Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 55 / Wednesday, March 22, 1995 / Notices 15123

Hodel, (9th Circuit, 1986) and

Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. v. Harris, 490

F. Supp. 1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980).

The reason for this is to ensure that

substantive comments and objections

are made available to the Forest Service

at a time when it can meaningfully

consider them and respond to them in

the final.

Dated: March 14, 1995.

William P. LeVere,

Deputy Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 95–6974 Filed 3–21–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M

Timber Bridge Research Joint Venture

Agreements; Solicitation of

Applications and Application

Guidelines

Program Description

Purpose

The Federal Highway Administration

and the USDA, Forest Service, Forest

Products Laboratory (FPL), are working

cooperatively under Public Law 102–

240, The Intermodal Surface

Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA)

of 1991, on research for the

development of wood in transportation

structures.

The FPL is now inviting proposals for

specific areas of the research under the

authority of the Food Security Act of

1985 (7 U.S.C. 3318(b) and will award

competitive Research Joint Venture

Agreements for cooperative research

related to wood in transportation

structures. The specific research areas

are stated within this announcement.

Eligibility

Proposals may be submitted by any

Federal Agency, university, private

business, non profit organization, or any

research or engineering entity.

An applicant must qualify as a

responsible applicant in order to be

eligible for an award. To qualify as

responsible, an applicant must meet the

following standards:

(a) Adequate financial resources for

performance, the necessary experience,

organizational and technical

qualifications, and facilities, or a firm

commitment, arrangement, or ability to

obtain same (including any to be

obtained through subagreement (s)) or

contracts;

(b) Ability to comply with the

proposed or required completion

schedule for the project;

(c) Adequate financial management

system and audit procedures that

provide efficient and effective

accountability and control of all funds,

property, and other assets;

(d) Satisfactory record of integrity,

judgment, and performance, including,

in particular, any prior performance

under grants, agreements, and contracts

from the Federal government; and

(e) Otherwise be qualified and eligible

to receive an award under the

applicable laws and regulations.

Available Funding

Available funding is shown under the

specific research areas, below. The FPL

will reimburse the cooperator not-toexceed eighty percent (80%) of the total

cost of the research. The proposing

entity may contribute the indirect costs

as its portion of the total cost of the

research.

Indirect costs will be reimbursed to

State Cooperative Institutions. State

Cooperative Institutions are designated

by the following:

(a) The Act of July 2, 1862 (7 U.S.C.

301 and the following), commonly

known as the First Morrill Act;

(b) The Act of August 30, 1890 (7

U.S.C. 321 and the following),

commonly known as the Second Morrill

Act, including the Tuskegee Institute;

(c) The Act of March 2, 1887 (7 U.S.C.

361a and the following), commonly

known as the Hatch Act of 1887;

(d) The Act of May 8, 1914 (7 U.S.C.

341 and the following), commonly

known as the Smith-Lever Act;

(e) The Act of October 10, 1962 (16

U.S.C. 582a and the following),

commonly known as the McIntireStennis Act of 1962; and

(f) Sections 1429 through 1439

(Animal Health and Disease Research),

sections 1474 through 1483 (Rangeland

Research) of Public Law 95–113, as

amended by Public Law 97–98.

Definitions

(a) Grants, Agreements, and Licensing

Officer means the Grants, Agreements,

and Licensing Officer of the FPL and

any other officer or employee of the

Department of Agriculture to whom the

authority involved may be delegated.

(b) Awarding Official means the

Grants, Agreements, and Licensing

Officer and any other officer or

employee of the Department of

Agriculture to whom the authority to

issue or modify awards has been

delegated.

(c) Budget Period means the interval

of time (usually twelve months) into

which the project period is divided for

budgetary and reporting purposes.

(d) Department or USDA means the

U.S. Department of Agriculture.

(e) Research Joint Venture Agreement

means the award by the Grants,

Agreements, and Licensing Officer or

his/her designee to a cooperator to assist

in meeting the costs of conducting, for

the benefit of the public, an identified

project which is intended and designed

to establish, discover, elucidate, or

confirm information or the underlying

mechanisms relating to a research

problem area identified herein.

(f) Cooperator means the entity

designated in the Research Joint Venture

Agreement award document as the

responsible legal entity to whom a

Research Joint Venture Agreement is

awarded.

(g) Methodology means the project

approach to be followed to carry out the

project.

(h) Peer Review Group means an

assembled group of experts or

consultants qualified by training and/or

experience in particular scientific or

technical field to give expert advice on

the technical merit of grant applications

in those fields.

(i) Principal Investigator means an

individual who is responsible for the

scientific and technical direction of the

project, as designated by the cooperator

in the application and approved by the

Grants, Agreements, and Licensing

Officer.

(j) Project means the particular

activity within the scope of one or more

of the research areas identified herein.

(k) Project Period means the total time

approved by the Grants, Agreements,

and Licensing Officer for conducting the

proposed project as outlined in an

approved application or the approved

portions thereof.

(l) Research means any systematic

study directed toward new or fuller

knowledge of the subject field.

Areas: Proposals are currently being

solicited in the following areas:

(a) Problem Area I: Copper

Naphthenate Preservative for Bridge

Applications. To develop a method for

the separation and analysis of

naphthenic acid components of copper

naphthenate preservatives and to

determine the relative efficacy of these

components to decay fungi. Total

estimated cost of the research: $60,000;

estimated Federal funding: $48,000.

(b) Problem Area II: Development of

Crash-Tested Bridge Railings. To

develop and evaluate by full-scale crash

testing two bridge railing systems, each

including the bridge railing and the

approach railing transition, for glued

laminated timber bridges constructed of

longitudinal girders and transverse deck

panels. Total estimated cost of the

research: $242,500; estimated Federal

funding: $194,000.

(c) Problem Area III: Manual for

Timber Bridge Inspection. To develop a

comprehensive, stand-alone reference

on the inspection of timber highway
15124 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 55 / Wednesday, March 22, 1995 / Notices

bridges, including superstructures and

substructures, which will present the

knowledge, skills, and tools needed by

bridge personnel to complete an

effective inspection of timber bridges.

Total estimated cost of the research:

$72,500; estimated Federal funding:

$58,000.

(d) Problem Area IV: Moisture

Protection for Timber Members: To

develop, refine, and/or evaluate a

variety of coatings and coverings for

protecting bridge members from

moisture. Total estimated cost of the

research: $43,750; estimated Federal

funding: $35,000.

For additional information, contact

John G. Bachhuber, USDA, Forest

Service, Forest Products Laboratory,

One Gifford Pinchot Drive, Madison, WI

53705–2398.

Proposal Preparation

Application Materials

An Application Kit and a copy of this

solicitation will be made available upon

request. The kit contains detailed

information on each Problem Area,

required forms, certifications, and

instructions for preparing and

submitting agreement applications.

Copies of the Application Kit and this

solicitation may be requested from:

Joanne M. Bosch, Grants and

Agreements, USDA, Forest Service,

Forest Products Laboratory, One Gifford

Pinchot Drive, Madison, WI 53705–

2398, Telephone Number (608) 231–

9205.

Proposal Submission

What to Submit

An original and five copies of a

proposal must be submitted. Each copy

of each proposal must be stapled

securely in the upper left-hand corner

(Do not bind). All copies of the proposal

must be submitted in one package.

Where and When to Submit

Proposals must be received by the

Grants, Agreements, and Licensing

Officer by 2 p.m. June 2, 1995, and

should be sent or delivered to the

following address: Grants, Agreements,

and Licensing Officer, USDA, Forest

Service, Forest Products Laboratory,

One Gifford Pinchot Drive, Madison, WI

53705–2398, Telephone (608) 231–9282.

Proposal Review, Evaluation, and

Disposition

Proposal Review

All proposals received will be

acknowledged. Prior to technical

examination, a preliminary review will

be made for responsiveness to this

solicitation. Proposals that do not fall

within solicitation guidelines will be

eliminated from competition; one copy

will be returned to the applicant and the

remainder will be destroyed. All

accepted proposals will be reviewed by

the Grants, Agreements, and Licensing

Officer, qualified officers or employees

of the Department, and by peer panel(s)

of scientists or others who are

recognized specialists in the areas

covered by the proposals. Peer panels

will be selected and organized to

provide maximum expertise and

objective judgment in the evaluation of

proposals.

Evaluation Criteria

The peer review panel(s) will take

into account the following criteria in

carrying out its review of responsive

proposals submitted:

(a) Scientific merit of proposal.

(1) Conceptual adequacy of

hypothesis;

(2) Clarity and delineation of

objectives;

(3) Adequacy of the description of the

undertaking and suitability and

feasibility of methodology;

(4) Demonstration of feasibility

through preliminary data;

(5) Probability of success of project;

(6) Novelty, uniqueness, and

originality.

(b) Qualifications of proposed project

personnel and adequacy of facilities.

(1) Training and demonstrated

awareness of previous and alternative

approaches to the problem identified in

the proposal and performance record

and/or potential for future

accomplishments;

(2) Time allocated for specific

attainment of objectives;

(3) Institutional experience and

competence in subject area; and

(4) Adequacy of available or

obtainable support personnel, facilities,

and instrumentation.

Proposal Disposition

When the peer review panel(s) has

completed its deliberations, the USDA

program staff, based on the

recommendations of the peer review

panel(s), will recommend to the

Awarding Official that the project be (a)

approved for support from currently

available funds or (b) declined due to

insufficient funds or unfavorable

review.

USDA reserves the right to negotiate

with the Principal Investigator and/or

the submitting entity regarding project

revisions (e.g., reduction in scope of

work), funding level, or period of

support prior to recommending any

project for funding.

A proposal may be withdrawn at any

time before a final funding decision is

made. One copy of each proposal that is

not selected for funding (including

those that are withdrawn) will be

retained by USDA for one year, and

remaining copies will be destroyed.

Supplementary Information

Grant Awards

Within the limit of funds available for

such purpose, the awarding official

shall make awards to those responsible

eligible applicants whose proposals are

judged most meritorious under the

evaluation criteria and procedures set

forth in this solicitation and application

guidelines.

The date specified by the awarding

officials as the beginning of the project

period shall not be later than September

1, 1995.

All funds awarded shall be expended

only for the purpose for which the funds

are awarded in accordance with the

approved application and budget, the

terms and conditions of any resulting

award, and the applicable Federal cost

principles.

Obligation of the Federal Government

Neither the approval of any

application nor the award of any

Research Joint Venture Agreement

commits or obligates the United States

in any way to provide further support of

a project or an portion thereof.

Other Conditions

The FPL may, with respect to any

class of awards, impose additional

conditions prior to or at the time of any

award, when in the FPL’s judgment,

such conditions are necessary to assure

or protect advancement of the approved

project, the interests of the public, or the

conservation of Research Joint Venture

Agreement funds.

Done at Madison, WI, on March 13, 1995.

Susan L. LeVan,

Acting Director.

[FR Doc. 95–6959 Filed 3–21–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M

Natural Resources Conservation

Service

East Wenatchee Watershed,

Washington; Notice

AGENCY: Natural Resources

Conservation Service.

ACTION: Notice of deauthorization of

federal funding.

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Watershed

Protection and Flood Prevention Act,

Public Law 83–566, and the Natural

Resources Conservation Service

Guidelines (7 CFR 622), the Natural