Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 44 / Tuesday, March 6, 2001 / Notices 13499

March 26–30, 2001, in San Antonio,

Texas at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. The

Fall Measurement Meeting will be held

October 15–19, 2001, in Memphis,

Tennessee at the Peabody Hotel.

Interested parties may visit the API

Events calendar at http://www.api.org/

events for more information regarding

participation in these meetings.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jon

Noxon, Standards and Training

Resource Group, email: noxonj@api.org.

Committee on Exploration and

Production:

2B Offshore Tubulars

2C Offshore Cranes

2MT1 Carbon Manganese Steel Plates

5B Threading and Gauging

5CT Casing & Tubing

5L Line Pipe

6A Valves and Wellhead Equipment

6AF Capabilities of API Flanges

6D Pipeline Valves

6J Testing Elastomers

4F Drilling & Well Servicing

Equipment

7 Rotary Drill Stem Elements

7K Drilling Equipment

7L Inspection, Maintenance, Repair &

Remanufacture of Drilling Equipment

8A Drilling & Production Hoisting

Equipment

8B Inspection, Maintenance, Repair &

Remanufacture of Hoisting Equipment

8C Drilling & Production Hoisting

Equipment, PSL1/2

10A Well Cements

10D Casing Centralizers

New Packer Specification

11S4 Sizing & Selection of ESPIs

13A Drilling Fluid Materials

13B–2 Field Testing Oil-based Fluids

New (14FZ) Offshore Electrical

Systems/Zone Classification

14J Offshore Hazards Analysis

15HR High Pressure Pipe

15LE PE Pipe

15LR Low Pressure Pipe

16C Choke & Kill Systems

16D Control Systems

17A Design and Operation of Subsea

Production Systems

17B Flexible Pipe

17C TFL Systems

New (17F) Design and Operation of

Subsea Production Control Systems

17J Unbonded Flexible Pipe

New (17K) Bonded Flexible Pipe

59 Well Control Practices

64 Diverter Systems

T2 Training Personnel using OSAPE

Meetings/Conferences: The Summer

Standardization Measurement Meeting

will be held June 25–29, 2001, in

Calgary, Alberta, Canada at the Hyatt

Regency Hotel. Interested parties may

visit the API Events calendar at http://

www.api.org/events for more

information regarding participation in

this meeting.

For Further Information Contact:

Mike Spanhel, Standards and Training

Resource Group, email:

spanhel@api.org.

Dated: February 27, 2001.

Karen Brown,

Acting Director.

[FR Doc. 01–5381 Filed 3–5–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–13–M

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[Docket No. 00314073-1042-02; I.D.

022701G]

RIN 0648-ZA83

Fisheries Finance Program; Program

Notice

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration,

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of Federal fisheries loan

availability

SUMMARY: The Fisheries Finance

Program (FFP) has a $23.7 million loan

authority in fiscal year 2001. NMFS now

accepts loan applications from qualified

applicants. Until April 1, 2001, NMFS

reserves all loan funds for certain

priority lending purposes. If any loan

funds remain unreserved after April 1,

2001, they are available for non-priority

lending purposes as well.

DATES: Effective March 6, 2001.

ADDRESSES: (1) Applicants in the

Alaskan, Northwest, and Southwest

Regions: Kimberly Ott, Northwest

Financial Services Branch (F/SF23),

7600 Sand Point Way, NE (BIN C15700),

Building 1, Seattle, WA 98115;

(2) Applicants in the Northeast

Region: Leo Erwin, Northeast Financial

Services Branch (F/SF21), One

Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930;

and

(3) Applicants in the Southeast

Region: Kell Freeman, Southeast

Financial Services Branch (F/SF22),

9721 Executive Center Drive North, St.

Petersburg, FL 33702.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Michael L. Grable, 301-713-2390, fax

301-713-1306, E-mail

Michael.Grable@noaa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Introduction

(1) Notice purpose. The notice’s

purpose is to:

(a) Announce the availability of FFP

loans;

(b) Describe the FFP’s lending

purposes;

(c) Explain the amount of loan

authority available in fiscal year 2001;

(d) Establish the basis for selecting

backlogged loan applications for the $5

million FFP loan authority dedicated to

purchasing halibut and sablefish

individual fishing quota (IFQ);

(e) Establish priority lending purposes

for which NMFS until April 1, 2001,

reserves the $18.7 million nondedicated loan authority;

(f) Establish non-priority lending

purposes for which NMFS allows any of

the $18.7 million unreserved on and

after April 1, 2001 to be used; and

(g) Provide for a fiscal year 2002

waiting list for potential loan applicants

for whom sufficient fiscal year 2001

loan authority is unavailable.

(2) FFP description. The FFP is a

direct loan program under Title XI of

the Merchant Marine Act, 1936, as

amended. Debt maturities can be up to

25 years, but not longer than the

financed property’s economically useful

life. Interest rates, which are fixed,

equal the U.S. Treasury’s borrowing cost

at the time the loan is funded plus 2

percent. There are no prepayment

penalties. Loans may equal 80 percent

of financed property’s depreciated cost,

and may generally be either original

financing or refinancing of existing

loans.

FFP loans generally require

experienced fisheries borrowers with

strong primary and secondary means of

repayment, including personal

guarantees.

FFP loans generally have longer

maturities and somewhat lower interest

rates than private fisheries credit. This

stretches the service of lower-cost FFP

debt over a longer repayment period

more consistent with cyclical fisheries

economics.

For further FFP details, see the FFP’s

operating rules at 50 CFR part 253,

subpart B.

(3) FFP lending purposes. These are

the FFP’s statutory lending purposes:

(a) Fishing vessel construction,

reconstruction, reconditioning, and

acquisition. The FFP rules, however,

prohibit loans that increase existing

harvesting capacity. FFP loans may not,

consequently, originally finance either

vessel construction or reconstruction

that increases vessel harvesting

capacity. Nevertheless, FFP loans

remain available for refinancing existing

13500 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 44 / Tuesday, March 6, 2001 / Notices

vessel loans for all eligible purposes

because this does not increase

harvesting capacity. Additionally, FFP

loans remain available for originally

financing the purchase and/or

reconditioning of used vessels;

(b) Fisheries shoreside facilities

construction, reconstruction,

reconditioning, and acquisition;

(c) Aquacultural facilities

construction, reconstruction,

reconditioning, and acquisition;

(d) IFQ acquisition. Only entry level

or small boat fishermen in the halibut

and sablefish fisheries are presently

eligible for these loans. Eligibility in

additional fisheries depends on Fishery

Management Council requests;

(e) Fishing capacity reduction under

section 312(b)-(e) of the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and

Management Act. Before we can make a

loan for this purpose, a Fishery

Management Council must request a

fishing capacity reduction program, we

must approve the requested program,

and harvesters in the reduction fishery

voting in a referendum must approve a

landing fee for repaying the loan; and

(f) Acquiring pollock fishing vessels

or shoreside facilities. This dedicated

use of FFP loan ceilings was available

in FY 1999 only to communities eligible

to participate in the Western Alaska

Community Development Program.

(4) What determines annual FFP loan

ceilings. Congress annually authorizes

FFP loan ceilings. Since 1992, Congress

has done this by appropriating FCRA

costs at rates projected in the President’s

annual budgets.

FCRA cost is the loan loss that the

Office of Management and Budget

(OMB) projects for different Federal

loan categories. A loan ceiling is the

amount that a stated FCRA cost

appropriation produces at a stated

FCRA cost rate. The following table

shows, for example, the loan ceiling

effect of different FCRA cost rates for a

$0.1 million FCRA cost appropriation:

FCRA Cost Appropriation Rate Loan Ceiling

$0.1 million 1% $10 million

$0.1 million 2% $5 million

$0.1 million 5% $2 million

$0.1 million 10% $1 million

$0.1 million 20% $0.5 million

$0.1 million 50% $0.2 million

The FFP uses FCRA cost

appropriations as lending capital, and

borrows the balance from the U.S.

Treasury. If, for example, the FFP had

a $0.1 million FCRA cost appropriation

at a one percent FCRA cost rate, the

FFP’s lending capital would be the $0.1

million FCRA cost appropriation plus

$9.9 million borrowed from the U.S.

Treasury. The FFP would then make

loans worth $10 million, using their

repayment proceeds to repay (with

interest) the Treasury’s loan to the FFP.

(5) FFP’s FY 2001 loan ceiling. The

President’s FY 2001 budget established

a 1 percent FCRA cost rate for all FFP

loan authority that the budget requested.

None of the President’s budgets have

ever requested loan authority for this

loan purpose. When Congress first

dedicated FCRA cost to this loan

purpose, OMB established a 2 percent

FCRA cost rate for these loans, and this

FCRA cost rate has since applied to all

subsequent FCRA cost appropriations

dedicated to these loans (fiscal years

1998 and 1999).

Consequently, the FFP’s apportioned

loan ceiling for FY 2001 is:

Loan Purpose Appropriation Cost Rate Ceiling

IFQ $0.100 million 2% $05.0 million

Other Purposes $0.187 million 1% $18.7 million

Totals $0.287 million – $23.7 million

(6) Catalog of Federal Domestic

Assistance. The FFP is listed in the

‘‘Catalog of Federal Domestic

Assistance’’ under number 11.415:

Fisheries Finance Program.

II. Expected $5 Million Ceiling For IFQ

Loans During FY 2001

Backlogged IFQ applications from

fiscal 2000 exceed the $5 million loan

ceiling for this purpose during fiscal

year 2001. NMFS will not,

consequently, accept new IFQ loan

applications during FY 2001. Instead,

NMFS will select $5 million worth of

backlogged applications for processing.

This accords with NMFS’ previous

Federal Register notice (65 FR 16179,

March 27, 2000). NMFS will use for FY

2001 selection the same random process

it used for FY 1999 and FY 2000

selection. NMFS’ previous Federal

Register notice requested, but did not

receive, public comment about this.

III. Expected $18.7 Million Ceiling For

Other Loan Purposes During FY 2001

(1) Priority lending purposes. These

are the priority lending purposes for this

$18.7 million loan ceiling:

(a) Fishing Capacity Reduction. This

is the highest priority because

harvesting overcapitalization is a major

national fisheries problem;

(b) Supporting the existing FFP credit

portfolio. These include: refinancing

loans, assuming loans, and other loan

servicing actions that protect the

Government’s interest in the existing

FFP portfolio and limit loan loss

exposure;

(c) Backlogged FY 2000 loan

applications. This includes about $4.0

million in FFP loan applications

backlogged from FY 2000; and

(d) Marine and closed system

aquaculture. This excludes land-based

aquaculture not occurring in closed

systems.

(2) Non-priority lending purposes.

These are the non-priority lending

purposes for this $18.7 million loan

ceiling:

(a) Land based aquaculture in open

systems;

(b) Fisheries shoreside facilities; and

(c) Fishing vessels.

(3) Reserving FY 2001 loan ceiling.

(a) Before April 1, 2001. Before this

date, NMFS will reserve the entire $18.7

million loan ceiling for applications that

involve the priority lending purposes;

(b) April 1 through September 30,

2001. If any of the $18.7 million loan

ceiling remains unreserved after April 1,

2001, the unreserved amount will then

be available to reserve for applications

involving any FFP lending purpose; and

(c) Fishing Capacity Reduction

Exclusion. Because this is the highest

FFP lending priority, NMFS may at any

time during FY 2001 consider reserving

for this purpose any or all of the $18.7

million FFP loan ceiling not previously

reserved for another purpose. NMFS

will do so only for accepted fishing

capacity reduction program requests

whose further processing requires FY

2001 loan approval, but will not do so

at the expense of applicants for other

lending purposes who have already paid

their application fee. There presently

are no such requests.

(4) Application fee. Subject to loan

ceiling availability, NMFS will reserve

loan ceiling for an application only

upon the applicant’s payment of an

application fee. Fifty percent of this fee

is non-refundable (NMFS earns the

remainder upon loan approval).

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 44 / Tuesday, March 6, 2001 / Notices 13501

(5) Losing loan ceiling reservations.

NMFS intends to ensure that it obligates

this entire fiscal year 2001 loan ceiling

before October 1, 2001. If an applicant

with a loan ceiling reservation does not

comply with NMFS’ loan processing

requirements promptly enough for

NMFS to prospectively achieve this

intention, NMFS may transfer the loan

ceiling reservation to another applicant

who can and will comply.

(6) Applications and waiting list. All

potential applicants must first discuss

their loan projects with the appropriate

NMFS Regional Financial Services

Branch (see ADDRESSES).

If a potential applicant appears to be

ineligible for an FFP loan or unable to

meet the FFP’s loan risk criteria, NMFS

will take no further action.

If, however, a potential applicant

prospectively appears to be both eligible

and able to meet the loan risk criteria,

NMFS will then either advise the

applicant that it may submit an

application and application fee or add

the applicant to the FFP waiting list for

submitting future applications when

lending priorities and/or unreserved

loan ceilings permit.

NMFS will reserve sufficient loan

ceiling for every applicant that submits

an application and application fee after

NMFS advises the applicant that it may

do so.

Although NMFS advises a potential

applicant that it may submit a loan

application and application fee, only

subsequent loan investigation and

analysis will determine whether, and

under what conditions, NMFS will

approve a loan.

Subject to fiscal year 2002 loan

priorities and loan ceilings, NMFS will

consider as FY 2002 application

candidates all parties on the FY 2001

waiting list for whom NMFS did not

reserve FY 2001 loan ceiling. NMFS will

do so in the chronological order in

which parties were added to the waiting

list.

All FFP loans are subject to the FFP

operating rules. Potential applicants

should see these rules (50 CFR part 253,

subpart B) for further eligibility and

qualification details.

IV. Administrative Requirements

The Debt Collection Improvement Act

of 1996 bars additional Federal loans

(other than disaster loans) to delinquent

Federal borrowers (excluding debt

under the Internal Revenue Code of

1986).

Loan applicants are subject to namecheck reviews intended to reveal

whether applicant principals have been

convicted of, or are facing, criminal

charges for fraud, theft, perjury, or other

matters affecting the applicant’s

honesty, integrity, or credit-worthiness.

False application statements can

result in loan denial, loan termination,

and possible punishment by fines or

imprisonment as provided in 18 U.S.C.

1001.

Applicants must complete a Form CD511 because they are subject to 15 CFR

part 26 (Federal assistance debarment)

and the lobbying provisions of 31 U.S.C.

1352 (using appropriated funds to

influence Federal financial

transactions). NMFS will furnish this

form when it advises potential

applicants to submit their applications.

V. Classification

Neither the Administrative Procedure

Act nor any other law requires prior

notice and opportunity for public

comment about this loan notice.

Consequently, the Regulatory Flexibility

Act does not require a regulatory

flexibility analysis.

This notice is not significant for

purposes of Executive Order 12866.

FFP applications are not subject to

Executive Order 12372,

‘‘Intergovernmental Review of Federal

Programs.’’

This notice refers to collection-ofinformation requirements subject to the

Paperwork Reduction Act. Applications

for FFP loans have been approved by

OMB under control number 0648-0012.

Public reporting burden for this

collection of information is estimated to

average 11.5 hours per application,

including the time for reviewing

instructions, searching existing data

sources, gathering and maintaining the

data needed, and completing and

reviewing the collection of information.

Send comments regarding this burden

estimate or any other aspect of this

collection of information, including

suggestions for reducing this burden, to

Michael L. Grable (see the FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT section above).

Notwithstanding any other provision

of law, no person is required to respond

to, nor shall any person be subject to a

penalty for failure to comply with, a

collection of information subject to the

Paperwork Reduction Act, unless that

collection displays a currently valid

OMB control number.

Dated: February 28, 2001.

William T. Hogarth,

Acting Assistant Administrator for Fisheries,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 01–5434 Filed 3–5–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 030101B]

Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management

Council; Public Meeting

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

SUMMARY: The Mid-Atlantic Fishery

Management Council (Council) and its

Information and Education Committee,

Large Pelagic Committee, Executive

Committee, and Law Enforcement

Committee will hold a public meeting.

DATES: The meeting will be held on

Tuesday, March 20, 2001, through

Thursday March 22, 2001. See

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific

dates and times.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at

the Golden Inn, Oceanfront at 78th

Street, Avalon, NJ; telephone: 609–368–

5155.

Council address: Mid-Atlantic Fishery

Management Council, 300 S. New

Street, Dover, DE 19904; telephone:

302–674–2331.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Daniel T. Furlong, Executive Director,

Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management

Council; telephone: 302–674–2331, ext.

19.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Tuesday,

March 20, 2001, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.—

Information and Education Committee

program.

Wednesday, March 21, 2001, 8 a.m. to

9 a.m.—the Large Pelagics Committee

will meet

9 a.m. to 5 p.m.—Council will meet.

Thursday, March 22, 2001, 8 a.m. to

9 a.m.—the Executive Committee and

Law Enforcement Committee will meet.

9 a.m. to 1 p.m.—Council will meet.

Agenda items for this meeting are:

Review and discuss new bycatch

reduction technologies; review recent

NMFS actions and rules affecting Highly

Migratory Species (HMS); review,

discuss, and adopt Framework 2

management measures regarding

extension of Illex moratorium, Loligo

exemption in Illex fishery, real time

management of Loligo, rule roll-over for

mackerel; address preparation of an

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS),

or Supplemental Environmental Impact

Statement (SEIS), to assess potential

affects on the human environment

owing to initiation of Amendment 13 to

the Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Fishery