This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains documents other than rules or

proposed rules that are applicable to the

public. Notices of hearings and investigations,

committee meetings, agency decisions and

rulings, delegations of authority, filing of

petitions and applications and agency

statements of organization and functions are

examples of documents appearing in this

section.

Notices Federal Register

7497 

Vol. 81, No. 29 

Friday, February 12, 2016 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

National Institute of Food and 

Agriculture 

Request for Public Engagement in the 

Interagency Special Report ‘2nd State 

of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR– 

2)’ 

AGENCY: National Institute of Food and 

Agriculture (NIFA) on behalf of the 

United States Global Change Research 

Program (USGCRP), Department of 

Agriculture. 

ACTION: Request for Public Comments on 

a Draft Report. Prospectus, Technical 

Input, and Nominations for Technical 

Contributors. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Carbon Cycle 

Science Program and the Carbon Cycle 

Interagency Working Group (CCIWG), 

under the auspices of the U.S. Global 

Change Research Program (USGCRP), 

are initiating an Interagency Special 

Report entitled the 2nd State of the 

Carbon Cycle Report (referred to as 

‘‘SOCCR–2’’ or ‘‘the Report’’ throughout 

this notice). The United States 

Department of Agriculture (USDA) has 

agreed to be lead agency for this report 

as it is relevant to USDA and USDA has 

experience in producing a similar 

highly successful report of Climate 

Change and Food Security. The focus of 

SOCCR–2 will be on U.S. and North 

American carbon cycle processes, 

stocks, and flows in the context of and 

interactions with global scale budgets 

and climate change impacts in managed 

and unmanaged systems. Carbon stocks 

and fluxes in soils, water (including 

oceans), vegetation, aquatic-terrestrial 

interfaces (e.g., coastal, estuaries, 

wetlands), human settlements, 

agriculture and forestry are included. 

The Report will consider relevant 

carbon management science 

perspectives and science-based tools for 

supporting and informing decisions, as 

addressed in and related to the U.S. 

Carbon Cycle Science Plan (2011), and 

other documents such as the USGCRP 

Strategic Plan (2012) and the White 

House Climate Action Plan (2013). The 

status of, and emerging opportunities 

for, improving measurements, 

observations and projections of stocks 

and fluxes in the carbon cycle, 

including uncertainty identification, 

will be part of the Report. SOCCR–2 will 

be a product of the USGCRP, organized 

and led by the Agency members of the 

CCIWG. This request for public 

engagement presents opportunities to 

(1) submit comments on the Draft 

Report Prospectus, (2) submit scientific/ 

technical information to inform the 

assessment, and (3) nominate technical 

contributors. 

DATES: Written comments on the Draft 

Prospectus, technical information, and 

nominations for technical contributors 

must be received by 5:00 p.m., ET on 

March 14, 2016. 

ADDRESSES: Comments on the Draft 

Prospectus, technical information, and 

nominations for technical contributors 

must be submitted electronically via 

https://www.globalchange.gov/notices. 

Instructions: Response to this notice 

is voluntary. Respondents need not 

reply to all components. Responses to 

this notice may be used by the 

government for program planning on a 

non-attribution basis. NIFA therefore 

requests that no business proprietary 

information or copyrighted information 

be submitted in response to this notice. 

Please note that the U.S. Government 

will not pay for response preparation, or 

for the use of any information contained 

in the response. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

USGCRP Contact: Dr. Gyami Shrestha; 

telephone 202–223–6262; or email: 

CarbonReport@usgcrp.gov. 

NIFA Contact: Dr. Nancy Cavallaro; 

telephone 202–401–5176; or email: 

ncavallaro@nifa.usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Request for Comments on the Draft 

Prospectus 

A. How To Submit Comments on the 

Draft Prospectus 

The Draft Prospectus describes the 

proposed plans for scoping, drafting, 

reviewing, producing, and 

disseminating SOCCR–2. Comments are 

specifically sought on the Draft Report 

outline (including the draft table of 

contents), proposed topics, and process 

as outlined in the Draft Prospectus. The 

Draft Prospectus and instructions to 

submit comments can be found at 

http://www.globalchange.gov/notices. 

Section I(B) below provides a brief 

summary of the prospectus. 

B. Summary of the Draft Prospectus for 

the Interagency Special Report ‘2nd 

State of the Carbon Cycle Report 

(SOCCR–2)’ 

1. Overview 

The SOCCR–2 report is a synthesis 

and assessment focusing on U.S. and 

North American carbon cycle processes, 

stocks, and flows in the context of and 

interactions with global scale budgets 

and climate change impacts in managed 

and unmanaged systems. 

2. Proposed Focus Areas and Table of 

Contents 

Current status and near-term 

projections for each topic will be 

included. If and where possible, 

modeling and multi-model syntheses of 

the carbon cycle will be included. As 

appropriate, each chapter will address 

cross-cutting themes such as: Land use 

change, fluxes, feedbacks, historical 

context, indicators and trends, societal 

impacts, North American and global 

scales (based on the 2014 National 

Climate Assessment regions), carbon 

management, impacts of decisions, and 

research needs. The expanded draft 

table of contents can be found on 

http://www.globalchange.gov/notices. 

Preface—The Preface will explain the 

importance of the carbon cycle to 

climate, the scope and rationale for 

SOCCR–2, and key developments since 

SOCCR–1. 

Chapter 1: Global carbon cycle 

overview—Chapter 1 will contain an 

overview of major elements of the 

coupled global carbon cycle (i.e., carbon 

dioxide and methane) as well as discuss 

key interactions with climate forcing 

and feedback components from a global 

perspective. 

Chapter 2: Carbon cycle at scales— 

Chapter 2 will provide an assessment of 

the North American carbon cycle 

(scaled down from the global system in 

chapter 1), including updated regional, 

and local perspectives on key carbon 

stocks and flows. 

Chapter 3: Carbon in natural and 

anthropogenic systems—major stocks, 

flows, uncertainties, broader social 


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7498 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 29 / Friday, February 12, 2016 / Notices 

drivers, carbon decisions—Chapter 3 

will provide an assessment of key 

carbon stocks (e.g., soils, aquatic 

systems, vegetation, urban, livestock, 

oceans, etc.) and the flows within and 

between these pools, including key 

uncertainties and social drivers. 

Example Focus Areas that may be 

incorporated in the above include urban 

carbon, Arctic carbon, livestock and 

wildlife. 

Chapter 4: Interactions/disturbance: 

Impacts to the carbon cycle—Chapter 4 

will focus on the role of disturbances, 

such as fire, ocean acidification, 

pathogens, land use change, etc. on the 

carbon cycle. 

Chapter 5: Carbon cycle information, 

management practices, tools and needs 

at various scales—Chapter 5 will assess 

the role of recent carbon management 

practices and highlight the current state 

of carbon data management, monitoring 

systems, tools, and carbon relevant 

modeling scenarios. 

Chapter 6: Synthesis, conclusions, 

gaps in knowledge, and (near) future 

outlook—Chapter 6 will provide an 

overarching synthesis of the current 

state of the carbon cycle while 

identifying key knowledge gaps/

opportunities and a near-term outlook 

on the North American Carbon cycle. 

C. Process 

1. Audience and Communications 

The audience includes scientists, 

decision-makers in the public and 

private sectors and the general 

interested community across the U.S., 

extending to North American and global 

regions. The report may ultimately be 

used to inform policies but will not 

prescribe or recommend them. 

2. Technical Contributors and Required 

Expertise 

The SOCCR–2 Report will be a federal 

interagency report. Technical 

contributors may be federal employees, 

academic scientists, private and 

nonprofit sector representatives, and 

others as appropriate and in alignment 

with federal requirements. The 

technical contributors will be selected 

based on their scientific expertise; 

demonstrated accomplishments; 

academic interests and knowledge in 

the thematic areas specified in the draft 

outline; time availability; and technical 

capability to work in this type of broad 

interdisciplinary and cross-cutting 

scientific assessment setting. The main 

roles and responsibilities of the 

technical contributors may include 

compiling the necessary background 

literature; synthesizing, analyzing and 

interpreting the existing science; and 

contributing intellectual and technical 

input. The process for nominating 

technical contributors is provided in 

Section III below. 

3. Agency Roles 

A Federal Steering Committee of the 

USGCRP’s SOCCR–2 has been 

established to provide guidance and 

coordination to the report authors and 

staff. The Committee members represent 

CCIWG member departments and 

agencies including National Oceanic 

and Atmospheric Administration 

(NOAA), National Aeronautics and 

Space Administration (NASA), 

Department of Energy (DOE), United 

States Department of Agriculture 

(USDA), U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) 

and Environmental Protection Agency 

(EPA). 

4. Information Quality and Peer Review 

The USGCRP’s 2nd State of the 

Carbon Cycle Report will use referenced 

materials derived primarily from the 

existing, peer-reviewed scientific 

literature and consistent with guidance 

regarding the use of other literature. 

This report will follow the USDA 

Information Quality Guidelines and 

administrative processes (http://

nifa.usda.gov/resource/usdainformation-quality) including the 

Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) federal information quality, 

transparency, and accessibility 

guidelines appropriate for a Highly 

Influential Scientific Assessment (HISA) 

(http://www.cio.noaa.gov/services_

programs/pdfs/OMB_Peer_Review_

Bulletin_m05-03.pdf). The report will 

undergo peer review by the National 

Academy of Sciences, public review, 

and final interagency clearance. 

5. Process for Public Engagement 

The written comments on the Draft 

Prospectus, technical information, and 

nominations for technical contributors 

called for in this notice are the first 

opportunities for public participation in 

the SOCCR–2 report process. Federal 

Steering committee will provide several 

opportunities for public engagement 

with the scientific community 

throughout the report scoping, planning 

and writing process via special 

presentations, sessions, town hall 

meetings and side-events at national 

and international scientific conferences. 

A public review period for the Draft 

SOCCR–2 will also be announced via a 

Federal Register notice, after its 

completion. Updates will be provided 

on https://www.carboncyclescience.us/ 

as available. 

6. Proposed Timing 

SOCCR–2, with a likely release in 

2017, is designed to inform the next 

quadrennial National Climate 

Assessment (due in 2018). 

II. Call for Relevant Scientific 

Information To Inform the Special 

Report 

Interested parties are invited to assist 

in contributing, collecting and refining 

the scientific information base for this 

special report. To do so, parties are 

asked to submit recent, relevant 

scientific and/or technical research 

studies including observed, modeled 

and/or projected carbon cycle science 

information that have been peer 

reviewed and published or accepted for 

publication in scientific journals and/or 

government reports. All scientific 

literature submitted in response to this 

call for information must be received by 

5:00 p.m., ET on March 14, 2016. 

Submissions must be uploaded 

electronically via the link provided on 

http://www.globalchange.gov/notices. 

III. Call for Nominations for Technical 

Contributors 

This notice seeks nominations for 

technical contributors to SOCCR–2 with 

pertinent subject matter expertise and 

scientific background. Potential 

technical contributors should be 

accomplished scholarly writers and 

have demonstrated scientific and 

technical expertise and academic 

proficiency in at least one of the carbon 

cycle science topics outlined in the 

prospectus (available via 

www.globalchange.gov/notices), 

including the human dimensions of 

carbon cycle sciences. Submissions 

must demonstrate that nominees have 

demonstrated technical backgrounds, 

such that they could contribute to the 

development of a robust scientific, 

technical assessment as subject matter 

experts in one or more of the topics 

listed under Section 2 above and in the 

Draft Prospectus. 

Responses to this request must be 

received by 5:00 p.m., ET on March 14, 

2016. Please follow instructions on 

www.globalchange.gov/notices. 

Interested persons may nominate 

themselves or third parties, and may 

nominate more than one person. Each 

nomination must include: (1) The 

nominee’s full name, title, institutional 

affiliation, and contact information; (2) 

the nominee’s area(s) of expertise; (3) a 

short description of his/her 

qualifications relative to contributing to 

SOCCR–2; and (4) a current resume 

(maximum length four [4] pages). 

Nominations will be reviewed, and 


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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 29 / Friday, February 12, 2016 / Notices 7499 

nominees may be invited to participate 

as technical contributors to SOCCR–2. 

Done at Washington, DC, this 8th day of 

February, 2016. 

Sonny Ramaswamy, 

Director, National Institute of Food and 

Agriculture. 

[FR Doc. 2016–02927 Filed 2–11–16; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Utility Service 

Submission for OMB Review; 

Comment Request 

February 9, 2016. 

The Department of Agriculture has 

submitted the following information 

collection requirement(s) to Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) for 

review and clearance under the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 

Public Law 104–13. Comments are 

requested regarding (1) whether the 

collection of information is necessary 

for the proper performance of the 

functions of the agency, including 

whether the information will have 

practical utility; (2) the accuracy of the 

agency’s estimate of burden including 

the validity of the methodology and 

assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance 

the quality, utility and clarity of the 

information to be collected; (4) ways to 

minimize the burden of the collection of 

information on those who are to 

respond, including through the use of 

appropriate automated, electronic, 

mechanical, or other technological 

collection techniques or other forms of 

information technology. 

Comments regarding this information 

collection received by March 14, 2016 

will be considered. Written comments 

should be addressed to: Desk Officer for 

Agriculture, Office of Information and 

Regulatory Affairs, Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB), New 

Executive Office Building, 725 17th 

Street NW., Washington, DC 20502. 

Commenters are encouraged to submit 

their comments to OMB via email to: 

OIRA_Submission@OMB.EOP.GOV or 

fax (202) 395–5806 and to Departmental 

Clearance Office, USDA, OCIO, Mail 

Stop 7602, Washington, DC 20250– 

7602. Copies of the submission(s) may 

be obtained by calling (202) 720–8958. 

An agency may not conduct or 

sponsor a collection of information 

unless the collection of information 

displays a currently valid OMB control 

number and the agency informs 

potential persons who are to respond to 

the collection of information that such 

persons are not required to respond to 

the collection of information unless it 

displays a currently valid OMB control 

number. 

Rural Utilities Service 

Title: 7 CFR 1744–C, Advance and 

Disbursement of Funds— 

Telecommunications. 

OMB Control Number: 0572–0023. 

Summary of Collection: Section 201 of 

the Rural Electrification Act (RE Act) of 

1936 authorizes the Administrator of the 

Rural Utilities Service (RUS) to make 

loans for the purpose of providing 

telephone service to the widest 

practicable number of rural subscribers. 

A borrower requesting loan advances 

must submit RUS Form 481, ‘‘Financial 

Requirement Statement’’. Along with 

the Form 481 the borrower must also 

submit a description of the advances 

and upon request copies of backup 

documentation relating to the 

transactions. Within a reasonable 

amount of time, funds are advanced to 

the borrower for the purposes specified 

in the statement of purposes. The 

borrower must immediately deposit all 

advanced money into a Special 

Construction account until disbursed. 

Need and Use of the Information: The 

information collected is used by RUS to 

record and control transactions and 

verify that the funds advanced in the 

construction fund are related directly to 

loan purposes. If the information were 

not collected, RUS would not have any 

control over how loan funds are spent 

or a record of the balance to be 

advanced. 

Description of Respondents: Business 

or other for-profit. 

Number of Respondents: 177. 

Frequency of Responses: Reporting: 

On occasion. 

Total Burden Hours: 1,223. 

Charlene Parker, 

Departmental Information Collection 

Clearance Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2016–02949 Filed 2–11–16; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–15–P 

COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS 

Sunshine Act Meeting Notice 

AGENCY: United States Commission on 

Civil Rights. 

ACTION: Notice of Commission Briefing 

and Business Meeting. 

DATES: Friday, February 19, 2016, at 9 

a.m. EST. 

ADDRESSES: Place: National Place 

Building, 1331 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., 

11th Floor, Suite 1150, Washington, DC 

20245 (Entrance on F Street NW.). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Gerson Gomez, Media Advisor at 

telephone: (202) 376–8371, TTY: (202) 

376–8116 or email: publicaffairs@

usccr.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 

business meeting is open to the public. 

If you would like to listen to the briefing 

or business meeting, please contact the 

above for the call-in information. 

Hearing-impaired persons who will 

attend the briefing and require the 

services of a sign language interpreter 

should contact Pamela Dunston at (202) 

376–8105 or at signlanguage@usccr.gov 

at least seven business days before the 

scheduled date of the meeting. During 

the briefing portion, Commissioners will 

ask questions and discuss the briefing 

topic with the panelists. The public may 

submit written comments on the topic 

of the briefing to the above address for 

30 days after the briefing. Please direct 

your comments to the attention of the 

‘‘Staff Director’’ and clearly mark 

‘‘Briefing Comments Inside’’ on the 

outside of the envelope. Please note we 

are unable to return any comments or 

submitted materials. 

Comments may also be submitted by 

email to qccomments@usccr.gov. 

Meeting Agenda 

I. Approval of Agenda 

II. Quiet Crisis Briefing Federal Funding 

and the Unmet Physical and Legal 

Infrastructure Needs of Indian 

Country 

A. Opening Remarks: 9:00 a.m.–9:10 

a.m. 

B. Panel 1: Native American 

Advocacy Groups: 9:10 a.m.–10:30 

a.m. 

Speakers’ Remarks 

• Jacqueline Pata, National Congress 

of the American Indian 

• Ahniwake Rose, National Indian 

Education Association 

• Stacey Bohlen, National Indian 

Health Board 

• Dante Desiderio, Native American 

Finance Officers Association 

• Sarah Deer, William Mitchell 

College of Law 

Questions from Commissioners 

C. Panel 2: Federal Government 

Officials: 10:35 a.m.–12:00 p.m. 

Speakers’ Remarks 

• William Mendoza, White House 

Initiative on American Indian and 

Alaska Native Education 

• Tracy Toulou, U.S. Department of 

Justice, Office of Tribal Justice 

• Robert McSwain, Indian Health 

Service 

• Randy Akers, U.S. Department of 

Housing and Urban Development, 

Office of Native Programs 


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