30510 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 122 / Friday, June 26, 2009 / Notices 

Development State Office will issue a 

conditional commitment, which 

stipulates the conditions that must be 

fulfilled before the issuance of a 

guarantee, in accordance with 7 CFR 

3565.303. 

Issuance of Guarantee: The USDA 

Rural Development Office will issue a 

guarantee to the lender for a project in 

accordance with 7 CFR 3565.303. No 

guarantee can be issued without a 

complete application, review of 

appropriate certifications, satisfactory 

assessment of the appropriate level of 

environmental review, and the 

completion of any conditional 

requirements. 

Non-Discrimination Statement 

USDA prohibits discrimination in all 

its programs and activities on the basis 

of race, color, national origin, age, 

disability, and where applicable, sex, 

marital status, religion, sexual 

orientation, genetic information, 

political beliefs, reprisal, or because all 

or part of an individual’s income is 

derived from any public assistance 

program. (Not all prohibited bases apply 

to all programs.) Persons with 

disabilities who require alternative 

means for communication of program 

information (Braille, large print, 

audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s 

TARGET Center at (202) 720–2600 

(voice and TDD). To file a complaint of 

discrimination, write to USDA, Director, 

Office of Civil Rights, 1400 

Independence Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC 20250–9410, or call 

(800) 795–3272 (voice), or (202) 720– 

6382 (TDD). ‘‘USDA is an equal 

opportunity provider, employer, and 

lender.’’ 

Dated: June 18, 2009. 

Tammye H. Trevin ̃ o, 

Administrator, Rural Housing Service. 

[FR Doc. E9–14940 Filed 6–25–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–XV–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Housing Service 

Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) 

Inviting Applications for the Rural 

Community Development Initiative 

(RCDI) for Fiscal Year 2009 

AGENCY: Rural Housing Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of solicitation of 

applications. 

SUMMARY: This Notice announces the 

availability of $6,256,000 of competitive 

grant funds for the RCDI program 

through the Rural Housing Service 

(RHS), an agency within the USDA 

Rural Development mission area herein 

referred to as the Agency. Applicants 

must provide matching funds in an 

amount at least equal to the Federal 

grant. These grants will be made to 

qualified intermediary organizations 

that will provide financial and technical 

assistance to recipients to develop their 

capacity and ability to undertake 

projects related to housing, community 

facilities, or community and economic 

development. This Notice lists the 

information needed to submit an 

application for these funds. 

DATES: The deadline for receipt of an 

application is 4 p.m. local time, 

September 24, 2009. The application 

date and time are firm. The Agency will 

not consider any application received 

after the deadline. Applicants intending 

to mail applications must provide 

sufficient time to permit delivery on or 

before the closing deadline date and 

time. Acceptance by the United States 

Postal Service or private mailer does not 

constitute delivery. Facsimile (FAX) and 

postage due applications will not be 

accepted. 

ADDRESSES: Entities wishing to apply for 

assistance may download the 

application documents and 

requirements delineated in this Notice 

from the RCDI Web site: http:// 

www.rurdev.usda.gov/rhs/rcdi/ 

index.htm. Application information for 

electronic submissions may be found at 

http://www.grants.gov. Applicants may 

also request paper application packages 

from the Rural Development office in 

their state. A list of Rural Development 

offices is included in this Notice. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The 

Rural Development office for the state 

the applicant is located in. A list of 

Rural Development State Office contacts 

is included in this Notice. 

Programs Affected 

This program is listed in the Catalog 

of Federal Domestic Assistance under 

Number 10.446. This program is not 

subject to the provisions of Executive 

Order 12372, which requires 

intergovernmental consultation with 

State and local officials because it is not 

listed by the Secretary of Agriculture, 

pursuant to 7 CFR 3015.302, as a 

covered program. 

Paperwork Reduction Act 

The paperwork burden has been 

cleared by the Office of Management 

and Budget (OMB) under OMB Control 

Number 0575–0180. 

National Environmental Policy Act 

This document has been reviewed in 

accordance with 7 CFR part 1940–G, 

‘‘Environmental Program.’’ Rural 

Development has determined that this 

NOFA does not constitute a major 

federal action significantly affecting the 

quality of the human environment, and 

an Environmental Impact Statement is 

not required. Furthermore, individual 

awards under this NOFA are hereby 

classified as Categorial Exclusions 

which do not require any additional 

documentation. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Overview 

Federal Agency: Rural Housing 

Service. 

Funding Opportunity Title: Rural 

Community Development Initiative. 

Announcement Type: Initial 

Announcement. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance (CFDA) Number: 10.446. 

Part I—Funding Opportunity 

Description 

Congress initially created the RCDI in 

Fiscal Year (FY) 2000 to develop the 

capacity and ability of nonprofit 

organizations, low-income rural 

communities, or federally recognized 

tribes to undertake projects related to 

housing, community facilities, or 

community and economic development 

in rural areas. 

Part II—Award Information 

Congress appropriated $6,256,000 in 

FY 2009 for the RCDI. Qualified private, 

nonprofit and public (including tribal) 

intermediary organizations proposing to 

carry out financial and technical 

assistance programs will be eligible to 

receive the funding. The intermediary 

will be required to provide matching 

funds in an amount at least equal to the 

RCDI grant. The respective minimum 

and maximum grant amount per 

intermediary is $50,000 and $300,000. 

The intermediary must provide a 

program of financial and technical 

assistance to a private nonprofit, 

community-based housing and 

development organization, a lowincome rural community or a federally 

recognized tribe. 

Part III—Eligibility Information 

A. Eligible Applicants 

1. Qualified private, nonprofit, 

including faith-based, and community 

organizations in accordance with 7 CFR 

Part 16, and public (including tribal) 

intermediary organizations. Definitions 

that describe eligible organizations and 

other key terms are listed below. 

2. RCDI grantees that have an 

outstanding grant over 3 years old, as of 

the application due date in this Notice, 

Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 122 / Friday, June 26, 2009 / Notices 30511 

will not be eligible to apply for this 

round of funding. Grant and matching 

funds must be utilized in a timely 

manner to ensure that the goals and 

objectives of the program are met. 

B. Program Definitions 

Agency—The Rural Housing Service 

(RHS) or its successor. 

Beneficiary—Entities or individuals 

that receive benefits from assistance 

provided by the recipient. 

Capacity—The ability of a recipient to 

implement housing, community 

facilities, or community and economic 

development projects. 

Federally recognized tribes—Tribal 

entities recognized and eligible for 

funding and services from the Bureau of 

Indian Affairs, based on the current 

notice in the Federal Register published 

by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Tribally 

Designated Housing Entities are eligible 

RCDI recipients. 

Financial assistance—Funds, not to 

exceed $10,000 per award, used by the 

intermediary to purchase supplies and 

equipment to build the recipient’s 

capacity. 

Funds—The RCDI grant and matching 

money. 

Intermediary—A qualified private, 

nonprofit, or public (including tribal) 

organization that provides financial and 

technical assistance to multiple 

recipients. 

Low-income rural community—An 

authority, district, economic 

development authority, regional 

council, or unit of government 

representing an incorporated city, town, 

village, county, township, parish, or 

borough. 

Recipient—Under 7 CFR 15 section 

15.2, Recipient means any State, 

political subdivision of any State, or 

instrumentality of any State or political 

subdivision, any public or private 

agency, institution, or organization, or 

other entity, to whom Federal financial 

assistance is extended, directly or 

through another recipient, including 

any successor, assignee, or transferee 

thereof, but such term does not include 

any ultimate beneficiary. Not all listed 

entities are eligible for all programs. 

Please check with the applicable state 

office for information regarding 

eligibility. 

Rural and rural area—Any area other 

than (i) a city or town that has a 

population of greater than 50,000 

inhabitants; and (ii) the urbanized area 

contiguous and adjacent to such city or 

town. 

Technical assistance—Skilled help in 

improving the recipient’s abilities in the 

areas of housing, community facilities, 

or community and economic 

development. 

C. Cost Sharing or Matching 

Matching funds—Cash or confirmed 

funding commitments. Matching funds 

must be at least equal to the grant 

amount. These funds can only be used 

for eligible RCDI activities. In-kind 

contributions such as salaries, donated 

time and effort, real and nonexpendable 

personal property and goods and 

services cannot be used as matching 

funds. Grant funds and matching funds 

must be used in equal proportions. This 

does not mean funds have to be used 

equally by line item. The request for 

advance or reimbursement and 

supporting documentation must show 

that RCDI fund usage does not exceed 

the cumulative amount of matching 

funds used. Grant funds will be 

disbursed pursuant to relevant 

provisions of 7 CFR parts 3015, 3016, 

and 3019, as applicable. Verification of 

matching funds must be submitted with 

the application. 

The intermediary is responsible for 

demonstrating that matching funds are 

available, and committed to the RCDI 

proposal. Matching funds may be 

provided by the intermediary or a third 

party. Other Federal funds may be used 

as matching funds if authorized by 

statute and the purpose of the funds is 

an eligible RCDI purpose. Matching 

funds must be used to support the 

overall purpose of the RCDI program. 

RCDI funds will be disbursed on an 

advance or reimbursement basis. 

Matching funds cannot be expended 

prior to execution of the RCDI Grant 

Agreement. No reimbursement will be 

made for any funds expended prior to 

execution of the RCDI Grant Agreement 

unless the grantee is a non-profit or 

educational entity and has requested 

and received written Agency approval 

of the costs prior to the actual 

expenditure. This exception is 

applicable for up to 90 days prior to 

grant closing and only applies to 

grantees that have received written 

approval but have not executed the 

RCDI Grant Agreement. The Agency 

cannot retroactively approve 

reimbursement for expenditures prior to 

execution of the RCDI Grant Agreement. 

D. Other Program Requirements 

1. The recipient and beneficiary, but 

not the intermediary, must be located in 

an eligible rural area. The physical 

location of the recipient’s office that 

will be receiving the financial and 

technical assistance must be in an 

eligible rural area. If the recipient is a 

low-income community, the median 

household income of the area where the 

office is located must be at or below 80 

percent of the State or national median 

household income, whichever is higher. 

The applicable Rural Development State 

Office can assist in determining the 

eligibility of an area. A listing of Rural 

Development State Offices is included 

in this Notice. 

2. The recipients must be private 

nonprofit, including faith-based 

organizations, community-based 

housing and development organizations, 

low-income rural communities, or 

federally recognized tribes based on the 

RCDI definitions of these groups. 

3. Documentation must be submitted 

to verify recipient eligibility. Acceptable 

documentation varies depending on the 

type of recipient. Private nonprofit faith 

or community-based housing and 

development organizations must 

provide a certificate of incorporation 

and good standing from the Secretary of 

the State of incorporation, or other 

similar and valid documentation of 

nonprofit status. For low-income rural 

community recipients, the Agency 

requires evidence that the entity is a 

public body and census data verifying 

that the median household income of 

the community where the office 

receiving the financial and technical 

assistance is located is at, or below, 80 

percent of the State or national median 

household income, whichever is higher. 

For Federally recognized tribes, the 

Agency needs the page listing their 

name from the current Federal Register 

list of tribal entities recognized and 

eligible for funding services (see the 

definition of Federally recognized tribes 

in this Notice for details on this list). 

4. Individuals cannot be recipients. 

5. The intermediary must provide 

matching funds at least equal to the 

amount of the grant. Verification of 

matching funds must be submitted with 

the application. 

6. The intermediary must provide a 

program of financial and technical 

assistance to the recipient. 

7. The intermediary organization must 

have been legally organized for a 

minimum of 3 years and have at least 

3 years prior experience working with 

private nonprofit community-based 

housing and development organizations, 

low-income rural communities, or tribal 

organizations in the areas of housing, 

community facilities, or community and 

economic development. 

8. Proposals must be structured to 

utilize the grant funds within 3 years 

from the date of the award. 

9. Each applicant, whether singularly 

or jointly, may only submit one 

application for RCDI funds under this 

NOFA. This restriction does not 

30512 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 122 / Friday, June 26, 2009 / Notices 

preclude the applicant from providing 

matching funds for other applications. 

10. Recipients can benefit from more 

than one RCDI application; however, 

after grant selections are made, the 

recipient can only benefit from multiple 

RCDI grants if the type of financial and 

technical assistance the recipient will 

receive is not duplicative. 

11. The intermediary and the 

recipient cannot be the same entity. The 

recipient can be a related entity to the 

intermediary, if it meets the definition 

of a recipient. 

12. A nonprofit recipient must 

provide evidence that it is a valid 

nonprofit when the intermediary 

applies for the RCDI grant. 

Organizations with pending requests for 

nonprofit designations are not eligible. 

13. If the recipient is a low-income 

rural community, identify the unit of 

government to which the financial and 

technical assistance will be provided, 

e.g., town council or village board. The 

financial and technical assistance must 

be provided to the organized unit of 

government representing that 

community, not the community at large. 

14. Recipients located in a rural area 

that is also a census designated place 

(CDP) are eligible recipients. 

15. If a grantee has an outstanding 

RCDI grant over 3 years old, as of the 

application due date in this Notice, it is 

not eligible to apply for this round of 

funding. 

16. The indirect cost category in the 

project budget should be used only 

when a grant applicant has a federally 

negotiated indirect cost rate. A copy of 

the current rate agreement must be 

provided with the application. 

Eligible Fund Uses 

Fund uses must be consistent with the 

RCDI purpose. A nonexclusive list of 

eligible grant uses includes the 

following: 

1. Provide technical assistance to 

develop recipients’ capacity and ability 

to undertake projects related to housing, 

community facilities, or community and 

economic development, i.e., the 

intermediary hires a staff person to 

provide technical assistance to the 

recipient or the recipient hires a staff 

person, under the supervision of the 

intermediary, to carry out the technical 

assistance provided by the intermediary. 

2. Develop the capacity of recipients 

to conduct community development 

programs, e.g., homeownership 

education or training for business 

entrepreneurs. 

3. Develop the capacity of recipients 

to conduct development initiatives, e.g., 

programs that support micro-enterprise 

and sustainable development. 

4. Develop the capacity of recipients 

to increase their leveraging ability and 

access to alternative funding sources by 

providing training and staffing. 

5. Develop the capacity of recipients 

to provide the technical assistance 

component for essential community 

facilities projects. 

6. Assist recipients in completing predevelopment requirements for housing, 

community facilities, or community and 

economic development projects by 

providing resources for professional 

services, e.g., architectural, engineering, 

or legal. 

7. Improve recipient’s organizational 

capacity by providing training and 

resource material on developing 

strategic plans, board operations, 

management, financial systems, and 

information technology. 

8. Purchase of computers, software, 

and printers, limited to $10,000 per 

award, at the recipient level when 

directly related to the technical 

assistance program being undertaken by 

the intermediary. 

9. Provide funds to recipients for 

training-related travel costs and training 

expenses related to RCDI. 

Ineligible Fund Uses 

1. Pass-through grants, capacity 

grants, and any funds provided to the 

recipient in a lump sum that are not 

reimbursements. 

2. Funding a revolving loan fund 

(RLF). 

3. Construction (in any form). 

4. Salaries for positions involved in 

construction, renovations, 

rehabilitation, and any oversight of 

these types of activities. 

5. Intermediary preparation of 

strategic plans for recipients. 

6. Funding prostitution, gambling, or 

any illegal activities. 

7. Grants to individuals. 

8. Funding a grant where there may be 

a conflict of interest, or an appearance 

of a conflict of interest, involving any 

action by the Agency. 

9. Paying obligations incurred before 

the beginning date without prior Agency 

approval or after the ending date of the 

grant agreement. 

10. Purchasing real estate. 

11. Improvement or renovation of the 

grantee’s, or recipient’s office space or 

for the repair or maintenance of 

privately owned vehicles. 

12. Any other purpose prohibited in 

7 CFR parts 3015, 3016, and 3019, as 

applicable. 

13. Using funds for recipient’s general 

operating costs. 

14. Using grant or matching funds for 

Individual Development Accounts. 

15. Purchasing vehicles. 

Program Examples 

The purpose of this initiative is to 

develop or increase the recipient’s 

capacity through a program of financial 

and technical assistance to perform in 

the areas of housing, community 

facilities, or community and economic 

development. Strengthening the 

recipient’s capacity in these areas will 

benefit the communities they serve. The 

RCDI structure requires the 

intermediary (grantee) to provide a 

program of financial and technical 

assistance to recipients. The recipients 

will, in turn, provide programs to their 

communities (beneficiaries). The 

following are examples of eligible and 

ineligible purposes under the RCDI 

program. (These examples are 

illustrative and are not meant to limit 

the activities proposed in the 

application. Activities that meet the 

objective of the RCDI program will be 

considered eligible.) 

1. The intermediary must work 

directly with the recipient, not the 

ultimate beneficiaries. As an example: 

The intermediary provides training to 

the recipient on how to conduct 

homeownership education classes. The 

recipient then provides ongoing 

homeownership education to the 

residents of the community—the 

ultimate beneficiaries. This ‘‘train the 

trainer’’ concept fully meets the intent 

of this initiative. The intermediary is 

providing technical assistance that will 

build the recipient’s capacity by 

enabling them to conduct 

homeownership education classes for 

the public. This is an eligible purpose. 

However, if the intermediary directly 

provided homeownership education 

classes to individuals in the recipient’s 

service area, this would not be an 

eligible purpose because the recipient 

would be bypassed. 

2. If the intermediary is working with 

a low-income community as the 

recipient, the intermediary must 

provide the technical assistance to the 

entity that represents the low-income 

community and is identified in the 

application. Examples of entities 

representing a low-income community 

are a village board or a town council. If 

the intermediary provides technical 

assistance to the board of directors of 

the low-income community on how to 

establish a cooperative, this would be an 

eligible purpose. However, if the 

intermediary works directly with 

individuals from the community to 

establish the cooperative, this is not an 

eligible purpose. The recipient’s 

capacity is built by learning skills that 

will enable them to support sustainable 

Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 122 / Friday, June 26, 2009 / Notices 30513 

economic development in their 

communities on an ongoing basis. 

3. The intermediary may provide 

technical assistance to the recipient on 

how to create and operate a RLF. The 

intermediary may not monitor or 

operate the RLF. RCDI funds, including 

matching funds, cannot be used to fund 

RLFs. 

Part IV—Application and Submission 

Information 

A. Address To Request Application 

Package 

Entities wishing to apply for 

assistance may download the 

application documents and 

requirements delineated in this Notice 

from the RCDI Web site: http:// 

www.rurdev.usda.gov/rhs/rcdi/ 

index.htm. Application information for 

electronic submissions may be found at 

http://www.grants.gov. Applicants may 

also request paper application packages 

from the Rural Development office in 

their state. A list of Rural Development 

offices is included in this Notice. 

B. Content and Form of Application 

Submission 

If the applicant is ineligible or the 

application is incomplete, the Agency 

will inform the applicant in writing of 

the decision, reasons therefore, and its 

appeal rights, and no further evaluation 

of the application will occur. 

A complete application for RCDI 

funds must include the following: 

1. A summary page, double-spaced 

between items, listing the following: 

(This information should not be 

presented in narrative form.) 

a. Applicant’s name, 

b. Applicant’s address, 

c. Applicant’s telephone number, 

d. Name of applicant’s contact person 

and telephone number, 

e. Applicant’s fax number, 

f. County where applicant is located, 

g. Congressional district number 

where applicant is located, 

h. Amount of grant request, 

i. Applicant’s Tax Identification 

Number, 

j. Data Universal Numbering System 

(DUNS) number (Applicant Only), 

k. Number of recipients, and 

l. Equal Opportunity Survey, OMB 

No. 1890–0014 Exp. 02/28/09 (optional 

completion by applicant). 

2. Source and amount of matching 

funds. 

3. A detailed Table of Contents 

containing page numbers for each 

component of the application. 

4. A project overview, no longer than 

five pages, including the following 

items, which will also be addressed 

separately and in detail under ‘‘Building 

Capacity’’ of the ‘‘Evaluation Criteria.’’ 

a. The type of technical assistance to 

be provided to the recipients and how 

it will be implemented. 

b. How the capacity and ability of the 

recipients will be improved. 

c. The overall goals to be 

accomplished. 

d. The benchmarks to be used to 

measure the success of the program. 

5. Organizational documents, such as 

a certificate of incorporation and a 

current good standing certification from 

the Secretary of State where the 

applicant is incorporated and other 

similar and valid documentation of nonprofit status, from the intermediary that 

confirms it has been legally organized 

for a minimum of 3 years as the 

applicant entity. 

6. Verification of matching funds, i.e., 

a copy of a bank statement if matching 

funds are in cash or a copy of the 

confirmed funding commitment from 

the funding source. The verification of 

matching funds must be submitted with 

the application. The applicant will be 

contacted by the Agency prior to grant 

award to verify that the matching funds 

continue to be available. The applicant 

will have 10 working days from the date 

contacted to submit verification of 

matching funds. If the applicant is 

unable to provide the verification 

within that timeframe, the application 

will be considered ineligible. The 

applicant must maintain bank 

statements on file or other 

documentation for a period of at least 

three years after grant closing except 

that the records shall be retained 

beyond the three-year period if audit 

findings have not been resolved. 

7. Applicant should verify that they 

have a DUNS number. Applicants can 

receive a DUNS number at no cost by 

calling the dedicated toll-free DUNS 

Number request line at 1–866–705– 

5711. 

8. The following information for each 

recipient: 

a. Recipient’s entity name, 

b. Complete address (mailing and 

physical location, if different), 

c. County where located, 

d. Number of Congressional district 

where recipient is located, and 

e. Contact person’s name and 

telephone number. 

9. Submit evidence that each recipient 

entity is eligible: 

a. Nonprofits—provide a current valid 

letter confirming non-profit status from 

the Secretary of the State of 

incorporation or the IRS, a current good 

standing certification from the Secretary 

of the State of incorporation, or other 

valid documentation of nonprofit status 

of each recipient. 

b. Low-income rural community— 

provide evidence the entity is a public 

body, and a copy of the 2000 census 

data to verify the population, and 

evidence that the median household 

income is at, or below, 80 percent of 

either the State or national median 

household income. We will only accept 

data from http://www.census.gov. The 

specific instructions to retrieve data 

from this site are detailed under the 

‘‘Evaluation Criteria’’ for ‘‘Population’’ 

and ‘‘Income.’’ 

c. Federally recognized tribes— 

provide the page listing their name from 

the Federal Register list of tribal entities 

published by the Bureau of Indian 

Affairs on April 4, 2008 (73 FR 18553)or 

a subsequent updated list in the Federal 

Register. 

10. Each of the ’’Evaluation Criteria’’ 

must be addressed specifically and 

individually by category. Present these 

criteria in narrative form. 

Documentation must be limited to three 

pages per criterion. The ‘‘Population’’ 

and ‘‘Income’’ criterions for recipient 

locations can be provided in the form of 

a list; however, the source of the data 

must be included on the page(s). 

11. A timeline identifying specific 

activities and proposed dates for 

completion. 

12. A detailed project budget that 

includes the RCDI grant amount and 

matching funds for the duration of the 

grant. This should be a line-item budget, 

by category. Categories such as salaries, 

administrative, other, and indirect costs 

that pertain to the proposed project 

must be clearly defined. Supporting 

documentation listing the components 

of these categories must be included. 

The budget should be dated: year 1, year 

2, year 3, as applicable. 

13. Form SF–424, ‘‘Application for 

Federal Assistance.’’ (Do not complete 

Form SF–424A, ‘‘Budget Information.’’ 

A separate line-item budget should be 

presented as described in No. 11 of this 

section.) 

14. Form SF–424B, ‘‘Assurances— 

Non-Construction Programs.’’ 

15. Form AD–1047, ‘‘Certification 

Regarding Debarment, Suspension, and 

Other Responsibility Matters—Primary 

Covered Transactions.’’ 

16. Form AD–1048, ‘‘Certification 

Regarding Debarment, Suspension, 

Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion— 

Lower Tier Covered Transactions. 

17. Form AD–1049, ‘‘Certification 

Regarding Drug-Free Workplace 

Requirements.’’ 

18. Certification of Non-Lobbying 

Activities. 

30514 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 122 / Friday, June 26, 2009 / Notices 

19. Standard Form LLL, ‘‘Disclosure 

of Lobbying Activities,’’ if applicable. 

20. Form RD 400–4, ‘‘Assurance 

Agreement,’’ for the applicant and each 

recipient. If forms are not provided for 

each recipient organization at time of 

application, they must be provided 

upon notice of award. 

Recipients may not be deleted from 

the list submitted with the application 

to avoid submission of this form. 

21. Identify and report any association 

or relationship with Rural Development 

employees. 

The required forms and certifications 

can be downloaded from the RCDI Web 

site at: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rhs/ 

rcdi/index.htm. 

C. Other Submission Information 

The original application package must 

be submitted to the Rural Development 

State Office where the applicant’s 

headquarters is located. A listing of 

Rural Development State Offices is 

included in this Notice. Applications 

will not be accepted via facsimile or 

electronic mail. 

Applicants may file an electronic 

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

Grants.gov contains full instructions on 

all required passwords, credentialing, 

and software. Follow the instructions at 

Grants.gov for registering and 

submitting an electronic application. 

If a system problem or technical 

difficulty occurs with an electronic 

application, please use the customer 

support resources available at the 

Grants.gov Web site. 

Technical difficulties submitting an 

application through Grants.gov will not 

be a reason to extend the application 

deadline. If an application is unable to 

be submitted through Grants.gov, a 

paper application must be received in 

the appropriate Rural Development 

State Office by the deadline noted 

previously. 

First time Grants.gov users should 

carefully read and follow the 

registration steps listed on the web site. 

These steps need to be initiated early in 

the application process to avoid delays 

in submitting your application online. 

In order to register with the Central 

Contractor Registry (CCR), your 

organization will need a DUNS number. 

Be sure to complete the Marketing 

Partner ID (MPID) and Electronic 

Business Primary Point of Contact fields 

during the CCR registration process. 

These are mandatory fields that are 

required when submitting grant 

applications through Grants.gov. 

Additional application instructions for 

submitting an electronic application can 

be found by selecting this funding 

opportunity on Grants.gov. 

The deadline for receipt of an 

application is 4 p.m. local time 

September 24, 2009. The application 

deadline date and time are firm and 

apply to submission of the original 

application to the Rural Development 

State Office where the applicant’s 

headquarters is located. The Agency 

will not consider any application 

received after the deadline. A listing of 

Rural Development State Offices, their 

addresses, telephone numbers, and 

contact person is provided elsewhere in 

this Notice. Applicants intending to 

mail applications must provide 

sufficient time to permit delivery on or 

before the closing deadline date and 

time. Acceptance by the United States 

Postal Service or private mailer does not 

constitute delivery. Facsimile (FAX), 

electronic mail or postage due 

applications will not be accepted. 

D. Funding Restrictions 

Meeting expenses. In accordance with 

31 U.S.C. 1345, ‘‘Expenses of Meetings,’’ 

appropriations may not be used for 

travel, transportation, and subsistence 

expenses for a meeting. RCDI grant 

funds cannot be used for these meetingrelated expenses. Matching funds may 

be used to pay for these expenses. RCDI 

funds may be used to pay for a speaker 

as part of a program, equipment to 

facilitate the program, and the actual 

room that will house the meeting. RCDI 

funds can be used for travel, 

transportation, or subsistence expenses 

for training and technical assistance 

purposes. Any meeting or training not 

delineated in the application must be 

approved by the Agency to verify 

compliance with 31 U.S.C. 1345. Travel 

and per diem expenses will be similar 

to those paid to Agency employees. 

Rates are based upon location. Rate 

information can be obtained from the 

applicable Rural Development State 

Office. 

Grantees and recipients will be 

restricted to traveling coach class on 

common carrier airlines. Grantees and 

recipients may exceed the Government 

rate for lodging by a maximum of 20 

percent. Meals and incidental expenses 

will be reimbursed at the same rate used 

by Agency employees. Mileage and gas 

reimbursement will be the same rate 

used by Agency employees. This rate 

may be obtained from the applicable 

Rural Development State Office. 

Part V—Application Review 

Information 

A. Evaluation Criteria 

Applications will be evaluated using 

the following criteria and weights: 

1. Building Capacity—Maximum 60 

Points 

The applicant must demonstrate how 

they will improve the recipients’ 

capacity, through a program of financial 

and technical assistance, as it relates to 

the RCDI purposes. Capacity-building 

financial and technical assistance 

should provide new functions to the 

recipients or expand existing functions 

that will enable the recipients to 

undertake projects in the areas of 

housing, community facilities, or 

community and economic development 

that will benefit the community. The 

program of financial and technical 

assistance provided, its delivery, and 

the measurability of the program’s 

effectiveness will determine the merit of 

the application. All applications will be 

competitively ranked with the 

applications providing the most 

improvement in capacity development 

and measurable activities being ranked 

the highest. Capacity-building financial 

and technical assistance may include, 

but is not limited to: Training to 

conduct community development 

programs, e.g., homeownership 

education, or the establishment of 

minority business entrepreneurs, 

cooperatives, or micro-enterprises; 

organizational development, e.g., 

assistance to develop or improve board 

operations, management, and financial 

systems; instruction on how to develop 

and implement a strategic plan; 

instruction on how to access alternative 

funding sources to increase leveraging 

opportunities; staffing, e.g., hiring a 

person at intermediary or recipient level 

to provide technical assistance to 

recipients; and purchasing technology 

equipment at the recipient level, e.g., 

computers, printers, and software. 

a. The narrative response must: 

i. Describe the nature of financial and 

technical assistance to be provided to 

the recipients and the activities that will 

be conducted to deliver the technical 

assistance; 

ii. Explain how financial and 

technical assistance will develop or 

increase the recipient’s capacity. 

Indicate whether a new function is 

being developed or if existing functions 

are being expanded or performed more 

effectively; 

iii. Identify which RCDI purpose areas 

will be addressed with this assistance: 

housing, community facilities, or 

community and economic development; 

and 

iv. Describe how the results of the 

technical assistance will be measured. 

What benchmarks will be used to 

measure effectiveness? 

b. The maximum 60 points for this 

criteria will be broken down as follows: 

Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 122 / Friday, June 26, 2009 / Notices 30515 

1. Type of financial and technical 

assistance and implementation 

activities. 35 points. 

2. An explanation of how financial 

and technical assistance will develop 

capacity. 10 points. 

3. Identification of the RCDI purpose. 

5 points. 

4. Measurement of outcomes. 10 

points. 

2. Expertise—Maximum 30 Points 

The applicant must demonstrate that 

it has conducted programs of financial 

and technical assistance and achieved 

measurable results in the areas of 

housing, community facilities, or 

community and economic development 

in rural areas. Provide the name, contact 

information, and the type and amount of 

the financial and technical assistance 

the applicant organization has provided 

to the following for the last 5 years: 

a. Nonprofit organizations in rural 

areas. 

b. Low-income communities in rural 

areas, (also include the type of entity, 

e.g., city government, town council, or 

village board). 

c. Federally recognized tribes or any 

other culturally diverse organizations. 

3. Population—Maximum 30 Points 

Population is based on the average 

population from the 2000 census data 

for the communities in which the 

recipients are located. Community is 

defined for scoring purposes as a city, 

town, village, county, parish, borough, 

or census-designated place where the 

recipient’s office is physically located. 

The applicant must submit the census 

data from the following Web site to 

verify the population figures used for 

each recipient. The data can be accessed 

on the Internet at http:// 

www.census.gov; click on ‘‘American 

FactFinder’’ from the left menu; click on 

‘‘Fact Sheet’’ from the left menu; at the 

right, fill in one or more fields and click 

‘‘Go’’; the name and population data for 

each recipient location must be listed in 

this section. The average population of 

the recipient locations will be used and 

will be scored as follows: 

Population Scoring 

(points) 

5,000 or less ......................... 30 

5,001 to 10,000 .................... 20 

10,001 to 20,000 .................. 10 

20,001 to 50,000 .................. 5 

4. Income—Maximum 30 Points 

The average of the median household 

income for the communities where the 

recipients are physically located will 

determine the points awarded. 

Applicants may compare the average 

recipient median household income to 

the State median household income or 

the national median household income, 

whichever yields the most points. The 

national median household income to 

be used is $41,994. The applicant must 

submit the income data from the 

following Web site to verify the income 

for each recipient. The data being used 

is from the 2000 census. The data can 

be accessed on the Internet at http:// 

www.census.gov; click on ‘‘American 

FactFinder’’ from the left menu; click on 

‘‘Fact Sheet’’ from the left menu; at the 

right, fill in one or more fields and click 

‘‘Go’’; the name and income data for 

each recipient location must be listed in 

this section. Points will be awarded as 

follows: 

Average Recipient Median Income is: 

Less than 60 percent of the state or 

national median household income. 30 

points. 

Between 60 and 70 percent of the 

state or national median household 

income. 20 points. 

Greater than 70 percent of the state or 

national median household income. 10 

points. 

5. Soundness of Approach— 

Maximum 50 Points 

The applicant can receive up to 50 

points for soundness of approach. The 

overall proposal will be considered 

under this criterion. Applicants must 

list the page numbers in the application 

that address these factors. 

a. The ability to provide the proposed 

financial and technical assistance based 

on prior accomplishments has been 

demonstrated. 

b. The proposed financial and 

technical assistance program is clearly 

stated and the applicant has defined 

how this proposal will be implemented. 

The plan for implementation is viable. 

c. Cost effectiveness will be evaluated 

based on the budget in the application. 

The proposed grant amount and 

matching funds should be utilized to 

maximize capacity building at the 

recipient level. 

d. The proposal fits the objectives for 

which applications were invited. 

6. Technical assistance for the 

development of Renewable Energy 

Systems and Energy Efficiency 

Improvements—Maximum 20 Points 

The applicant must demonstrate how 

they will improve the recipients’ 

capacity to carry out activities related to 

the development of renewable energy 

systems and energy efficiency 

improvements for housing, community 

facilities, or community and economic 

development. 

7. State Director’s Points Based on 

Project Merit—20 Points 

This criterion does not have to be 

addressed by the applicant. An 

additional 20 points may be awarded by 

the Rural Development State Director 

for the state’s first priority project. Only 

one project per state will be awarded 

these points. Assignment of points will 

include a written justification and may 

be awarded based on the Rural 

Development State Office’s strategic 

plan. 

8. Proportional Distribution Points— 

20 Points 

This criterion does not have to be 

addressed by the applicant. After 

applications have been evaluated and 

awarded points under the first 7 criteria, 

the Agency may award 20 points per 

application to promote an even 

distribution of grant awards between the 

ranges of $50,000 to $300,000. 

B. Review and Selection Process 

Rating and ranking. Applications will 

be rated and ranked on a national basis 

by a review panel based on the 

‘‘Evaluation Criteria’’ contained in this 

Notice. If there is a tied score after the 

applications have been rated and 

ranked, the tie will be resolved by 

reviewing the scores for ‘‘Building 

Capacity’’ and the applicant with the 

highest score in that category will 

receive a higher ranking. If the scores for 

‘‘Building Capacity’’ are the same, the 

scores will be compared for the next 

criterion, in sequential order, until one 

highest score can be determined. 

Initial screening. The Agency will 

screen each application to determine 

eligibility during the period 

immediately following the application 

deadline. Listed below are examples of 

reasons for rejection from previous 

funding rounds. The following reasons 

for rejection are not all inclusive; 

however, they represent the majority of 

the applications previously rejected. 

1. Recipients were not located in 

eligible rural areas based on the 

definition in this Notice. 

2. Applicants failed to provide 

evidence of recipient’s status, i.e., 

documentation supporting nonprofit 

evidence of organization. 

3. Applicants failed to provide 

evidence of committed matching funds. 

4. Application did not follow the 

RCDI structure with an intermediary 

and recipients. 

5. Recipients were not identified in 

the application. 

6. Intermediary did not provide 

evidence it had been incorporated for at 

least 3 years as the applicant entity. 

7. Applicants failed to address the 

‘‘Evaluation Criteria.’’ 

8. The purpose of the proposal did not 

qualify as an eligible RCDI purpose. 

9. Inappropriate use of funds (e.g., 

construction or renovations). 

30516 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 122 / Friday, June 26, 2009 / Notices 

10. Providing financial and technical 

assistance directly to individuals. 

11. Application package not received 

by closing date and time. 

Part VI—Award Administration 

Information 

A. General Information 

Within the limit of funds available for 

such purpose, the awarding official of 

the Agency shall make grants to those 

responsible, eligible applicants whose 

applications are judged meritorious 

under the procedures set forth in this 

Notice. 

B. Award Notice 

Applicant will be notified of selection 

by letter. In addition, applicant will be 

requested to verify that components of 

the application have not changed. The 

award is not approved until all 

information has been verified, and the 

awarding official of the Agency has 

signed Form RD 1940–1, ‘‘Request for 

Obligation of Funds.’’ 

C. Administrative and National Policy 

Requirements 

Grantees will be required to do the 

following: 

1. Execute a Rural Community 

Development Initiative Grant 

Agreement, which is published at the 

end of this Notice. 

2. Execute Form RD 1940–1. 

3. Use Form SF 270, ‘‘Request for 

Advance or Reimbursement,’’ to request 

reimbursements. Provide receipts for 

expenditures, timesheets and any other 

documentation to support the request 

for reimbursement. 

4. Provide financial status and project 

performance reports on a quarterly basis 

starting with the first full quarter after 

the grant award. 

5. Maintain a financial management 

system that is acceptable to the Agency. 

6. Ensure that records are maintained 

to document all activities and 

expenditures utilizing RCDI grant funds 

and matching funds. Receipts for 

expenditures will be included in this 

documentation. 

7. Provide annual audits or 

management reports on Form RD 442– 

2, ‘‘Statement of Budget, Income and 

Equity,’’ and Form RD 442–3, ‘‘Balance 

Sheet,’’ depending on the amount of 

Federal funds expended and the 

outstanding balance. 

8. Collect and maintain data provided 

by recipients on race, sex, and national 

origin and ensure recipients collect and 

maintain the same data on beneficiaries. 

Race and ethnicity data will be collected 

in accordance with OMB Federal 

Register notice, ‘‘Revisions to the 

Standards for the Classification of 

Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity,’’ 

(62 FR 58782), October 30, 1997. Sex 

data will be collected in accordance 

with Title IX of the Education 

Amendments of 1972. These items 

should not be submitted with the 

application but should be available 

upon request by the Agency. 

9. Provide a final project performance 

report. 

10. Identify and report any association 

or relationship with Rural Development 

employees. 

11. The intermediary and recipient 

must comply with Title VI of the Civil 

Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the 

Education Amendments of 1972, 

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 

1973, and Executive Order 12250. 

12. The grantee must comply with 

policies, guidance, and requirements as 

described in the following applicable 

OMB Circulars and Code of Federal 

Regulations: 

a. OMB Circular A–87 (Cost 

Principles for State, Local, and Indian 

Tribal Government); 

b. OMB Circular A–122 (Cost 

Principles for Non-profit Organizations); 

c. OMB Circular A–133 (Audits of 

States, Local Governments, and NonProfit Organizations); 

d. 7 CFR part 3015 (Uniform Federal 

Assistance Regulations); 

e. 7 CFR part 3016 (Uniform 

Administrative Requirements for Grants 

and Cooperative Agreements to State 

and Local Governments); 

f. 7 CFR part 3017 (Governmentwide 

Debarment and Suspension 

(Nonprocurement)); 

g. 7 CFR part 3019 (Uniform 

Administrative Requirements for Grants 

and Agreements With Institutions of 

Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other 

Non-profit Organizations); and 

h. 7 CFR part 3052 (Audits of States, 

Local Governments, and Non-Profit 

Organizations). 

D. Reporting 

Reporting requirements can be found 

in the Grant Agreement included in this 

Notice. 

Part VII—Agency Contact 

Contact the Rural Development office 

in the state where the applicant’s 

headquarters is located. A list of Rural 

Development State Offices is included 

in this Notice. 

Part VIII—Nondiscrimination 

Statement 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture 

(USDA) prohibits discrimination in all 

its programs and activities on the basis 

of race, color, national origin, age, 

disability, and where applicable, sex, 

marital status, familial status, parental 

status, religion, sexual orientation, 

genetic information, political beliefs, 

reprisal, or because all or part of an 

individual’s income is derived from any 

public assistance program. (Not all 

prohibited bases apply to all programs.) 

Persons with disabilities who require 

alternative means for communication of 

program information (Braille, large 

print, audiotape, etc.) should contact 

USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720– 

2600 (voice and TDD). To file a 

complaint of discrimination, write to 

USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 

1400 Independence Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC 20250–9410, or call 

(800) 795–3272 (voice) or (202) 720– 

6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal 

opportunity provider and employer. 

Grant Amount Determination 

In the event the applicant is awarded 

a grant that is less than the amount 

requested, the applicant will be required 

to modify its application to conform to 

the reduced amount before execution of 

the grant agreement. The Agency 

reserves the right to reduce or withdraw 

the award if acceptable modifications 

are not submitted by the awardee within 

15 working days from the date the 

request for modification is made. Any 

modifications must be within the scope 

of the original application. 

Rural Development State Office 

Contacts 

Note: Telephone numbers listed are 

not toll-free. 

Alabama State Office, Suite 601, 

Sterling Centre, 4121 Carmichael 

Road, Montgomery, AL 36106–3683, 

(334) 279–3400, TDD (334) 279–3495, 

Chris Harmon. 

Alaska State Office, 800 West Evergreen, 

Suite 201, Palmer, AK 99645, (907) 

761–7705, TDD (907) 761–8905, 

Merlaine Kruse. 

Arizona State Office, 230 North 1st 

Avenue, Suite 206, Phoenix, AZ 

85003, (602) 280–8747, TDD (602) 

280–8705, Leonard Gradillas. 

Arkansas State Office, 700 W. Capitol 

Ave., Rm. 3416, Little Rock, AR 

72201–3225, (501) 301–3250, TDD 

(501) 301–3200, Jerry Virden. 

California State Office, 430 G Street, 

Agency 4169, Davis, CA 95616–4169, 

(530) 792–5810, TDD (530) 792–5848, 

Janice Waddell. 

Colorado State Office, 655 Parfet Street, 

Room E–100, Lakewood, CO 80215, 

720–544–2927, TDD 720–544–2976, 

Delores Sanchez-Maez. 

Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 122 / Friday, June 26, 2009 / Notices 30517 

Connecticut 

Served by Massachusetts State Office 

Delaware and Maryland State Office, 

1221 College Park Dr., Suite 200, 

Dover, DE 19904–8713, (302) 857– 

3580, TDD (302) 697–4303, Denise 

MacLeish. 

Florida & Virgin Islands State Office, 

4440 NW. 25th Place, P.O. Box 

147010, Gainesville, FL 32614–7010, 

(352) 338–3485, TDD (352) 338–3499, 

Michael Langston. 

Georgia State Office, Stephens Federal 

Building, 355 E. Hancock Avenue, 

Athens, GA 30601–2768, (706) 546– 

2171, TDD (706) 546–2034, Jerry M. 

Thomas. 

Guam 

Served by Hawaii State Office 

Hawaii, Guam, & Western Pacific 

Territories State Office, Room 311, 

Federal Building, 154 Waianuenue 

Avenue, Hilo, HI 96720, (808) 933– 

8310, TDD (808) 933–8321, Ted 

Matsuo. 

Idaho State Office, 9173 West Barnes 

Dr., Suite A1, Boise, ID 83709, (208) 

378–5617, TDD (208) 378–5600, 

David A. Flesher. 

Illinois State Office, 2118 West Park 

Court, Suite A, Champaign, IL 61821, 

(217) 403–6200, TDD (217) 403–6240, 

Patrick Lydic. 

Indiana State Office, 5975 Lakeside 

Boulevard, Indianapolis, IN 46278– 

1996, (317) 290–3100 (ext. 431), TDD 

(317) 290–3343, Gregg Delp. 

Iowa State Office, 873 Federal Building, 

210 Walnut Street, Des Moines, IA 

50309, (515) 284–4663, TDD (515) 

284–4858, Karla Peiffer. 

Kansas State Office, 1303 SW. First 

American Place, Suite 100, Topeka, 

KS 66604–4040, (785) 271–2730, TDD 

(785) 271–2767, Gary L. Smith. 

Kentucky State Office, 771 Corporate 

Drive, Suite 200, Lexington, KY 

40503, (859) 224–7336, TDD (859) 

224–7300, Vernon Brown. 

Louisiana State Office, 3727 

Government Street, Alexandria, LA 

71302, (318) 473–7962, TDD (318) 

473–7920, Richard Hoffpauir. 

Maine State Office, 967 Illinois Ave., 

Suite 4, P.O. Box 405, Bangor, ME 

04402–0405, (207) 990–9124, TDD 

(207) 942–7331, Ron Lambert. 

Maryland 

Served by Delaware State Office 

Massachusetts, Connecticut, & Rhode 

Island State Office, 451 West Street, 

Suite 2, Amherst, MA 01002–2999, 

(413) 253–4300, TDD (413) 253–7068, 

Daniel R. Beaudette. 

Michigan State Office, 3001 Coolidge 

Road, Suite 200, East Lansing, MI 

48823, (517) 324–5208, TDD (517) 

337–6795, Frank J. Tuma. 

Minnesota State Office, 410 Farm Credit 

Service Building, 375 Jackson Street, 

St. Paul, MN 55101–1853, (651) 602– 

7800, TDD (651) 602–3799, Terry 

Louwagie. 

Mississippi State Office, Federal 

Building, Suite 831, 100 W. Capitol 

Street, Jackson, MS 39269, (601) 965– 

4316, TDD (601) 965–5850, Bettye 

Oliver. 

Missouri State Office, 601 Business 

Loop 70 West, Parkade Center, Suite 

235, Columbia, MO 65203, (573) 876– 

0976, TDD (573) 876–9480, Clark 

Thomas. 

Montana State Office, 900 Technology 

Blvd., Suite B, Bozeman, MT 59771, 

(406) 585–2545, TDD (406) 585–2562, 

Bill Barr. 

Nebraska State Office, Federal Building, 

Room 152, 100 Centennial Mall N., 

Lincoln, NE 68508, (402) 437–5559, 

TDD (402) 437–5551, Denise BrosiusMeeks. 

Nevada State Office, 1390 South Curry 

Street, Carson City, NV 89703–9910, 

(775) 887–1222 (ext. 28), TDD (775) 

885–0633, Kay Vernatter. 

New Hampshire 

Served by Vermont State Office 

New Jersey State Office, 8000 Midlantic 

Drive, 5th Floor North, Suite 500, Mt. 

Laurel, NJ 08054, (856) 787–7750, 

Kenneth Drewes. 

New Mexico State Office, 6200 Jefferson 

St. NE., Room 255, Albuquerque, NM 

87109, (505) 761–4950, TDD (505) 

761–4938, Martha Torrez. 

New York State Office, The Galleries of 

Syracuse, 441 S. Salina Street, Suite 

357, Syracuse, NY 13202–2541, (315) 

477–6400. TDD (315) 477–6447, Gail 

Giannotta. 

North Carolina State Office, 4405 Bland 

Road, Suite 260, Raleigh, NC 27609, 

(919) 873–2070, TDD (919) 873–2003, 

Phyllis Godbold. 

North Dakota State Office, Federal 

Building, Room 208, 220 East Rosser 

Ave., P.O. Box 1737, Bismarck, ND 

58502–1737, (701) 530–2037, TDD 

(701) 530–2113, Dale VanEchout. 

Ohio State Office, Federal Building, 

Room 507, 200 North High Street, 

Columbus, OH 43215–2418, (614) 

255–2400, TDD (614) 255–2554, 

David M. Douglas. 

Oklahoma State Office, 100 USDA, Suite 

108, Stillwater, OK 74074–2654, (405) 

742–1000, TDD (405) 742–1007, Brian 

Wiles. 

Oregon State Office, 1201 NE Lloyd 

Blvd, Suite 801, Portland, OR 97232, 

(503) 414–3300, TDD (503) 414–3387, 

John J. Brugger. 

Pennsylvania State Office, One Credit 

Union Place, Suite 330, Harrisburg, 

PA 17110–2996, (717) 237–2299, TDD 

(717) 237–2261, Gary Rothrock. 

Puerto Rico State Office, IBM 

Building—Suite 601, 654 Munos 

Rivera Avenue, San Juan, PR 00918– 

6106, (787) 766–5095, TDD (787) 766– 

5332, Clery Morales. 

Rhode Island 

Served by Massachusetts State Office 

South Carolina State Office, Strom 

Thurmond Federal Building, 1835 

Assembly Street, Room 1007, 

Columbia, SC 29201, (803) 253–3656, 

TDD (803) 765–5697, Ken King. 

South Dakota State Office, Federal 

Building, Room 210, 200 Fourth 

Street, SW., Huron, SD 57350, (605) 

352–1100, TDD (605) 352–1147, Doug 

Roehl. 

Tennessee State Office, Suite 300, 3322 

West End Avenue, Nashville, TN 

37203–1084, (615) 783–1300, TDD 

(615) 783–1397, Keith Head. 

Texas State Office, Federal Building, 

Suite 102, 101 South Main, Temple, 

TX 76501, (254) 742–9789, TDD (254) 

742–9749, Michael B. Canales. 

Utah State Office, Wallace F. Bennett 

Federal Building, 125 South State 

Street, Room 4311, P.O. Box 11350, 

Salt Lake City, UT 84138, (801) 524– 

4326, TDD (801) 524–3309, Debra 

Meyer. 

Vermont State Office, City Center, 3rd 

Floor, 89 Main Street, Montpelier, VT 

05602, (802) 828–6011, TDD (802) 

223–6365, Rhonda Shippee. 

Virgin Islands 

Served by Florida State Office 

Virginia State Office, Culpeper Building, 

Suite 238, 1606 Santa Rosa Road, 

Richmond, VA 23229, (804) 287– 

1550, TDD (804) 287–1753, Carrie 

Schmidt. 

Washington State Office, 1835 Black 

Lake Boulevard, SW., Suite B, 

Olympia, WA 98501–5715, (360) 740– 

7738, Gayle Hoskison. 

Western Pacific Territories 

Served by Hawaii State Office 

West Virginia State Office, Federal 

Building, 75 High Street, Room 320, 

Morgantown, WV 26505–7500, (304) 

284–4860, TDD (304) 284–4836, 

Dianne Crysler. 

Wisconsin State Office, 4949 Kirschling 

Court, Stevens Point, WI 54481, (715) 

345–7614, TDD (715) 345–7610, Mark 

Brodziski. 

Wyoming State Office, Federal Building, 

Room 1005, 100 East B Street, P.O. 

Box 11005, Casper, WY 82602–5006, 

30518 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 122 / Friday, June 26, 2009 / Notices 

(307) 233–6733, TDD (307) 233–6719, 

Alana Cannon. 

Washington, DC, Stop 0787, Room 0183, 

1400 Independence Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC 20250–0787, (202) 

720–1506, Susan Woolard. 

Dated: June 19, 2009. 

Tammye H. Trevino, 

Administrator, Rural Housing Service. 

United States Department of 

Agriculture 

Rural Housing Service 

Rural Community Development 

Initiative Grant Agreement 

This Grant Agreement (Agreement), 

effective the date the Agency official 

signs the document, is a contract for 

receipt of grant funds under the Rural 

Community Development Initiative 

(RCDI). 

Between________ 

a private or public or tribal 

organization, (Grantee or Intermediary) 

and the United States of America acting 

through the Rural Housing Service, 

Department of Agriculture, (Agency or 

Grantor), for the benefit of recipients 

listed in Grantee’s application for the 

grant. 

Witnesseth: 

The principal amount of the grant is 

$____________(Grant Funds). Matching 

funds, in an amount equal to the grant 

funds, will be provided by Grantee. The 

Grantee and Grantor will execute Form 

RD 1940–1, ‘‘Request for Obligation of 

Funds.’’ 

Whereas, 

Grantee will provide a program of 

financial and technical assistance to 

develop the capacity and ability of 

nonprofit organizations, low-income 

rural communities, or federally 

recognized tribes to undertake projects 

related to housing, community facilities, 

or community and economic 

development in rural areas; 

According to the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are 

required to respond to a collection of 

information unless it displays a valid 

OMB control number. The valid OMB 

control number for this information 

collection is 0575–0180. The time 

required to complete this information 

collection is estimated to average 30 

minutes per response, including the 

time for reviewing instructions, 

searching existing data sources, 

gathering and maintaining the data 

needed, and reviewing the collection of 

information. 

Now, therefore, in consideration of 

the grant; 

Grantee agrees that Grantee will: 

A. Provide a program of financial and 

technical assistance in accordance with 

the proposal outlined in the application, 

(see Attachment A), the terms of which 

are incorporated with this Agreement 

and must be adhered to. Any changes to 

the approved program of financial and 

technical assistance must be approved 

in writing by the Grantor; 

B. Use Grant Funds only for the 

purposes and activities specified in the 

application package approved by the 

Agency including the approved budget. 

Any uses not provided for in the 

approved budget must be approved in 

writing by the Agency in advance; 

C. Charge expenses for travel and per 

diem that will not exceed the rates paid 

Agency employees for similar expenses. 

Grantees and recipients will be 

restricted to traveling coach class on 

common carrier airlines. Lodging rates 

may exceed the Government rate by a 

maximum of 20 percent. Meals and 

incidental expenses will be reimbursed 

at the same rate used by Agency 

employees, which is based upon 

location. Mileage and gas will be 

reimbursed at the existing Government 

rate. Rates can be obtained from the 

applicable State Office; 

D. Charge meeting expenses in 

accordance with 31 U.S.C. 1345. Grant 

funds may not be used for travel, 

transportation, and subsistence 

expenses for a meeting. Matching funds 

may be used to pay these expenses. Any 

meeting or training not delineated in the 

application must be approved by the 

Agency to verify compliance with 31 

U.S.C. 1345; 

E. Request for advances or 

reimbursement for grant activities. If 

payment is to be made by advance, the 

Grantee shall request advance payment, 

but not more frequently than once every 

30 days, of grant funds by using 

Standard Form 270, ‘‘Request for 

Advance or Reimbursement.’’ Receipts, 

invoices, hourly wage rate, personnel 

payroll records, or other documentation 

must be provided by intermediary. This 

information must be maintained in the 

intermediary’s files. 

If payment is to be made by 

reimbursement, the Grantee shall 

request reimbursement of grant funds, 

but not more frequently than once every 

30 days, by using Standard Form 270, 

‘‘Request for Advance or 

Reimbursement.’’ Receipts, invoices, 

hourly wage rate, personnel payroll 

records, or other documentation, as 

determined by the Agency, must be 

provided by the intermediary to justify 

the amount. This information must be 

maintained in the intermediary’s files. 

All requests for advances or 

reimbursements must include matching 

fund usage. Matching funds must be at 

least equal to the grant amount 

requested. 

F. Provide periodic reports as 

required by the Grantor. A financial 

status report and a project performance 

report will be required on a quarterly 

basis (due 30 working days after each 

calendar quarter). The financial status 

report must show how grant funds and 

matching funds have been used to date. 

A final report may serve as the last 

quarterly report. Grantees shall 

constantly monitor performance to 

ensure that time schedules are being 

met and projected goals by time periods 

are being accomplished. The project 

performance reports shall include, but 

are not limited to, the following: 

1. Describe the activities that the 

funds reflected in the financial status 

report were used for; 

2. A comparison of actual 

accomplishments to the objectives for 

that period; 

3. Reasons why established objectives 

were not met, if applicable; 

4. Problems, delays, or adverse 

conditions which will affect attainment 

of overall program objectives, prevent 

meeting time schedules or objectives, or 

preclude the attainment of particular 

objectives during established time 

periods. This disclosure shall be 

accomplished by a statement of the 

action taken or planned to resolve the 

situation; 

5. Objectives and timetables 

established for the next reporting 

period; 

6. A summary of the race, sex, and 

national origin of the recipients and a 

summary from the recipients of the race, 

sex, and national origin of the 

beneficiaries; and 

7. The final report will also address 

the following: 

a. What have been the most 

challenging or unexpected aspects of 

this program? 

b. What advice would you give to 

other organizations planning a similar 

program? Please include strengths and 

limitations of the program. If you had 

the opportunity, what would you have 

done differently? 

c. Are there any post-grant plans for 

this project? If yes, how will they be 

financed? 

G. Consider potential recipients 

without discrimination as to race, color, 

religion, sex, national origin, age, 

marital status, sexual orientation, or 

physical or mental disability; 

H. Ensure that any services or training 

offered by the recipient, as a result of 

the financial and technical assistance 

received, must be made available to all 

persons in the recipient’s service area 

without discrimination as to race, color, 

Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 122 / Friday, June 26, 2009 / Notices 30519 

religion, sex, national origin, age, 

marital status, sexual orientation, or 

physical or mental disability, or genetic 

information (not all protected bases 

apply to all programs) at reasonable 

rates, including assessments, taxes, or 

fees. Programs and activities must be 

delivered from accessible locations. The 

recipient must ensure that, where there 

are non-English speaking populations, 

materials are provided in the language 

that is spoken; 

I. Ensure recipients are required to 

place nondiscrimination statements in 

advertisements, notices, pamphlets and 

brochures making the public aware of 

their services. The Grantee and recipient 

are required to provide widespread 

outreach and public notification in 

promoting any type of training or 

services that are available through grant 

funds; 

J. The Grantee must collect and 

maintain data on recipients by race, sex, 

and national origin. The grantee must 

ensure that their recipients also collect 

and maintain data on beneficiaries by 

race, sex, and national origin as required 

by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 

1964 and must be provided to the 

Agency for compliance review 

purposes. USDA Rural Development 

will complete a pre-award compliance 

review. The pre-award will be before 

grant approval or disbursement of 

funds; 

K. Upon any default under its 

representations or agreements contained 

in this instrument, Grantee, at the 

option and demand of Grantor, will 

immediately repay to Grantor any 

legally permitted damages together with 

any legally permitted interest from the 

date of the default. At Grantor’s 

election, any default by the Grantee will 

constitute termination of the grant 

thereby causing cancellation of Federal 

assistance under the grant. The 

provisions of this Agreement may be 

enforced by Grantor, without regard to 

prior waivers of this Agreement, by 

proceedings in law or equity, in either 

Federal or State courts as may be 

deemed necessary by Grantor to ensure 

compliance with the provisions of this 

Agreement and the laws and regulations 

under which this grant is made; 

L. Provide Financial Management 

Systems that will include: 

1. Accurate, current, and complete 

disclosure of the financial results of 

each grant. Financial reporting will be 

on an accrual basis; 

2. Records that identify adequately 

the source and application of funds for 

grant-supported activities. Those 

records shall contain information 

pertaining to grant awards and 

authorizations, obligations, unobligated 

balances, assets, liabilities, outlays, and 

income related to Grant Funds and 

matching funds; 

3. Effective control over and 

accountability for all funds, property, 

and other assets. Grantees shall 

adequately safeguard all such assets and 

shall ensure that they are used solely for 

authorized purposes; 

4. Accounting records supported by 

source documentation; and 

5. Grantee tracking of fund usage and 

records that show matching funds and 

grant funds are used in equal 

proportions. The grantee will provide 

verifiable documentation regarding 

matching fund usage, i.e., bank 

statements or copies of funding 

obligations from the matching source. 

M. Retain financial records, 

supporting documents, statistical 

records, and all other records pertinent 

to the grant for a period of at least three 

years after the grant agreement expires 

except that the records shall be retained 

beyond the 3-year period if audit 

findings have not been resolved. 

Microfilm or photocopies or similar 

methods may be substituted in lieu of 

original records. The Grantor and the 

Comptroller General of the United 

States, or any of their duly authorized 

representatives, shall have access to any 

books, documents, papers, and records 

of the Grantee’s which are pertinent to 

the specific grant program for the 

purpose of making audits, examinations, 

excerpts, and transcripts; 

N. Provide an A–133 audit report if 

$500,000 or more of Federal funds are 

expended in a 1-year period. If Federal 

funds expended during a 1 year period 

are less than $500,000 and there is an 

outstanding loan balance of $500,000 or 

more, an audit in accordance with 

generally accepted government auditing 

standards is required. If Federal funds 

expended during a 1-year period are less 

than $500,000 including any 

outstanding loan balance in which the 

Federal government imposes continuing 

compliance requirements, a 

management report may be submitted 

on Forms RD 442–2, ‘‘Statement of 

Budget, Income and Equity,’’ and 442– 

3, ‘‘Balance Sheet’’, or similar; 

O. Not encumber, transfer, or dispose 

of the equipment or any part thereof, 

acquired wholly or in part with Grantor 

funds without the written consent of the 

Grantor; and 

P. Not duplicate other program 

activities for which monies have been 

received, are committed, or are applied 

to from other sources (public or private). 

Grantor agrees that: 

A. It will make available to Grantee 

for the purpose of this Agreement funds 

in an amount not to exceed the Grant 

Funds. The funds will be disbursed to 

Grantee on a pro rata basis with the 

Grantee’s matching funds; and 

B. At its sole discretion and at any 

time may give any consent, deferment, 

subordination, release, satisfaction, or 

termination of any or all of Grantee’s 

grant obligations, with or without 

valuable consideration, upon such terms 

and conditions as Grantor may 

determine to be: 

1. Advisable to further the purpose of 

the grant or to protect Grantor’s 

financial interest therein; and 

2. Consistent with both the statutory 

purposes of the grant and the limitations 

of the statutory authority under which 

it is made. 

Both Parties Agree: 

A. Extensions of this grant agreement 

may be approved by the Agency, in 

writing, provided in the Agency’s sole 

discretion the extension is justified and 

there is a likelihood that the grantee can 

accomplish the goals set out and 

approved in the application package 

during the extension period. Extensions 

will be limited to one six-month period; 

B. The Grantor must approve any 

changes in recipient or recipient 

composition; 

C. The Grantor has agreed to give the 

Grantee the Grant Funds, subject to the 

terms and conditions established by the 

Grantor. Any Grant Funds actually 

disbursed and not needed for grant 

purposes must be returned immediately 

to the Grantor. This agreement shall 

terminate 3 years from this date unless 

extended or unless terminated 

beforehand due to default on the part of 

the Grantee or for convenience of the 

Grantor and Grantee. The Grantor may 

terminate the grant in whole, or in part, 

at any time before the date of 

completion, whenever it is determined 

that the Grantee has failed to comply 

with the conditions of this Agreement or 

the applicable regulations; Termination 

for convenience will occur when both 

the Grantee and Grantor agree that the 

continuation of the program will not 

produce beneficial results 

commensurate with the further 

expenditure of funds. 

D. As a condition of the Agreement, 

the Grantee certifies that it is in 

compliance with, and will comply in 

the course of the Agreement with, all 

applicable laws, regulations, Executive 

Orders, and other generally applicable 

requirements, which are incorporated 

into this agreement by reference, and 

such other statutory provisions as are 

specifically contained herein. 

E. The Grantee will ensure that the 

recipients comply with Title VI of the 

Civil Rights Act of 1964, section 504 of 

the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and 

30520 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 122 / Friday, June 26, 2009 / Notices 

Executive Order 12250. Each recipient 

must sign Form RD 400–4, ‘‘Assurance 

Agreement’’; 

F. The provisions of 7 CFR part 3015, 

‘‘Uniform Federal Assistance 

Regulations,’’ part 3016, ‘‘Uniform 

Administrative Requirements for Grants 

and Cooperative Agreements to State 

and Local Governments,’’ or part 3019, 

‘‘Uniform Administrative Requirements 

for Grants and Agreements with 

Institutions of Higher Education, 

Hospitals, and Other Nonprofit 

Organizations,’’ and the fiscal year 2009 

‘‘Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) 

Inviting Applications for the Rural 

Community Development Initiative 

(RCDI)’’ are incorporated herein and 

made a part hereof by reference; 

In witness whereof, Grantee has this 

day authorized and caused this 

Agreement to be executed by 

Attest 

By lllllllllllllllll

(Grantee) 

lllllllllllllllllll

(Title) 

Date llllllllllllllll

United States of America 

Rural Housing Service 

By lllllllllllllllll

(Grantor) (Name) (Title) 

Date llllllllllllllll

Attachment A 

[Application proposal submitted by 

grantee.] 

[FR Doc. E9–15128 Filed 6–25–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–XV–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Utilities Service 

Oglethorpe Power Corporation, Inc.: 

Notice of Intent To Hold Public 

Scoping Meetings and Prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement 

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of intent to hold public 

scoping meetings and prepare two 

Environmental Impact Statements (EIS). 

SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service 

(RUS) intends to hold public scoping 

meetings and prepare an Environmental 

Impact Statement (EIS) to meet its 

responsibilities under the National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and 7 

CFR Part 1794 in connection with 

potential impacts related to projects 

proposed by Oglethorpe Power 

Corporation (Oglethorpe) of Tucker, 

Georgia. The proposal consists of the 

construction of a 100–MW biomass 

power plant in Warren County near 

Warrenton, Georgia. Oglethorpe is 

requesting RUS to provide financial 

assistance for the proposed action. 

DATES: RUS will conduct a public 

scoping meeting in an open house 

format in order to provide information 

and solicit comments for the 

preparation of the EIS. The public 

meeting will be held on Thursday, July 

9, 2009 from 5:30–7:30 p.m. at the 

Warren County Community Service 

Building, 48 Warren Street, in 

Warrenton, Georgia 30828; telephone 

(706) 465–2171. All written questions 

and comments must be received by RUS 

by July 27, 2009. 

ADDRESSES: To send comments or for 

further information, contact Stephanie 

Strength, Environmental Protection 

Specialist, USDA Rural Development 

Utilities Programs, at 1400 

Independence Avenue, SW., Stop 1571, 

Washington, DC 20250–1571, or e-mail 

stephanie.strength@wdc.usda.gov. 

An Alternatives Report (AR) prepared 

by Oglethorpe will be available at the 

public scoping meeting, at the Agency’s 

address provided in this notice, at the 

Agency’s Web site: http:// 

www.usda.gov/rus/water/ees/eis.htm, at 

Oglethorpe Power Corporation, 2100 

East Exchange Place, Tucker, Georgia, 

and at the following locations: 

Appling County Public Library, 244 E. 

Parker Street, Baxley, GA 31513. 

Phone: (912) 367–8103. 

Warren County Public Library, 10 

Warren Street, Warrenton, GA 30828. 

Phone: (706) 465–2656. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Oglethorpe proposes to construct a new 

100–MW biomass power plant in 

Warren County near Warrenton, 

Georgia. The proposal is to meet, in 

part, the future demand of Oglethorpe’s 

Members to provide a reliable, longterm supply of renewable and 

sustainable energy. Oglethorpe is 

seeking financing from RUS for its 

investment. The proposal is classified in 

7 CFR Part 1794.25 as requiring an EIS. 

Prior to making a financial decision 

about whether to provide financial 

assistance for a proposal, RUS is 

required to conduct an environmental 

review under the NEPA in accordance 

with the Agency policies and 

procedures codified in 7 CFR Part 1794. 

These regulations require the Agency to 

consider engineering alternatives 

including no action, load management, 

conservation measures, and reactive 

power supply. 

Government agencies, private 

organizations, and the public are invited 

to participate in the planning and 

analysis of the proposed projects. 

Representatives from the Agency and 

Oglethorpe will be available at the 

scoping meetings to discuss the 

environmental review process, describe 

the proposals, discuss the scope of 

environmental issues to be considered, 

answer questions, and accept 

comments. As part of its broad 

environmental review process, the 

Agency must take into account the effect 

of the proposal on historic properties in 

accordance with Section 106 of the 

National Historic Preservation Act and 

its implementing regulation, ‘‘Protection 

of Historic Properties’’ {36 CFR Part 

800}. Pursuant to 36 CFR 800.2 (d)(3), 

the Agency is using its procedures for 

public involvement under NEPA to 

meet its responsibilities to solicit and 

consider the views of the public during 

Section 106 review. Accordingly, 

comments submitted in response to 

scoping will inform Agency decision 

making in Section 106 review. Any 

party wishing to participate more 

directly with the Agency as a 

‘‘consulting party’’ in Section 106 

review may submit a written request to 

do so to the Agency contact at the above 

address. 

Using information from the 

Alternatives Report and considering 

input provided by government agencies, 

private organizations, and the public, 

RUS and Oglethorpe, in consultation 

with the cooperating agencies, will 

determine the scope of the EIS. Notices 

announcing the availability of the Draft 

EIS will be published in the Federal 

Register and local newspapers. 

Any final action by the Agency 

related to the proposal will be subject 

to, contingent upon, and in compliance 

with environmental review 

requirements will be conducted as 

prescribed by the Agency’s 

environmental policies and procedures 

(7 CFR Part 1794). 

Dated: June 22, 2009. 

James R. Newby, 

Acting Administrator, USDA Rural Utilities 

Service. 

[FR Doc. E9–15079 Filed 6–25–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Notice of meeting 

AGENCY: USDA Forest Service. 

ACTION: Notice of meeting. 

Siskiyou Resource Advisory Committee 

(RAC) 

SUMMARY: The Siskiyou Resource 

Advisory Committee will meet on