Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 37 / Friday, February 24, 1995 / Notices 10349

Send written comments to Diann L.

Campbell, Meeting Coordinator, Forest

Products Laboratory, One Gifford

Pinchot Drive, Madison, WI 53705–

2398.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Diann Campbell, telephone: (608) 231–

9244.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Forest

Service conducts major research in the

area of wood utilization at its Forest

Experiment Stations and in Madison at

the Forest Products Laboratory. Current

research programs focus on: Wood

properties, engineering, and improved

design procedures; softwood and

hardwood lumber; construction

technologies; wood drying, processing,

preservation, and finishing; adhesives;

composites and panels. Forest Service

scientists will provide presentations on

research at the forefront of wood

manufacturing and utilization

technology. Members of the American

Forest & Paper Association, Committee

on Research and Evaluation (AF&PACORE) will chair panel discussions on

nine selected topics related to wood

utilization.

Dated: February 17, 1995.

Kenneth R. Peterson,

Deputy Director.

[FR Doc. 95–4573 Filed 2–23–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M

Natural Resources Conservation

Service

Changes in Hydric Soils of the United

States

AGENCY: Natural Resources

Conservation Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of change.

SUMMARY: Pursuant to 7 CFR 12.30(a)(4),

Natural Resources Conservation Service

(formerly the Soil Conservation

Service), United States Department of

Agriculture gives notice of a change in

the wording of the criteria used to

generate the list of hydric soils of the

United States as published in the third

edition of Hydric Soils of the United

States, Miscellaneous Publication 1491,

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil

Conservation Service, June 1991.

For further information contact: Craig

A. Ditzler, Chair, National Technical

Committee for Hydric Soils, National

Soil Survey Center, NRCS, Room 152,

Mail Stop 33, Federal Building, 100

Centennial Mall North, Lincoln,

Nebraska 68508–3866, Telephone (402)

437–5353.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The list of

hydric soils was created by computer

using criteria that were developed by

the National Technical Committee for

Hydric Soils. The criteria are selected

soil properties that are documented in

Soil Taxonomy and were designed

primarily to generate a list of hydric

soils from the national database of Soil

Interpretations Records. Criteria 1, 3,

and 4 serve as both database criteria and

as indicators for identification of hydric

soils. Criterion 2 serves only to retrieve

soils from the database.

The wording of criterion 2 has been

changed to incorporate recent changes

in Soil Taxonomy and delete references

to water-table frequency and duration.

Until all soils have been reclassified, the

computer program will continue to

select soils under their former

classification. The water-table frequency

and duration data are not contained on

the Soil Interpretations Records and,

therefore, were not selection criteria.

The wording of criterion 2 also has

been changed to clarify the way in

which water-table data were used to

select soils from the Soil Interpretations

Records database. Because the watertable depths on the Soil Interpretations

Records are entered in 0.5 ft.

increments, previous versions of

criterion 2 used water tables at less than

0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 ft. in order to extract

hydric soils from the database with

actual recorded water tables of 0.0, 0.5,

and 1.0 ft.

It is important to note that these

changes do not cause any soils to be

added or deleted from the list.

Criteria for Hydric Soils

1. All Histosols except Folists, or

2. Soils in Aquic suborders, great

groups, or subgroups, Albolls suborder,

Aquisalids, Pachic subgroups, or

Cumulic subgroups that are:

a. somewhat poorly drained with a

water table equal to 0.0 foot (ft) from the

surface during the growing season, or

b. poorly drained or very poorly

drained and have either:

(1) water table equal to 0.0 ft. during

the growing season if textures are coarse

sand, sand, or fine sand in all layers

within 20 inches (in), or for other soils,

or

(2) water table at less than or equal to

0.5 ft. from the surface during the

growing season if permeability is equal

to or greater than 6.0 in/hour (h) in all

layers within 20 in, or

(3) water table at less than or equal to

1.0 ft. from the surface during the

growing season, if permeability is less

than 6.0 in/h in any layer within 20 in,

or

3. Soils that are frequently ponded for

long duration or very long duration

during the growing season, or

4. Soils that are frequently flooded for

long duration or very long duration

during the growing season.

Dated: January 26, 1995.

Richard W. Arnold,

Director, Soils Division.

[FR Doc. 95–4604 Filed 2–23–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–16–M

Rural Business and Cooperative

Development Service

Inviting Applications for Rural

Technology Development Grants

AGENCY: Rural Business and Cooperative

Development Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The Rural Business and

Cooperative Development Service

(RBCDS) announces the availability of

approximately $1.75 million in

competing Rural Technology

Development Grant (RTDG) funds for

fiscal year (FY) 1995. The intended

effect of this notice is to solicit

applications for FY 1995, notify

applicants of RBCD’s objectives for FY

1995, and award grants before May 25,

1995. The purpose of the grant program

is to establish and operate centers for

rural technology or cooperative

development.

DATES: The deadlines for receipt of a

preapplication is April 10, 1995.

Preapplication received after the date

will not be considered for FY 1995

funding.

ADDRESSES: Entities wishing to apply for

assistance should contact Rural

Economic and Community Development

(RECD) State Offices to receive further

information and copies of the

preapplication package. The program

will be operated by RECD at the State

level.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Jennifer Barton, Loan Specialist,

Community Facilities Division, Room

6304, South Agriculture Building, 14th

and Independence Avenue SW.,

Washington, DC 20250–0700,

Telephone: (202) 720–1504.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Refer to 7

CFR part 4284–F, published in the

Federal Register on August 12, 1994 (59

FR 41429) for the information collection

requirements of the RTDG program. The

RTDG program was previously

administered by the former Rural

Development Administration. Under the

reorganization of the Department of

Agriculture, the responsibility for

administering this program was

transferred to RBCDS. Part 4284–F of

title 7 of the Code of Federal
10350 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 37 / Friday, February 24, 1995 / Notices

Regulations provides details on what

information must be contained in the

preapplication package.

The RTDG program is authorized by

section 310B(f) through (h) of the

Consolidated Farm and Rural

Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932). The

primary objective of the program is to

improve the economic condition of rural

areas. The RTDG. program will achieve

this objective by supporting the creation

or enhancement of institutions capable

of promoting the development and

commercialization of new services,

products, processes, and enterprises.

RBCDS encourages applications for

projects that emphasize the creation of

local capacity to promote economic

development that is sustainable over the

long term through local effort. The

economic development should lead to

improvements in the quality as well as

the quantity of economic activity in the

community and should be based on the

application of new and existing

technologies. Grants may be used to pay

up to 75 percent of the cost of the

project and administrative costs; the

applicant must contribute at least 25

percent.

RTDG grants are competitive and will

be awarded to nonprofit institutions and

public bodies based on specific

selection criteria, as required by

legislation and set forth in 7 CFR part

4284–F. Project selection will be given

to those projects that contribute the

most to the improvement of economic

conditions in rural areas.

Preference will be given to those

projects that will create industries or

agribusinesses where few exist, increase

employment where unemployment is

high, stem the flow of out migration of

people, businesses and industries, and

increase the level of per capita income

where such income is low. Applicants

must provide data to support these

criteria. The information submitted

should provide an accurate picture of

the economic conditions of the rural

areas to be served. The Agency will use

the information provided to select the

best projects for funding. Part 4284 of

title 7 to the Code of Federal

Regulations contains general

information on the selection criteria.

As consistent with the regulatory

selection procedures, RBCDS desires to

fund projects from FY 1995 funds that

promote one or more of the following

policies:

1. Projects that assist rural

communities and businesses that are

experiencing erosion in their economic

base. A critical need exists for actions

leading to long-term enhancements in

the ability of communities and

businesses to adjust to changed

conditions in a smooth manner and to

achieve, over the long term,

improvements in the quality of

community life and the competitiveness

and profitability of businesses.

The proposed activity should result in

economic activity that is sustainable by

the community over the long term

through local actions (without the need

for continued subsidies by governments

or nongovernmental organizations). The

project should lead to improvements in

the quality of economic activity within

the community, as evidenced by

employment leading to higher wages,

improved benefits, greater career

potential, and the use of higher levels of

skills than currently are typical within

the local economy.

2. Projects that assist rural

communities that have remained

persistently poor. A critical need exists

for actions to develop and implement

broad strategies to create new sources of

economic activity in these communities,

and to promote development of human

resources within the community,

including organizational development,

entrepreneurship, and workforce

training.

3. Projects that assist rural

communities and businesses in areas

that have experienced long-term

population decline and job

deterioration. A critical need exists for

the broadened application of new

technologies to develop business

opportunities in remote rural locations.

This can be accomplished, for example,

by creating new products or services

that are related to the traditional

industrial base or that use locallyavailable natural resources, or by

developing new methods of conducting

business from remote locations through

the applications of telecommunications

technology or other business methods.

RBCDS encourages applications for

projects that have the following

characteristics:

1. The proposed use of funds should

have a catalytic impact on the local

economy by providing support for a

critical element of a larger program of

economic development by leveraging

major additional investments from other

contributors, or by enhancing the

quality of the design of the project or the

capacity of the community to

implement it successfully.

2. The proposed project should use

exemplary methods or practices of rural

community and economic development

that have potential applicability in a

wide range of areas.

3. The proposed activity should be

consistent with local and areawide

strategic plans for community and

economic development and be a part of

a broader program of community

development activity that involves

partnerships with other local

organizations and other organizations

providing support to the community. It

must be jointly assisted by resources

from other local, State, Federal or

private resources.

4. The proposed activity should be

representative of and serve a diverse

population of economic and social

groups within the community, and the

planning and project development

should involve active participation by a

diverse range of community residents.

1995 Application Submission

Due to the short application period for

FY 1995 funds, qualified applicants

should begin the preapplication process

as soon as possible. Preapplications

must include a clear statement of the

goal(s) and objective(s) of the project

and a plan which describes the

proposed project as required by the

statute and 7 CFR part 4284–F. Each

application received in the State Office

will be reviewed for eligibility.

All eligible applications will be

referred to the National Office for

scoring and selection for award. The

State Director or his/her designee will

provide comments on each application

forwarded to the National Office

documenting whether the proposal

promotes any of the policies set forth in

this issuance. Any other comments

helpful to the National Office’s review

are also welcome. The National Office

will provide funds for projects based on

the grant selection criteria set forth in 7

CFR part 4284–F and the availability of

funds. Grants will be selected for award

by May 25, 1995. No grants may be

awarded after July 13, 1995 under the

authority of 7 CFR part 4284–F.

Successful applicants will be notified by

the RECD State Office or the RBCDS

National Office.

Dated: February 15, 1995.

Dayton J. Watkins,

Acting Administrator, Rural Business and

Cooperative Development Service.

[FR Doc. 95–4497 Filed 2–23–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–32–M

COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS

Agenda and Notice of Public Meeting

of the California Advisory Committee

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to

the provisions of the rules and

regulations of the U.S. Commission on

Civil Rights, that a meeting of the

California Advisory Committee to the

Commission will convene on Friday,

March 17, 1995, at 10:00 a.m. and