27992 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 96 / Wednesday, May 19, 2010 / Notices 

LIST OF PETITIONS RECEIVED BY EDA FOR CERTIFICATION OF ELIGIBILITY TO APPLY FOR TRADE ADJUSTMENT 4/23/2010 

THROUGH 5/12/2010 

Firm Address Date accepted 

for filing Products 

Piolax Corporation ................... 139 Etowah Industrial Ct., 

Canton, GA 30114.

4/27/2010 The firm produces plastic automotive components/fasteners; 

primary manufacturing material is plastic. 

Surface Products, Inc .............. 18623 Northline Drive, 

Cornelius, NC 28031.

4/27/2010 The firm produces counter-tops; manufacturing materials include granite, solid surface & engineered stone. 

BesTech Tool Corp ................. 1605 Corporate Center Drive, 

West Bend, WI 53095.

4/28/2010 Stamped and machined metal parts. 

Victor Insulator, Inc ................. 280 Maple Ave., Victor, NY 

14564.

5/4/2010 Electrical porcelain insulators. 

Argent International, Inc .......... 41016 Concept Drive, Plymouth, MI 48170.5/4/2010 Self-adhesive sheet, tape and strip parts. 

UPCO, Inc ............................... P.O. Box 725, Claremore, OK 

74018.

5/6/2010 UPCO manufactures various oilfield products to include sucker and pony rods, sinker bars and pup joints. 

Photovac, Inc ........................... 300 Second Avenue, Waltham, MA 02451.5/7/2010 Photovac, Inc. manufactures hand-held instruments for detection, measurement, analysis and monitoring of volatile 

organic compounds (VOCs) in air, soil or groundwater. 

Pine Door Manufacturing, Inc P.O. Box 178; 3225 Old 

Darby, MT 59829.

5/4/2010 Product: Flush doors. Materials: Wood, stain, varnish, glue, 

inlay, sawing, planing, sanding equipment. Process: Plane 

and sand wood, cut wood pieces, do inlay, glue, sand, 

stain, varnish, add hardware, inspect, ship. 

Sioux Corporation .................... One Sioux Plaza; P.O. Box 

Beresford, SD 57004.

5/5/2010 Service industry machinery, specializing in high pressure 

cleaning equipment. 

Dakota Micro, Inc .................... 8659 148th Ave., SE., Cayuga, ND 58013.5/4/2010 Dakota Micro manufactures the AgCam system, a video 

camera and monitor system for agricultural applications. 

The systems are produced using electrical components, 

which are assembled using either line production or hand 

assembly into the AgCam systems. 

New Standard Corporation, Inc 74 Commerce Way, York, PA 

17406.

5/4/2010 New Standard is a manufacturer of metal products for various industries. Products are stamped, fabricated, welded 

and/or assembled. Metal products—different types of steel, 

copper pressure leaf filters. 

Quality Rolling & Deburring Inc 135 South Main Street, 

Thomaston, CT 06787.

5/5/2010 Quality Rolling & Deburring Inc. is a metal cleaning and finishing service manufacturer. They finish parts with copper, 

zinc, nickel, gold and bright tin. 

HY–C Company, Inc ............... 2107 N. 14th Street, St. Louis, 

MO 63106.

5/12/2010 Fireplace articles made of steel and copper. 

AGL Corporation ..................... P.O. Box 189, Jacksonville, 

MO 72076.

5/12/2010 Laser and machine control systems. 

Any party having a substantial 

interest in these proceedings may 

request a public hearing on the matter. 

A written request for a hearing must be 

submitted to the Trade Adjustment 

Assistance for Firms Division, Room 

7106, Economic Development 

Administration, U.S. Department of 

Commerce, Washington, DC 20230, no 

later than ten (10) calendar days 

following publication of this notice. 

Please follow the procedures set forth 

in Section 315.9 of EDA’s final rule (71 

FR 56704) for procedures for requesting 

a public hearing. The Catalog of Federal 

Domestic Assistance official program 

number and title of the program under 

which these petitions are submitted is 

11.313, Trade Adjustment Assistance. 

Dated: May 12, 2010. 

Bryan Borlik, 

Program Director. 

[FR Doc. 2010–11961 Filed 5–18–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–24–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

Economic Development Administration 

[Docket No.: 100427196–0196–01] 

Solicitation of Applications for the 

Research and Evaluation Program: FY 

2010 Mapping Regional Innovation 

Clusters Project Competition 

AGENCY: Economic Development 

Administration, Department of 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

applications. 

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Research and 

Evaluation program, the Economic 

Development Administration (EDA) 

solicits applications to develop, 

implement, and disseminate 

information that will enable 

policymakers and practitioners to more 

effectively understand the regional 

innovation clusters that drive the 

national economy and how regional 

assets and innovation inputs help shape 

these clusters at the local level. EDA’s 

mission is to lead the Federal economic 

development agenda by promoting 

innovation and competitiveness, 

preparing American regions for growth 

and success in the worldwide economy. 

Through its Research and Evaluation 

program, EDA works towards fulfilling 

its mission by funding research and 

technical assistance projects to promote 

competitiveness and innovation in 

distressed rural and urban regions 

throughout the United States and its 

territories. By working in conjunction 

with its research partners, EDA will 

help States, local governments, and 

community-based organizations to 

achieve their highest economic 

potential. 

DATES: To be considered timely, a 

completed application, regardless of the 

format in which it is submitted, must be 

either (a) transmitted and time-stamped 

at http://www.grants.gov no later than 

June 21, 2010, at 5:00 pm Eastern Time; 

or (b) received by the EDA 


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Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 96 / Wednesday, May 19, 2010 / Notices 27993 

1Michael E. Porter, The Competitive Advantage 

of Nations (New York, NY: Free Press, 1990). 

2 Jonathan Sallet, Ed Paisley, and Justin 

Masterman, The Geography of Innovation: The 

Federal Government and the Growth of Regional 

Innovation Clusters (Science Progress, 2009). 

representative listed under ‘‘For Further 

Information Contact’’ no later than June 

21, 2010, at 5 p.m. Eastern Time. 

Application Submission 

Requirements: Applicants are advised to 

read carefully the instructions contained 

in section IV of the Federal funding 

opportunity (FFO) announcement for 

this request for applications. For a copy 

of the FFO announcement, please see 

the Web sites listed below under 

‘‘Electronic Access.’’ 

Applications may be submitted in two 

formats: (a) electronically in accordance 

with the instructions provided at 

http://www.grants.gov or via e-mail to 

the address provided below in 

‘‘Electronic Submissions;’’ or (b) in 

paper format at the address provided 

below. EDA will not accept facsimile 

transmissions of applications. The 

content of the application is the same 

for paper submissions as it is for 

electronic submissions. 

Applicants applying electronically 

through http://www.grants.gov or via email may access the application package 

by following the instructions provided 

at http://www.grants.gov. Alternatively, 

you may obtain paper application 

packages by contacting the individual 

listed below under ‘‘For Further 

Information Contact.’’ 

Electronic Submissions: Applicants 

may submit complete applications 

through http://www.grants.gov or via email to Hillary Sherman-Zelenka at 

HSherman@eda.doc.gov. Applicants are 

encouraged to submit applications 

electronically at http://www.grants.gov. 

The preferred electronic file format for 

attachments is portable document 

format (PDF); however, EDA will accept 

electronic files in Microsoft Word, 

WordPerfect, or Microsoft Excel. 

Applicants are strongly encouraged to 

start early and not to wait until the 

approaching deadline before logging on 

and reviewing the application 

instructions at http://www.grants.gov. 

Applicants should save and print 

written proof of an electronic 

submission made at http:// 

www.grants.gov. If problems occur, the 

applicant is advised to (a) print any 

error message received; and (b) call the 

http://www.grants.gov Contact Center at 

1–800–518–4726 for assistance. The 

Contact Center is open 24 hours a day, 

7 days a week (except for Federal 

holidays). The following link lists useful 

resources: http://www.grants.gov/help/ 

help.jsp. If you do not find an answer 

to your question under ‘‘Applicant 

FAQs,’’ try consulting the ‘‘Applicant 

User Guide’’ or contacting http:// 

www.grants.gov via e-mail at 

support@grants.gov or telephone at 1– 

800–518–4726. 

Paper Submissions: Paper (hardcopy) 

applications submitted under this notice 

and request for applications may be 

hand-delivered or mailed to: 

FY 2010 Mapping Regional 

Innovation Clusters Project 

Competition, Hillary Sherman-Zelenka, 

Program Analyst, Economic 

Development Administration, U.S. 

Department of Commerce, 1401 

Constitution Avenue, NW., Room 7009, 

Washington, DC 20230. 

Applicants are advised that, due to mail 

security measures, EDA’s receipt of mail 

sent via the United States Postal Service 

may be substantially delayed or 

suspended in delivery. Applicants may 

wish to use a guaranteed overnight 

delivery service. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

additional information on the Research 

and Evaluation program or to obtain a 

paper application package for this 

notice, please contact Hillary ShermanZelenka, Program Analyst, via e-mail at 

HSherman@eda.doc.gov (preferred) or 

by telephone at (202) 482–3357. 

Additional information about EDA and 

its Research and Evaluation program 

may be obtained from EDA’s Web site at 

http://www.eda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background: Recent shifts in the 

global landscape are profoundly 

impacting regions across the United 

States. Communities across the nation, 

both urban and rural, are facing the 

intensifying pressures of globalization. 

For instance, the deployment of highspeed communications, adoption of 

liberalized trade policies, and 

innovations in transportation 

infrastructure have heightened the 

mobility of goods, labor and knowledge. 

These transformations warrant 

dramatic shifts in the role of economic 

development professionals. While in the 

past some development specialists 

could focus exclusively on the ‘‘buffalo 

hunt’’ (i.e., seek to attract large 

employers to their region) and conceive 

strategies in narrow, jurisdictional 

terms, today these practices are no 

longer effective and development 

specialists must engage in thoughtful 

analysis of regional assets to create 

comprehensive strategies that are 

capable of successfully promoting 

regional prosperity. 

Clusters—and specifically regional 

innovation clusters—represent an 

important concept for development 

practitioners aiming to promote the 

prosperity of their region. Introduced 

into the common lexicon by Michael E. 

Porter’s foundational work,1 clusters are 

generally recognized to represent the 

economic efficiencies that exist when 

industries and their suppliers co-locate. 

In the twenty years since Porter’s first 

work on the subject, numerous 

researchers have examined the benefits 

and opportunities that they afford. In 

particular, recent work has focused on 

regional innovation clusters and how 

they can be employed to create jobs, 

spur business creation, and promote 

long-term economic prosperity.2

Unlike traditional clusters, regional 

innovation clusters represent not only 

the economic efficiencies that exist from 

the co-location of similar industries and 

suppliers, but also consist of the active 

networks of synergistic organizations 

that engage with various businesses 

within a particular industry sector, the 

regional assets that exist within the 

geographic region, and the nodes that 

are critical for supporting the 

innovation work of the industry sector, 

such as R&D centers, venture capitalists, 

universities and colleges, national labs, 

and networks of entrepreneurs. 

While the body of literature defining 

regional innovation clusters and 

discussing their impact on communities 

is prolific among academics, policy 

analysts, and national development 

organizations, this information has not 

been adequately translated and 

disseminated into an accessible and 

persuasive format to the people charged 

with promoting local economic 

prosperity. 

Recognizing this discontinuity, EDA, 

pursuant to its Research and Evaluation 

program, solicits applications for an 

economic development research project 

aimed at developing a replicable 

method for identifying and mapping 

regional innovation clusters, providing 

resources on best practices, and 

providing recommendations on metrics 

for the evaluation of regional innovation 

clusters. 

Proposed Study: Clusters—and 

specifically regional innovation clusters 

(RICs)—hold much promise for assisting 

local economic development specialists 

in developing comprehensive economic 

development strategies that can create 

jobs, spur business creation, and 

promote long-term economic prosperity. 

Unfortunately, while RICs have been 

widely discussed among policy circles, 

information on how to identify or 

support RICs has not been made widely 

available to front-line practitioners. To 

rectify this, EDA solicits applications 


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27994 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 96 / Wednesday, May 19, 2010 / Notices 

3Council on Competitiveness, Illuminate: Asset 

Mapping Roadmap: A Guide to Assessing Regional 

Development Resources (2007). 

from qualified researchers to 

accomplish the following: 

a. Solicit Input From Practitioners and 

Policymakers 

Applicants should include a process 

for soliciting input from practitioners 

and policymakers on how they 

anticipate using the regional innovation 

cluster map and tool. Applicants are 

encouraged to seek input from a diverse 

spectrum of users, and should ensure 

that inputs from individuals in both 

urban and rural geographies are sought 

out. 

b. Develop a Method for Identifying 

Regional Innovation Clusters 

Applicants should propose a method 

for identifying regional innovation 

clusters across the U.S. EDA envisions 

a method that allows users to glean 

information not only on their industrial 

and/or occupational clusters, but also 

on the competitive strengths (assets) of 

their region, and the region’s innovation 

potential. Applicants are strongly 

encouraged to build upon previous 

cluster, asset mapping, and innovation 

work. 

While there are a wide variety of 

methods for identifying clusters, most 

are based on assessing the density of 

industries in a given region using 

location quotients of the industry 

NAICS codes (i.e., the density of 

industries in a region compared to the 

national density of industries). 

Occupational clusters, which are based 

on Standard Occupational Classification 

(SOC) codes generated by the U.S. 

Department of Labor, offer another 

perspective for viewing the density of 

the skill-sets of a regional population. 

EDA recognizes the intrinsic value such 

methods afford, but believes that they 

sometimes offer a limited snapshot 

through which to view local economies. 

Further, EDA recognizes that much of 

today’s cluster work utilizes location 

quotients without taking into account 

the historical trajectory of the growth or 

decline. EDA anticipates selecting a 

proposal that articulates ways to 

incorporate the use of location quotients 

as a foundation, but that also utilizes 

cluster analysis, trend analysis, and 

forecasting to inform the method for 

identifying regional innovation clusters 

and developing a related mapping tool. 

A wide body of literature exists on 

what inputs are critical to support 

innovation. This work should be 

considered as part of the development 

of the method for identifying regional 

innovation clusters. EDA has funded 

two projects focused on innovation: (i) 

Indiana Business Research Center’s 

Innovation Index (available at http:// 

www.statsamerica.org/innovation/ 

index.html), and (ii) West Virginia 

University’s State Innovation Map 

(available at http://rrigis.rri.wvu.edu/). 

Applicants are strongly encouraged to 

leverage the work produced from these 

previous EDA investments. EDA 

recognizes the value such innovation 

tools afford, but also understands that 

their applicability would be much 

greater if tied to the clusters and 

competitive strengths of a region. EDA 

anticipates funding a proposal that 

offers a method for integrating 

innovation inputs and activities with 

data on a region’s competitive assets 

and clusters. 

An extensive body of literature 

discusses how clusters and innovation 

depend upon the underlying assets of a 

region 3. EDA expects to fund a proposal 

that recognizes the inherent link among 

clusters, innovation, and regional assets 

and proposes a method for identifying 

regional innovation clusters that 

considers these inputs in developing the 

method. 

Please see the FFO announcement for 

this request for applications for more 

detailed information on the project 

scope of work and required tasks, 

including the development of a national 

map of regional innovation clusters, 

creation of an interactive mapping tool, 

and identification of metrics for success 

of evaluating regional innovation 

clusters. 

Any information disseminated to the 

public under this announcement is 

subject to the Information Quality Act 

(Pub. L. 106–554). Applicants are 

required to comply with the Information 

Quality Guidelines issued by EDA 

pursuant to the Information Quality Act, 

which are designed to ensure and 

maximize the quality, objectivity, 

utility, and integrity of information 

disseminated by EDA. These guidelines 

can be found on EDA’s Web site at 

http://www.eda.gov. 

Electronic Access: The FFO 

announcement for the FY 2010 Mapping 

Regional Innovation Clusters Project 

competition is available at http:// 

www.grants.gov and at http:// 

www.eda.gov/InvestmentsGrants/ 

FFON.xml. 

Funding Availability: Funding 

appropriated under the Consolidated 

Appropriations Act, 2010 (Pub. L. 111– 

117, 123 Stat. 3034 at 3114 (2009)) is 

available for the economic development 

assistance programs authorized by the 

Public Works and Economic 

Development Act of 1965, as amended 

(42 U.S.C. 3121 et seq.) (PWEDA) and 

for the Trade Adjustment Assistance for 

Firms Program under the Trade Act of 

1974, as amended (19 U.S.C. 2341 et 

seq.). Funds in the amount of 

$255,000,000 have been appropriated 

for FY 2010 and shall remain available 

until expended. 

For the Research and Evaluation 

program, EDA is allocating $1,500,000 

in FY 2010. EDA anticipates that the 

mapping regional innovation clusters 

award or awards made under this 

competitive solicitation will involve a 

multi-year project period, with total 

funding for this research effort reaching 

up to $1,000,000 for each year. Funding 

beyond the first year for the grant award 

shall be contingent on satisfactory 

performance, availability of 

appropriations, and EDA priorities. 

Statutory Authority: The authority for 

the Research and Evaluation program is 

section 207 of PWEDA (42 U.S.C. 3147). 

EDA’s regulations, which will govern an 

award made under this announcement, 

are codified at 13 CFR chapter III. The 

regulations and PWEDA are accessible 

at http://www.eda.gov/ 

InvestmentsGrants/Lawsreg.xml. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.312, 

Economic Development—Research and 

Evaluation. 

Applicant Eligibility: Pursuant to 

PWEDA, eligible applicants for and 

recipients of EDA investment assistance 

include a District Organization; an 

Indian Tribe or a consortium of Indian 

Tribes; a State; a city or other political 

subdivision of a State, including a 

special purpose unit of a State or local 

government engaged in economic or 

infrastructure development activities, or 

a consortium of political subdivisions; 

an institution of higher education or a 

consortium of institutions of higher 

education; and a public or private nonprofit organization or association. Forprofit, private-sector entities also are 

eligible for investment assistance under 

the Research and Evaluation program to 

carry out specific research or for other 

purposes set forth in section 207 of 

PWEDA (42 U.S.C. 3147) and 13 CFR 

306.1. See also 42 U.S.C. 3122. 

Anticipated Project Period: EDA 

anticipates a three-year project period 

with funding in one-year increments, 

subject to the availability of funds, EDA 

policy, and satisfactory performance 

under the award. Applicants should 

ensure that their proposal and budget 

clearly specify how they will complete 

the scope of work, which consists of the 

tasks listed in section I.B of the FFO 

announcement, compose the resulting 

report and Web tools, and present the 

report and Web tools to EDA senior 


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Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 96 / Wednesday, May 19, 2010 / Notices 27995 

management within this timeframe. A 

typical research project period begins 

with an initial meeting between the 

recipient and EDA staff to discuss 

project scope and to ensure that all 

parties are in agreement as to project 

terms. After the initial meeting, the 

recipient generally submits a final work 

plan to EDA staff for review and 

approval. Since an award made under 

this competitive solicitation is 

envisioned as a cooperative agreement, 

EDA will have substantial involvement 

throughout the project period. Progress 

and financial reports, and project work 

will be submitted to EDA based on the 

dates agreed to during the initial 

meeting and as outlined in the award 

special terms and conditions. 

Typically, the recipient submits a 

draft research report to EDA at least 90 

days before the end of the project period 

for EDA’s review. If the draft research 

report is approved, EDA will approve 

publication of a final research report, 

and the recipient will brief EDA senior 

management on research methods and 

report results. 

Cost Sharing Requirement: Generally, 

the amount of the EDA grant may not 

exceed fifty percent of the total cost of 

the project. Projects may receive an 

additional amount that shall not exceed 

thirty percent, as determined by EDA, 

based on the relative needs of the region 

in which the project will be located. See 

section 204(a) of PWEDA (42 U.S.C. 

3144) and 13 CFR 301.4(b)(1). The 

Assistant Secretary of Commerce for 

Economic Development has the 

discretion to establish a maximum EDA 

investment rate of up to one-hundred 

percent where the project: (i) Merits and 

is not otherwise feasible without an 

increase to the EDA investment rate; or 

(ii) will be of no or only incidental 

benefit to the recipient. See section 

204(c)(3) of PWEDA (42 U.S.C. 3144) 

and 13 CFR 301.4(b)(4). 

EDA will consider the nature of the 

contribution (cash or in-kind), the 

amount of any matching share funds, 

and fairly assess any in-kind 

contributions in evaluating the cost to 

the Government and the feasibility of 

the project budget (see the ‘‘Evaluation 

Criteria’’ section below). While cash 

contributions are preferred, in-kind 

contributions, fairly evaluated by EDA, 

may provide the non-Federal share of 

the total project cost. See section 204(b) 

of PWEDA (42 U.S.C. 3144) and section 

III.B of the FFO announcement for this 

request for applications. In-kind 

contributions, which may include 

assumptions of debt and contributions 

of space, equipment, and services, are 

eligible to be included as part of the 

non-Federal share of eligible project 

costs if they meet applicable Federal 

cost principles and uniform 

administrative requirements. Funds 

from other Federal financial assistance 

awards are considered matching share 

funds only if authorized by statute, 

which may be determined by EDA’s 

reasonable interpretation of the statute. 

See 13 CFR 300.3. The applicant must 

show that the matching share is 

committed to the project for the entire 

project period, will be available as 

needed, and is not conditioned or 

encumbered in any way that precludes 

its use consistent with the requirements 

of EDA investment assistance. See 13 

CFR 301.5. 

Intergovernmental Review: 

Applications under the Research and 

Evaluation program are not subject to 

Executive Order 12372, 

‘‘Intergovernmental Review of Federal 

Programs.’’ 

Application Review and Award 

Notification Information: To apply for 

an award under this request for 

applications, an eligible applicant must 

submit a completed application to EDA 

before the closing date and time 

specified in the DATES section of this 

notice, and in the manner provided in 

section IV of the applicable FFO 

announcement. Any application 

received or transmitted, as the case may 

be, after 5 p.m. Eastern Time on June 21, 

2010, will not be considered for 

funding. Applications that do not 

include all items required or that exceed 

the page limitations set forth in section 

IV.B of the FFO announcement will be 

considered non-responsive and will not 

be considered by the review panel. A 

panel comprised of at least three EDA 

staff members, all of whom will be fulltime Federal employees, will be formed 

to review applications using the 

evaluation criteria specified in this 

notice. The review panel’s rating and 

ranking of the applications will be 

presented to the Assistant Secretary, 

who is the Selecting Official, under this 

competitive solicitation. By September 

15, 2010, EDA expects to notify the 

applicant selected for investment 

assistance under this notice. 

Evaluation Criteria: The review panel 

will evaluate applications and rate and 

rank them using the following criteria of 

approximate equal weight: 

(1) Conformance with EDA’s statutory 

and regulatory requirements, including 

the extent to which the proposed project 

satisfies the award requirements set out 

below and as provided in 13 CFR 306.2: 

• Strengthens the capacity of local, 

State, or national organizations and 

institutions to undertake and promote 

effective economic development 

programs targeted to regions of distress; 

• Benefits distressed regions; and 

• Demonstrates innovative 

approaches to stimulate economic 

development in distressed regions. 

(2) The degree to which an EDA 

investment will have strong 

organizational leadership, relevant 

project management experience, and a 

significant commitment of human 

resources talent to ensure the project’s 

successful execution (see 13 CFR 

301.8(b)). EDA recognizes that the 

project scope of work under this 

competitive solicitation requires diverse 

skills, and therefore will give preference 

to consortia of organizations. 

(3) The ability of the applicant to 

successfully implement the proposed 

project (see 13 CFR 301.8). 

(4) The feasibility of the budget 

presented. 

(5) The cost to the Federal 

government. 

(6) The inclusion of a plan to 

distribute the research and project data 

to development practitioners through a 

project website that can be accessed free 

of charge. 

(7) The ability to complete key tasks 

within a timely manner. 

(8) The inclusion of a solid plan for 

sustaining the project after the EDA 

investment. 

For purposes of this competitive 

solicitation, EDA will consider 

applications submitted only by 

applicants with the current capacity to 

undertake research that advances 

innovation in economic development 

practice or theory, and that has the 

potential for impact on a regional or 

national scale. See section 3 of PWEDA 

(42 U.S.C. 3122) and 13 CFR 300.3 and 

306.2. 

Selection Factors: The Assistant 

Secretary, as the Selecting Official, 

expects to fund the highest ranking 

application, as recommended by the 

review panel, submitted under this 

competitive solicitation. However, if 

EDA does not receive satisfactory 

applications, the Assistant Secretary 

may not make any selection. Depending 

on the quality of the applications 

received, the Assistant Secretary may 

select more than one application. Also, 

the Assistant Secretary may select an 

application out of rank order for the 

following reasons: (1) A determination 

that the selected application better 

meets the overall objectives of sections 

2 and 207 of PWEDA (42 U.S.C. 3121 

and 3147); (2) the applicant’s 

performance under previous awards; or 

(3) the availability of funds. 

The Department of Commerce PreAward Notification Requirements for 

Grants and Cooperative Agreements: 

Administrative and national policy 


jlentini on DSKJ8SOYB1PROD with NOTICES
27996 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 96 / Wednesday, May 19, 2010 / Notices 

requirements for all Department of 

Commerce awards are contained in the 

Department of Commerce Pre-Award 

Notification Requirements for Grants 

and Cooperative Agreements, published 

in the Federal Register on February 11, 

2008 (73 FR 7696). This notice may be 

accessed at http://www.gpoaccess.gov/ 

fr/retrieve.html, making sure the radial 

button for the correct Federal Register 

volume is selected (here, 2008 Federal 

Register, Vol. 73), entering the Federal 

Register page number provided in the 

previous sentence (7696), and clicking 

the ‘‘Submit’’ button. 

Paperwork Reduction Act: This 

request for applications contains 

collections of information subject to the 

requirements of the Paperwork 

Reduction Act (PRA). The Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) has 

approved the use of Form ED–900 

(Application for Investment Assistance) 

under control number 0610–0094. 

Forms SF–424 (Application for Federal 

Assistance); SF–424A (Budget 

Information—Non-Construction 

Programs), and SF–424B (Assurances— 

Non-Construction Programs) are 

approved under OMB control numbers 

4040–0004, 4040–0006, and 4040–0007, 

respectively. 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 PRA unless 

the collection of information displays a 

currently valid OMB control number. 

Executive Order 12866: This notice 

has been determined to be not 

significant for purposes of Executive 

Order 12866, ‘‘Regulatory Planning and 

Review.’’ 

Executive Order 13132: It has been 

determined that this notice does not 

contain ‘‘policies that have Federalism 

implications,’’ as that phrase is defined 

in Executive Order 13132. 

Administrative Procedure Act/ 

Regulatory Flexibility Act: Prior notice 

and an opportunity for public comments 

are not required by the Administrative 

Procedure Act or any other law for rules 

concerning grants, benefits, and 

contracts (5 U.S.C. 553(a)(2)). Because 

notice and opportunity for comment are 

not required pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553 or 

any other law, the analytical 

requirements of the Regulatory 

Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) are 

inapplicable. Therefore, a regulatory 

flexibility analysis has not been 

prepared. 

Dated: May 14, 2010. 

Brian P. McGowan, 

Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for 

Economic Development. 

[FR Doc. 2010–11949 Filed 5–18–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–24–P 

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 

Department of the Army 

Record of Decision (ROD) for the 

Training Land Acquisition (Including 

Purchase and Lease) at Fort Polk, LA 

AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD. 

ACTION: Notice of Availability (NOA). 

SUMMARY: The Department of the Army 

announces the availability of its ROD 

which summarizes and documents its 

decision to proceed with Alternative 3, 

the acquisition of up to 100,000 acres of 

additional training land in Vernon and 

Rapides Parrish in the areas South of 

Peason Ridge, and to the North and East 

of Fort Polk’s existing training lands. 

The decision considers the Army’s 

mission requirements at Fort Polk and 

the environmental analysis contained in 

the Final Environmental Impact 

Statement (FEIS) for Training Land 

Acquisition at Fort Polk, Louisiana 

(March 2009). The ROD describes the 

Army’s decision to proceed with 

Alternative 3. This decision provides 

the Army with the most options and 

best opportunities to meet Fort Polk and 

the Joint Readiness Training Center 

(JRTC) training needs and is also the 

environmentally preferred alternative. 

ADDRESSES: For questions regarding the 

ROD, please contact Ms. Susan Walker, 

Fort Polk Public Affairs Office (PAO), 

7033 Magnolia Road, Fort Polk, LA 

71459–5342. A copy of the FEIS and 

ROD are available at the following Web 

site: http://www.jrtc-polk.army.mil/ 

LandPurchase/index.html. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. 

Susan Walker at (337) 531–9125 from 9 

a.m. to 5 p.m. CST or e-mail 

Susan.T.Walker@conus.army.mil. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Fort 

Polk FEIS analyzed the environmental, 

cultural and socioeconomic impacts of 

several acquisition location alternatives, 

each of which included the acquisition 

of up to 100,000 acres of land. 

Alternative 1 considered the acquisition 

of lands directly adjacent to Fort Polk’s 

existing training areas to the south of 

Peason Ridge and directly north and 

east of the main post. As part of 

Alternative 1, units would continue to 

lease lands to convoy to Peason Ridge 

to access training areas. Alternative 2 

considered the acquisition of the land 

considered in Alternative 1, and, in 

addition, considered the acquisition of 

parcels that connect Peason Ridge with 

Fort Polk’s main post. Alternative 3, the 

Preferred Alternative and selected 

alternative, considered the acquisition 

of those lands considered in Alternative 

2, and the acquisition of lands to the 

east of Fort Polk in Rapides Parish. The 

FEIS also analyzed the No Action 

Alternative, which evaluates the 

impacts of taking no action to acquire or 

use additional training land around Fort 

Polk. Under the No Action alternative, 

the purpose and need for the proposed 

action would not be met. 

Alternative 3 has been selected by the 

Army because it has the most potential 

to allow the Army to acquire adequate 

maneuver training land to support the 

training requirements of the JRTC and 

Fort Polk’s resident units. Alternative 3 

provides the best opportunities for the 

Army to acquire new lands that are 

compatible with Fort Polk’s training 

needs, and the implementation of this 

alternative will reduce future potential 

training land use conflicts between 

JRTC and Fort Polk’s resident units. The 

implementation of Alternative 3 will 

also attenuate adverse environmental 

impacts over a broader area and will 

ensure a greater amount of land is 

actively managed to promote increased 

sustainability and reduce environmental 

impacts. 

In making its decision, the Army has 

determined that significant 

environmental impacts may occur from 

the selected alternative with regard to 

changes in land use and potentially 

from noise depending on which lands 

are eventually acquired as part of this 

decision. In addition to these potentially 

significant impacts, the Army 

anticipates that moderate impacts to soil 

resources, water resources, wetlands, 

biological resources, cultural resources, 

and socioeconomics would occur as a 

result of implementing the Proposed 

Action. To mitigate potential impacts, 

the Army will survey new lands for 

cultural and natural resources prior to 

training and will manage training 

activities to reduce noise impacts. The 

Army will provide recreational/hunting 

access to new lands to the extent 

practicable and will bring new lands 

under the framework of the 

installation’s existing environmental 

management programs. Substantive 

compliance with the National Historic 

Preservation Act (NHPA) will be 

accomplished through adherence to the 

Integrated Cultural Resource 

Management Plan, which, together with 

the FEIS, outline cultural resource 

management practices that would be 


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