Tier Certifications

Recipients shall require applicants/

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 Voluntary Exclusion-Lower Tier

Covered Transactions and Lobbying’’

and disclosure form, SF-LLL,

‘‘Disclosure of Lobbying Activities.’’

Form CD-512 is intended for the use of

recipients and should not be transmitted

to DOC. SF-LLL submitted by any tier

recipient or subrecipient should be

submitted to DOC in accordance with

the instructions contained in the award

document.

7. 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.

8. Pre-award Activities

If you incur any costs prior to

receiving an award agreement signed by

an authorized NOAA official, you do so

solely at your own risk of these costs not

being included under the award.

Notwithstanding any verbal or written

assurance that you may have received,

pre-award costs are not allowed under

the award unless the grants officer

approves them in accordance with 15

CFR 14.28.

9. Future Awards

If we select your application to

perform sea scallop research to be

conducted with the scallop TAC setaside, we have no obligation to provide

any additional TAC set-aside obligations

in connection with that award.

Classification

Prior notice and opportunity for

public comments are not required by the

Administrative Procedure Act or any

other law for this notice concerning

grants, benefits, and contracts (5 U.S.C.

553(a)(2)).

Because a general notice of proposed

rulemaking as specified in 5 U.S.C. 533,

or any other law, was not required for

this action, the analytical requirements

of the Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5

U.S.C. 601 et seq., are not applicable.

This notice contains collection-ofinformation requirements subject to the

Paperwork Reduction Act. The use of

Standard Forms 269, 424, 424A, 424B,

and SF-LLL have been approved by

OMB under the respective control

numbers 0348–0039, 0348–0043, 0348–

0044, 0348–0040, and 0348–0046.

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

Paperwork Reduction Act, unless that

collection displays a currently valid

OMB control number.

This action has been determined to be

not significant for purposes of Executive

Order 12866.

Dated: May 23, 2001.

John Oliver,

Acting Assistant Administrator for Fisheries,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 01–13416 Filed 5–23–01; 4:15 pm]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 052201C]

Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management

Council; Public Meeting

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of public meetings.

SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery

Management Council will convene

public meetings of the Standing and

Special Reef Fish Scientific and

Statistical Committee (SSC) on Tuesday,

June 12, 2001 and the Reef Fish

Advisory Panel (AP) on Wednesday,

June 13, 2001.

DATES: The SSC will meet beginning at

8:30 a.m. on June 12, 2001 and will

conclude by 5 p.m. The AP will meet

beginning at 8:30 a.m. on June 13, 2001

and will conclude by 5 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at

the New Orleans Airport Hilton, 901

Airline Highway, Kenner, LA;

telephone: 504–469–5000.

Council address: Gulf of Mexico

Fishery Management Council, 3018 U.S.

Highway 301 North, Suite 1000, Tampa,

FL 33619.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

Steven Atran, Population Dynamics

Statistician, Gulf of Mexico Fishery

Management Council; telephone: 813–

228–2815.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The SSC

and AP will meet to review and

comment on proposals contained in

draft Reef Fish Amendment 18, which

will establish a 10–year red grouper

rebuilding program and address other

gear and enforcement issues. The SSC

and AP will also be asked to review and

comment on a draft Supplemental

Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS)

which updates the last SEIS (published

in 1993 as part of Amendment 5),

reviews environmental impacts of the

Amendment 18 alternatives, and

identifies reef fish essential fish habitat

(EFH). The issues contained in draft

Reef Fish Amendment 18 and the

Council’s preferred alternatives are as

follows: