Federal Register Vol. 81, No.46,

Purpose and Need for Action

The Hwy 46 project area is approximately 31,295 acres, located in the Breitenbush Watershed. Forest Road 46 (Hwy 46), the Breitenbush River and a powerline bisect the project area. Within the project area trees are competing for sunlight, water and nutrients causing reduced tree growth and vigor. There is an oversupply of mid-seral stands, moving the seral distribution away from historic levels and limiting stand structure and species diversity across the landscape. This is the northern most extent of Sugar pine, past management and the exclusion of fire on the landscape has threatened this population of Sugar pine. The Breitenbush community is located within the project area, and the watershed is popular with recreationists.

The purpose of this project is to improve stand growth, diversity and structure and move stand structure from an overabundance of mid seral stands to increase early and late seral stand structure in the watershed, and to diversify wildlife habitat in the watershed; strategically reduce hazardous fuels; restore sugar pine stands to encourage sugar pine regeneration; treat powerline visuals; restore riparian habitats, meadows, and hydrologic processes in the project area; and provide forest products to the local economy.

The Hwy 46 project proposes the following activities:

1. Commercially harvest about 3576 acres of second growth forests (managed and fire regenerated stands). This includes: 3328 acres of commercial thinning, approximately 132 acres of gaps (0.5-3 acres in size), approximately 65 acres of dominate tree release gaps (0.5 acres or less), and 51 acres of variable retention regeneration harvest. Included in these acres are approximately 430 acres of sugar pine restoration and 117 acres of visual treatments along the powerline. The 51 acres of variable retention regeneration harvest will be replanted with an appropriate mix of seedlings following harvest. Sugar pine seedlings will be planted in the sugar pine restoration units. The gaps will be replanted as needed with appropriate conifer seedlings.

2. Construction of approximately 5.1 miles of temporary spur roads, and reconstruction of approximately 4.2 miles of spur roads to access timber harvest units. The spur roads would be decommissioned by ripping, water-barring, and re-establishing drainage, and then seeded after harvest activities to minimize soil erosion and maintain water quality.

3. Road maintenance and reconstruction activities on about 119 miles of existing forest system roads within the planning area. Maintenance and reconstruction needs vary by road, but include brushing, reconditioning of roadways and ditches, replacing culverts, and cut slope repair. Road work will help provide for user and public safety and meet Forest Plan objectives.

4. Reroute FS Rd 46-059 road to restore hydrologic processes in the Short Lake area. The existing road would be decommissioned.

5. Hazardous fuel reduction treatments to reduce both existing fuel loadings and logging slash as a result of harvest will be planned to bring stands to levels within Forest Plan standards and guidelines. Proposed treatments include broadcast burning, machine piling, burning of landings, hand piling and chipping. This includes fuel reduction treatments on approximately 223 acres to reduce wildfire risks to the Breitenbush Community and roadside areas.

6. Understory habitat enhancements to increase species and structural diversity on approximately 222 acres. These treatments include meadow restoration and enhancement; noncommercial thinning of trees and shrubs less than 7 inches diameter at breast height (DBH), pruning and planting.

7. Recreation related activities include visual treatment of the powerline corridor, enhancement of Short Lake area and around Fox Creek Campground.

8. Thinning and fuels treatments will occur on approximately 802 acres of Riparian Reserves outside of riparian buffers to accelerate and/or improve Aquatic Conservation Strategy Objectives (ACSOs). Additional Riparian Reserve treatments could occur on up to 50 acres within buffers, including diversity thinning in plantations, wood placement in creeks and cutting and leaving conifers in areas of hardwoods to encourage hardwood growth. All treatments will be designed to accelerate and/or improve ACSOs.

Detroit District Ranger.

Given the purpose and need, the scope of the decision to be made by the responsible official will be as follows:

• Do the proposed actions comply with all applicable laws governing Forest Service actions?

• Do the proposed actions comply with the applicable standards and guidelines found in the Willamette Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP)?

• Does the Environmental Impact Statement have sufficient site-specific environmental analysis to make an informed decision?

• Do the proposed actions meet the purpose and need for action?

With these assurances the responsible official must decide:

• Whether or not to select the proposed action or one of any other potential alternatives that may be developed, and what, if any, additional actions should be required.

This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides the development of the environmental impact statement.

It is important that reviewers provide their comments at such times and in such manner that they are useful to the agency's preparation of the environmental impact statement. Therefore, comments should be provided prior to the close of the scoping comment period and should clearly articulate the reviewer's concerns and contentions.

We are interested in your comments on the following questions:

• Are there alternative ways to meet the purpose of the project other than the proposed action we offer, which you would like the Forest Service to consider and analyze?

• Is there any information about the project area, which you believe is important in the context of the proposed activities that you would like the Forest Service to consider?

• What specifically are the potential effects of this proposal that you are particularly concerned about? For example, rather than simply stating that you would like a change in a proposed activity or that you would not like an activity to take place, it is most helpful to understand why you desire this. What are your underlying concerns with an activity or action; what are the effects from the activity that concern you?

Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names and addresses of those who comment, will be part of the public record for this proposed action. Comments submitted anonymously will be accepted and considered; however, anonymous comments will not provide the Agency with the ability to provide the respondent with subsequent environmental documents.

On January 18, 2013, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) adopted Departmental Regulation No. 1350-002 on tribal consultation, coordination, and collaboration. Departmental Regulations institutionalize the broad programmatic direction for all USDA agencies to develop and implement processes for tribal consultation, coordination, and collaboration. This Departmental Regulation explicitly holds the head of each USDA agency accountable for the implementation of this policy. In March 2013, the Forest Service (Agency) Office of Tribal Relations (OTR) began to review the Forest Service manual and handbook to ensure it was consistent with the Departmental Regulation as well as the 2012 Report to the Secretary, USDA Policy and Procedures Review and Recommendations: Indian Sacred Sites, and legislation (specifically the Culture and Heritage Cooperation Authority provisions of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 [Pub. L. 110-246; the Farm Bill]).

Upon reviewing these documents, it was necessary to amend the Agency manual and handbook, and OTR began to draft proposed directives which included tribal implications as defined by Executive Order 13175, “Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribal Governments.” OTR began an initial 120-day consultation with tribes on June 6, 2013, but extended the consultation period for almost two years to thoroughly discuss the proposed directives in various locations throughout the U.S. On July 24, 2015, the Forest Service published the notice of proposed directives and request for comment (80 FR 44019), and the comment period ended on September 22, 2015.

The following is an overview of the content of the directives.

1563—Tribal Relations. This Forest Service Manual section outlines the Forest Service Tribal Relations policy generally. It sets forth direction beyond consultation to include coordination and collaboration, recognizing the value of collaboration. The section encourages engagement with Alaska Native Corporations, non-federally recognized tribes, Native Hawaiians, along with American Indian and Alaska Native individuals, communities, intertribal organizations, enterprises, and institutions.

1563.01—Authorities. This section provides information on Constitutional Articles corresponding to Indian tribes, statutes (e.g., Tribal Forest Protection Act of 2004 [25 U.S.C. 3115a]), executive orders, policies, Indian treaty rights, and provides context for the Federal trust responsibility to tribes.

1563.02—Objectives. This section expands the objectives of the Forest Service in meeting its trust responsibility and adds support for the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

1563.03—Policy. This section expands Agency policy to consult with tribes in a meaningful way, document all consultation processes, and keep confidential any information that is tribally sensitive or proprietary.

1563.04—Responsibilities. This section outlines the responsibilities in fulfilling the trust responsibility and consultation mandate to the following Agency personnel: Chief, Deputy Chiefs, Director of the Washington Office of Tribal Relations, Regional Tribal Relations Program Managers, Forest/Grasslands Supervisors, District Rangers, and all Tribal Liaisons within the Forest/Grassland, Research and Development, and State and Private Forestry divisions.

1563.05—Definitions. This section provides definitions of the terms commonly used to describe the Federal-Tribal relationship.

1563.10—Consultation with Indian Tribes and Alaska Native Corporations. This section outlines the steps in the consultation process generally, including subsections outlining the roles for consulting officials, associated timelines, evaluations, and additional considerations.

1563.2—Dispute Resolution. This section expands on dispute resolution and appeal procedures for Indian tribes.

1563.3—Reburial of American Indian and Alaska Native Ancestral Remains and Cultural Items. This section expands guidance on repatriation and reburials, including general considerations as well as reviews.

1563.4—Closures for Traditional and Cultural Purposes. This section describes closures for temporary and cultural purposes per 25 U.S.C. 32A § 3054.

1563.6—Prohibition on Disclosure. This section covers prohibition against disclosure per 25 U.S.C. 32A § 3056.

1563.7—Information and Technology Sharing. This section describes working with tribes to incorporate traditional ecological knowledge as well as traditional tribal practices and locations that should be considered in Forest Service land management planning and research activities.

1563.8—References. This section elaborates in the authorities identified in section 1563.01.

10.01—Authorities. This section includes statutes, Executive Orders, and regulations that govern Federal agencies' relationship with tribes.

11—Consultation with Tribes. This section expands on consultation roles and responsibilities, timelines, consultation process, and monitoring and evaluation processes for compliance monitoring.

12—Compensation. This section includes funding authorities for compensation for consultation, historic preservation.

13—Training. This section includes suggestions for mandated training on sacred sites and related core competencies.

14—Exhibits. This section references additional authorities for management of Indian sacred sites.

The Agency received only 15 comments on the proposed directives. However, because of strong outreach, coordination, and consultation conducted with tribal partners by OTR in the development of these directives, the Agency did not anticipate receiving many comments. The comments were generally supportive of these directives, and most were from tribes or tribal offices that interact with the Forest Service in a fairly routine manner. The following is a breakdown of the comments provided about the directives and the Agency's response to those comments.

Several comments stated that the emphasis should be on the government-to-government relationship because a federal-tribal relationship is not “External Affairs,” but instead “Internal Affairs” and believe these directives are mislabeled within this category heading.

After considering this request, the Agency took no action. The reason Forest Service Manual 1500, Chapter 1560, Section 1563 is listed under the heading “External Affairs” is because it involves a party that is not officially employed by the US Forest Service. Many other relationships with organizations outside of the Agency are described within Manual 1500, such as counties and local agencies, which are under Section 1562. The heading is not intended to minimize the government-to-governmental relationship Federal agencies have with Indian tribes; rather, in this context, when a Forest Service employee engages with any person or organization that is not an employee of the US Forest Service (i.e., an internal party), it is external to the Agency.

Several comments stated that although various individuals, communities, intertribal organization, enterprises, or education institutions may publicly identify as “tribal,” it is important to note that these groups do not have the same legal status or rights as federally recognized tribes (i.e., Federal trust responsibilities).

The Agency agrees and has modified the text accordingly. Forest Service Handbook Section 1509.13, Chapter 10 reads: “The rights of tribal governments and their officials are not the same, nor should they be treated the same as the general public.” This language was inserted into Manual 1500, Chapter 1560 for consistency. Moreover, the trust responsibility is discussed at length in two separate sections in the FSM 1560—the language has been slightly amended to ensure consistency throughout the document.

Several respondents also noted the relationship between treaties reserved rights and how they correlate under the trust responsibility. Commenters want the Forest Service to understand how tribes regulate their members' exercise of such rights, rights that are reaffirmed individually through unique statutory references (e.g., individual tribal treaty) as well as off-reservation treaty rights, separate reservation homelands, and other reserved rights.

After considering these comments, the Agency did not take any specific action. The directives explain the basis for treaty rights, how tribes continue to exercise such rights today, and the trust responsibilities the Agency holds. These directives were specifically written for Forest Service employees to understand the broad applicability and expansive nature of the Federal trust responsibility as well as the more specific obligations under reserved treaty rights. Using general descriptions encourages a flexible interpretation of legal responsibilities and encourages building strong relationships with individual Indian tribes, in the context of that tribe's treaty status.

Several comments identified that the authority to work with federally recognized Indian tribes does not address relationships with non-federally recognized tribes who may have a stakeholder interests in the Federal agency actions.

After considering these comments, there is no clear legal standing for the Forest Service to include non-federally recognized tribes, or even other indigenous communities from the US (such as Native Hawaiians), or from foreign territories that border US lands. Executive Order 13175 “Coordination and Consultation with Indian Tribes” specifically defines Indian tribes as “an Indian or Alaska Native tribe, band, nation, pueblo, village, or community that the Secretary of the Interior acknowledges to exist as an Indian tribe pursuant to the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List of 1994, 25 U.S.C. 479a.” This is the baseline authority for all Federal agencies to engage and consult with Indian tribes and (through other laws) Alaska Native Corporations. Therefore, it is important to provide a framework within the context of these directives for Forest Service employees to understand how the Agency is legally obligated to engage with tribes affected by the Federal trust responsibility, which is only extended to federally recognized tribes, and with Alaska Native Corporations.

However, the Forest Service strongly supports working with tribes and tribal communities notwithstanding federal acknowledgment. The mechanisms and procedures used to accomplish those interactions and partnerships are those contained in the Agency's overall authorities, rather than in those for Indian tribes and Alaska Native Corporations.

There were a few comments on Alaska Native Corporations (ANCs) having no legal standing as proper authorities for consultation for the purposes of NAGPRA. If a corporation wishes to be a party to a NAGPRA consultation, they should have express written consent from the tribe that clearly identifies the corporation is acting as their agent.

The Agency agrees and has modified the text accordingly. The following language has been inserted: “Alaska Native Corporations (ANCs) do not have legal authority to consult for NAGRPA purposes; however, if an Alaska tribe expressly gives consent in writing that an ANC is acting as their authorizing agent in a NAGPRA consultation, the request should be considered.”

One comment suggests that Article 19 should be included because “consent” is an important term to incorporate for tribes to enter into any sort of relationship with a Federal entity.

After much consideration, the Agency agrees and has modified the text accordingly. The US endorsed the UNDRIP in 2010. Simply, Article 19 calls on governments to secure the consent of indigenous peoples on matters of general public policy. The US Department of State has yet to issue guidance on the meaning and implications of consent in this context, and the Agency therefore considers the UNDRIP as an ideal the Federal Government should strive toward in its dealings with indigenous peoples and as an important international perspective.

Several commenters noted there was no definition of collaboration in the directives and if collaboration is to serve a purpose in support of consultation, it should be clearly defined in the definitions section. It should also be made clear that collaboration is not the primary way the Forest Service intends to meets its trust responsibilities with tribes nor is coordination ever to be done in lieu of consultation.

The Agency agrees and has modified the text accordingly. The Forest Service has included the definition of collaboration published in the USDA Departmental Regulation on Tribal Consultation, Coordination, and Collaboration (DR1350-002: January 18, 2013) to maintain consistency across Agency guidance documents. Further, in Section 1563.03.e, language was inserted that reads: “To be clear, coordination and collaboration with tribes are key to building long-term, meaningful relationships and should be viewed as a component of daily operations; however, tribal coordination and collaboration efforts do not supersede or substitute tribal consultation on a specific topic.”

Several people commented on FSH1509.13, Section 13.3, Core Competencies, subsection (1)(e) which is titled Legal Context. In working with Indian tribes, there is nothing mentioned regarding unratified treaties or unextinguished land titles, and these should be specifically identified in this section.

After considering these comments, the Agency agrees and has clarified and modified the text accordingly. The FSH is specifically written for Forest Service employees to understand the broad applicability and see the expansive nature of the federal trust responsibility and treaty obligations. Using general descriptions encourages a flexible interpretation of legal responsibilities and encourages building strong relationships with individual Indian tribes, while keeping their land title and treaty status in mind. The topics of unratified treaties and unextinguished land titles (and the additional topic of unsettled land claims) are now included in the section on Core Competencies.

Many comments suggested that the Forest Service should request sacred sites trainings be hosted by tribes and include tribal staff in the development of internal Forest Service trainings. The Agency reviewed the language and concluded this request was included that in the proposed directives. Federal agencies often lack the framework to contextualize tribal knowledge systems. However, Tribal staff and other Native people can often more clearly identify and accurately assess sacred sites issues. Language in section 13.2 states that Forest Service employees should “Invite AI/AN people to assist in developing and delivering core curricula.” Further, Forest Service units are instructed to “reach out to local Indian tribes to ask for their assistance in both developing and delivering training to Forest Service employees” and to “coordinate with local Tribes when sponsoring Forest Service workshops and training to include tribal perspectives.” These aspects are incorporated directly from the 2012 Sacred Sites Report.

This final directive revises national Forest Service policy to update existing direction for the Agency to effectively work together with Indian tribes. Forest Service regulations at 36 CFR 220.6(d)(2) exclude from documentation in an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement “rules, regulations, or policies to establish Service-wide administrative procedures, program processes, or instructions.” The Agency has concluded that this final directive falls within this category of actions and that no extraordinary circumstances exist which would require preparation of an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement.

Executive Order (E.O.) 12866 provides that the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) will review all significant regulatory actions. OIRA has determined that this final policy action is not significant.

E.O. 13563 reaffirms the principles of E.O. 12866 while calling for improvements in the nation's regulatory system to promote predictability, to reduce uncertainty, and to use the best, most innovated, and least burdensome tools for achieving regulatory ends. The E.O. directs agencies to consider regulatory approaches that reduce burdens and maintain flexibility and freedom of choice for the public where these approaches are relevant, feasible, and consistent with regulatory objectives. E.O. 13563 emphasizes further that regulations must be based on the best available science and that the rulemaking process must allow for public participation and an open exchange of ideas. We have developed these directives in a manner consistent with these requirements.

The Agency certifies that these directives will not have a significant economic effect on a substantial number of small entities under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et. seq.). These directives will not impose record-keeping requirements on small entities; they will not affect their competitive position in relation to large entities; and they will not affect their cash flow, liquidity, or ability to remain in the market.

These directives are not considered major under 5 U.S.C. 804(2), the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act. They will not result in the expenditure by State, local, or tribal governments, in the aggregate, or by the private sector of $100 million or more in any one year. The directives' requirements will not result in a major increase in costs or prices for consumers, individual industries, Federal, State, or local government agencies, or geographic regions. Nor will these directives have significant adverse effects on competition, employment, investment, productivity, innovation, or the ability of U.S.-based enterprises to compete with foreign-based enterprises because the rule is limited to consultation with federally acknowledged Indian tribes.

The directives do not impose an unfunded mandate on State, local, or tribal governments or the private sector of more than $100 Million per year. The dirctives do not have a significant or unique effect on State, local, or tribal governments or the private sector. A statement containing the information required by the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (2 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) is not required.

Under the criteria in Executive Order 12630, these directives do not affect individual property rights protected by the Fifth Amendment nor do they involve a compensable “taking.” A takings implication assessment is therefore not required.

Under the criteria in Executive Order 13132, this document has no substantial direct effect on the States, on the relationship between the national government and the States, or on the distribution of power and responsibilities among the various levels of government.

These directives comply with the requirements of Executive Order 12988. Specifically, these directives were reviewed to eliminate efforts and ambiguity and written to minimize litigation; and are written in clear language and contains clear legal standards.

In accordance with the President's memorandum of April 29, 1994, “Government-to-Government Relations with Native American Tribal Governments,” 59 FR 22951 (May 4, 1994), supplemented by Executive Order 13175, Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribal Governments, 65 FR 67249 (Nov. 6, 2000), the Agency assessed these directives to have tribal implications as defined in E.O. 13175. The 120-day consultation with Indian tribes and Alaska Native Corporations was conducted from June 6, 2013, to October 6, 2013, as required, and was further extended over a nearly two-year period.

Because of strong outreach, coordination, and consultation conducted with tribal partners in the development of these directives, the Agency received only 15 comments. The comments were generally supportive of these directives, and most were from tribes or tribal offices that interact with the Forest Service in a fairly routine manner. Additional outreach to Indian tribes and intertribal organizations will convey the availability of the final directives.

These final directives do not contain any recordkeeping or reporting requirements or other information collection requirements as defined in 5 CFR part 1320 that are not already required by law or not already approved for use. Accordingly, the review provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) and its implementing regulations at 5 CFR part 1320 do not apply.

These directives do not constitute a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment because it is of an administrative, technical, and procedural nature. See 43 CFR 46.210(i). No extraordinary circumstances exist that would require greater review under the National Environmental Policy Act.

This final policy action is not a significant energy action under the definition in Executive Order 13211. A Statement of Energy Effects is not required.

The purpose of the meeting is to review draft project long forms. The meeting is open to the public. The agenda will include time for people to make oral statements of three minutes or less. Individuals wishing to make an oral statement should request in writing by March 2, 2016, to be scheduled on the agenda. Anyone who would like to bring related matters to the attention of the committee may file written statements with the committee staff before or after the meeting. Written comments and requests for time for oral comments must be sent to Attention: Louis Haynes, RAC Coordinator, Ashley NF Supervisor's Office, 355 North Vernal Avenue, Vernal, Utah 84078; by email to [email protected], or via facsimile to 435-781-5142.

Meeting Accommodations: If you are a person requiring reasonable accommodation, please make requests in advance for sign language interpreting, assistive listening devices, or other reasonable accommodation. For access to the facility, please contact the person listed in the section titled FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. All reasonable accommodation requests are managed on a case by case basis.

Federal Agency: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

Funding Opportunity Title: HWWS Grant Program.

Announcement Type: Grant—Solicitation of Applications.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 10.862.

Due Date for Applications: May 9, 2016.

I. Funding Opportunity: Description of the HWWS Grant Program.

II. Award Information: To be determined.

III. Eligibility Information: Who is eligible, what kinds of projects are eligible, what criteria determine basic eligibility.

IV. Application and Submission Information: Where to get application materials, what constitutes a completed application, how and where to submit applications, deadlines, items that are eligible.

V. Application Review Information: Considerations and preferences, scoring criteria, review standards, selection information.

VI. Award Administration Information: Award notice information, award recipient reporting requirements.

VII. Agency Contacts: Web site, phone, fax, email, contact name.

VIII. Non-discrimination Statement: USDA non-discrimination statement, how to file a complaint, persons with disabilities.

The HWWS Grant Program has been established to help individuals with low to moderate incomes finance the costs of household water wells that they own or will own. The HWWS Grant Program is authorized under Section 306E of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (CONACT), 7 U.S.C. 1926e. The CONACT authorizes RUS to make grants to qualified private non-profit organizations to establish lending programs for household water wells.

As the grant recipients, private non-profit organizations will receive HWWS grants to establish lending programs that will provide water well loans to individuals. The individuals, as loan recipients, may use the loans to construct, refurbish, and service their household well systems. A loan may not exceed $11,000 and will have a term up to 20 years at a one percent annual interest rate.

RUS supports the sound development of rural communities and the growth of our economy without endangering the environment. RUS provides financial and technical assistance to help communities bring safe drinking water and sanitary, environmentally sound waste disposal facilities to Rural Americans in greatest need.

Central water systems may not be the only or best solution to drinking water problems. Distance or physical barriers make public central water systems costly to deploy in remote areas. A significant number of geographically isolated households without water service might require individual wells rather than connections to new or existing community systems. The goal of RUS is not only to make funds available to those communities most in need of potable water but also to ensure that facilities used to deliver drinking water are safe and affordable. There is a role for private wells in reaching this goal.

The purpose of the HWWS Grant Program is to provide funds to private non-profit organizations to assist them in establishing loan programs from which individuals may borrow money for HWWS. Faith-based organizations are eligible and encouraged to apply for this program. Applicants must show that the project will provide technical and financial assistance to eligible individuals to remedy household well problems.

Due to the limited amount of funds available under the HWWS Grant Program, the RUS anticipates that 10 applications may be funded from FY 2016 funds. Applications from existing HWWS grant recipients are acceptable and will be evaluated as new applications.

Funding Instrument Type: Grant.

Available funds: $1,192,081.

Anticipated Number of Awards: 10.

Length of Project Periods: 12-month project.

Assistance Instrument: Grant Agreement with successful applicants before any grant funds are disbursed.

1. An organization is eligible to receive a HWWS grant if it:

a. Has an active registration with current information in the System for Award Management (SAM) and has a Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number.

b. Is a private, non-profit organization.

c. Is legally established and located within one of the following:

(1) A state within the United States

(2) The District of Columbia

(3) The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico

(4) A United States territory.

d. Has the legal capacity and authority to carry out the grant purpose.

e. Has sufficient expertise and experience in lending activities.

f. Has sufficient expertise and experience in promoting the safe and productive use of individually-owned HWWS and ground water.

g. Has no delinquent debt to the federal government or no outstanding judgments to repay a Federal debt.

h. Demonstrates that it possesses the financial, technical, and managerial capability to comply with Federal and State laws and requirements, and

i. Is not a corporation that has been convicted of a felony (or had an officer or agent acting on behalf of the corporation convicted of a felony) within the past 24 months. Any Corporation that has any unpaid Federal tax liability that has been assessed, for which all judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted or have lapsed, and that is not being paid in a timely manner pursuant to an agreement with the authority responsible for collecting the tax liability is not eligible.

2. An individual is ineligible to receive a Household Water Well grant. An individual may receive a loan from an organization receiving a grant award.

1. Project Eligibility. To be eligible for a grant, the project must:

a. Be a revolving loan fund created to provide loans to eligible individuals to construct, refurbish, and service individually-owned HWWS (see 7 CFR 1776.11 and 1776.12). Loans may not be provided for home sewer or septic system projects.

b. Be established and maintained by a private, non-profit organization.

c. Be located in a rural area. Rural area is defined as locations other than cities or towns of more than 50,000 people and the contiguous and adjacent urbanized area of such towns and cities.

2. Required Matching Contributions. Grant applicants must provide written evidence of a matching contribution of at least 10 percent from sources other than the proceeds of a HWWS grant. In-kind contributions will not be considered for the matching requirement. Please see 7 CFR 1776.9 for the requirement.

3. Other—Requirements.

a. DUNS Number. The applicant for a grant must supply a DUNS number as part of an application. The Standard Form 424 (SF-424) contains a field for the DUNS number. The applicant can obtain the DUNS number free of charge by calling Dun and Bradstreet. Please see fedgov.dnb.com/webform for more information on how to obtain a DUNS number or how to verify your organization's number.

b. Prior to submitting an application, the applicant must register in System for Award Management (SAM).

(1) Applicants may register for SAM at sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/.

(2) The SAM registration must remain active with current information at all times while RUS is considering an application or while a Federal grant award or loan is active. To maintain the registration in the SAM database the applicant must review and update the information in the SAM database annually from date of initial registration or from the date of the last update. The applicant must ensure that the information in the database is current, accurate, and complete.

c. Eligibility to receive a HWWS loan will be based on the following criteria:

(1) An individual must be a member of a household of which the combined household income of all members does not exceed 100 percent of the median non-metropolitan household income for the State or territory in which the individual resides. Household income is the total income from all sources received by each adult household member for the most recent 12-month period for which the information is available. It does not include income earned or received by dependent children under 18 years old or other benefits that are excluded by federal law. The non-metropolitan household income must be based on the 5-year income data from the American Community Survey (ACS) or, if needed, other United States Bureau of the Census.

RUS publishes a list of income exclusions in 7 CFR 3550.54(b). Also, the Department of Housing and Urban Development published a list of income exclusions in the Federal Register on May 20, 2014, at 79 FR 28938 (see “Federally Mandated Exclusions”).

(2) The loan recipient must own and occupy the home being improved with the proceeds of the Household Water Well loan or be purchasing the home to occupy under a legally enforceable land purchase contract which is not in default by either the seller or the purchaser.

(3) The home being improved with the water well system must be located in a rural area.

(4) The loan for a water well system must not be associated with the construction of a new dwelling.

(5) The loan must not be used to substitute a water well system for water service available from collective water systems. (For example, a loan may not be used to restore an old well abandoned when a dwelling was connected to a water district's water line.)

(6) The loan recipient must not be suspended or debarred from participation in Federal programs.

The Household Water Well System Grant Application Guide (Application Guide), copies of necessary forms and samples, and the HWWS Grant Program regulation are available from these sources:

1. Internet for electronic copies: grants.gov or rurdev.usda.gov/UWP-individualwellsystems;

2. Water and Environmental Programs for paper copies: RUS, Water Programs Division, STOP 1570, Room 2233-S, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250-1570, Telephone: (202) 720-9589, Fax: (202) 690-0649

a. Detailed information on each item required can be found in the HWWS Grant Program regulation (7 CFR part 1776) and the Application Guide. Applicants are strongly encouraged to read and apply both the regulation and the Application Guide. This Notice does not change the requirements for a completed application for any form of HWWS financial assistance specified in the regulation. The regulation and Application Guide provide specific guidance on each of the items listed.

b. Applications should be prepared in conformance with the provisions in 7 CFR part 1776, subpart B, and departmental and other applicable regulations including 2 CFR parts 180, 182, 200, 400, and 421, or any successor regulations. Applicants should use the Application Guide which contains instructions and other important information in preparing their application. Completed applications must include the items found in the checklist in the next paragraph.

a. DUNS Number. The applicant for a grant must supply a Dunn and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number as part of an application. The Standard Form 424 (SF-424) contains a field for the DUNS number. The applicant can obtain the DUNS number free of charge by calling Dun and Bradstreet. Please see fedgov.dnb.com/webform for more information on how to obtain a DUNS number or how to verify your organization's number.

b. Prior to submitting an application, the applicant must register in the System for Award Management (SAM).

(1) Applicants may register for the SAM at: sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/

(2) The SAM registration must remain active with current information at all times while RUS is considering an application or while a Federal Grant Award or loan is active. To maintain the registration in the SAM database the applicant must review and update the information in the SAM database annually from date of initial registration or from the date of the last update. The applicant must ensure that the information in the database is current, accurate, and complete.

(3) Your organization must be listed in the SAM. If you have not used Grants.gov before, you will need to register with the SAM and the Credential Provider. New registrations can take three to five business days to process. Updating or renewing an active registration has a shorter turnaround, 24 hours. Registrations in SAM are active for one year. The SAM registers your organization, housing your organizational information and allowing Grants.gov to use the information to verify your identity. The DUNS number, Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), and name and address of the applicant organization must match SAM data files.

c. The electronic and paper application process requires forms with the prefixes RD and SF as well as supporting documents and certifications.

(1) SF-424, “Application for Federal Assistance”.

(2) SF-424A, “Budget Information—Non-Construction Programs”.

(3) SF-424B, “Assurances—Non-Construction Programs”.

(4) SF-LLL, “Disclosure of Lobbying Activity”.

(5) Form RD 400-1, “Equal Opportunity Agreement”.

(6) Form RD 400-4, “Assurance Agreement (Under Title VI, Civil Rights Act of 1964).

(7) Project Proposal, Project Summary, Needs Assessment, Project Goals and Objectives, Project Narrative.

(8) Work Plan.

(9) Budget and Budget Justification.

(10) Evidence of Legal Authority and Existence.

(11) Documentation of private non-profit status and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Tax Exempt Status.

(12) List of Directors and Officers.

(13) Financial information and sustainability (narrative).

(14) Assurances and certifications of compliance with other Federal Statutes.

The forms in items 1 through 6 must be completed and signed where appropriate by an official of your organization who has authority to obligate the organization legally. RD forms are used by programs under the Rural Development mission area. Standard forms (SF) are used government-wide. In addition to the sources listed in section A, the forms may be accessed electronically through the RD Web site at rurdev.usda.gov/FormsAndPublications.

See section V, “Application Review Information,” for instructions and guidelines on preparing Items 7 through 13.

3. Compliance with Other Federal Statutes. The applicant must provide evidence of compliance with other Federal statutes and regulations, including, but not limited to the following:

a. 7 CFR part 15, subpart A—Nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted Programs of the Department of Agriculture—Effectuation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

b. 2 CFR part 417—Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement), or any successor regulations.

c. 7 CFR part 3052—Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-profit Organizations, or any successor regulations.

d. Subpart B of 2 CFR part 421, which adopts the Governmentwide implementation (2 CFR part 182) of the Drug-Free Workplace Act.

e. Executive Order 13166, “Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency.” For information on limited English proficiency and agency-specific guidance go to LEP.gov.

f. Federal Obligation Certification on Delinquent Debt.

1. Applications Submitted on Paper. Submit one signed original and two additional copies. The original and each of the two copies must include all required forms, certifications, assurances, and appendices, be signed by an authorized representative, and have original signatures. Do not include organizational brochures or promotional materials.

2. Applications Submitted Electronically. Additional paper copies are unnecessary if the application is submitted electronically through grants.gov.

a. For paper applications, mail or ensure delivery of an original paper application (no stamped, photocopied, or initialed signatures) and two copies by the deadline date to: Rural Development, Rural Utility Service, Water Programs Division, STOP 1570, Room 2234-S, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250-1570, Telephone: (202) 720-9583.

Submit paper applications marked “Attention: Water and Environmental Programs.”

b. Applications must show proof of mailing or shipping by one of the following:

(1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service (USPS) postmark;

(2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the USPS; or,

(3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial carrier.

c. If a deadline date falls on a weekend, it will be extended to the following Monday. If the date falls on a federal holiday, it will be extended to the next business day.

d. Due to screening procedures at the Department of Agriculture, packages arriving via the USPS are irradiated, which can damage the contents and delay delivery. RUS encourages applicants to consider the impact of this procedure in selecting an application delivery method.

a. Applications will not be accepted by fax or electronic mail.

b. Electronic applications for grants will be accepted if submitted through Grants.gov at www.grants.gov.

c. Applicants must preregister successfully with Grants.gov to use the electronic applications option. Application information may be downloaded from Grants.gov without preregistration.

d. Applicants who apply through Grants.gov should submit their electronic applications before the deadline.

e. 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.

f. Grants.gov has two preregistration requirements: A DUNS number and an active registration in SAM. See the “Checklist of Items in Completed Application Packages” for instructions on obtaining a DUNS number and registering in the SAM.

g. You must be registered with Grants.gov before you can submit an electronic grant application.

(1) You must register at Grants.gov: grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.

(2) Organization registration user guides and checklists are also available at Grants.gov.

(3) Grants.gov requires some credentialing and online authentication procedures. When an applicant organization is registered with SAM, the organization designates a point of contact who receives a password authorizing the person to designate staff members who are allowed to submit applications electronically through Grants.gov. These authorized organization representatives must be registered with Grants.gov to receive a username and password to submit applications. These procedures may take several business days to complete.

(4) Some or all of the SAM and Grants.gov registration, credentialing and authorizations require updates. If you have previously registered at Grants.gov to submit applications electronically, please ensure that your registration, credentialing and authorizations are up to date well in advance of the grant application deadline.

h. To use Grants.gov:

(1) Follow the instructions on the Web site to find grant information.

(2) Download a copy of an application package.

(3) Complete the package off-line.

(4) Upload and submit the application via the Grants.gov Web site.

(5) 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.

(6) Again, RUS encourages applicants to take early action to complete the sign-up, credentialing and authorization procedures at grants.gov before submitting an application at the Web site.

The deadline for paper and electronic submissions is May 9, 2016. Paper applications must be postmarked and mailed, shipped, or sent overnight no later than the closing date to be considered for FY 2016 grant funding. Electronic applications must have an electronic date and time stamp by midnight of May 9, 2016 to be considered on time. RUS will not accept applications by fax or email. Applications that do not meet the criteria above are considered late applications and will not be considered. RUS will notify each late applicant that its application will not be considered.

a. Grant funds must be used to establish and maintain a revolving loan fund to provide loans to eligible individuals for household water well systems.

b. Individuals may use the loans to construct, refurbish, rehabilitate, or replace household water well systems up to the point of entry of a home. Point of entry for the well system is the junction where water enters into a home water delivery system after being pumped from a well.

c. Grant funds may be used to pay administrative expenses associated with providing Household Water Well loans.

a. Administrative expenses incurred in any calendar year that exceed 10 percent of the household water well loans made during the same period do not qualify for reimbursement.

b. Administrative expenses incurred before RUS executes a grant agreement with the recipient do not qualify for reimbursement.

c. Delinquent debt owed to the Federal Government does not qualify for reimbursement.

d. Grant funds may not be used to provide loans for household sewer or septic systems.

e. Household Water Well loans may not be used to pay the costs of water well systems for the construction of a new house.

f. Household Water Well loans may not be used to pay the costs of a home plumbing system.

This section contains instructions and guidelines on preparing the project proposal, work plan, and budget sections of the application. Also, guidelines are provided on the additional information required for RUS to determine eligibility and financial feasibility.

1. Project Proposal. The project proposal should outline the project in sufficient detail to provide a reader with a complete understanding of the loan program. Explain what will be accomplished by lending funds to individual well owners. Demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed loan program in meeting the objectives of this grant program. The proposal should include the following elements:

a. Project Summary. Present a brief project overview. Explain the purpose of the project, how it relates to RUS' purposes, how the project will be executed, what the project will produce, and who will direct it.

b. Needs Assessment. To show why the project is necessary, clearly identify the economic, social, financial, or other problems that require solutions. Demonstrate the well owners' need for financial and technical assistance. Quantify the number of prospective borrowers or provide statistical or narrative evidence that a sufficient number of borrowers will exist to justify the grant award. Describe the service area. Provide information on the household income of the area and other demographical information. Address community needs.

c. Project Goals and Objectives. Clearly state the project goals. The objectives should clearly describe the goals and be concrete and specific enough to be quantitative or observable. They should also be feasible and relate to the purpose of the grant and loan program.

d. Project Narrative. The narrative should cover in more detail the items briefly described in the Project Summary. Demonstrate the grant applicant's experience and expertise in promoting the safe and productive use of individually-owned household water well systems. The narrative should address the following points:

(1) Document the grant applicant's ability to manage and service a revolving fund. The narrative may describe the systems that are in place for the full life cycle of a loan from loan origination through servicing. If a servicing contractor will service the loan portfolio, the arrangement and services provided must be discussed.

(2) Show evidence of the availability of funds from sources other than the HWWS grant. Describe the contributions the project will receive from your organization, state agencies, local government, other Federal agencies, non-government organizations, private industry, and individuals. The documentation should describe how the contributions will be used to pay your operational costs and provide financial assistance for projects.

(3) Demonstrate that the organization has secured commitments of significant financial support from other funding sources.

(4) List the fees and charges that borrowers will be assessed.

2. Work Plan. The work plan or scope of work must describe the tasks and activities that will be accomplished with available resources during the grant period. It must include who will carry out the activities and services to be performed and specific timeframes for completion. Describe any unusual or unique features of the project such as innovations, reductions in cost or time, or extraordinary community involvement.

3. Budget and Budget Justification. Use the Form SF-424A, Budget Information—Non-Construction Programs, to show your budget cost elements. The form summarizes resources as Federal and non-Federal funds and costs. “Federal” refers only to the HWWS Grant Program for which you are applying. “Non-Federal” refers to resources from your organization, state agencies, local government, other Federal agencies, non-government organizations, private industry, and individuals. Both Federal and non-Federal resources shall be detailed and justified in the budget and narrative justification.

a. Provide a budget with line item detail and detailed calculations for each budget object class identified in section B of the Budget Information form (SF-424A). Detailed calculations must include estimation methods, quantities, unit costs, and other similar quantitative detail sufficient for the calculation to be duplicated. Also include a breakout by the funding sources identified in Block 15 of the SF-424.

b. Provide a narrative budget justification that describes how the categorical costs are derived for all capital and administrative expenditures, the matching contribution, and other sources of funds necessary to complete the project. Discuss the necessity, reasonableness, and allocability of the proposed costs.

c. If the grant applicant will use a servicing contractor, the fees may be reimbursed as an administrative expense as provided in 7 CFR 1776.13. These fees must be discussed in the budget narrative. If the grant applicant will hire a servicing contractor, it must demonstrate that all procurement transactions will be conducted in a manner to provide, to the maximum extent practical, open and free competition. Recipients must justify any anticipated procurement action that is expected to be awarded without competition and exceed the simplified acquisition threshold fixed at 41 U.S.C. 134 (currently set at $100,000).

d. The indirect cost category should be used only when the grant applicant currently has an indirect cost rate approved by the Department of Agriculture or another cognizant Federal agency. A grant applicant that will charge indirect costs to the grant must enclose a copy of the current rate agreement. If the grant applicant is in the process of initially developing or renegotiating a rate, the grant applicant shall submit its indirect cost proposal to the cognizant agency immediately after the applicant is advised that an award will be made. In no event, shall the indirect cost proposal be submitted later than three months after the effective date of the award.

4. Evidence of Legal Authority and Existence. The applicant must provide satisfactory documentation that it is legally recognized under state or Tribal and Federal law as a private non-profit organization. The documentation also must show that it has the authority to enter into a grant agreement with RUS and to perform the activities proposed under the grant application. Satisfactory documentation includes, but is not limited to, certificates from the Secretary of State, copies of state/Tribal statutes or laws establishing your organization, and copies of your organization's articles of incorporation and bylaws. Letters from IRS awarding tax-exempt status are not considered adequate evidence.

5. List of Directors and Officers. The applicant must submit a certified list of directors and officers with their respective terms.

6. IRS Tax Exempt Status. The applicant must submit evidence of tax exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service.

7. Financial Information and Sustainability. The applicant must submit pro forma balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow statements for the last three years and projections for three years. Additionally, the most recent audit of the applicant's organization must be submitted.

Grant applications that are complete and eligible will be scored competitively based on the following scoring criteria:

1. Incomplete applications as of the deadline for submission will not be considered. If an application is determined to be incomplete, the applicant will be notified in writing and the application will be returned with no further action.

2. Ineligible applications will be returned to the applicant with an explanation.

3. Complete, eligible applications will be evaluated competitively by a review team, composed of at least two RUS employees selected from the Water Programs Division. They will make overall recommendations based on the program elements found in 7 CFR part 1776 and the review criteria presented in this notice. They will award points as described in the scoring criteria in 7 CFR 1776.9 and this notice. Each application will receive a score based on the averages of the reviewers' scores and discretionary points awarded by the RUS Administrator.

4. Applications will be ranked and grants awarded in rank order until all grant funds are expended.

5. Regardless of the score an application receives, if RUS determines that the project is technically infeasible, RUS will notify the applicant, in writing, and the application will be returned with no further action.

RUS will notify a successful applicant by an award letter accompanied by a grant agreement. The grant agreement will contain the terms and conditions for the grant. The applicant must execute and return the grant agreement, accompanied by any additional items required by the award letter or grant agreement.

1. This notice, the 7 CFR part 1776, and the application guide implement the appropriate administrative and national policy requirements. Grant recipients are subject to the requirements in 7 CFR part 1776.

2. Direct federal grants, sub-award funds, or contracts under the HWWS Grant Program shall not be used to fund inherently religious activities, such as worship, religious instruction, or proselytization. Therefore, organizations that receive direct assistance should take steps to separate, in time or location, their inherently religious activities from the services funded under the HWWS Grant Program. Regulations for the Equal Treatment for Faith-based Organizations are contained in 7 CFR part 16, which includes the prohibition against federal funding of inherently religious activities.

1. Performance Reporting. All recipients of HWWS Grant Program financial assistance must provide quarterly performance activity reports to RUS until the project is complete and the funds are expended. A final performance report is also required. The final report may serve as the last annual report. The final report must include an evaluation of the success of the project.

2. Financial Reporting. All recipients of HWWS Grant Program financial assistance must provide an annual audit, beginning with the first year a portion of the financial assistance is expended. The Non-Federal Entity (formerly called Grantee) will provide an audit report or financial statements as follows:

a. Non-Federal Entities expending $500,000 or more Federal funds per fiscal year will submit an audit conducted in accordance with 2 CFR part 200 or successor guidance. The audit will be submitted within nine months after the Non-Federal Entity's fiscal year. Additional audits may be required if the project period covers more than one fiscal year.

b. Non-Federal Entities expending less than $500,000 will provide annual financial statements covering the grant period, consisting of the organization's statement of income and expense and balance sheet signed by an appropriate official of the organization. Financial statements will be submitted within 90 days after the Non-Federal Entity's fiscal year.

3. Recipient and Subrecipient Reporting. The applicant must have the necessary processes and systems in place to comply with the reporting requirements for first-tier sub-awards and executive compensation under the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 in the event the applicant receives funding unless such applicant is exempt from such reporting requirements pursuant to 2 CFR 170.110(b). The reporting requirements under the Transparency Act pursuant to 2 CFR part 170 are as follows:

a. First Tier Sub-Awards of $25,000 or more in non-Recovery Act funds (unless they are exempt under 2 CFR part 170) must be reported by the Recipient to fsrs.gov no later than the end of the month following the month the obligation was made.

b. The Total Compensation of the Recipient's Executives (five most highly compensated executives) must be reported by the Recipient (if the Recipient meets the criteria under 2 CFR part 170) to sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/ by the end of the month following the month in which the award was made.

c. The Total Compensation of the Subrecipient's Executives (5 most highly compensated executives) must be reported by the Subrecipient (if the Subrecipient meets the criteria under 2 CFR part 170) to the Recipient by the end of the month following the month in which the subaward was made.

A. Web site: rurdev.usda.gov/UWP-individualwellsystems

B. Phone: 202-720-9640.

C. Fax: 202-690-0649.

D. Email: [email protected].

E. Main point of contact: Derek Jones, Community Programs Specialist, Water Programs Division, Water and Environmental Programs, RUS, Rural Development, U.S. Department of Agriculture.

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

(1) Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250-9410;

(2) Fax: (202) 690-7442; or

(3) Email: [email protected].

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

The Nebraska, Hawaii, and California Advisory Committees are statutorily mandated federal advisory committees of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 1975a. Under the charter for the advisory committees, the purpose is to provide advice and recommendations to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (Commission) on a broad range of civil rights matters in its respective state that pertain to alleged deprivations of voting rights or discrimination or denials of equal protection of the laws because of race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin, or the administration of justice. Advisory committees also provide assistance to the Commission in its statutory obligation to serve as a national clearinghouse for civil rights information.

Each advisory committee consists of not more than 19 members, each of whom will serve a four-year term. Members serve as unpaid Special Government Employees who are reimbursed for travel and expenses. To be eligible to be on an advisory committee, applicants must be residents of the respective state or district, and have demonstrated expertise or interest in civil rights issues.

The Commission is an independent, bipartisan agency established by Congress in 1957 to focus on matters of race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin. Its mandate is to:

• Investigate complaints from citizens that their voting rights are being deprived,

• study and collect information about discrimination or denials of equal protection under the law,

• appraise federal civil rights laws and policies,

• serve as a national clearinghouse on discrimination laws,

• submit reports and findings and recommendations to the President and the Congress, and

• issue public service announcements to discourage discrimination.

The Commission invites any individual who is eligible to be appointed a member of the Nebraska, Hawaii, or California Advisory Committee covered by this notice to send a letter of interest and a resume to the respective address above.

Title III, Subtitle B, Section 321 through Section 328 of the United States-Oman Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act (the “Act”) implements the textile and apparel safeguard provisions, provided for in Article 3.1 of the United States-Oman Free Trade Agreement (the “Agreement”). This safeguard mechanism applies when, as a result of the elimination of a customs duty under the Agreement, an Omani textile or apparel article is being imported into the United States in such increased quantities, in absolute terms or relative to the domestic market for that article, and under such conditions as to cause serious damage or actual threat thereof to a U.S. industry producing a like or directly competitive article. In these circumstances, Article 3.1 permits the United States to increase duties on the imported article from Oman to a level that does not exceed the lesser of the prevailing U.S. normal trade relations (NTR)/most-favored-nation (MFN) duty rate for the article or the U.S. NTR/MFN duty rate in effect on the day before the Agreement entered into force.

The Statement of Administrative Action accompanying the U.S.-Oman Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act (the “Act”) provides that CITA will issue procedures for requesting such safeguard measures, for making its determinations under section 322(a) of the Act, and for providing relief under section 322(b) of the Act.

In Proclamation No. 8332 (73 FR 80,289, December 31, 2008), the President delegated to CITA his authority under Subtitle B of Title III of the Act with respect to textile and apparel safeguard measures.

CITA must collect information in order to determine whether a domestic textile or apparel industry is being adversely impacted by imports of these products from Oman, thereby allowing CITA to take corrective action to protect the viability of the domestic textile industry, subject to section 322(b) of the Act.

Pursuant to Section 321(a) of the Act and Section 7 of Presidential Proclamation 8332 of December 29, 2008, an interested party in the U.S. domestic textile and apparel industry may file a request for a textile and apparel safeguard action with CITA. Consistent with longstanding CITA practice in considering textile safeguard actions, CITA will consider an interested party to be an entity (which may be a trade association, firm, certified or recognized union, or group of workers) that is representative of either: (A) a domestic producer or producers of an article that is like or directly competitive with the subject Omani textile or apparel article; or (B) a domestic producer or producers of a component used in the production of an article that is like or directly competitive with the subject Omani textile or apparel article.

In order for a request to be considered, the requestor must provide the following information in support of a claim that a textile or apparel article from Oman is being imported into the United States in such increased quantities, in absolute terms or relative to the domestic market for that article, and under such conditions as to cause serious damage or actual threat thereof, to a U.S. industry producing an article that is like, or directly competitive with, the imported article: (1) Name and description of the imported article concerned; (2) import data demonstrating that imports of an Omani origin textile or apparel article that are like or directly competitive with the articles produced by the domestic industry concerned are increasing in absolute terms or relative to the domestic market for that article; (3) U.S. domestic production of the like or directly competitive articles of U.S. origin indicating the nature and extent of the serious damage or actual threat thereof, along with an affirmation that to the best of the requester's knowledge, the data represent substantially all of the domestic production of the like or directly competitive article(s) of U.S. origin; (4) imports from Oman as a percentage of the domestic market of the like or directly competitive article; and (5) all data available to the requester showing changes in productivity, utilization of capacity, inventories, exports, wages, employment, domestic prices, profits, and investment, and any other information, relating to the existence of serious damage or actual threat thereof caused by imports from Oman to the industry producing the like or directly competitive article that is the subject of the request. To the extent that such information is not available, the requester should provide best estimates and the basis therefore.

If CITA determines that the request provides the information necessary for it to be considered, CITA will publish a notice in the Federal Register seeking public comments regarding the request. The comment period shall be 30 calendar days. The notice will include a summary of the request. Any interested party may submit information to rebut, clarify, or correct public comments submitted by any interested party.

CITA will make a determination on any request it considers within 60 calendar days of the close of the comment period. If CITA is unable to make a determination within 60 calendar days, it will publish a notice in the Federal Register, including the date it will make a determination.

If a determination under section 322(b) of the Act is affirmative, CITA may provide tariff relief to a U.S. industry to the extent necessary to remedy or prevent serious damage or actual threat thereof and to facilitate adjustment by the domestic industry to import competition. The import tariff relief is effective beginning on the date that CITA's affirmative determination is published in the Federal Register.

Entities submitting requests, responses or rebuttals to CITA may submit both a public and confidential version of their submissions. If the request is accepted, the public version will be posted on the dedicated Oman Free Trade Agreement textile safeguards section of the Office of Textile and Apparel (OTEXA) Web site. The confidential version of the request, responses or rebuttals will not be shared with the public as it may contain business confidential information. Entities submitting responses or rebuttals may use the public version of the request as a basis for responses.

When an interested party files a request for a textile and apparel safeguard action with CITA, ten copies of any such request must be provided in a paper format. If business confidential information is provided, two copies of a non-confidential version must also be provided. If CITA determines that the request provides the necessary information to be considered, it publishes a Federal Register notice seeking public comments on the request. To the extent business confidential information is provided, a non-confidential version must also be provided. Any interested party may submit information to rebut, clarify, or correct public comments submitted by any interested party.

OMB Control Number: 0625-0266.

Form Number(s): None.

Type of Review: Regular submission.

Affected Public: Individuals or households; business or other for-profit organizations.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 6 (1 for Request; 5 for Comments).

Estimated Time per Response: 4 hours for a Request; and 4 hours for each Comment.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 24.

Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $960.

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden (including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

Scope of the Order

The merchandise covered by this order is certain preserved mushrooms from India. The product is currently classified under subheadings: 2003.10.0127, 2003.10.0131, 2003.10.0137, 2003.10.0143, 2003.10.0147, 2003.10.0153, 0711.51.0000, 0711.90.4000, 2003.10.0027, 2003.10.0031, 2003.10.0037, 2003.10.0043 and 2003.10.0047 of the Harmonized Tariff System of the United States (HTSUS). Although the HTSUS subheadings are provided for convenience and customs purposes, the written description of merchandise subject to the scope is dispositive.2

Scope of the Order

The merchandise subject to the order is SSB. The SSB subject to the order is currently classifiable under subheadings 7222.1000, 7222.1100, 7222.1900, 7222.2000, 7222.3000 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS). While the HTSUS subheadings are provided for convenience and customs purposes, the written description is dispositive. A full description of the scope of the order is contained in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.1

The Department conducted this review in accordance with section 751(a)(2) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act). Constructed export price and export price are calculated in accordance with section 772 of the Act. Normal value is calculated in accordance with section 773 of the Act. For a full description of the methodology underlying our conclusions, see Preliminary Decision Memorandum. The Preliminary Decision Memorandum is a public document and is made available to the public via Enforcement and Compliance's Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Centralized Electronic Service System (ACCESS). ACCESS is available to registered users at http://access.trade.gov and is available to all parties in the Central Records Unit, room B8024 of the main Department of Commerce building. In addition, a complete version of the Preliminary Decision Memorandum can be found at http://enforcement.trade.gov/frn/index.html. The signed Preliminary Decision Memorandum and the electronic version of the Preliminary Decision Memorandum are identical in content. A list of the topics discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum is attached as an Appendix to this notice.

As a result of this review, we preliminarily determine that a weighted-average dumping margin of 0.00 percent exists for Villares for the period February 1, 2014, through January 31, 2015.

We intend to disclose the calculations performed to parties in this proceeding within five days of the date of publication of this notice in accordance with 19 CFR 351.224(b). Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.309(c), interested parties may submit case briefs not later than 30 days after the date of publication of this notice. Rebuttal briefs, limited to issues raised in the case briefs, may be filed not later than five days after the date for filing case briefs.2 Parties who submit case briefs or rebuttal briefs in this proceeding are encouraged to submit with each argument: (1) A statement of the issue; (2) a brief summary of the argument; and (3) a table of authorities.3

Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.310(c), interested parties who wish to request a hearing, must submit a written request to the Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance, filed electronically via ACCESS. An electronically filed document must be received successfully in its entirety by the Department's electronic records system, ACCESS, by 5 p.m. Eastern Time within 30 days after the date of publication of this notice.4 Requests should contain: (1) The party's name, address and telephone number; (2) the number of participants; and (3) a list of issues to be discussed. Issues raised in the hearing will be limited to those raised in the respective case briefs. The Department intends to issue the final results of this administrative review, including the results of its analysis of the issues raised in any written briefs, not later than 120 days after the date of publication of this notice, unless extended, pursuant to section 751(a)(3)(A) of the Act.

Upon completion of the administrative review, the Department shall determine and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) shall assess antidumping duties on all appropriate entries. If Villares' weighted-average dumping margin is above de minimis in the final results of this review, we will calculate an importer-specific assessment rate on the basis of the ratio of the total amount of antidumping duties calculated for each importer's examined sales and the total entered value of the sales in accordance with 19 CFR 351.212(b)(1). If Villares' weighted-average dumping margin continues to be zero or de minimis in the final results of review, we will instruct CBP not to assess duties on any of its entries in accordance with the Final Modification for Reviews, i.e., {w}here the weighted-average margin of dumping for the exporter is determined to be zero or de minimis, no antidumping duties will be assessed.” 5

For entries of subject merchandise during the POR produced by Villares for which they did not know their merchandise was destined for the United States, we will instruct CBP to liquidate unreviewed entries at the all-others rate if there is no rate for the intermediate company(ies) involved in the transaction. We intend to issue instructions to CBP 15 days after publication of the final results of this review.

The following deposit requirements will be effective upon publication of the notice of final results of administrative review for all shipments of SSB from Brazil entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after the date of publication as provided by section 751(a)(2) of the Act: (1) The cash deposit rate for Villares will be the rate established in the final results of this administrative review; (2) for merchandise exported by manufacturers or exporters not covered in this review but covered in a prior segment of the proceeding, the cash deposit rate will continue to be the company-specific rate published for the most recent period; (3) if the exporter is not a firm covered in this review, a prior review, or the original investigation but the manufacturer is, the cash deposit rate will be the rate established for the most recent period for the manufacturer of the merchandise; (4) the cash deposit rate for all other manufacturers or exporters will continue to be 19.43 percent, the all-others rate established in the Notice of Final Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value: Stainless Steel Bar From Brazil, 59 FR 66914 (December 28, 1994). These cash deposit requirements, when imposed, shall remain in effect until further notice.

This notice serves as a preliminary reminder to importers of their responsibility under 19 CFR 351.402(f)(2) to file a certificate regarding the reimbursement of antidumping duties prior to liquidation of the relevant entries during this review period. Failure to comply with this requirement could result in the Secretary's presumption that reimbursement of antidumping duties occurred and the subsequent assessment of double antidumping duties.

We are issuing and publishing these results in accordance with sections 751(a)(1) and 777(i)(1) of the Act.

Scope of the Order

The product covered by this order is prestressed concrete steel rail tie wire. This product is classified under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) subheading7217.10.8045, but may also be classified under subheadings 7217.10.7000, 7217.10.8025, 7217.10.8030, 7217.10.8090, 7217.10.9000, 7229.90.1000, 7229.90.5016, 7229.90.5031, 7229.90.5051, 7229.90.9000, and 7312.10.3012. Although the HTSUS subheadings are provided for convenience and customs purposes, the written description of the scope of the order is dispositive.1

The Department is conducting this review in accordance with section 751(a)(1)(B) and (2) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act). Constructed export price is calculated in accordance with section 772 of the Act. NV is calculated in accordance with section 773 of the Act. For a full description of the methodology underlying our conclusions, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum, which is hereby adopted by this notice. The Preliminary Decision Memorandum is a public document and is on file electronically via Enforcement and Compliance's Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Centralized Electronic Service System (ACCESS). ACCESS is available to registered users at http://access.trade.gov, and to all parties in the Central Records Unit, room B8024 of the main Department of Commerce building. In addition, a complete version of the Preliminary Decision Memorandum can be accessed at http://enforcement.trade.gov/frn/. The signed Preliminary Decision Memorandum and the electronic version of the Preliminary Decision Memorandum are identical in content. A list of the topics discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum is attached as an Appendix to this notice.

As a result of this review, the Department preliminarily determines that a weighted-average dumping margin of 6.33 percent exists for Camesa for the period December 12, 2013, through May 31, 2015.

We intend to disclose to interested parties the calculations performed in connection with these preliminary results within five days of the date of publication of this notice in accordance with 19 CFR 351.224(b).

Interested parties may submit case briefs not later than 30 days after the date of publication of this notice.3 Rebuttal briefs, limited to issues raised in the case briefs, may be filed not later than five days after the date for filing case briefs.4 Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.309(c)(2) and (d)(2), parties who submit case briefs or rebuttal briefs in this proceeding are encouraged to submit with each argument: (1) A statement of the issue; (2) a brief summary of the argument; and (3) a table of authorities.

Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.310(c), interested parties who wish to request a hearing must submit a written request to the Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance within 30 days after the date of publication of this notice. Requests should contain: (1) The party's name, address, and telephone number; (2) the number of participants; and (3) a list of issues parties intend to discuss. Issues raised in the hearing will be limited to those raised in the respective case and rebuttal briefs. If a request for a hearing is made, the Department intends to hold the hearing at the U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230, at a time and date to be determined. See 19 CFR 351.310(d). Parties should confirm by telephone the date, time, and location of the hearing two days before the scheduled date.

The Department intends to issue the final results of this administrative review, including the results of its analysis of issues raised in any written briefs, not later than 120 days after the date of publication of this notice, unless the deadline is extended.5

Upon completion of the administrative review, the Department shall determine, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) shall assess, antidumping duties on all appropriate entries covered by this review.6

We calculated importer-specific ad valorem duty assessment rates based on the ratio of the total amount of antidumping duties calculated for the examined sales to the total entered value of the examined sales to that importer. We will instruct CBP to assess antidumping duties on all appropriate entries covered by this review when the importer-specific assessment rate calculated in the final results of this review is above de minimis. Where either the respondent's weighted-average dumping margin is zero or de minimis, or the importer-specific assessment rate is zero or de minimis, we will instruct CBP to liquidate the appropriate entries without regard to antidumping duties.7

We intend to issue instructions to CBP 41 days after the date of publication of the final results of this review.

The following cash deposit requirements will be effective for all shipments of the subject merchandise entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after the publication date of the final results of this administrative review, as provided by section 751(a)(2)(C) of the Act: (1) The cash deposit rate for Camesa will be the rate established in the final results of this review, except if the rate is de minimis within the meaning of 19 CFR 351.106(c)(1) (i.e., less than 0.50 percent), in which case the cash deposit rate will be zero; (2) for previously reviewed or investigated companies not participating in this review, the cash deposit rate will continue to be the company-specific rate published for the most recent period; (3) if the exporter is not a firm covered in this review, a prior review, or the original investigation, but the manufacturer is, the cash deposit rate will be the rate established for the most recent period for the manufacturer of the merchandise; and (4) the cash deposit rate for all other manufacturers or exporters will continue to be 9.99 percent, the all-others rate established in the less-than-fair-value investigation.8 These requirements, when imposed, shall remain in effect until further notice.

This notice serves as a preliminary reminder to importers of their responsibility under 19 CFR 351.402(f)(2) to file a certificate regarding the reimbursement of antidumping duties prior to liquidation of the relevant entries during this POR. Failure to comply with this requirement could result in the Department's presumption that reimbursement of antidumping duties occurred and the subsequent assessment of doubled antidumping duties.

We are issuing and publishing these results in accordance with sections 751(a)(1) and 777(i)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.221(b)(4).

I. Abstract

This request is for a revision and extension to the existing reporting requirements approved under OMB Control Number 0648-0204, West Coast Region Family of Forms. The West Coast Region (WCR) Permits Office administers permits required for persons to participate in Federally-managed fisheries off the West Coast under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management act, 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. There are three types of permits: Basic fishery permits for Highly Migratory Species (HMS), limited entry permits for Coastal Pelagic Species (CPS), and experimental fishing permits (EFP). The WCR Permits Office proposes to revise one permit within the collection of information approved under OMB Control Number 0648-0204.

Currently, under 50 CFR part 660.707, HMS permits are issued to vessels that fish for HMS off or land HMS in the States of California, Oregon, and Washington. Permits are issued for a 2-year term and remain valid until the first date of renewal. The Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) adopted amended Resolution C-11-06 which requires a vessel on the IATTC regional vessel registry to add a photograph of the vessel showing its identifying vessel markings. NMFS proposed to revise OMB Control Number 0648-0204 to require new and renewing applicants to submit a vessel photo with their application. Owners can email or mail photographs to the Long Beach Permits Office, which in turn will be submitted to the IATTC vessel database manager. Online submission option is expected to be available through the National Permits System (NPS) by 2016 year-end.

NMFS estimates this revision could affect up to 1639 respondents, which is the total number of permitted HMS vessels. Currently, HMS renewal forms are mailed to permit holders within 60 days prior to expiration. To reduce the expected burden from photo submission, pre-filled renewal forms with basic data will substitute the current renewal application. Forms can be completed by signing and dating a statement of acknowledgement that all current information is correct.

The basic information collected from applicants will remain the same. There will be minimal expected public burden to submit photographs, which will not apply after the initial photo is submitted. There will be no additional burden beyond the estimated application processing time or recordkeeping/reporting costs.

Forms are available on the Internet; paper applications are also available and may be submitted by mail to the Long Beach Permits Office. In addition, an online submission option is available for Highly Migratory Species through the National Permits System.

OMB Control Number: 0648-0204.

Form Number(s): None.

Type of Review: Regular submission (revision and extension of a current information collection).

Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 1,475 (HMS), 65 (CPS).

Estimated Time per Response: HMS permit renewal applications, 3 minutes; CPS transfers, 15 minutes; new HMS permits, 60 minutes; photo requirement, 30 minutes; additional information (when requested) for the CPS fishery, 1 hour; appeals, 2 hours.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 206.

Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $21,024.

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden (including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

This request is for a new information collection.

NOAA Fisheries utilizes observers to collect information on catch, bycatch, fishing efforts, biological characteristics, interactions with protected species, and socioeconomic information from United States (U.S.) commercial fishing and processing vessels. More information on the observer population is needed to support the Agency's conservation and management goals, to strengthen and improve fishery management decision-making, and to satisfy legal mandates under the Reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA), the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA), the Endangered Species Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Executive Order 12866 (EO 12866), and other pertinent statutes.

The National Observer Program (NOP) is conducting a survey of fishery observers in order to investigate incentives and disincentives for remaining an observer and to identify their subsequent career choices. The data will be used by the NOP and regional observer programs to improve observer recruitment and retention rates. The survey results will be used by regional program managers to evaluate current observer provider contract requirements to increase observer retention. With a greater understanding of these data observer retention may increase as a result of improved recruitment for observers. Improved retention of qualified and experienced observers is expected to reduce training efforts and costs, and improve data quality. Observers are often the only independent data collection source for federal agency and scientists to collect at-sea data and are crucial in fishery management.

Data will be collected via an electronic voluntary survey. We plan to distribute approximately 2000 surveys to the universe of active and former observers. The data will be collected anonymously and will not be released for public use, except in aggregate without identification as to its source.

OMB Control Number: 0648-XXXX.

Form Number(s): None.

Type of Review: Regular (request for a new information collection).

Affected Public: Individuals or households.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 600.

Estimated Time per Response: 10 minutes.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 100.

Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0 in recordkeeping/reporting costs.

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden (including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

Need for Correction

The original notice (March 1, 2016; 81 FR 10593) contained the wrong docket identifier number and hyperlink to the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal for electronic submission of public comments. This correction changes the hyperlink and docket identifier number. This document corrects the ADDRESSES section so that all interested parties have the necessary information pertaining to the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal for electronic submission of public comments. In addition, we've included the new ADDRESSES section above, for clarity.

In a Notice published on March 1, 2016 (81 FR 10593), on page 10593, please make the following correction: In the second and third column, the first paragraph and first two bulleted items under the ADDRESSES heading are corrected to read as follows:

• Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2016-0022, click the “Comment Now!” icon, complete the required fields, and enter or attach your comments. EFP applications will be available under Relevant Documents through the same link.

• Mail: Attn: Chris Fanning, NMFS West Coast Region, 501 W. Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802. Include the identifier “NOAA-NMFS-2016-0022” in the comments.”

I. Abstract

This request is for extension of a currently approved information collection.

The Magnuson-Stevens Act (16 U.S.C. 1801) provides that the Secretary of Commerce is responsible for the conservation and management of marine fisheries resources in Exclusive Economic Zone (3-200 miles) of the United States (U.S.). NOAA Fisheries, Northwest Region manages the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) off Washington, Oregon, and California under the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan. The regulations implementing the Pacific Groundfish Fishery require that those vessels participating in the limited entry fishery to be registered to a valid limited entry permit. Participation in the fishery and access to a limited entry permit has been restricted to control the overall harvest capacity.

NOAA Fisheries seeks comment on the extension of permit information collections required for: (1) Renewal and transfer of Pacific Coast Groundfish limited entry permits; (2) implementation of certain provisions of the sablefish permit stacking program as provided for at 50 CFR 660.231 and 660.25; and (3) issuing and fulfilling the terms and conditions of certain exempted fishing permits (EFPs).

The regulations implementing the limited entry program are found at 50 CFR part 660, subpart G.

Also, NOAA Fisheries requires an information collection to implement certain aspects of the sablefish permit stacking program which prevents excessive fleet consolidation. As part of the annual renewal process, NOAA Fisheries requires a corporation or partnership that owns or holds (as vessel owner) a sablefish endorsed permit to provide a complete ownership interest form listing all individuals with ownership interest in the entity. Similarly, any sablefish endorsed permit transfer involving registration of a business entity requires an ownership interest form if either the permit owner or vessel owner is a corporation or partnership. This information is used to determine if individuals own or hold sablefish permits in excess of the limit of 3 permits. Also, for transfer requests made during the sablefish primary season (April 1st through October 31st), the permit owner is required to report the remaining tier pounds not yet harvested on the sablefish endorsed permit at the time of transfer.

Applicants for an exempted fishing permit (EFP) must submit written information that allows NOAA Fisheries and the Pacific Fishery Management Council to evaluate the proposed exempted fishing project activities and weigh the benefits and costs of the proposed activities. The Council makes a recommendation on each EFP application and for successful applicants, NOAA Fisheries issues the EFPs which contains terms and conditions for the project including various reporting requirements. The information included in an application is specified at 50 CFR 600.745(b)(2) and the Council Operating Procedure #19. Permit holders are required to file preseason harvest plans, interim and/or final summary reports on the results of the project and in some cases individual vessels and other permit holders are required to provide data reports (logbooks and/or catch reports The results of EFPs are commonly used to explore ways to reduce effort on depressed stocks, encourage innovation and efficiency in the fishery, provide access to constrained stocks which directly measuring the bycatch associated with such strategies and evaluate/revise current and proposed management measures.

Renewal forms are mailed to all permit owners and they must submit by mail or in person. Ownership interest forms and permit transfer forms are available from the region's Web site but must be submitted to NOAA Fisheries by mail or in person. Applications for an exempted fishing permit must be submitted in a written format. The exempted fishing permit data reports may be submitted in person, faxed, submitted by telephone or emailed by the monitor, plant manager, vessel owner or operator to NOAA Fisheries or the states of Washington, Oregon, or California.

OMB Control Number: 0648-0203.

Form Number: None.

Type of Review: Regular submission (extension of a currently approved collection).

Affected Public: Non-profit institutions, State, local, or tribal government; business or other for-profit organizations.

Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 536.

Estimated Time per Response: Permit renewals, 20 minutes; Permit transfers, 30 minutes; Sablefish ownership interest form, 10 minutes ; EFP Applications, 32 hours; EFP Trip Notifications 2 minutes; EFP Harvest Plans: 16 hours; EFP Data Reports: 2 hours;; EFP Summary Reports: interim report, 4 hours; final report, 20 hours.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 983.

Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $56,247.

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden (including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

On August 12, 2015, NMFS published a Notice of Intent to prepare a Programmatic Environmental Assessment on the Issuance of Incidental Take Authorizations in Cook Inlet, Alaska in 2016 (80 FR 48299), to help NMFS assess the effects of multiple one-year incidental take authorizations and consider mitigation and monitoring measures in the context of the multiple activities. In furtherance of that goal NMFS requested applicants for ITAs to submit their applications by October 1 of the year preceding the requested ITA year. NMFS received applications for ITAs from ExxonMobil Alaska LNG LLC (see 81 FR 6376, February 5, 2016) (Notice of Proposed Incidental Harassment Authorization); SAExploration Inc.; and BlueCrest Alaska Operating LLC. Potential impacts from these actions are assessed in the Draft EA available at the above web address.

On February 5, 2016, NMFS published a Proposed Issuance of an Incidental Take Authorization for ExxonMobil Alaska LNG LLC (see 81 FR 6376, February 5, 2016), which stated that the Draft EA would be available for review concurrently with the proposed Authorization. The Draft EA was not available for the majority of the public comment period of the proposed Authorization. Due to the delay in making the Draft EA publically available, NMFS will be accepting public comment on the Draft EA until March 28, 2016.

This request is for extension of a current information collection.

Participants in most Federally-managed fisheries in the Southeast Region are currently required to keep and submit catch and effort logbooks from their fishing trips. A subset of these vessels also provide information on the species and quantities of fish, shellfish, marine turtles, and marine mammals that are caught and discarded or have interacted with the vessel's fishing gear. A subset of these vessels also provide information about dockside prices, trip operating costs, and annual fixed costs.

The data are used for scientific analyses that support critical conservation and management decisions made by national and international fishery management organizations. Interaction reports are needed for fishery management planning and to help protect endangered species and marine mammals. Price and cost data will be used in analyses of the economic effects of proposed regulations.

The information is submitted on paper forms. Logbooks are completed daily and submitted on either a by trip or monthly basis, depending on the fishery. Fixed costs are submitted on an annual basis. Other information is submitted on a trip basis.

OMB Control Number: 0648-0016.

Form Number(s): None.

Type of Review: Regular submission (extension of a current information collection).

Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations; individuals or households.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 3,634.

Estimated Time per Response: Annual fixed-cost reports, 30 minutes; Colombian fishery logbooks, 18 minutes; discard logbooks, 15 minutes; headboat, golden crab, reef fish-mackerel, economic cost/trip, wreckfish, and shrimp logbooks, 10 minutes; no-fishing responses for golden crab, reef fish-mackerel, charterboat, wreckfish and Colombian fisheries, 2 minutes.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 17,038.

Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0 in recordkeeping/reporting costs.

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden (including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

NTIA's BroadbandUSA program provides expert advice and field-proven tools for assessing broadband adoption, planning new infrastructure and engaging a wide range of partners in broadband projects. BroadbandUSA convenes workshops on a regular basis to bring stakeholders together to discuss ways to improve broadband policies, share best practices, and connect communities to other federal agencies and funding sources for the purpose of expanding broadband infrastructure and adoption throughout America's communities.

The Community Connectivity Initiative is a recommendation of the Broadband Opportunity Council, an inter-agency working group established by the White House in 2015 “to use all available and appropriate authorities to: Identify and address regulatory barriers that may unduly impede either wired broadband deployment or the infrastructure to augment wireless broadband deployment; encourage further public and private investment in broadband networks and services; promote the adoption and meaningful use of broadband technology; and otherwise encourage or support broadband deployment, competition, and adoption in ways that promote the public interest.”

The workshop and webinars will be open to the public and press. Space is limited and available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Online registration is available for both the in-person workshop on March 22, 2016, and the webinars on March 24, 2016, and April 12, 2016, at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/community-connectivity-workshop-tickets-22458391654. NTIA asks registrants to provide their first and last names and email addresses for both registration purposes and to receive any updates on the Community Connectivity Initiative. If capacity for the workshop is reached, NTIA will maintain a waiting list and will inform those on the waiting list if space becomes available. Additional information about these events as well as meeting updates, changes in the agenda, if any, and relevant documents will be available on NTIA's Web site at https://www.ntia.doc.gov/other-publication/2016/nwcommunityinitiativeworkshop.

The workshop and webinars are accessible to people with disabilities. Individuals requiring accommodations, such as language interpretation or other ancillary aids, are asked to notify Barbara Brown at the contact information listed above at least five (5) business days before the meeting.

The USPTO is giving notice of proposed revisions to the Agency's Prefatory Statement of General Routine Uses. The revisions update the language in multiple uses to remove outdated references and terms, restructure existing uses for clarity and brevity, and add routine uses designed to cover new technological uses (e.g. disclosures following system data breaches) and relevant uses not present in the previous prefatory statement (e.g. disclosures to state bar organizations). The following routine uses apply to, and are incorporated by reference into, each system of records utilized by the United States Patent and Trademark Office that is created or revised following the publication of this notice.

A record from the referencing system of records may be disclosed, as a routine use, to:

1. A Federal, state, local, or foreign agency in the event that the system of records indicates a violation or potential violation of law, whether civil, criminal, or regulatory in nature, and whether arising by (1) general statute or particular program statute or contract, (2) rule, regulation, or order issued pursuant thereto, or (3) the necessity to protect an interest of the Agency. The agency receiving the record(s) must be charged with the responsibility of investigating or prosecuting such violations or with enforcing or implementing the statute, rule, regulation, or order issued pursuant thereto, or protecting the interest of the Agency.

2. A Federal, state or local agency maintaining civil, criminal, or other relevant enforcement information or other pertinent information, such as current licenses, if necessary to obtain information relevant to an Agency decision concerning (1) the assignment, hiring, or retention of an individual, (2) the issuance of a security clearance, (3) the letting of a contract, or (4) the issuance of a license, grant, or other benefit.

3. A court, magistrate, or administrative tribunal during the course of presenting evidence, including disclosures to opposing counsel or witnesses in the course of civil discovery, litigation, or settlement negotiations.

4. A Member of Congress or staff acting upon the Member's behalf when the Member or staff requests the information on behalf of, and at the request of, the individual who is the subject of the record.

5. The medical advisor of any individual who submits a request for access to a record which contains medical information under the Act and 37 CFR part 102 Subpart B if, in the sole judgment of the Agency, disclosure would not have an adverse effect upon the individual, under the provision of 5 U.S.C. 552a(f)(3) and implementing regulations at 37 CFR part 102 Subpart B.

6. Professional organizations or associations with which individuals covered by this system of records may be affiliated, such as state bar disciplinary authorities, to meet their responsibilities in connection with the administration and maintenance of standards of conduct and discipline.

7. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB), in connection with the review of private relief legislation as set forth in OMB Circular No. A-19 at any stage of the legislative coordination and clearance process.

8. The Department of Justice (DOJ), in connection with determining whether disclosure thereof is required by the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552).

9. Contractors, agents, grantees, experts, consultants, and others performing or working on a contract, service, grant, cooperative agreement, or other work assignment for the Agency who have need for information from the system of records:

a. In the course of operating or administrating the system of records;

b. In the course of fulfilling an agency function, but only to the extent necessary to fulfill that function; or

c. In order to fulfill their contract(s), but who do not operate the system of records within the meaning of 5 U.S.C. 552a(m).

10. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM), for personnel research purposes, as a data source for management information, for the production of summary descriptive statistics and analytical studies in support of the function for which the records are collected and maintained, or for related manpower studies.

11. The Administrator of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), or said administrator's designee, during an inspection of records conducted by NARA as part of that agency's responsibility to recommend improvements in records management practices and programs, under authority of 44 U.S.C. 2904 and 2906. Such disclosure shall be made in accordance with NARA regulations governing inspection of records for this purpose, and any other relevant directive. Such disclosure shall not be used to make determinations about individuals.

12. Appropriate agencies, entities, or persons when (1) the Agency suspects or has confirmed that the security or confidentiality of the information in the system of records has been compromised; (2) the Agency has determined that, as a result of the suspected or confirmed compromise, there is a risk of harm to economic or property interests, identity theft or fraud, or harm to the security or integrity of this system or other systems or programs (whether maintained by the Agency or another agency or entity) that rely upon the compromised information; and (3) such disclosure is reasonably necessary to assist in connection with the Agency's efforts to respond to the suspected or confirmed compromise and prevent, minimize, or remedy such harm.

13. Any component of the Department of Justice for the purpose of representing the Agency, or any employee of the Agency, in pending or potential litigation to which the record is pertinent.

I. Background

Section 2 of the CUAC Charter provides: “Pursuant to the executive and administrative powers conferred on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB or Bureau) by Section 1012 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act), the Director established the Credit Union Advisory Council to consult with the Bureau in the exercise of its functions under the federal consumer financial laws as they pertain to credit unions with total assets of $10 billion or less.”

Section 3 of the CUAC Charter states: “(a) The CFPB supervises depository institutions and credit unions with total assets of more than $10 billion and their respective affiliates, but other than the limited authority conferred by § 1026 of the Dodd-Frank Act, the CFPB does not have supervisory authority regarding credit unions and depository institutions with total assets of $10 billion or less. As a result, the CFPB does not have regular contact with these institutions, and it would therefore be beneficial to create a mechanism to ensure that their unique perspectives are shared with the Bureau. Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act (SBREFA) panels provide one avenue to gather this input, but participants from credit unions must possess no more than $175 million in assets, which precludes the participation of many. (b) The Advisory Council shall fill this gap by providing an interactive dialogue and exchange of ideas and experiences between credit union employees and Bureau staff. (c) The Advisory Council shall advise generally on the Bureau's regulation of consumer financial products or services and other topics assigned to it by the Director. To carry out the Advisory Council's purpose, the scope of its activities shall include providing information, analysis, and recommendations to the Bureau. The output of Advisory Council meetings should serve to better inform the CFPB's policy development, rulemaking, and engagement functions.”

The Credit Union Advisory Council will discuss the CFPB strategic outlook and elder financial abuse. Persons who need a reasonable accommodation to participate should contact [email protected], 202-435-9EEO, 1-855-233-0362, or 202-435-9742 (TTY) at least ten business days prior to the meeting or event to request assistance. The request must identify the date, time, location, and title of the meeting or event, the nature of the assistance requested, and contact information for the requester. CFPB will strive to provide, but cannot guarantee that accommodation will be provided for late requests.

Individuals who wish to attend the Credit Union Advisory Council meeting must RSVP to [email protected] by noon, Wednesday, March 23, 2016. Members of the public must RSVP by the due date and must include “CUAC” in the subject line of the RSVP.

The Council's agenda will be made available to the public on Wednesday, March 9, 2016, via consumerfinance.gov. Individuals should express in their RSVP if they require a paper copy of the agenda.

A recording and transcript of this meeting will be available after the meeting on the CFPB's Web site consumerfinance.gov.

Title of Collection: Equal Access to Justice Act.

OMB Control Number: 3170-0040.

Type of Review: Extension without change of a currently approved collection.

Affected Public: Individuals or households.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 3.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 15.

Abstract: The Equal Access to Justice Act (the Act) provides for payment of fees and expenses to eligible parties who have prevailed against the Bureau in certain administrative proceedings. In order to obtain an award, the statute and associated regulations (12 CFR part 1071) require the filing of an application that shows that the party is a prevailing party and is eligible to receive an award under the Act. The Bureau regulations implementing the Act require the collection of information related to the application for an award in 12 CFR part 1071, subparts B, C.

Request for Comments: Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Bureau, including whether the information will have practical utility; (b) The accuracy of the Bureau's estimate of the burden of the collection of information, including the validity of the methods and the assumptions used; (c) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) Ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized and/or included in the request for OMB approval. All comments will become a matter of public record.

Title of Collection: Policy to Encourage Trial Disclosure Programs; Information Collection.

OMB Control Number: 3170-0039.

Type of Review: Extension without change of an existing information collection.

Affected Public: Businesses and other for-profit entities.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 10.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 100.

Abstract: In subsection 1032(e) of the Dodd-Frank Act, 12 U.S.C. 5532(e), Congress gave the Bureau authority to provide certain legal protections to companies to conduct trial disclosure programs. This authority can be used to help further the Bureau's statutory objective, stated in subsection 1021(b)(5) of the Act, to “facilitate access and innovation” in the “markets for consumer financial products and services.” There are two main purposes for the use of these eligibility criteria. First, the specific criteria are intended to help the Bureau identify trial disclosure proposals that hold the potential to demonstrate improvements in disclosure to consumers, while controlling appropriately for risks to consumers. Second, by using standardized criteria across all submitters, the Bureau will be better placed to assess the merits of different proposals relative to each other.

Request for Comments: Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Bureau, including whether the information will have practical utility; (b) The accuracy of the Bureau's estimate of the burden of the collection of information, including the validity of the methods and the assumptions used; (c) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) Ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized and/or included in the request for OMB approval. All comments will become a matter of public record.

Title of Collection: Generic Information Collection Plan for Qualitative Consumer Education and Engagement Information Collections.

OMB Control Number: 3170-0036.

Type of Review: Extension without change of a currently approved collection.

Affected Public: Individual or households; State, Local, or Tribal governments; Private Sector.

Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 4,000.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 2,000.

Abstract: Under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, Public Law 111-203, Section 1013(d), the Bureau's Office of Financial Education is responsible for developing and implementing initiatives intended to educate and empower consumers to make better informed financial decisions. The Bureau seeks to obtain approval of a generic information collection plan to collect qualitative data on effective strategies and consumer experiences from both financial education practitioners and consumers through a variety of methods, including in-person meetings, interviews, focus groups, qualitative surveys, online discussion forums, social media polls, and other qualitative methods as necessary. The information collected through these processes will increase the Bureau's understanding of consumers' financial experiences, financial education and empowerment programs, and practices that can improve financial decision-making skills and outcomes for consumers. This information will also enable the Bureau to better communicate to consumers about the availability of Bureau tools and resources that consumers can use to make better informed financial decisions.

Request for Comments: Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Bureau, including whether the information will have practical utility; (b) The accuracy of the Bureau's estimate of the burden of the collection of information, including the validity of the methods and the assumptions used; (c) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) Ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized and/or included in the request for OMB approval. All comments will become a matter of public record.

Title of Collection: Consumer Attitudes, Understanding, and Behaviors with Respect to Financial Services and Products.

OMB Control Number: 3170-0034.

Type of Review: Extension with change of a currently approved collection.

Affected Public: Individuals or households.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 5,000.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,500.

Abstract: This information collection helps the Bureau establish a public opinion survey to measure and track consumer attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors as they navigate financial decisions. In this regard, it helps the Bureau target its efforts and those of its partners to those areas that will have the most impact on both consumers and financial markets.

Request for Comments: The Bureau issued a 60-day Federal Register notice on December 7, 2015(80 FR 75999). Comments were solicited and continue to be invited on: (a) Whether the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Bureau, including whether the information will have practical utility; (b) The accuracy of the Bureau's estimate of the burden of the collection of information, including the validity of the methods and the assumptions used; (c) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) Ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized and/or included in the request for OMB approval. All comments will become a matter of public record.

Authorization: This Feasibility Study was authorized by the House Public Works and Transportation Committee Resolution adopted April 30,1992 which states: “Resolved by the Committee on Public Works and Transportation of the United States House of Representatives, that in accordance with Section 110 of the River and Harbor Act of 1962, the Secretary of the Army, acting through the Chief of Engineers, is requested to investigate the feasibility of providing shore protection improvements along the shores of the City of Oceanside, San Diego County, California, in the interest of shoreline protection and storm damage reduction and other related purposes.”

Specific language was included in the Water Resources Development Act of 2000 (WRDA 2000) directing the Corps of Engineers to undertake a study of how to mitigate erosion and other impacts caused by the construction of Camp Pendleton Harbor, and restore beaches to pre-construction conditions at full Federal expense. The authority states, “Not later than 32 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall conduct a study, at Federal expense, of plans (1) to mitigate for the erosion and other impacts resulting from the construction of Camp Pendleton Harbor, Oceanside, California, as a wartime measure; and (2) to restore beach conditions along the affected public and private shores to the conditions that existed before the construction of Camp Pendleton Harbor.” This authority was amended in WRDA 2007 to extend the study to 44 months.

Study Area: The study area extends approximately 15 miles along the coast, from about 9 miles north of the Oceanside Harbor North Breakwater to the Agua Hedionda Lagoon North Jetty, within the cities of Oceanside and Carlsbad in northwest San Diego County.

Problems and Needs: During the 1880's Oceanside Beach was approximately 90 meters wide. This shoreline width was further advanced in the floods of 1889, 1891, and 1916 bringing large volumes of sediment from the San Luis Rey and Santa Margarita Rivers. The City used the widened beach as a resource, and in 1927 a recreational pier, beachfront, strand, parking lots and houses were constructed in front of the seacliff. During this period a dam was also constructed on the San Luis Rey River to control flooding. At the start of the U.S. involvement in World War II, the U.S. Marine Corps designed and contracted construction of a small boat basin in a narrow lagoon between the Santa Margarita and San Luis Rey Rivers to support an amphibious training base. This included four jetties, which were later extended. Another dam was constructed on the Santa Margarita River to control flooding in 1949.

The presence of the coastal structures, such as jetties and breakwaters, has resulted in the disruption of sediment transport, creating a variety of localized shoreline effects. Sediment tends to accumulate at the beach north of the harbor, within the harbor entrance, and south of the harbor south jetty. However, erosion tends to occur south of the harbor. Damages reported by residents consist mainly of inundation damages and damages to revetment. These damages occur when storm wave conditions coincide with high tidal elevations, storm surges, or increased ENSO (El Niño Southern Oscillation) water levels which cause elevated sea surfaces and higher wave run-up elevations. The majority of damages in Oceanside occurred during storms in 1977-1978, 1982-83, 1988, 1993-1994, and 1997-1998. In addition to high waves and water surface elevations, damage is enabled by shoreline erosion and beach retreat exposing structures to wave attack. Oceanside has historically experienced a narrow beach, but has recently undergone accelerated erosion. A large volume of material has been placed back on the beach during construction and maintenance dredging, but a deficit in sand for the beach still exists. The average rate of recession near Oceanside Beach from 1940-1999 is approximately 3.5 ft./yr. Studies have shown that problems are caused by a combination of measures in the nearby rivers (including flood control measures and sand mining), which reduces sediment nourishment, along with the construction of the harbor, which limits longshore sediment transport. In 1974, the USACE issued a position paper on beach erosion that tentatively indicated that the harbor was the primary cause of erosion. A Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS was originally published in the Federal Register on May 31, 2002. The Los Angeles District has elected to republish and to hold a new public Scoping Meeting to allow members of the public to provide input into the scoping of the proposed EIS and the alternatives formulation process.

Proposed Action and Alternatives: The Feasibility Study will focus on the problems and needs caused by beach erosion. In general, alternative plans will focus on reducing the beach erosion and improving sand accumulation through either construction or management project features such as groins, reefs, and/or beach nourishment.

The primary undesirable impacts of concern from any of the alternatives will likely be related to temporary turbidity and displacement of sand dwelling organisms and their predators. These will be addressed in the study as part of the plan formulation of the Feasibility Study, and potential impacts will be analyzed in the DEIS.

Previous Actions: Annual maintenance dredging of the entrance into Oceanside Harbor with placement on area beaches south of the San Luis Rey River.

Scoping: Participation of all interested Federal, State, and County agencies; groups with environmental interests; and any interested individuals is encouraged. Public involvement will be most beneficial and worthwhile in identifying the scope of pertinent, significant environmental issues to be addressed; identifying and eliminating from detailed study issues that are not significant; offering useful information such as published or unpublished data; providing direct personal experience or knowledge which informs decision making; and recommending suitable mitigation measures to offset potential impacts from the proposed action or alternatives.

Two public scoping meetings will be held in the City of Oceanside on March 17, 2016 at 3:00 and 5:30 p.m. The public scoping meeting will be held at Council Chambers at City Hall; 300 North Coast Highway; Oceanside, CA 92054. The purpose of the scoping meeting will be to gather information from the general public or interested organizations about issues and concerns that they would like to see addressed in the DEIS. Comments may be delivered in writing or verbally at the meeting or sent in writing to the Los Angeles District at the address given above. All comments enter into the public record. Comments should be submitted no later than May 1, 2016.

Availability of the Draft EIS: The Draft EIS is scheduled to be published and circulated in late 2016, and a public hearing to receive comments on the Draft EIS will be held after it is published.

I. Administration of the Challenge Competition

The CTE Makeover Challenge is being conducted by the U.S. Department of Education (Department). Luminary Labs, L.L.C. (Luminary Labs), has been contracted by the Department to assist and support the Department in organizing and managing this competition. Activities conducted by Luminary Labs may also include providing technical assistance to potential entrants, entrants, and schools selected to proceed to the CTE Makeover Bootcamp phase of the Challenge based on the criteria described in the CTE Makeover Eligibility Criteria section of this notice.

CTE is an essential component of developing a more competitive workforce. As technology becomes a critical component of an increasing number of jobs, education providers (or educational institutions) must adapt to prepare students for 21st century careers. Growth industries, including robotics, medical devices, mobile applications, consumer technology, sustainable development, and many more, all point to an increasing need for applied technical learning experiences.

CTE has been an essential part of preparing students to succeed in the workforce for decades. Foundational elements of CTE include hands-on applied learning, technical skills attainment, and employability skills.1 These elements can also be found in “making,” as defined in the SUMMARY section of this notice. Makerspaces, defined in the SUMMARY section of this notice, assist students in learning important employability skills, including problem-solving, critical thinking, planning, and communication. Makerspaces may include electronic components, software, craft materials, tools, and equipment such as 3D Printers, laser cutters, and other computer-guided devices.

This Challenge seeks to reinforce and highlight the common elements in CTE and making, and encourage schools to explore innovative ways to bring the benefits of making to CTE. CTE and making are applied teaching and learning approaches that prepare students with the academic and technical knowledge and skills needed to succeed in education and careers. Making involves higher-order reasoning and problem-solving skills, individual and collaborative project-based learning, and instills the employability and technical skills that are needed in the 21st century workplace, all of which are foundational elements of CTE. CTE and making also bring entrepreneurship to the classroom by inspiring students to take their ideas from concept to reality.

The Challenge invites eligible schools to design makerspaces that strengthen career and technical skills through making.

The Challenge will be conducted in five phases:

(1) The First Round Submission phase;

(2) The CTE Makeover Bootcamp phase;

(3) The Judging and Award phase;

(4) The CTE Makerspace Build-Out phase; and

(5) The CTE Makerspace Showcase phase.

The dates for each of the phases will be determined by the Department and announced on the Challenge Web page.

The five phases in this section are described below.

Schools enter the Challenge by completing the entry submission process on the Challenge Web page. This phase is designed to determine eligibility. Entrants who fulfill the criteria described in the Eligibility section of this notice will be eligible to participate in the CTE Makeover Bootcamp phase of the Challenge.

During the CTE Makeover Bootcamp, experts in the field of making will provide technical assistance to all eligible entrants. Eligible entrants will receive resources to improve and expand upon plans and designs for their makerspaces. At least one informational training Webinar will be held during the CTE Makeover Bootcamp. CTE Makeover Bootcamp participants will be provided access to community engagement tools and sustainability strategies to support build-out efforts and maintain their makerspaces beyond the period of the Challenge. At the completion of the CTE Makeover Bootcamp, entrants will have the option of submitting a second round submission that will include detailed design plans, budgets, and implementation strategies.

Independent Judges will review second round submissions using the criteria in the Award Selection Criteria section of this notice and make recommendations to the Department as to which entrants should receive monetary awards.

Award recipients are strongly encouraged to use their prize money to build their proposed makerspaces during the CTE Makeover Build-Out phase. Award recipients will be required to produce and submit a video on the progress they have made constructing their makerspaces and compile an online portfolio of materials for use in the CTE Makerspace Showcase.

Award recipients will be invited to attend the World Maker Faire in New York City in October 2016 and may use their prize money to attend the event. The Department anticipates presenting CTE Makerspaces at the event and sharing the models of CTE makerspaces resulting from the Challenge.

Program Authority: The goals, purposes, and activities related to the Challenge are authorized by section 114(c)(1) of Perkins IV, 20 U.S.C. 2324(c)(1). Under this section, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education is authorized to carry out research, development, dissemination, evaluation and assessment, capacity building, and technical assistance with regard to CTE programs under Perkins IV. Following the CTE Makeover Challenge, submissions selected as CTE Makerspaces will be disseminated to the public as CTE Makerspace models to inspire others to incorporate making into teaching and learning.

(a) An eligible entrant must be either:

(1) A school that is eligible to receive funds directly under section 3(14)(A) of Perkins IV 2 (e.g. a charter school or area CTE school); or

(2) A school that is eligible to receive funds from an eligible recipient under section 3(14)(A) of Perkins IV (e.g. a local high-school that receives funds from an LEA eligible under section 3(14)(A) of Perkins IV).

(b) Entrants must:

(1) Register on the Challenge Web page (see Additional Terms that are part of the Official Rules, under the General Terms and Conditions in this notice);

(2) Enter a submission on the Challenge Web page according to the rules, terms, and conditions in this notice;

(3) Comply with all requirements on the Challenge Web page and this notice;

(4) Provide affirmation upon submission of an entry for the Challenge that an entrant is eligible under subsection (a) of this section. If selected as an Award Recipient, entrants must provide documentation to demonstrate their eligibility prior to receiving a prize;

(5) Submit signed letters from the entrant's administrator and superintendent approving the entrant's permission to enter the Challenge; and

(6) Agree to—

(i) Assume any and all risks and waive claims against the Federal government and its related entities, except in the case of willful misconduct, for any injury, death, damage, or loss of property, revenue, or profits, whether direct, indirect, or consequential, arising from their participation in the Challenge, whether the injury, death, damage, or loss of property, revenue, or profits, whether direct, indirect, or consequential, arises through negligence or otherwise;

(ii) Indemnify the Federal government against third party claims for damages arising from, or related to, competition activities, patents, copyrights, and trademark infringements; and

(iii) Comply with and abide by the Official Rules, Terms and Conditions in this notice, and the decisions of the Department which shall be final and binding in all respects.

The total prize pool for the Challenge is $200,000. The $200,000 Challenge prize pool will be divided equally and awarded to a maximum of ten award recipients, following the judging of second round submissions.

Prizes awarded under this competition will be paid by electronic funds transfer. Award Recipients are responsible for any applicable local, State, and Federal taxes and reporting that may be required under applicable tax laws.

(a) To participate in the Challenge, an entrant must submit an eligible entry according to the Eligibility section of this notice.

(b) An entrant must complete the entry requirements outlined in the Submission Information section of this notice.

(c) CTE Makeover Bootcamp participants will be chosen based on the extent that their submission provides all of the required information in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section and it is sufficient for the Department to determine their eligibility and intent to participate in the Challenge.

Up to 105 points may be assigned during the judging of the second round submissions based on the criteria in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section.

(a) Judges may assign up to 20 points for each selection criterion during the judging of second round submissions (for a total of up to 100 points) based on the following five selection criteria:

(1) Innovative. The extent that the model of the CTE makerspace described in a submission exhibits novelty or ingenuity, and has the potential to significantly transform current practices in hands-on applied CTE learning, especially in response to economic and systemic constraints;

(2) Replicable. The extent that the model of the CTE makerspace described in the submission—

(i) Is able to be adopted and replicated by other schools, including schools serving low-income communities, based on design, budget, and curriculum, and

(ii) Includes approaches and options that could be used to easily implement the model in schools with limited resources, such as schools serving low-income communities;

(3) Multi-functional. The extent that the model of the CTE makerspace described in the submission has the capacity to be utilized by a broad cross-section of students, including various grade-levels, students with disabilities, multidisciplinary subjects, and CTE programs and skills;

(4) Feasible. The extent that the submission demonstrates the ability of the entrant to successfully implement the model of the CTE makerspace described in the submission within the Challenge timeframe and with its proposed resources including support from the local community and businesses; and

(5) Sustainable. The extent that the model of the CTE makerspace described in the submission demonstrates the capability to sustain the makerspace following the Challenge including administration, maintenance, curricular programming, teacher involvement, and community support while being able to adapt to changing needs and technologies over time.

(b) Judges may assign up to five bonus points during the judging of second round submissions (in addition to a total score of up to 100 points in paragraph (a) of this section, for a total score of up to 105 points) based on the following selection criteria—

Addressing need. The extent to which the student population served by the eligible entity is low-income, as defined by the percentage of students enrolled in free and reduced price lunch programs under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1759), as amended.

(c) The Department will review the recommendations of the judges and may consider additional characteristics when selecting Award Recipients from the top scoring submissions to ensure diverse distribution of awards, including:

(1) School size (number of students),

(2) Percentage of students enrolled in free and reduced price lunch programs under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1759), as amended, and

(3) Geographic location and local population density.

1. To participate in the Challenge, an entrant must—

(a) Register on the Challenge Web page.

(b) Enter the required information on the Challenge Web page submission form.

2. Content and Form of Submission:

To submit an entry to the Challenge, an entrant must complete the submission form on the Challenge Web page.

3. First Round Submission Dates and Times:

The first round submission phase officially begins March 9, 2016 with this announcement of the Challenge and continues to April 1, 2016 at 11:59:59 p.m., Washington, DC time. Luminary Labs is the official timekeeper for the Challenge.

Submissions must be received during the first round submission phase of the Challenge to be eligible. To submit an entry to the Challenge, an entrant must go to the Challenge Web page and complete all required fields of the first round submission form before the close of the first round submission phase. Each entrant must complete all of the required fields in the first round submission form in accordance with the Official Rules, Terms, and Conditions section of this notice. All entrants are required to provide consent to those Official Rules, Terms, and Conditions upon submitting an entry. Once submitted, a first round submission may not be altered during the first round submission phase. The Department reserves the right to disqualify any submission that the Department deems inappropriate.

Eligible entrants will be invited to participate in the CTE Makeover Bootcamp. Entrants must designate a primary contact to serve as the Team Lead and manage the distribution of any awarded prizes. Team Leads must be employed by the submitting school and must be over 18 years of age. In the event a dispute regarding the identity of the entrant who actually submitted the entry cannot be resolved by the Department, the affected entry will be deemed ineligible.

The Department encourages entrants to submit entries as far in advance of the deadline as possible and suggests not later than one hour before the deadline to ensure the completed submission is received. If an entrant submits an entry after the deadline date because of a technical problem with the Challenge Web page system, the entrant must immediately contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in this notice, and provide an explanation of the technical problem experienced on the Challenge Web page system. The Department will accept the entrant's submission if the Department can confirm that a technical problem occurred with the Challenge Web page system and that the technical problem affected the entrant's ability to submit an entry by 11:59 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the entry deadline date. The Department will contact the entrant after a determination is made on whether the entry will be accepted.

Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or auxiliary aid in connection with the submission process should contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in this notice. If the Department provides an accommodation or auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability in connection with the submission process, the entry remains subject to all other requirements and limitations in this notice.

Review and Selection Process:

The Department and Luminary Labs will review first round submissions based on the requirements in the Eligibility section of this notice to determine the schools that will participate in CTE Makeover Bootcamp.

The participants may choose to refine their submissions during the CTE Makeover Bootcamp phase and prepare a second round submission.

The Department and Luminary Labs will review second round submissions to ensure that entrants meet the requirements described in the Official Rules, Terms, and Conditions section of this notice.

Should the volume of second round submissions exceed the capacity of the independent judges to conduct a thorough evaluation of the submissions, an independent review panel with expertise relevant to the criteria described in the Award Selection Criteria section of this notice will conduct a preliminary review of the second round submissions. In conducting the preliminary review, the independent review panel will assign scores to each second round submission according to the criteria described in the Award Selection Criteria section of this notice. During the preliminary review each criterion may be assigned up to 20 points for a total of up to 100 points in paragraph (a) and up to five bonus points in paragraph (b) for a combined total of up to 105 points.

The size of the independent review panel will be based on the number of participants in the CTE Makeover Bootcamp and the quantity of second round submissions received. Each member of the independent review panel will score a maximum of thirty submissions and all submissions will receive scores from three different independent review panelists.

The submissions with the thirty highest scores assigned by the independent review panel will then be scored by independent judges based on the quality of each entry according to the criteria described in the Award Selection Criteria section of this notice. Judges may assign up to 20 points for each criterion for a total of up to 100 points in paragraph (a) and up to five bonus points in paragraph (b) for a combined total of up to 105 points.

From the pool of second round submissions, judges will recommend up to ten entrants to receive monetary awards. The Department will review the recommendations of the judges and make final award decisions as described in the Award Selection Criteria section of this notice.

By participating in the Challenge, each entrant acknowledges and agrees that such recommendations of the judges based on the criteria may differ and agrees to be bound by, and not to challenge, the final decisions of the Department.

The Department reserves the right to suspend, postpone, cease, terminate, or otherwise modify this Challenge or any entrant's participation in the Challenge, at any time at the Department's sole discretion.

All entry information submitted on the Challenge Web page and all materials, including any copy of the submission, becomes property of the Department and will not be acknowledged or returned by Luminary Labs or the Department. Proof of submission is not considered proof of delivery or receipt of such entry. Furthermore, the Department and Luminary Labs shall have no liability for any submission that is lost, intercepted, or not received by the Department and/or Luminary Labs. The Department and Luminary Labs assume no liability or responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, theft, destruction, unauthorized access to, or alteration of, submissions.

By participating in the Challenge, each entrant represents, warrants, and covenants as follows:

(a) The entrants are the sole authors, creators, and owners of the submission;

(b) The entrant's submission—

(i) Is not the subject of any actual or threatened litigation or claim;

(ii) Does not, and will not, violate or infringe upon the privacy rights, publicity rights, or other legal rights of any third party;

(iii) Does not contain any harmful computer code (sometimes referred to as “malware,” “viruses,” or “worms”); and

(c) The submission, and entrants' implementation of the submission, does not, and will not, violate any applicable laws or regulations of the United States.

Entrants will indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the Department and Luminary Labs from and against all third party claims, actions, or proceedings of any kind and from any and all damages, liabilities, costs, and expenses relating to, or arising from, entrant's submission or any breach or alleged breach of any of the representations, warranties, and covenants of entrant hereunder. The Department reserves the right to disqualify any submission that the Department, in its discretion, deems to violate these Official Rules, Terms, and Conditions in this notice.

Each entrant retains title to, and full ownership of, their submission. The entrant expressly reserves all legal rights not expressly granted under this agreement. By participating in the Challenge, each entrant hereby irrevocably grants a license to the Department and Luminary Labs to store and access submissions in perpetuity that may be reproduced, published, or distributed in the future.

By participating in the Challenge, each entrant hereby irrevocably grants to the Department and Luminary Labs the right to use such entrant's name, likeness, image, and biographical information in any and all media for advertising and promotional purposes relating to the Challenge in perpetuity and otherwise as stated in the Submission License section of this notice.

The Department reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any entrant who is found to be tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Challenge, Challenge Web page, or other Challenge-related Web pages; to be acting in violation of these Official Rules, Terms, and Conditions; to be acting in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner, or with the intent to disrupt or undermine the legitimate operation of the Challenge; or to annoy, abuse, threaten, or harass any other person; and, the Department reserves the right to seek damages and other remedies from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law.

The Challenge Web page may contain links to third-party Web pages that are not owned or controlled by Luminary Labs or the Department. Luminary Labs and the Department do not endorse or assume any responsibility for any such third party sites. If an entrant accesses a third-party Web page from the Challenge Web page, the entrant does so at the entrant's own risk and expressly relieves Luminary Labs and/or the Department from any and all liability arising from use of any third-party Web page content.

The Challenge Web page contains information and resources from public and private organizations that may be useful to the reader. Inclusion of this information does not constitute an endorsement by the Department or Luminary Labs of any products or services offered or views expressed. Blog articles provide insights on the activities of schools, programs, grantees, and other education stakeholders to promote continuing discussion of educational innovation and reform. Blog articles do not endorse any educational product, service, curriculum, or pedagogy.

The Challenge Web page also contains hyperlinks and URLs created and maintained by outside organizations, which are provided for the reader's convenience. The Department and Luminary Labs are not responsible for the accuracy of the information contained therein.

Attempts to notify entrants and award recipients will be made using the email address associated with the entrants' submission. The Department and Luminary Labs are not responsible for email or other communication problems of any kind.

If, despite reasonable efforts, an entrant does not respond within three days of the first notification attempt regarding selection as an award recipient (or a shorter time as exigencies may require) or if the notification is returned as undeliverable to such entrant, that entrant may forfeit the entrant's award and associated prizes, and an alternate award recipient may be selected.

If any potential award recipient is found to be ineligible, has not complied with these Official Rules, Terms, and Conditions, or declines the applicable prize for any reason prior to award, such potential prize winner will be disqualified. An alternate winner may be selected, or the applicable prize may go unawarded.

To maintain eligibility, entrants deemed eligible after the first round submission phase are required to participate in Challenge activities organized by the Department and Luminary Labs, which include the CTE Makeover Bootcamp. If an eligible entrant is unable to participate in any mandatory activities, the entrant will no longer be eligible to win the Challenge. Eligible entrants opting to participate in the CTE Makeover Bootcamp are required to participate in these events at their own expense. Entrants not attending the live introductory Webinar will be given access to the archived Webinar following the event. Entrants not participating in, or watching the archived version of the introductory Webinar before the end of the CTE Makeover Bootcamp phase will not be permitted to enter a second round submission. Award recipients are invited to attend the World Maker Faire on October 1st and 2nd, 2016 in New York City at their own expense.

The Department reserves the right to modify any dates or deadlines set forth in these Official Rules, Terms, and Conditions or otherwise governing the Challenge.

The Department reserves the right to suspend, postpone, cease, terminate, or otherwise modify this Challenge, or any entrant's participation in the Challenge, at any time at the Department's discretion.

By participating in the Challenge, each entrant hereby agrees that—

(a) The Department and Luminary Labs shall not be responsible or liable for any losses, damages, or injuries of any kind (including death) resulting from participation in the Challenge or any Challenge-related activity, or from entrants' acceptance, receipt, possession, use, or misuse of any prize; and

(b) The entrant will indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the Department and Luminary Labs from and against all third party claims, actions, or proceedings of any kind and from any and all damages, liabilities, costs, and expenses relating to, or arising from, the entrant's participation in the Challenge.

Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Department and Luminary Labs are not responsible for incomplete, illegible, misdirected, misprinted, late, lost, postage-due, damaged, or stolen entries or prize notifications; or for lost, interrupted, inaccessible, or unavailable networks, servers, satellites, Internet Service Providers, Web pages, or other connections; or for miscommunications, failed, jumbled, scrambled, delayed, or misdirected computer, telephone, cable transmissions or other communications; or for any technical malfunctions, failures, difficulties, or other errors of any kind or nature; or for the incorrect or inaccurate capture of information, or the failure to capture any information.

These Official Rules, Terms, and Conditions cannot be modified except by the Department in its sole and absolute discretion. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of these Official Rules, Terms, and Conditions shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision. In the event that any provision is determined to be invalid or otherwise unenforceable or illegal, these Official Rules, Terms, and Conditions shall otherwise remain in effect and shall be construed in accordance with their terms as if the invalid or illegal provision were not contained herein.

The failure of the Department to exercise or enforce any right or provision of these Official Rules, Terms, and Conditions shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision.

All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation, and enforceability of these Official Rules, Terms, and Conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with U.S. Federal law as applied in the Federal courts of the District of Columbia if a complaint is filed by any party against the Department, and the laws of the State of New York as applied in the New York state courts in New York City if a complaint is filed by any party against Luminary Labs.

By participating in the Challenge, each entrant hereby agrees that occasionally, the Department and Luminary Labs may also use the entrant's information to contact the entrant about Federal Challenge and innovation related activities, and acknowledges that the entrant has read and accepted the privacy policy at: www.CTEMakeoverChallenge.com/privacy.

Please review the Luminary LightboxTM Terms of Service at www.LuminaryLightbox.com/terms for additional rules that apply to participation in the Challenge and more generally to use of the Challenge Web page. Such Terms of Service are incorporated by reference into these Official Rules, Terms, and Conditions. If there is a conflict between the Terms of Service and these Official Rules, Terms, and Conditions, the latter terms shall control with respect to this Challenge only.

Participation in the Challenge constitutes an entrant's full and unconditional agreement to these Official Rules, Terms, and Conditions. By entering, an entrant agrees that all decisions related to the Challenge that are made pursuant to these Official Rules, Terms, and Conditions are final and binding, and that all such decisions are at the sole discretion of the Department and/or Luminary Labs.

Luminary Labs collects personal information from entrants to the Challenge. The information collected is subject to the privacy policy located here: www.LuminaryLightbox.com/privacy.

To obtain a list of award recipients (after the conclusion of the Challenge) or a copy of these Official Rules, Terms, and Conditions, send a self-addressed envelope with the proper postage affixed to: Luminary Labs, 30 West 22nd St., Floor 6, New York, NY, 10010. Please specify “Awards List” or “Official Rules” and the name of the specific Challenge in this request.

Please contact the person listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this notice, should you have any comments or questions about these Official Rules, Terms, and Conditions.

Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this document and a copy of the application package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or compact disc) on request to the program contact person listed under For Further Information Contact in this notice.

Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this document is the document published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations is available via the Federal Digital System at: www.thefederalregister.org/fdsys. At this site you can view this document, as well as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal Register, in text or Portable Document Format (PDF). To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at the site.

You may also access documents of the Department published in the Federal Register by using the article search feature at: www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published by the Department.

Exports of electricity from the United States to a foreign country are regulated by the Department of Energy (DOE) pursuant to sections 301(b) and 402(f) of the Department of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7151(b), 7172(f)) and require authorization under section 202(e) of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 824a(e)).

On May 17, 2011, DOE issued Order No. EA-216-C to TEMUS, which authorized the Applicant to transmit electric energy from the United States to Canada as a power marketer for a five-year term using existing international transmission facilities. That authority expires on May 17, 2016. On February 29, 2016, TEMUS filed an application with DOE for renewal of the export authority contained in Order No. EA-216 for an additional five-year term.

In its application, TEMUS states that it does not own or operate any electric generation or transmission facilities, and it does not have a franchised service area. The electric energy that TEMUS proposes to export to Canada would be surplus energy purchased from third parties such as electric utilities and Federal power marketing agencies pursuant to voluntary agreements. The existing international transmission facilities to be utilized by TEMUS have previously been authorized by Presidential permits issued pursuant to Executive Order 10485, as amended, and are appropriate for open access transmission by third parties.

Procedural Matters: Any person desiring to be heard in this proceeding should file a comment or protest to the application at the address provided above. Protests should be filed in accordance with Rule 211 of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) Rules of Practice and Procedures (18 CFR 385.211). Any person desiring to become a party to these proceedings should file a motion to intervene at the above address in accordance with FERC Rule 214 (18 CFR 385.214). Five copies of such comments, protests, or motions to intervene should be sent to the address provided above on or before the date listed above.

Comments and other filings concerning TEMUS's application to export electric energy to Canada should be clearly marked with OE Docket No. EA-216-D. An additional copy is to be provided directly to Steve Lincoln, TransAlta Energy Marketing (U.S.) Inc., 222 SW Columbia Street, Suite 1105, Portland, OR 97201 and to both Catherine P. McCarthy and Tracey L. Bradley, Bracewell LLP, 2000 K Street NW., Suite 500, Washington, DC 20006.

A final decision will be made on this application after the environmental impacts have been evaluated pursuant to DOE's National Environmental Policy Act Implementing Procedures (10 CFR part 1021) and after a determination is made by DOE that the proposed action will not have an adverse impact on the sufficiency of supply or reliability of the U.S. electric power supply system.

Copies of this application will be made available, upon request, for public inspection and copying at the address provided above, by accessing the program Web site at http://energy.gov/node/11845, or by emailing Angela Troy at [email protected].

Purpose of the Board: The purpose of the Board is to make recommendations to DOE-EM and site management in the areas of environmental restoration, waste management, and related activities.

Tentative Agenda:

Public Participation: The EM SSAB, Savannah River Site, welcomes the attendance of the public at its advisory committee meetings and will make every effort to accommodate persons with physical disabilities or special needs. If you require special accommodations due to a disability, please contact James Giusti at least seven days in advance of the meeting at the phone number listed above. Written statements may be filed with the Board either before or after the meeting. Individuals who wish to make oral statements pertaining to agenda items should contact James Giusti's office at the address or telephone listed above. Requests must be received five days prior to the meeting and reasonable provision will be made to include the presentation in the agenda. The Deputy Designated Federal Officer is empowered to conduct the meeting in a fashion that will facilitate the orderly conduct of business. Individuals wishing to make public comments will be provided a maximum of five minutes to present their comments.

Minutes: Minutes will be available by writing or calling James Giusti at the address or phone number listed above. Minutes will also be available at the following Web site: http://cab.srs.gov/srs-cab.html.

Purpose of the Board: The purpose of the Board is to make recommendations to DOE-EM and site management in the areas of environmental restoration, waste management, and related activities.

Public Participation: The EM SSAB, Northern New Mexico, welcomes the attendance of the public at its advisory committee meetings and will make every effort to accommodate persons with physical disabilities or special needs. If you require special accommodations due to a disability, please contact Menice Santistevan at least seven days in advance of the meeting at the telephone number listed above. Written statements may be filed with the Board either before or after the meeting. Individuals who wish to make oral statements pertaining to agenda items should contact Menice Santistevan at the address or telephone number listed above. Requests must be received five days prior to the meeting and reasonable provision will be made to include the presentation in the agenda. The Deputy Designated Federal Officer is empowered to conduct the meeting in a fashion that will facilitate the orderly conduct of business. Individuals wishing to make public comments will be provided a maximum of five minutes to present their comments.

Minutes: Minutes will be available by writing or calling Menice Santistevan at the address or phone number listed above. Minutes and other Board documents are on the Internet at: http://energy.gov/em/nnmcab/northern-new-mexico-citizens-advisory-board.

This action is directed to the public in general, and may be of interest to a wide range of stakeholders including environmental, human health, farm worker, and agricultural advocates; the chemical industry; pesticide users; and members of the public interested in the sale, distribution, or use of pesticides. Since others also may be interested, the Agency has not attempted to describe all the specific entities that may be affected by this action. If you have any questions regarding the applicability of this action to a particular entity, consult the Chemical Review Manager listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

1. Submitting CBI. Do not submit this information to EPA through regulations.gov or email. Clearly mark the part or all of the information that you claim to be CBI. For CBI information in a disk or CD-ROM that you mail to EPA, mark the outside of the disk or CD-ROM as CBI and then identify electronically within the disk or CD-ROM the specific information that is claimed as CBI. In addition to one complete version of the comment that includes information claimed as CBI, a copy of the comment that does not contain the information claimed as CBI must be submitted for inclusion in the public docket. Information so marked will not be disclosed except in accordance with procedures set forth in 40 CFR part 2.

2. Tips for preparing your comments. When preparing and submitting your comments, see the commenting tips at http://www.epa.gov/dockets/comments.html.

Pursuant to 40 CFR 155.58, this notice announces the availability of EPA's proposed interim mitigation decision for paraquat, and opens a 60-day public comment period on the proposed interim mitigation decision. Paraquat is a widely used broad spectrum herbicide for the control of weeds in many agricultural and non-agricultural settings, and is also used as a defoliant on crops, prior to harvest. It is classified as restricted use due to high toxicity. An estimated 1.5 tsp can be lethal if ingested and there is no known antidote. Paraquat dichloride is associated with a disproportionately high number of incidents including accidental ingestions typically leading to fatalities as well as occupational spills, splashes, and leaks resulting in severe and often damaging dermal or ocular contact. Paraquat is known to be corrosive to skin and eyes. EPA recently reviewed all available incident information and determined that mitigation measures to address these human health risk concerns are necessary. EPA has had some discussions with the paraquat technical registrants that suggest that the mitigation measures could be adopted voluntarily by pesticide manufacturers.

The registration review docket for a pesticide includes earlier documents related to the registration review of the case along with supporting materials for this proposed interim mitigation decision. Following public comment, the Agency will issue a final interim mitigation decision for products containing paraquat. Notwithstanding this action, paraquat is still undergoing registration review. Within the next several years, EPA anticipates conducting comprehensive draft human health and ecological risk assessments for paraquat, followed by a proposed registration review decision, all of which will be posted for public comment.

The registration review program is being conducted under congressionally mandated time frames, and EPA recognizes the need both to make timely decisions and to involve the public. Section 3(g) of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) (7 U.S.C. 136a(g)) required EPA to establish by regulation procedures for reviewing pesticide registrations, originally with a goal of reviewing each pesticide's registration every 15 years to ensure that a pesticide continues to meet the FIFRA standard for registration. The Agency's final rule to implement this program was issued in August 2006 and became effective in October 2006, and appears at 40 CFR part 155, subpart C. The Pesticide Registration Improvement Act of 2003 (PRIA) was amended and extended in September 2007. FIFRA, as amended by PRIA in 2007, requires EPA to complete registration review decisions by October 1, 2022, for all pesticides registered as of October 1, 2007.

The registration review final rule at 40 CFR 155.58(a) provides for a minimum 60-day public comment period on all proposed registration review decisions. This comment period is intended to provide an opportunity for public input and a mechanism for initiating any necessary amendments to the proposed interim mitigation decision. All comments should be submitted using the methods in ADDRESSES, and must be received by EPA on or before the closing date. These comments will become part of the docket for paraquat. Comments received after the close of the comment period will be marked “late.” EPA is not required to consider these late comments.

The Agency will carefully consider all comments received by the closing date and will provide a “Response to Comments Memorandum” in the docket. The final interim mitigation decision will explain the effect that any comments had on the final decision and provide the Agency's response to significant comments.

Background on the registration review program is provided at: http://www2.epa.gov/pesticide-reevaluation. Links to earlier documents related to the registration review of paraquat are provided at: http://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/paraquat.

OMB Control Number: 3060-0798.

Title: FCC Application for Radio Service Authorization; Wireless Telecommunications Bureau; Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau.

Form Number: FCC Form 601.

Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Individuals and households; Business or other for-profit entities; Not-for-profit institutions; and State, local or tribal government.

Number of Respondents and Responses: 253,320 respondents and 253,320 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: 0.5-1.25 hours.

Frequency of Response: Recordkeeping requirement, third party disclosure requirement, on occasion reporting requirement and periodic reporting requirement.

Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The statutory authority for this collection of information is contained in 47 U.S.C. 151, 152, 154, 154(i), 155(c), 157, 201, 202, 208, 214, 301, 302a, 303, 307, 308, 309, 310, 311, 314, 316, 319, 324, 331, 332, 333, 336, 534, 535 and 554.

Total Annual Burden: 222,055 hours.

Total Annual Cost: $71,306,250.

Privacy Impact Assessment: Yes.

Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: In general there is no need for confidentiality with this collection of information.

Needs and Uses: FCC Form 601 is a consolidated, multi-part application form that is used for market-based and site-based licensing for wireless telecommunications services, including public safety licenses, which are filed through the Commission's Universal Licensing System (ULS). FCC Form 601 is composed of a main form that contains administrative information and a series of schedules used for filing technical and other information. This form is used to apply for a new license, to amend or withdraw a pending application, to modify or renew an existing license, cancel a license, request a duplicate license, submit required notifications, request an extension of time to satisfy construction requirements, or request an administrative update to an existing license (such as mailing address change), request a Special Temporary Authority or Developmental License. Respondents are encouraged to submit FCC Form 601 electronically and are required to do so when submitting FCC Form 601 to apply for an authorization for which the applicant was the winning bidder in a spectrum auction.

The data collected on FCC Form 601 includes the FCC Registration Number (FRN), which serves as a “common link” for all filings an entity has with the FCC. The Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996 requires entities filing with the Commission use an FRN.

On July 20, 2015, the Commission released the Part 1 R&O in which it updated many of its Part 1 competitive bidding rules (See Updating Part 1 Competitive Bidding Rules; Expanding the Economic and Innovation Opportunities of Spectrum Through Incentive Auctions; Petition of DIRECTV Group, Inc. and EchoStar LLC for Expedited Rulemaking to Amend Section 1.2105(a)(2)(xi) and 1.2106(a) of the Commission's Rules and/or for Interim Conditional Waiver; Implementation of the Commercial Spectrum Enhancement Act and Modernization of the Commission's Competitive Bidding Rules and Procedures, Report and Order, Order on Reconsideration of the First Report and Order, Third Order on Reconsideration of the Second Report and Order, and Third Report and Order, FCC 15-80, 30 FCC Rcd 7493 (2015), modified by Erratum, 30 FCC Rcd 8518 (2015) (Part 1 R&O)). Of relevance to the information collection at issue here, the Commission: (1) Implemented a new general prohibition on the filing of auction applications by entities controlled by the same individual or set of individuals (but with a limited exception for qualifying rural wireless partnerships); (2) modified the eligibility requirements for small business benefits, and updated the standardized schedule of small business sizes, including the gross revenues thresholds used to determine eligibility; (3) established a new bidding credit for eligible rural service providers; (4) adopted targeted attribution rules to prevent the unjust enrichment of ineligible entities; and (5) adopted rules prohibiting joint bidding arrangements with limited exceptions. The updated Part 1 rules apply to applicants seeking licenses and permits.

Additionally, on June 2, 2014 the Commission released the Mobile Spectrum Holdings R&O, in which the Commission updated its spectrum screen and established rules for its upcoming auctions of low-band spectrum. Of relevance to the information collection at issue here, the Commission stated that it could reserve spectrum in order to ensure against excessive concentration in holdings of below-1-GHz spectrum (In the Matter of Policies Regarding Mobile Spectrum Holdings, Expanding the Economic and Innovation Opportunities of Spectrum Through Incentive Auctions, FCC 14-63, Report and Order, 29 FCC Rcd 6133, 90 ¶ 135 (2014) (Mobile Spectrum Holdings R&O). See also Application Procedures for Broadcast Incentive Auction Scheduled to Begin on March 29, 2016; Technical Formulas for Competitive Bidding, Public Notice, 30 FCC Rcd 11034, Appendix 3 (WTB 2015); Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Releases Updated List of Reserve-Eligible Nationwide Service Providers in each PEA for the Broadcast Incentive Auction, Public Notice, AU No. 14-252 (WTB 2016).

The Commission seeks approval for revisions to its previously approved collection of information under OMB Control Number 3060-0798 to permit the collection of the additional information for Commission licenses and permits, pursuant to the rules and information collection requirements adopted by the Commission in the Part 1 R&O and the Mobile Spectrum Holdings R&O. As part of the collection, the Commission is seeking approval for the information collection and recordkeeping requirements associated with 47 CFR 1.2210(j), 1.2112(b)(2)(iii), 1.2112(b)(2)(v), 1.2112(b)(2)(vii), and 1.2112(b)(2)(viii). Also, in certain circumstances, the Commission requires the applicant to provide copies of their agreements and/or submit exhibits.

In addition, the Commission seeks approval for various other, non-substantive editorial/consistency edits and updates to FCC Form 601 that correct inconsistent capitalization of words and other typographical errors, and better align the text on the form with the text in the Commission rules both generally and in connection with recent non-substantive, organizational amendments to the Commission's rules.

The Commission therefore seeks approval for a revision to its currently approved information collection on FCC Form 601 to revise FCC Form 601 accordingly.

A. Purpose

FAR subpart 9.2 and the associated clause at FAR 52.209-1, implement the statutory requirements of 10 U.S.C. 2319 and 41 U.S.C. 3311, which allow an agency to establish a qualification requirement for testing or other quality assurance demonstration that must be completed by an offeror before award of a contract. Under the qualification requirements, an end item, or a component thereof, may be required to be prequalified.

The clause at FAR 52.209-1, Qualification Requirements, requires offerors who have met the qualification requirements to identify the offeror's name, the manufacturer's name, source's name, the item name, service identification, and test number (to the extent known). This eliminates the need for an offeror to provide new information when the offeror, manufacturer, source, product or service covered by qualification requirement has already met the standards specified by an agency in a solicitation.

The contracting officer uses the information to determine eligibility for award when the clause at 52.209-1 is included in the solicitation. Alternatively, items not yet listed may be considered for award upon the submission of evidence of qualification with the offer.

Respondents: 7,998.

Responses per Respondent: 5.

Annual Responses: 39,990.

Hours per Response: 1.0.

Total Burden Hours: 39,990.

Public comments are particularly invited on: Whether this collection of information is necessary; whether it will have practical utility; whether our estimate of the public burden of this collection of information is accurate, and based on valid assumptions and methodology; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways in which we can minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, through the use of appropriate technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Obtaining Copies of Proposals: Requesters may obtain a copy of the information collection documents from the General Services Administration, Regulatory Secretariat Division (MVCB), 1800 F Street NW., Washington, DC 20405, telephone 202-501-4755. Please cite OMB Control No. 9000-0083, Qualification Requirements, in all correspondences.

A. Purpose

Price, performance, and/or implementation of socio-economic policies may be affected by make-or-buy decisions under certain Government prime contracts. Accordingly, FAR 15.407-2, Make-or-Buy Programs:

(i) Sets forth circumstances under which a Government contractor must submit for approval by the contracting officer a make-or-buy program, i.e., a written plan identifying major items to be produced or work efforts to be performed in the prime contractor's facilities and those to be subcontracted;

(ii) Provides guidance to contracting officers concerning the review and approval of the make-or-buy programs; and

(iii) Prescribes the contract clause at FAR 52.215-9, Changes or Additions to Make-or-Buy Programs, which specifies the circumstances under which the contractor is required to submit for the contracting officer's advance approval a notification and justification of any proposed change in the approved make-or-buy program.

The information is used to assure the lowest overall cost to the Government for required supplies and services.

Respondents: 150.

Responses Per Respondent: 3.

Total Responses: 450.

Hours per Response: 8.

Total Burden Hours: 3,600.

Public comments are particularly invited on: Whether this collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of functions of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), and whether it will have practical utility; whether our estimate of the public burden of this collection of information is accurate, and based on valid assumptions and methodology; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways in which we can minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, through the use of appropriate technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

Obtaining Copies of Proposals: Requesters may obtain a copy of the information collection documents from the General Services Administration, Regulatory Secretariat Division (MVCB), 1800 F Street NW., Washington, DC 20405, telephone 202-501-4755. Please cite OMB Control No. 9000-0078, Make-or-Buy Program, in all correspondence.

I. Background

In the Federal Register of March 20, 2015 (80 FR 15014), FDA published the notice of availability for a draft GFI #203 entitled “Ensuring Safety of Animal Feed Maintained and Fed On-Farm” giving interested persons until June 3, 2015, to comment on the draft guidance. FDA received several comments on the draft guidance and those comments were considered as the guidance was finalized. The guidance announced in this notice finalizes the draft guidance dated March 2015.

This level 1 guidance is being issued consistent with FDA's good guidance practices regulation (21 CFR 10.115). The guidance represents the current thinking of FDA on ensuring safety of animal feed maintained and fed on-farm. It does not establish any rights for any person and is not binding on FDA or the public. You can use an alternative approach if it satisfies the requirements of the applicable statutes and regulations.

FDA concludes that there are no collections of information under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

Persons with access to the Internet may obtain the guidance at either http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/GuidanceComplianceEnforcement/GuidanceforIndustry/default.htm or http://www.regulations.gov.