Federal Register Vol. 82, No.166,

On June 16, 2017, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced in a Federal Register notice that it was soliciting nominations for membership to fill vacancies on the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board and its subcommittees. The closing date for nominations was July 31, 2017. This notice reopens the nomination period until August 31, 2017 and an additional category for solicitation has been added. Nominations submitted during the original submission period do not need to be resubmitted. Nominations for the Citrus Disease Subcommittee will no longer be accepted; all positions are currently filled.

Instructions for Nominations: Nominations are solicited from organizations, associations, societies, councils, federations, groups, and companies that represent a wide variety of food and agricultural interests throughout the country. Nominations for one individual who fits several of the categories listed above, or for more than one person who fits one category, will be accepted.

Nomination letters must indicate the specific category for which the nominee is applying (i.e., for the Specialty Crop Committee or the National Genetics Advisory Council). Each nominee must submit a signed form AD-755, “Advisory Committee Membership Background Information,” which can be obtained from the contact person below or from: https://www.ocio.usda.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2012/AD-755%20-%20Approved%20Master%202015.pdf).

Nominations are open to all individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, mental or physical handicap, marital status, or sexual orientation. To ensure the recommendation of the Advisory Board take into account the needs of the diverse groups served by the USDA, membership shall include, to the extent practicable, individuals with demonstrated ability to represent the needs of all racial and ethnic groups, women and men, and persons with disabilities.

Please note, individuals may not serve on more than one USDA Federal Advisory Committee. Lobbyists who are registered with the Federal Government and who are selected to serve on committees to exercise their own individual best judgment on behalf of the government (e.g. as Special Government Employees) are ineligible to serve.

All nominees will be carefully reviewed for their expertise, leadership, and relevance.

All nominees will be vetted before selection.

Appointments to the NAREEE Advisory Board and its subcommittees will be made by the Secretary of Agriculture.

NAREEE Board: The NAREEE Advisory Board was established in 1996 via Section 1408 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3123) to provide advice to the Secretary of Agriculture and land-grant colleges and universities on top priorities and policies for food and agricultural research, education, extension, and economics. Section 1408 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 was amended by the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to reduce the number of members on the NAREEE Advisory Board to 25 members and required the Board to also provide advice to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives; the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate; the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies of the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development and Related Agencies of the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate.

Since the Advisory Board's inception by congressional legislation in 1996, each member has represented a specific category related to farming or ranching, food production and processing, forestry research, crop and animal science, land-grant institutions, non-land grant college or university with a historic commitment to research in the food and agricultural sciences, food retailing and marketing, rural economic development, and natural resource and consumer interest groups, among many others. The Board was first appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture in September 1996, and one-third of its members were appointed for a 1-, 2-, and 3-year term, respectively. The terms for ten members who represent specific categories will expire September 30, 2017. Nominations for a 3-year appointment for these ten vacant categories are sought. All nominees will be carefully reviewed for their expertise, leadership, and relevance to a category.

The ten slots to be filled are:

Specialty Crop Committee: The Specialty Crop Committee was created as a subcommittee of the NAREEE Advisory Board in accordance with the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 under Title III, Section 303 of Public Law 108-465. The committee was formulated to study the scope and effectiveness of research, extension, and economics programs affecting the specialty crop industry. The legislation defines “specialty crops” as fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits and nursery crops (including floriculture). The Agricultural Act of 2014 further expanded the scope of the Specialty Crop Committee to provide advice to the Secretary of Agriculture on the relevancy review process of the Specialty Crop Research Initiative, a granting program of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Members should represent the breadth of the specialty crop industry. Six members of the Specialty Crop Committee are also members of the NAREEE Advisory Board and six members represent various disciplines of the specialty crop industry. The terms of three members will expire on September 30, 2017. The Specialty Crop Committee is soliciting nominations to fill three vacant positions to represent the specialty crop industry. Appointed members will serve three years with their terms expiring in September 2020.

National Genetic Resources Advisory Council: The National Genetic Resources Advisory Council was re-established in 2012 as a permanent subcommittee of the NAREEE Advisory Board to formulate recommendations on actions and policies for the collection, maintenance, and utilization of genetic resources; to make recommendations for coordination of genetic resources plans of several domestic and international organizations; and to advise the Secretary of Agriculture and the National Genetic Resources Program, part of the Agricultural Research Service, of new and innovative approaches to genetic resources conservation.

The National Genetic Resources Advisory Council membership is required to have two-thirds of the appointed members from scientific disciplines relevant to the National Genetic Resources Program, including agricultural sciences, environmental sciences, natural resource sciences, health sciences, and nutritional sciences; and one-third of the appointed members from the general public including leaders in fields of public policy, trade, international development, law, or management.

The terms of three members of the National Genetic Resources Advisory Council will expire on September 30, 2017. We are seeking nominations for a 3-year appointment effective October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2020. The three slots to be filled are to be composed of two scientific members and one general public member.

Citrus Disease Subcommittee: USDA will no longer be accepting nomination packages for the Citrus Disease Subcommittee. All positions are currently filled.

Title: Plants for Planting Regulations.

OMB Control Number: 0579-0190.

Type of Request: Revision to and extension of approval of an information collection.

Abstract: As authorized by the Plant Protection Act (PPA, 7 U.S.C. 7701 et seq.), the Secretary of Agriculture, either independently or in cooperation with States, may carry out operations or measures to detect, eradicate, suppress, control, prevent, or retard the spread of plant pests that are new to or not widely distributed within the United States. This authority has been delegated to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

APHIS regulations contained in “Subpart—Plants for Planting” (7 CFR 319.37 through 319.37-14) prohibit or restrict, among other things, the importation of living plants, plant parts, and seeds for propagation. In accordance with these regulations, plants for planting from certain parts of the world may be imported into the United States only under certain conditions to prevent the introduction of plant pests into the United States. Individuals who are involved in growing, exporting, and importing plants for planting must provide information to APHIS about the commodities they wish to bring into the United States. Implementing APHIS' nursery stock regulations requires APHIS to collect information from a variety of individuals who are involved in growing, exporting, and importing nursery stock. This information includes permits, foreign site certificates of inspection and/or treatment; written requests to APHIS for permission to move, propagate, or allow propagation of regulated articles; markings and identification of regulated articles; phytosanitary certificates; grower and production site registrations; inspections, lists, reinstatements/reapprovals; and trust fund agreements. The information APHIS collects serves as the supporting documentation needed to issue required PPQ forms and documents that allow importation of nursery stock and is vital to helping APHIS ensure that plant pests are not introduced into the United States.

We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve our use of these information collection activities, as described, for an additional 3 years.

The purpose of this notice is to solicit comments from the public (as well as affected agencies) concerning our information collection. These comments will help us:

(1) Evaluate whether the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Agency, including whether the information will have practical utility;

(2) Evaluate the accuracy of our estimate of the burden of the collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;

(3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and

(4) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, through use, as appropriate, of automated, electronic, mechanical, and other collection technologies; e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses.

Estimate of burden: The public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 0.516 hours per response.

Respondents: Importers, exporters, and growers of plants for planting; and the national plant protection organization of each exporting country.

Estimated annual number of respondents: 44.

Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 245.

Estimated annual number of responses: 10,769.

Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 5,557 hours. (Due to averaging, the total annual burden hours may not equal the product of the annual number of responses multiplied by the reporting burden per response.)

All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the request for OMB approval. All comments will also become a matter of public record.

Elections for FSA county committees are held each year; therefore, nominations for eligible nominees are requested each year. Any individual who meets the qualifications mentioned in this paragraph may be nominated by another person or by themselves. A brief form (FSA-669A) is used to collect the information for nominations; it requires the name and address of the nominee and the signatures of both the nominee and the person nominating the individual to be a nominee (only one signature is required for self-nominated individuals). The nominee must be eligible to vote in the designated FSA county committee election, eligible to hold the office of FSA county committee member, and willing to serve, if elected. For more information about FSA county committees, including elections, nominations, eligible voters, eligibility, and other related information, see the regulations in 7 CFR part 7.

In addition, the form also includes a voluntary request for race, ethnicity, and gender information from the nominee.

Title of Collection: County Committee Election.

OMB Control Number: 0560-0229.

Expiration Date of Approval: December 31, 2017.

Type of Request: Extension.

Abstract: This information collection is necessary to effectively allow farmers and ranchers to nominate potential candidates using the form FSA-669A for the FSA county committee election in accordance with the requirements as authorized by the Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act, as amended. Specifically, FSA uses the information provided by the nominee annually or, if needed, throughout the year for special elections to create ballots for FSA county committee elections. There are no changes to the burden hours since the last OMB approval.

For the following estimated total annual burden on respondents, the formula used to calculate the total burden hours is the estimated average time per response multiplied by the estimated total annual of responses.

Estimate of Average Time to Respond: Public reporting burden for collecting information under this notice is estimated to average 0.67 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information for all respondents and travel time for half of the respondents. The average travel time, which is included in the total annual burden, is estimated to be 1 hour per respondent.

Type of Respondents: Any individual with farming interest in the Local Administrative Area (LAA) (eligible voters).

Estimated Number of Respondents: 10,000.

Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.

Estimated Total Annual Reponses: 10,000.

Estimated Average Time per Response: 0.67 hours.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 6,700 hours.

We are requesting comments on all aspects of this information to help us to:

(1) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility;

(2) Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;

(3) Evaluate the quality, ability and clarity of the information technology; and

(4) Minimize the burden of the information collection on those who respond through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

All comments received in response to this notice, including names and addresses when provided, will be a matter of public record. Comments will be summarized and included in the submission for Office of Management and Budget Approval.

The purpose of the meeting is to:

1. Review project proposals, and

2. Make project recommendations for Title II Funds.

The meeting is open to the public. The agenda will include time for people to make oral statements of three minutes or less. 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 must be sent to Lee Anne Schramel, RAC Coordinator, Plumas NF Headquarters, 159 Lawrence Street, Quincy, California 95971; by email to [email protected], or via facsimile to 530-283-7746.

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 or proceedings, 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.

The purpose of the meeting is to:

1. Review project proposals, and

2. Make project recommendations for Title II Funds.

The meeting is open to the public. The agenda will include time for people to make oral statements of three minutes or less. 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 must be sent to Lee Anne Schramel, RAC Coordinator, Plumas NF Headquarters, 159 Lawrence Street, Quincy, California 95971; by email to [email protected], or via facsimile to 530-283-7746.

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 or proceedings, 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.

The Federal Recreation Lands Enhancement Act (Title VII, Pub. L. 108-447) directs the Secretary of Agriculture to publish a six month advance notice in the Federal Register whenever new recreation fee or fee areas are established.

The Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests are proposing several new fees to recreation areas on the three ranger districts located within the Forests. They are as follows:

1. Hector Ranger District, Finger Lakes National Forest: Proposed new fees for Backbone Horse Camp for overnight use at $15.00 per night for one vehicle and one horse trailer, and a day use fee of $5.00 for one vehicle and one horse trailer.

2. Manchester Ranger District, Green Mountain National Forest: Proposed new fees for Grout Pond Recreation Area for overnight use at $16.00 per night for one vehicle, plus an additional $5 for each additional vehicle.

3. Rochester Ranger District, Green Mountain National Forest: Proposed new fees for Silver Lake Campground at $10 per night, plus an additional $5 for each additional vehicle; and Texas Falls Day Use Area Pavilion at $20 for up to 20 people, and $40 for 21-40 people.

A tremendous increase in recreation use at these specific areas on the Forests has shown that people appreciate and enjoy the availability of developed recreation facilities and pavilions. The Forests currently have several campgrounds and recreation areas with fees, and pavilions for rent. The campgrounds and recreation areas are often at capacity with pavilion rentals often fully booked throughout their rental season. A market analysis for each area indicates that the above proposed fees are both reasonable and acceptable for this sort of unique recreation experience. Revenue from the recreation fees will be used for improvements as well as the continued operation and maintenance of these sites. These fees will also help support sustainable recreation on the Forests.

The proposed fees will be reviewed by a Recreation Resource Advisory Committee prior to a final decision and implementation. If approved by the Eastern Regional Forester, the new fees would go into effect around May 2018. The Backbone Horse Camp, Grout Pond Recreation Area, Silver Lake Campground, and Texas Falls Day Use Area Pavilion will become available for recreational use and rentals around May 2018.

People wanting to reserve Backbone Horse Camp, Silver Lake Campground, or Texas Falls Day Use Area Pavilion will need to do so through Recreation One Stop, at www.recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777. Recreation One Stop charges a $10 fee for reservations.

Overview

Federal Agency Name: USDA Rural Business-Cooperative Service.

Funding Opportunity Title: Value-Added Producer Grant.

Announcement Type: Notice of Solicitation of Applications and Solicitation of Grant Reviewers

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 10.352.

Dates: Application Deadline. You must submit your complete paper application by January 31, 2018, or it will not be considered for funding. Electronic applications must be received by http://www.grants.gov no later than midnight Eastern Time January 24, 2018, or it will not be considered for funding.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, the paperwork burden associated with this Notice has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under OMB Control Number 0570-0039.

The VAPG program is authorized under section 231 of the Agriculture Risk Protection Act of 2000 (Pub. L. 106-224), as amended by section 6203 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Pub. L. 113-79) (see 7 U.S.C. 1632a). Applicants must adhere to the requirements contained in the program regulation, 7 CFR 4284, subpart J, which is incorporated by reference in this Notice.

The objective of this grant program is to assist viable Independent Producers, Agricultural Producer Groups, Farmer and Rancher Cooperatives, and Majority-Controlled Producer-Based Businesses in starting or expanding value-added activities related to the processing and/or marketing of Value-Added Agricultural Products. Grants will be awarded competitively for either planning or working capital projects directly related to the processing and/or marketing of value-added products. Generating new products, creating and expanding marketing opportunities, and increasing producer income are the end goals of the program. All proposals must demonstrate economic viability and sustainability in order to compete for funding.

Funding priority will be made available to Beginning Farmers and Ranchers, Veteran Farmers and Ranchers, Socially-Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers, Operators of Small and Medium-Sized Farms and Ranches structured as Family Farms or Ranches, Farmer or Rancher Cooperatives, and projects proposing to develop a Mid-Tier Value Chain. See 7 CFR 4284.923 for Reserved Funds eligibility and 7 CFR 4284.924 for Priority Scoring eligibility.

The terms you need to understand are defined in 7 CFR 4284.902.

Type of Instrument: Grant.

Approximate Number of Awards: To be determined.

Available Total Funding: To be determined.

Maximum Award Amount: Planning—$75,000; Working Capital—$250,000.

Project Period: Up to 36 months depending on the complexity of the project.

Anticipated Award Date: May 31, 2018.

Reservation of Funds: Ten percent of available funds for applications will be reserved for applications submitted by Beginning and Socially-Disadvantaged Farmers or Ranchers, and an additional ten percent of available funds for applications from farmers or ranchers proposing development of Mid-Tier Value Chains. Reserved funds not obligated prior to June 30, 2018, will be used for the VAPG general competition. If this is the case, Beginning and Socially-Disadvantaged Farmers or Ranchers and applicants proposing Mid-Tier Value Chains will compete with other eligible VAPG applications. In addition, in accordance with Title VII, Section 750 of Public Law 115-30, 10% of FY 2017 funds will be allocated for assistance in persistent poverty counties. Any funds that become available after publishing this notice that will be allocated for assistance in persistent poverty counties will be identified by the Agency at a later date, after the applicable appropriations language has been enacted.

Applicants must comply with the program regulation 7 CFR part 4284 subpart J in order to meet all of the following eligibility requirements. Required documentation is included in the application package. Applications which fail to meet any of these requirements by the application deadline will be deemed ineligible and will not be evaluated further.

You must demonstrate within the application narrative that you meet all the applicant eligibility requirements of 7 CFR 4284.920 and 4284.921. This includes meeting the definition requirements at 7 CFR 4284.902 for one of the following applicant types: Independent Producer, Agricultural Producer Group, Farmer or Rancher Cooperative or Majority-Controlled Producer-Based Business and also meeting the Emerging Market, Citizenship, Legal Authority and Responsibility, Multiple Grants and Active Grants requirements of the section. Required documentation to support eligibility is contained at 7 CFR 4284.931 and in the application package.

Federally-recognized Tribes and tribal entities must demonstrate that they meet the definition requirements for one of the four eligible applicant types. Rural Development State Offices and posted application toolkits will provide additional information on Tribal eligibility.

Per 4284.921, an applicant is ineligible if they have been debarred or suspended or otherwise excluded from or ineligible for participation in Federal assistance programs under Executive Order 12549, “Debarment and Suspension.” In addition, an applicant will be considered ineligible for a grant due to an outstanding judgment obtained by the U.S. in a Federal Court (other than U.S. Tax Court), is delinquent on the payment of Federal income taxes, or is delinquent on Federal debt.

Per 4284.905(a), Applicants must comply with other applicable Federal laws. Applicants who are proposing working capital grants to produce and market value-added products in the industries of wine, beer, distilled spirits or other alcoholic merchandise must comply with Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) regulations, including but not limited to permitting, filing of taxes and operational reports. Please visit TTB's Web site at https://www.ttb.gov/index.shtml for more information. If you are not in compliance with TTB's requirements, the Agency may determine that you are not qualified to receive a Federal award and use that determination as a basis for making an award to another applicant. If, at any time after you have already received a VAPG award, you are found to be in noncompliance with TTB's operational reporting or tax requirements, the Agency may determine that you are not in compliance with your grant terms and conditions.

An Applicant may submit only one application in response to a solicitation, and must explicitly direct that it compete in either the general funds competition or in one of the named reserved funds competitions. Multiple applications from separate entities with identical or greater than 75 percent common ownership, or from a parent, subsidiary or affiliated organization (with “affiliation” defined by Small Business Administration regulation 13 CFR 121.103, or successor regulation) are not permitted. Further, Applicants who have already received a Planning Grant for the proposed project cannot receive another Planning Grant for the same project. Applicants who have already received a Working Capital Grant for the proposed project cannot receive any additional grants for that project (Proposals from previous award recipients should be substantially different in terms of products and/or markets and should not merely be extensions of previously funded projects).

There is a matching fund (cost-sharing) requirement of at least $1 for every $1 in grant funds provided by the Agency (matching funds plus grant funds must equal proposed Total Project Cost). Matching funds may be in the form of cash or eligible in-kind contributions. Matching contributions and may be used only for eligible project purposes, including any contributions exceeding the minimum amount required. Applicant matching contributions in the form of raw commodity, time contributed to the project, or other goods or services, must be characterized as in-kind contributions. Donations of goods and service from third-parties must be characterized as in-kind contributions. Tribal applicants may utilize grants made available under Public Law 93-638, the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1975, as their matching contribution, and should check with appropriate tribal authorities regarding the availability of such funding.

Matching funds must be available at time of application and must be certified and verified as described in 7 CFR 4284.931(b)(3) and (4). Note that matching funds must also be discussed as part of the scoring criterion Commitments and Support as described in section E.1.(c).

You must demonstrate within the application narrative that you meet all the project eligibility requirements of 7 CFR 4284.922.

(a) Product eligibility. Applicants for both planning and working capital grants must meet all requirements at 7 CFR 4284.922(a), including that your value-added product must result from one of the five methodologies identified in the definition of Value-Added Agricultural Product at 7 CFR 4284.902. In addition, you must demonstrate that, as a result of the project, the customer base for the agricultural commodity or value-added product will be expanded, by including a baseline of current customers for the commodity, and an estimated target number of customers that will result from the project; and that, a greater portion of the revenue derived from the marketing or processing of the value-added product is available to the applicant producer(s) of the agricultural commodity, by including a baseline of current revenues from the sale of the agricultural commodity and an estimate of increased revenues that will result from the project.

(b) Purpose eligibility. Applicants for both planning and working capital grants must meet all requirements at 7 CFR 4284.922(b) regarding maximum grant amounts, verification of matching funds, eligible and ineligible uses of grant and matching funds, a substantive work plan and budget.

(i) Planning Grants. A planning grant is used to fund development of a defined program of economic planning activities to determine the viability of a potential value-added venture, and specifically for the purpose of paying for a qualified consultant to conduct and develop a feasibility study, business plan, and/or marketing plan associated with the processing and/or marketing of a value-added agricultural product. Planning grant funds may not be used to fund working capital activities.

(ii) Working Capital Grants. This type of grant provides funds to operate a value-added project, specifically to pay the eligible project expenses directly related to the processing and/or marketing of the value-added product that are eligible uses of grant funds. Working capital funds may not be used for planning purposes.

(c) Reserved Funds Eligibility. To qualify for Reserved Funds as a Beginning or Socially-Disadvantaged Farmer or Rancher or if you propose to develop a Mid-Tier Value Chain, you must meet the requirements found at 7 CFR 4284.923. If your application is eligible, but is not awarded under the Reserved Funds, it will automatically be considered for general funds in that same fiscal year, as funding levels permit.

(d) Priority Points. To qualify for Priority Points for projects that contribute to increasing opportunities for Beginning Farmers or Ranchers, Socially-Disadvantaged Farmers or Ranchers, or if you are an Operator of a Small or Medium-sized Farm or Ranch structured as a Family Farm, a Veteran Farmer or Rancher, propose a Mid-Tier Value Chain project, or are a Farmer or Rancher Cooperative, you must meet the applicable eligibility requirements at 7 CFR 4284.923 and 4284.924 and must address the relevant proposal evaluation criterion.

Priority points will also be awarded during the scoring process to eligible Agricultural Producer Groups, Farmer or Rancher Cooperatives, and Majority-Controlled Producer-Based Business Ventures that best contribute to creating or increasing marketing opportunities for Beginning Farmers or Ranchers, Socially-Disadvantaged Farmers or Ranchers, and/or Veteran Farmers or Ranchers. You must meet the eligibility requirements at 7 CFR 4284.923 and 4284.924 and must address the relevant proposal evaluation criterion.

Eligible uses of grant and matching funds are discussed, along with examples, in 7 CFR 4284.925. In general, grant and cost-share matching funds have the same use restrictions and must be used to fund only the costs for eligible purposes as defined at 7 CFR 4284.925 (a) and (b).

Federal procurement standards prohibit transactions that involve a real or apparent Conflict of Interest for owners, employees, officers, agents, or their Immediate Family members having a personal, professional, financial or other interest in the outcome of the project; including organizational conflicts, and conflicts that restrict open and free competition for unrestrained trade. A list (not all-inclusive) of ineligible uses of grant and matching funds is found in 7 CFR 4284.926.

The application toolkit, regulation, and official program notification for this funding opportunity can be obtained online at http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/value-added-producer-grants. You may also contact your USDA Rural Development State Office by visiting http://www.rd.usda.gov/contact-us/state-offices. You may also obtain a copy by calling 202-690-1374. The toolkit contains an application checklist, templates, required grant forms, and instructions. Although the Agency highly recommends their use, use of the templates in the toolkit is not mandatory.

You may submit your application in paper form or electronically through Grants.gov. Your application must contain all required information.

To submit an application electronically, you must follow the instructions for this funding announcement at http://www.grants.gov. Please note that we cannot accept emailed or faxed applications.

You can locate the Grants.gov downloadable application package for this program by using a keyword, the program name, or the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number for this program.

When you enter the Grants.gov Web site, you will find information about submitting an application electronically through the site, as well as the hours of operation.

To use Grants.gov, you must already have a DUNS number and you must also be registered and maintain registration in SAM. We strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline date to begin the application process through Grants.gov.

You must submit all of your application documents electronically through Grants.gov.

After electronically submitting an application through Grants.gov, you will receive an automatic acknowledgement from Grants.gov that contains a Grants.gov tracking number.

If you want to submit a paper application, send it to the State Office located in the State where your project will primarily take place. You can find State Office Contact information at: http://www.rd.usda.gov/contact-us/state-offices. An optional-use Agency application template is available online at http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/value-added-producer-grants.

Your application must contain all of the required forms and proposal elements described in 7 CFR 4284.931, unless otherwise clarified in this Notice. You are encouraged, but not required to utilize the Application Toolkits found at http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/value-added-producer-grants, however, you must provide all of the information requested by the template. You must become familiar with the program regulation at 7 CFR part 4284, subpart J in order to submit a successful application. Basic application contents are outlined below:

• Standard Form (SF)-424, “Application for Federal Assistance,” to include your DUNS number and SAM (CAGE) code and expiration date (or evidence that you have begun the SAM registration process). Because there are no specific fields for a CAGE code and expiration date, you may identify them anywhere you want to on the form. If you do not include your DUNS number in your application, it will not be considered for funding.

• SF-424A, “Budget Information-Non-Construction Programs.” This form must be completed and submitted as part of the application package.

• SF-424B, “Assurances—Non-Construction Programs.” This form must be completed, signed, and submitted as part of the application package.

• Form AD-3030, “Representations Regarding Felony Conviction and Tax Delinquent Status for Corporate Applicants,” if you are a corporation. A corporation is any entity that has filed articles of incorporation in one of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Palau, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands, or the various territories of the United States including American Samoa, Guam, Midway Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands. Corporations include both for profit and non-profit entities.

• You must certify that there are no current outstanding Federal judgments against your property and that you will not use grant funds to pay for any judgment obtained by the United States. You must also certify that you are not delinquent on the payment of Federal income taxes, or any Federal debt. To satisfy the Certification requirement, you should include this statement in your application: “[INSERT NAME OF APPLICANT] certifies that the United States has not obtained an unsatisfied judgment against its property, is not delinquent on the payment of Federal income taxes, or any Federal debt, and will not use grant funds to pay any judgments obtained by the United States.” A separate signature is not required.

• You must provide a valid permit or evidence of having begun the permitting process if you are proposing a working capital grant to produce and market value-added products in the industries of wine, beer, distilled spirits or other alcoholic merchandise.

• Executive Summary and Abstract. A one-page Executive Summary containing the following information: legal name of applicant entity, application type (planning or working capital), applicant type, amount of grant request, a summary of your project, and whether you are submitting a simplified application, and whether you are requesting Reserved Funds. Also include a separate abstract of up to 100 words briefly describing your project.

• Eligibility discussion.

• Work plan and budget.

• Performance evaluation criteria.

• Proposal evaluation criteria.

• Certification and verification of matching funds.

• Reserved Funds and Priority Point documentation (as applicable).

• Appendices containing required supporting documentation.

In order to be eligible (unless you are excepted under 2 CFR 25.110(b), (c) or (d), you are required to:

(a) Provide a valid DUNS number in your application, which can be obtained at no cost via a toll-free request line at (866) 705-5711;

(b) Register in SAM before submitting your application. You may register in SAM at no cost at https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/. You must provide your SAM Cage Code and expiration date or evidence that you have begun the SAM registration process at time of application, and

(c) Continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which you have an active Federal award or an application or plan under consideration by a Federal awarding agency.

If you have not fully complied with all applicable DUNS and SAM requirements, the Agency may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a Federal award and the Agency may use that determination as a basis for making an award to another applicant. Please refer to Section F.2 for additional submission requirements that apply to grantees selected for this program.

Application Deadline Date: January 31, 2018.

Explanation of Deadlines: Paper applications must be postmarked and mailed, shipped, or sent overnight by January 31, 2018. The Agency will determine whether your application is late based on the date shown on the postmark or shipping invoice. You may also hand carry your application to one of our field offices, but it must be received by close of business on the deadline date. If the due date falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or Federal holiday, the application is due the next business day. Late applications will automatically be considered ineligible and will not be evaluated further.

Electronic applications must be received at http://www.grants.gov no later than midnight Eastern Time, January 24, 2018 to be eligible for funding. Please review the Grants.gov Web site at http://grants.gov/applicants/organization_registration.jsp for instructions on the process of registering your organization as soon as possible to ensure you are able to meet the electronic application deadline. Grants.gov will not accept applications submitted after the deadline.

Executive Order (E.O.) 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs, applies to this program. This E.O. requires that Federal agencies provide opportunities for consultation on proposed assistance with State and local governments. Many States have established a Single Point of Contact (SPOC) to facilitate this consultation. A list of States that maintain a SPOC may be obtained at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_spoc. If your State has a SPOC, you must submit your application directly for review. Any comments obtained through the SPOC must be provided to RD for consideration as part of your application. If your State has not established a SPOC or you do not want to submit your application to the SPOC, RD will submit your application to the SPOC or other appropriate agency or agencies. Applications from federally recognized Indian tribes are not subject to Intergovernmental Review.

Funding limitations and reservations found in the program regulation at 7 CFR 4284.927 will apply, including:

(a) Use of Funds. Grant funds may be used to pay up to 50 percent of the total eligible project costs, subject to the limitations established for maximum total grant amount. Grant funds may not be used to pay any costs of the project incurred prior to the date of grant approval. Grant and matching funds may only be used for eligible purposes. (See examples of eligible and ineligible uses in 7 CFR 4284.925 and 4284.926, respectively.)

(b) Grant Period (project period). Your project timeframe or grant period can be a maximum of 36 months in length from the date of award. Your proposed grant period should begin no earlier than the anticipated award announcement date in this Notice and should end no later than 36 months following that date. If you receive an award, your grant period will be revised to begin on the actual date of award—the date the grant agreement is executed by the Agency—and your grant period end date will be adjusted accordingly. Your project activities should begin within 90 days of that date of award. The length of your grant period should be based on your project's complexity, as indicated in your application work plan. For example, it is expected that most planning grants can be completed within 12 months.

(c) Program Income. If income (Program Income) is earned during the grant period as a result of the project activities, it is subject to the requirements in 2 CFR 200.80, and must be managed and reported accordingly.

(d) Majority Controlled Producer-Based Business. The aggregate amount of awards to Majority Controlled Producer-Based Businesses in response to this announcement shall not exceed 10 percent of the total funds obligated for the program during the fiscal year.

(e) Reserved Funds. Ten percent of all funds available will be reserved to fund projects that benefit Beginning Farmers or Ranchers, or Socially-Disadvantaged Farmers or Ranchers. In addition, 10 percent of total funding available will be used to fund projects that propose development of Mid-Tier Value Chains as part of a Local or Regional Supply Chain Network. See related definitions in 7 CFR 4284.902. In addition, in accordance with Title VII, Section 750 of Public Law 115-30, 10% of FY 2017 funds will be allocated for assistance in persistent poverty counties. Any funds that become available after publishing this notice that will be allocated for assistance in persistent poverty counties will be identified by the Agency at a later date, after the applicable appropriations language has been enacted.

(f) Disposition of Reserved Funds Not Obligated. For this announcement, any reserved funds that have not been obligated by June 30, 2018, will be available to the Secretary to make VAPG grants in accordance with 7 CFR 4284.927.

This Notice has been reviewed in accordance with 7 CFR part 1970, “Environmental Policies and Procedures.” We have determined that an Environmental Impact Statement is not required because the issuance of regulations and instructions, as well as amendments to them, describing administrative and financial procedures for processing, approving, and implementing the Agency's financial programs is categorically excluded in the Agency's National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulation found at 7 CFR 1970.53(f). We have determined that this Notice does not constitute a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment.

The Agency will review each grant application to determine its compliance with 7 CFR part 1970. The applicant may be asked to provide additional information or documentation to assist the Agency with this determination.

All grants made under this Notice are subject to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as required by the USDA (7 CFR part 15, subpart A) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

Applications will be reviewed and processed as described at 7 CFR 4284.940. The Agency will review your application to determine if it is complete and eligible. If at any time, the Agency determines that your application is ineligible, you will be notified in writing as to the reasons it was determined ineligible and you will be informed of your review and appeal rights. Funding of successfully appealed applications will be limited to available funds.

The Agency will only score applications in which the applicant and project are eligible, which are complete and sufficiently responsive to program requirements, and in which the Agency agrees on the likelihood of financial feasibility for working capital requests. We will score your application according to the procedures and criteria specified in 7 CFR 4284.942, and with tiered scoring thresholds as specified below.

For each criterion, you must show how the project has merit and why it is likely to be successful. Your complete response to each criterion must be included in the body of the application, including summarizations of any feasibility studies, business and marketing plans (please note that feasibility studies, business or marketing plants are not provided to reviewers). If you do not address all parts of the criterion, or do not sufficiently communicate relevant project information, you will receive lower scores. VAPG is a competitive program, so you will receive scores based on the quality of your responses. Simply addressing the criteria will not guarantee higher scores. The maximum number of points that can be awarded to your application is 100. For this announcement, the minimum score requirement for funding is 50 points.

The Agency application toolkit provides additional instruction to help you to respond to the criteria below.

For both planning and working capital grants, you must discuss the technological feasibility of the project, as well as operational efficiency, profitability, and overall economic sustainability resulting from the project. You must also demonstrate the potential for expanding the customer base for the agricultural commodity or value-added product, and the expected increase in revenue returns to the producer-owners providing the majority of the raw agricultural commodity to the project. Working capital applicants must also provide the potential number of jobs that will result from the project, along with a justifiable basis for these projections. Please see the application template for more information. All applicants must reference and summarize third-party data and other information that specifically supports your value-added project; discuss the value-added process you are proposing; potential markets and distribution channels; the value to be added to the raw commodity through the value-added process; cost and availability of inputs, your experience in marketing the proposed or similar product; business financial statements; and any other relevant information that supports the viability of your project. Working capital applicants should demonstrate that these outcomes will result from the project and include supportable projections of increase in customer base, revenue returned to producers and jobs resulting from the project in order to receive up to the maximum number of points. Planning grant applicants should describe the expected results, and the reasons supporting those expectations.

Points will be awarded as follows:

(i) 0 points will be awarded if you do not substantively address the criterion.

(ii) 1-5 points will be awarded if you do not address each of the following: Technological feasibility, operational efficiency, profitability, and overall economic sustainability.

(iii) 6-13 points will be awarded if you address technological feasibility, operational efficiency, profitability, and overall economic sustainability, but do not reference third-party information that supports the success of your project.

(iv) 14-22 points will be awarded if you address technological feasibility, operational efficiency, profitability, and overall economic, supported by third-party information demonstrating a reasonable likelihood of success.

(v) 23-30 points will be awarded if all criterion components are well addressed, supported by third-party information, and demonstrate a high likelihood of success.

You must identify all individuals who will be responsible for completing the proposed tasks in the work plan, including the roles and activities that owners, staff, contractors, consultants or new hires may perform; and show that these individuals have the necessary qualifications and expertise, including those hired to do market or feasibility analyses, or to develop a business operations plan for the value-added venture. You must include the qualifications of those individuals responsible for leading or managing the total project (applicant owners or project managers), as well as those individuals responsible for actually conducting the various individual tasks in the work plan (such as consultants, contractors, staff or new hires). You must discuss the commitment and the availability of any consultants or other professionals to be hired for the project—especially those who may be consulting on multiple VAPG projects. If staff or consultants have not been selected at the time of application, you must provide specific descriptions of the qualifications required for the positions to be filled. Applications that demonstrate the strong credentials, education, capabilities, experience and availability of project personnel that will contribute to a high likelihood of project success will receive more points than those that demonstrate less potential for success in these areas.

Points will be awarded as follows:

(i) 0 points will be awarded if you do not substantively address the criterion.

(ii) 1-4 points will be awarded if qualifications and experience of all staff is not addressed and/or if necessary qualifications of unfilled positions are not provided.

(iii) 5-9 points will be awarded if all project personnel are identified but do not demonstrate qualifications or experience relevant to the project.

(iv) 10-14 will be awarded if most key personnel demonstrate strong credentials and/or experience, and availability indicating a reasonable likelihood of success.

(v) 15-20 points will be awarded if all personnel demonstrate strong, relevant credentials or experience, and availability indicating a high likelihood of project success.

Producer commitments to the project will be evaluated based on the number of independent producers currently involved in the project; and the nature, level and quality of their contributions, including matching contributions. End-user commitments will be evaluated on the basis of potential or identified markets and the potential amount of output to be purchased, as indicated by letters of intent or contracts from potential buyers referenced within the application. Other third-party commitments to the project will be evaluated based on the critical and tangible nature of their contribution to the project, such as technical assistance, storage, processing, marketing, or distribution arrangements that are necessary for the project to proceed; and the level and quality of these contributions. All cash or in-kind contributions from the applicant, other producers, end users, or other contributors should be discussed. End-user commitments may include contracts or letters of intent or interest in purchasing the value-added product. Letters of commitment by producers, end-users, and third-parties should be summarized as part of your response to this criterion, and the letters must be included in Appendix B. Applications that demonstrate the project has strong direct financial support in the form of cash matching contributions and strong technical and logistical support to successfully complete the project will receive more points than those that demonstrate less potential for success in these areas. Please note that because applications with cash matching contributions are awarded more points than those pledging only in-kind contributions, applicants will not be able to substitute an in-kind match for cash after awards are made.

Points will be awarded as follows:

(i) 0 points will be awarded if you do not substantively address the criterion.

(ii) 1-3 points will be awarded if you are the only producer participating in the project, AND show real, direct support from at least one end-user or third-party contributor.

(iii) 4-6 points will be awarded if you, as the applicant, are the only producer participating in the project, AND show strong financial commitment in the form of cash matching contributions to the project AND measurable commitment or interest in purchasing the value-added product from at least one end-user; AND commitment or tangible support from at least one other third-party contributor; OR you, as the applicant, demonstrate participation from multiple producers, AND measurable commitment or interest in purchasing the value-added product from at least one end-user; AND commitment or tangible support from at least one third party contributor.

(iv) 7-10 points will be awarded if you, as the applicant, show strong financial commitment to the project in the form of cash matching contributions, AND participation from additional producers, AND measurable commitment or interest from multiple end-users, AND commitment or tangible support from multiple third-party contributors.

You must submit a comprehensive work plan and budget (for full details, see 7 CFR 4284.922(b)(5)). Your work plan must provide specific and detailed descriptions of the tasks and the key project personnel that will accomplish the project's goals. The budget must present a detailed breakdown of all estimated costs of project activities and allocate those costs among the listed tasks. You must show the source and use of both grant and matching funds for all tasks. Matching funds must be spent at a rate equal to, or in advance of, grant funds. An eligible start and end date for the entire project, as well as for each individual project task must be clearly shown. The project timeframe must not exceed 36 months and should be scaled to the complexity of the project. Working capital applications must include an estimate of program income expected to be earned during the grant period (see 2 CFR 200.307).

Points will be awarded as follows:

(i) 0 points will be awarded if you do not substantively address the criterion.

(ii) 1-7 points will be awarded if the work plan and budget do not account for all project goals, tasks, costs, timelines, and responsible personnel.

(iii) 8-14 points will be awarded if you provide a clear, comprehensive work plan detailing all project goals, tasks, timelines, costs, and responsible personnel in a logical and realistic manner that demonstrates a reasonable likelihood of success.

(iv) 15-20 points will be awarded if you provide a clear, comprehensive work plan detailing all project goals, tasks, timelines, costs, and responsible personnel in a logical and realistic manner that demonstrates a high likelihood of success.

It is recommended that you use the Agency application package when applying for priority points and refer to the requirements specified in 7 CFR 4284.924. Priority points may be awarded in both the general funds and Reserved Funds competitions.

(i) 5 points will be awarded if you meet the requirements for one of the following categories and provide the documentation described in 7 CFR 4284.923 and 4284.924 as applicable: Beginning Farmer or Rancher, Socially-Disadvantaged Farmer or Rancher, Veteran Farmer or Rancher, or Operator of a Small or Medium-sized Farm or Ranch that is structured as a Family Farm, Farmer or Rancher Cooperative, or are proposing a Mid-Tier Value Chain project.

(ii) Up to 5 priority points will be awarded if you are an Agricultural Producer Group, Farmer or Rancher Cooperative, or Majority-Controlled Producer-Based Business Venture (referred to below as “applicant group”) whose project “best contributes to creating or increasing marketing opportunities” for Operators of Small- and Medium-sized Farms and Ranches that are structured as Family Farms, Beginning Farmers and Ranchers, Socially-Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers, and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers (referred to below as “priority groups”). For each of the priority point levels below, applications must demonstrate how the proposed project will contribute to new or increased marketing opportunities for respective priority groups. Guidance on relevant information required to adequately demonstrate this requirement can be found in program application package.

(A) 2 priority points will be awarded if the existing membership of the applicant group is comprised of either more than 50 percent of any one of the four priority groups or more than 50 percent of any combination of the four priority groups.

(B) 1 priority point will be awarded if the existing membership of the applicant group is comprised of two or more of the priority groups. One point is awarded regardless of whether a group's membership is comprised of two, three, or all four of the priority groups.

(C) 2 priority points will be awarded if the applicant's proposed project will increase the number of priority groups that comprise applicant membership by one or more priority groups. However, if an applicant group's membership is already comprised of all four priority groups, such an applicant would not be eligible for points under this criterion because there is no opportunity to increase the number of priority groups. Note also that this criterion does not consider either the percentage of the existing membership that is comprised of the four priority groups or the number of priority groups currently comprising the applicant group's membership.

The Administrator of the Agency may choose to award up to 10 points to an application to improve the geographic diversity of awardees and/or foster persistent poverty counties and/or help reduce unemployment through job creation in a fiscal year.

The Agency will select applications for award under this Notice in accordance with the provisions specified in 7 CFR 4284.950(a).

If your application is eligible and complete, it will be qualitatively scored by at least two reviewers based on criteria specified in section E.1. of this Notice. One of these reviewers will be an experienced RD employee from your servicing State Office and at least one additional reviewer will be a non-Federal, independent reviewer, who must meet the following qualifications. Independent reviewers must have at least a bachelor's degree in one or more of the following fields: Agri-business, agricultural economics, agriculture, animal science, business, marketing, economics or finance; and a minimum of 8 years of experience in an agriculture-related field (e.g., farming, marketing, consulting, or research; or as university faculty, trade association official or non-Federal government official in an agriculturally-related field). Each reviewer will score evaluation criteria (a) through (d) and the totals for each reviewer will be added together and averaged. The RD State Office reviewer will also assign priority points based on criterion (e) in section E.1. of this Notice. These will be added to the average score. The sum of these scores will be ranked highest to lowest and this will comprise the initial ranking.

The Administrator of the Agency may choose to award up to 10 Administrator priority points based on criterion (f) in section E.1. of this Notice. These points will be added to the cumulative score for a total possible score of 100.

A final ranking will be obtained based solely on the scores received for criteria (a) through (e). A minimum score of 50 points is required for funding. Applications for Reserved Funds will be funded in rank order until funds are depleted. Unfunded reserve applications will be returned to the general funds where applications will be funded in rank order until the funds are expended. Funding for Majority Controlled Producer-Based Business Ventures is limited to 10 percent of total grant funds expected to be obligated as a result of this Notice. These applications will be funded in rank order until the funding limitation has been reached. Grants to these applicants from Reserved Funds will count against this funding limitation. In the event of tied scores, the Administrator shall have discretion in breaking ties.

If your application is ranked, but not funded, it will not be carried forward into the next competition.

If you are selected for funding, you will receive a signed notice of Federal award by postal mail, containing instructions on requirements necessary to proceed with execution and performance of the award.

If you are not selected for funding, you will be notified in writing via postal mail and informed of any review and appeal rights. Funding of successfully appealed applications will be limited to available funding.

Additional requirements that apply to grantees selected for this program can be found in 7 CFR part 4284, subpart J; the Grants and Agreements regulations of the Department of Agriculture codified in 2 CFR parts 180, 400, 415, 417, 418, 421; 2 CFR parts 25 and 170; and 48 CFR 31.2, and successor regulations to these parts.

In addition, all recipients of Federal financial assistance are required to report information about first-tier sub-awards and executive compensation (see 2 CFR part 170). You will be required to have the necessary processes and systems in place to comply with the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (Pub. L. 109-282) reporting requirements (see 2 CFR 170.200(b), unless you are exempt under 2 CFR 170.110(b)). More information on these requirements can be found at http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/value-added-producer-grants.

The following additional requirements apply to grantees selected for this program:

(a) Agency approved Grant Agreement.

(b) Letter of Conditions.

(c) Form RD 1940-1, “Request for Obligation of Funds.”

(d) Form RD 1942-46, “Letter of Intent to Meet Conditions.”

(e) Form AD-1047, “Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, and Other Responsibility Matters-Primary Covered Transactions.”

(f) Form AD-1048, “Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion-Lower Tier Covered Transactions.”

(g) Form AD-1049, “Certification Regarding a Drug-Free Workplace Requirement (Grants).”

(h) Form AD-3031, “Assurance Regarding Felony Conviction or Tax Delinquent Status for Corporate Applicants.” Must be signed by corporate applicants who receive an award under this Notice.

(i) Form RD 400-4, “Assurance Agreement.”

(j) SF LLL, “Disclosure of Lobbying Activities,” if applicable.

(k) Use Form SF 270, “Request for Advance or Reimbursement.”

After grant approval and through grant completion, you will be required to provide the following, as indicated in the Grant Agreement:

(a) A SF-425, “Federal Financial Report,” and a project performance report will be required on a semiannual basis (due 30 working days after end of the semiannual period). For the purposes of this grant, semiannual periods end on March 31st and September 30th. The project performance reports shall include the elements prescribed in the grant agreement.

(b) A final project and financial status report within 90 days after the expiration or termination of the grant.

(c) Provide outcome project performance reports and final deliverables.

Rural Development is seeking non-Federal independent grant reviewers under this Notice. Reviewers must be able to use their professional knowledge and experience to evaluate and score VAPG program applications against the evaluation criteria published in this Notice, and effectively communicate their findings in writing.

All reviewers must meet the following qualifications.

(a) Have at least a bachelor's degree in one or more of the following fields: Agri-business, agricultural economics, business, marketing, economics or finance, and

(b) A minimum of 8 years of experience in an agriculture-related field (e.g., farming, marketing, consulting, or research; or as university faculty, trade association official or non-Federal government official in an agriculturally-related field).

Prospective reviewers must be able to exercise the highest level of ethical standards in avoiding conflict of interests and maintaining confidentiality.

Individuals selected as non-Federal independent grant reviewers will be required to certify that they do not have a conflict of interest or an appearance thereof with any VAPG application they are assigned to review. This may include but is not limited to certification that they did not apply for a VAPG grant, and are not affiliated with persons or organizations applying for VAPG funds.

Reviewers will also be required to sign a certification statement regarding the safeguarding of information contained in assigned applications.

Failure to identify a conflict-of-interest or the unauthorized disclosure of information may subject reviewers to administrative sanction, i.e., removal from the current review and/or disqualification from involvement in future reviews of grant applications.

All reviewers must review and understand program requirements and must attend a mandatory training webinar.

(a) Reviewers must have reliable internet access using Internet Explorer and be able to reliably both access applications and submit scores electronically; and

(b) All reviewers must be able to complete requirements for, obtain, and maintain USDA Level 2 e-Authorization credentialing.

To apply, please send a resume addressing relevant qualifications and experience to [email protected] by February 15, 2018.

If you have questions about this Notice, please contact the State Office as identified in the ADDRESSES section of this Notice. You are also encouraged to visit the application Web site for application tools, including an application guide and templates. The Web site address is: http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/value-added-producer-grants. You may also contact National Office staff: Tracey Kennedy, VAPG Program Lead, [email protected], or Shantelle Gordon, [email protected], or call the main line at 202-690-1374.

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 http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html 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].

The Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, and Caribbean Fishery Management Councils, in conjunction with NOAA Fisheries and the Atlantic and Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commissions have implemented the Southeast Data, Assessment and Review (SEDAR) process, a multi-step method for determining the status of fish stocks in the Southeast Region. SEDAR is a multi-step process including: (1) Data Workshop, (2) a series of assessment webinars, and (3) A Review Workshop. The product of the Data Workshop is a report that compiles and evaluates potential datasets and recommends which datasets are appropriate for assessment analyses. The assessment webinars produce a report that describes the fisheries, evaluates the status of the stock, estimates biological benchmarks, projects future population conditions, and recommends research and monitoring needs. The product of the Review Workshop is an Assessment Summary documenting panel opinions regarding the strengths and weaknesses of the stock assessment and input data. Participants for SEDAR Workshops are appointed by the Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, and Caribbean Fishery Management Councils and NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office, HMS Management Division, and Southeast Fisheries Science Center. Participants include data collectors and database managers; stock assessment scientists, biologists, and researchers; constituency representatives including fishermen, environmentalists, and NGO's; International experts; and staff of Councils, Commissions, and state and federal agencies.

The items of discussion during the assessment scoping webinar are as follows:

Panelists will review the data sets being considered for the assessment and discuss initial modeling efforts.

Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come before this group for discussion, those issues may not be the subject of formal action during this meeting. Action will be restricted to those issues specifically identified in this notice and any issues arising after publication of this notice that require emergency action under section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, provided the public has been notified of the intent to take final action to address the emergency.

The meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids should be directed to the Council office (see ADDRESSES) at least 5 business days prior to each workshop.

Agenda

The Scallop Committee will review preliminary 2017 scallop survey results and discuss initial recommendations from the Scallop Plan Development Team (PDT) for FY 2018 and FY 2019 (default) fishery specifications (Framework 29). They also plan to review and provide input on Framework 29 management measures; which include: (1) Northern Gulf of Maine Management Measures; (2) Development and modification of flatfish accountability measures; (3) Modifying access area boundaries to be consistent with potential changes to habitat and groundfish mortality closures through OHA2. The committee will review and discuss results from the LAGC IFQ program review. They will also develop a list of potential 2018 scallop work priorities. Additionally, the committee will discuss whether there are any regulations in the Scallop FMP that could be eliminated, improved, or streamlined. Several recent Executive Orders have been issued about streamlining current regulations, and NOAA is seeking public input on the efficiency and effectiveness of current regulations and whether they can be improved. The committee will review Advisory Panel recommendations. They will also continue in a closed door session to review applications to the Advisory Panel. Other business may be discussed as necessary.

Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come before this group for discussion, those issues may not be the subject of formal action during these meetings. Action will be restricted to those issues specifically listed in this notice and any issues arising after publication of this notice that require emergency action under section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, provided the public has been notified of the Council's intent to take final action to address the emergency.

This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids should be directed to Thomas A. Nies, Executive Director, at (978) 465-0492, at least 5 days prior to the meeting date. Consistent with 16 U.S.C. 1852, a copy of the recording is available upon request.

The September 11-18, 2017 meeting of the Pacific Council will be streamed live on the internet. The broadcasts begin initially at 9 a.m. PDT Wednesday, September, 2017 and continue at 8 a.m. daily through Monday, September 18, 2017. Broadcasts end daily at 6 p.m. PDT or when business for the day is complete. Only the audio portion and presentations displayed on the screen at the Pacific Council meeting will be broadcast. The audio portion is listen-only; you will be unable to speak to the Pacific Council via the broadcast. To access the meeting online please use the following link: http://www.gotomeeting.com/online/webinar/join-webinar and enter the September Webinar ID, 897-986-459, and your email address. You can attend the webinar online using a computer, tablet, or smart phone, using the GoToMeeting application. It is recommended that you use a computer headset to listen to the meeting, but you may use your telephone for the audio-only portion of the meeting. The audio portion may be attended using a telephone by dialing the toll number 1-562-247-8422 (not a toll-free number), audio access code 862-846-290, and entering the audio pin shown after joining the webinar.

The following items are on the Pacific Council agenda, but not necessarily in this order. Agenda items noted as “Final Action” refer to actions requiring the Council to transmit a proposed fishery management plan, proposed plan amendment, or proposed regulations to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, under Sections 304 or 305 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Additional detail on agenda items, Council action, advisory entity meeting times, and meeting rooms are described in Agenda Item A.5, Proposed Council Meeting Agenda, and will be in the advance September 2017 briefing materials and posted on the Pacific Council Web site at www.pcouncil.org no later than August 25, 2017.

Advisory body agendas will include discussions of relevant issues that are on the Pacific Council agenda for this meeting, and may also include issues that may be relevant to future Council meetings. Proposed advisory body agendas for this meeting will be available on the Pacific Council Web site http://www.pcouncil.org/council-operations/council-meetings/current-briefing-book/ no later than Friday, August 25, 2017.

Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come before the Pacific Council for discussion, those issues may not be the subject of formal Council action during this meeting. Council action will be restricted to those issues specifically listed in this notice and any issues arising after publication of this notice that require emergency action under Section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, provided the public has been notified of the Pacific Council's intent to take final action to address the emergency.

These meetings are physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids should be directed to Mr. Kris Kleinschmidt at (503) 820-2280, ext. 411 at least 10 business days prior to the meeting date.

Section 101(a)(5)(A) of the MMPA directs the Secretary of Commerce to allow, upon request, the incidental, but not intentional, taking of small numbers of marine mammals by U.S. citizens who engage in a specified activity (other than commercial fishing) within a specified geographical region if certain findings are made and regulations are issued. Under the MMPA, the term “take” means to harass, hunt, capture, or kill or to attempt to harass, hunt, capture, or kill marine mammals. NMFS has been delegated the authority to issue regulations and Letters of Authorizations allowing the take of marine mammals incidental to specified activities.

The NDAA (Pub. L. 108-136) removed the “small numbers” and “specified geographical region” limitations indicated above and amended the definition of “harassment” as it applies to a “military readiness activity” to read as follows (Section 3(18)(B) of the MMPA): “(i) Any act that injures or has the significant potential to injure a marine mammal or marine mammal stock in the wild (Level A harassment); or (ii) Any act that disturbs or is likely to disturb a marine mammal or marine mammal stock in the wild by causing disruption of natural behavioral patterns, including, but not limited to, migration, surfacing, nursing, breeding, feeding, or sheltering, to a point where such behavioral patterns are abandoned or significantly altered (Level B Harassment).”

An authorization for incidental taking shall be granted if NMFS finds that the taking will have a negligible impact on the species or stock(s); will not have an unmitigable adverse impact on the availability of the species or stock(s) for subsistence uses (where relevant); and, if the permissible methods of taking and requirements pertaining to the mitigation, monitoring and reporting of such takings are set forth. NMFS has defined “negligible impact” in 50 CFR 216.103 as “an impact resulting from the specified activity that cannot be reasonably expected to, and is not reasonably likely to, adversely affect the species or stock through effects on annual rates of recruitment or survival.”

Regulations governing the taking of individuals of 16 species of marine mammals, representing 16 stocks, by Level B harassment, and 4 of those same species by Level A harassment, incidental to 86 FWS LRS WSEP training activities are valid from August 21, 2017, through August 20, 2022 and are codified at 50 CFR part 218, subpart F. The regulations include mitigation, monitoring, and reporting requirements. Pursuant to those regulations, NMFS issued a five-year LOA for the incidental take of marine mammals during training activities on BSURE area of the PMRF on April 21, 2017. For detailed information on this action, please refer to the August 22, 2017 Federal Register notice (82 FR 39684) and 50 CFR part 218, subpart F.

On December 21, 2016, NMFS received an adequate and complete application from the 86 FWS for regulations governing the taking of 16 species of marine mammals representing 16 stocks incidental to LRS WSEP activities in the BSURE of the PMRF off Kauai, Hawaii. On January 6, 2017, we published a notice of receipt of the 86 FWS's application in the Federal Register (82 FR 1702) requesting public comment on the application and subsequently published a notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register on May 5, 2017 (82 FR 21156) requesting public comment on the proposed rule. Since publishing the proposed rule, the 86 FWS clarified training would only occur four days per year, not five as presented in the application and proposed rule. Moreover, the 86 FWS decreased the number of munitions it would deploy annually, by 40 to 92 percent depending on year. This decreases the number of anticipated and authorized takes for this activity compared to what was presented in the proposed rule. In addition, NMFS worked with the 86 FWS to develop a comprehensive marine mammal mitigation and monitoring plan designed to decrease potential impacts to marine mammals. To support issuance of the LOA, NMFS adopted the 86 FWS' Final Environmental Assessment/Overseas Environmental Assessment (EA/OEA) for the Long Range Strike Weapon Systems Evaluation Program at Kauai, Hawaii, and issued a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) on August 11, 2017.

The final rule (82 FR 39684, August 22, 2017) and 86 FWS EA/OEA include a complete description of the 86 FWS's specified training activities incidental to which NMFS is authorizing take of marine mammals. Air-to-surface exercises involving surface and slightly subsurface live munition detonations are the stressors most likely to result in impacts on marine mammals that could rise to the level of harassment.

We have issued a LOA to the 86 FWS authorizing the take of marine mammals, by harassment, incidental to LRS WSEP training activities on the BSURE area of the PMRF as described above. The level and type of take authorized by the LOA is the same as the level and type of take analyzed in the final rule (82 FR 39864, August 22, 2017). Take by mortality or serious injury is not anticipated or authorized. Take of marine mammals will be minimized through implementation of mitigation and monitoring measures, including: Aerial surveys using sensor pods and range camera monitoring before, during, and after training; delaying exercises if a marine mammal is observed within an exclusion zone to avoid exposing marine mammals to levels of explosives likely to result in injury or death; delaying exercises if marine mammals are observed within a designated harassment zone if take is exceeded or not authorized, and shifting target coordinates as far from an observed marine mammal as possible. The 86 FWS is required to also comply with monitoring and reporting measures under 50 CFR 218.55 which includes collecting data from the PMRF hydrophones to better understand impacts, if any, of LRS WSEP training activities on marine mammals. Additionally, the rule and LOA include an adaptive management component that allows for timely modification of mitigation or monitoring measures based on new information, when appropriate. For full details on the mitigation, monitoring, and reporting requirements, please refer to the final rule (82 FR 39684; August 22 2017).

Issuance of the LOA is based on findings, described in the preamble to the final rule, that the total taking of marine mammals incidental to the 86 FWS's training activities on the PMRF will have a negligible impact on the affected marine mammal species or stocks and will not have an unmitigable adverse impact on the availability of such species or stocks for taking for subsistence purposes.

The LOA will remain valid through August 20, 2022, provided the 86 FWS remains in conformance with the conditions of the regulations and the LOA, including the mitigation, monitoring, and reporting requirements described in 50 CFR part 218, subpart F and the LOA.

Day 1—Tuesday, September 12, 2017; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. I. Introductions and Adoption of Agenda II. Approval of Minutes a. March 27-29, 2017 SSC meeting b. May 10, 2017 SSC webinar III. Selection of SSC representative at October 2-5, 2017 Council meeting in Biloxi, MS Standing and Socioeconomic SSC Session IV. Grouper and Tilefish 5-year IFQ Review a. Safety at sea b. Stakeholders survey Standing, Socioeconomic and Reef Fish SSC Session V. Alternative Approaches to Recreational Red Snapper Management a. Review of relevant legislative approaches b. Other alternative approaches to recreational red snapper management Standing and Reef Fish SSC Session VI. Further Development of a Stock Assessment Prioritization Spreadsheet Day 2—Wednesday, September 13, 2017: 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. VII. Review of Draft Status Determination Criteria Options Paper VIII. A Comparison of Recent Stock Assessment Results Using SS3 vs. DLMToolkit a. Greater amberjack b. Gray triggerfish IX. SEDAR Activities a. Status of SEDAR 48—black grouper benchmark assessment b. FWC Gulf hogfish update assessment—Terms of Reference c. SEDAR 61 Gulf red grouper standard assessment i. Terms of reference ii. Project schedule iii. Assessment workshop appointments X. Review of Draft Generic Amendment—Carry-over Provision and Framework Modifications a. Simulation of the Effect of Carrying Over Unused ACL Day 3—Thursday, September 14, 2017: 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. XI. Evaluating Robustness of Harvest Control Rules to Future Red Tide Events XII. Spawning Aggregations in the Gulf of Mexico a. RESTORE Act Science Program project on spawning aggregations in the Gulf of Mexico b. Prediction and Verification of Snapper-Grouper Spawning Aggregation Sites on the Offshore Banks of the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico XIII. Review of Framework Action to Modify the ACT for Red Snapper Federal For-Hire and Private Angler Components XIV. Review of Closed Season Decision Tool and Analysis for Greater Amberjack XV. Tentative 2018 SSC Meeting Dates XVI. Other Business —Meeting Adjourns

You may register for the SSC Meeting: Standing, Reef Fish, and Socioeconomic on September 12-14, 2017 at: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4690969987648505603.

The Agenda is subject to change, and the latest version along with other meeting materials will be posted on the Council's file server. To access the file server, the URL is https://public.gulfcouncil.org:5001/webman/index.cgi, or go to the Council's Web site and click on the FTP link in the lower left of the Council Web site (http://www.gulfcouncil.org). The username and password are both “gulfguest”. Click on the “Library Folder”, then scroll down to “SSC meeting—2017-09”.

Although other non-emergency issues not on the agenda may come before the Scientific and Statistical Committee for discussion, in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, those issues may not be the subject of formal action during this meeting. Actions of the Scientific and Statistical Committee will be restricted to those issues specifically identified in the agenda and any issues arising after publication of this notice that require emergency action under Section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, provided the public has been notified of the Council's intent to take action to address the emergency.

This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids should be directed to Kathy Pereira at the Gulf Council Office (see ADDRESSES), at least 5 working days prior to the meeting.

The Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, and Caribbean Fishery Management Councils, in conjunction with NOAA Fisheries and the Atlantic and Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commissions have implemented the Southeast Data, Assessment and Review (SEDAR) process, a multi-step method for determining the status of fish stocks in the Southeast Region. SEDAR is a multi-step process including: (1) Data Workshop, (2) a series of assessment webinars, and (3) A Review Workshop. The product of the Data Workshop is a report that compiles and evaluates potential datasets and recommends which datasets are appropriate for assessment analyses. The assessment webinars produce a report that describes the fisheries, evaluates the status of the stock, estimates biological benchmarks, projects future population conditions, and recommends research and monitoring needs. The product of the Review Workshop is an Assessment Summary documenting panel opinions regarding the strengths and weaknesses of the stock assessment and input data. Participants for SEDAR Workshops are appointed by the Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, and Caribbean Fishery Management Councils and NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office, HMS Management Division, and Southeast Fisheries Science Center. Participants include data collectors and database managers; stock assessment scientists, biologists, and researchers; constituency representatives including fishermen, environmentalists, and NGO's; International experts; and staff of Councils, Commissions, and state and federal agencies.

The items of discussion during the assessment webinar III are as follows:

1. Using datasets and initial assessment analysis recommended from the Data Workshop, panelists will employ assessment models to evaluate stock status, estimate population benchmarks and management criteria, and project future conditions.

2. Participants will recommend the most appropriate methods and configurations for determining stock status and estimating population parameters.

Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come before this group for discussion, those issues may not be the subject of formal action during this meeting. Action will be restricted to those issues specifically identified in this notice and any issues arising after publication of this notice that require emergency action under section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, provided the public has been notified of the intent to take final action to address the emergency.

These meetings are physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids should be directed to the Council office (see ADDRESSES) at least 5 business days prior to each workshop.

The subject permit is requested under the authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and the regulations governing the taking, importing, and exporting of endangered and threatened species (50 CFR parts 222-226).

Kara Dodge, Ph.D., proposes continuation and expansion of long-term studies on leatherback sea turtles in the Atlantic Ocean, primarily off New England. The purpose of the work is to determine seasonal distribution, movements, behavior, foraging, genetics, health, physiology, and habitat of leatherback sea turtles. Up to 95 sea turtles annually would be approached from a research vessel, unmanned aircraft system, or captured by hoop net. Upon approach or capture, researchers would examine up to 30 sea turtles annually, collect morphometric data and biological samples, and attach, via suction-cup or direct attachment, up to three transmitters to each turtle before release. Up to 65 sea turtles annually would be approached and photographed or videoed only. Up to one unintentional mortality of a sea turtle could happen in any year over the life of the permit. The permit would be valid for up to ten years from the date of issuance.

The Scallop Advisory Panel will review preliminary 2017 scallop survey results and discuss initial recommendations from the Scallop Plan Development Team (PDT) for FY 2018 and FY 2019 (default) fishery specifications (Framework 29). They also plan to review and provide input on Framework 29 management measures; which include: (1) Northern Gulf of Maine Management Measures; (2) Development and modification of flatfish accountability measures; (3) Modifying access area boundaries to be consistent with potential changes to habitat and groundfish mortality closures through OHA2. The panel will review and discuss results from the LAGC IFQ program review. They will also develop a list of potential 2018 scallop work priorities. Additionally, the panel will discuss whether there are any regulations in the Scallop FMP that could be eliminated, improved, or streamlined. Several recent Executive Orders have been issued about streamlining current regulations, and NOAA is seeking public input on the efficiency and effectiveness of current regulations and whether they can be improved. Other business may be discussed as necessary.

Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come before this group for discussion, those issues may not be the subject of formal action during these meetings. Action will be restricted to those issues specifically listed in this notice and any issues arising after publication of this notice that require emergency action under section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, provided the public has been notified of the Council's intent to take final action to address the emergency.

This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids should be directed to Thomas A. Nies, Executive Director, at (978) 465-0492, at least 5 days prior to the meeting date. Consistent with 16 U.S.C. 1852, a copy of the recording is available upon request.

Title, Associated Form, and OMB Number: Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS), Appendix F, Material Inspection and Receiving Report; OMB Control Number 0704-0248.

Needs and Uses: The collection of this information is necessary to process shipping and receipt documentation for goods and services provided by contractors and permit payment under DoD contracts.

Type of Collection: Revision of a currently approved collection.

Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits.

Frequency: On occasion.

Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profit and not-for profit institutions.

Number of Respondents: 153,000.

Responses per Respondent: 18, approximately.

Annual Responses: 2,800,000.

Average Burden per Response: .05 hours (3 minutes).

Annual Burden Hours: 140,000 hours.

This information collection includes the requirements of DFARS Appendix F, Material Inspection and Receiving Report. Appendix F contains procedures and instructions for submission of contractor payment requests and receiving reports using Wide Area WorkFlow (WAWF). 10 U.S.C. 2227(c) requires electronic submission and processing of claims for contract payments under DoD contracts. DoD has designated WAWF as the designated platform for contractors to submit payment requests and supporting documentation, including receiving reports. WAWF supports the preparation and distribution of electronic equivalents for the DD Form 250, Material Inspection and Receiving Report, and DD Form 250 series equivalents for repair of Government property and energy-related overland or waterborne shipments.

This meeting is being held under the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) of 1972 (5 U.S.C., Appendix, as amended), the Government in the Sunshine Act of 1976 (5 U.S.C. 552b, as amended), and 41 CFR 102-3.140 and 102-3.150.

Due to circumstances beyond the control of the Designated Federal Officer and the Department of Defense, the National Security Education Board was unable to provide public notification concerning its meeting on September 6, 2017, as required by 41 CFR 102-3.150(a). Accordingly, the Advisory Committee Management Officer for the Department of Defense, pursuant to 41 CFR 102-3.150(b), waives the 15-calendar day notification requirement.

This meeting is being held under the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) of 1972 (5 U.S.C., Appendix, as amended), the Government in the Sunshine Act of 1976 (5 U.S.C. 552b, as amended), and 41 CFR 102-3.140 and 102-3.150.

Pursuant to 41 CFR 102-3.140 and sections 10(a)(3) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972, the public or interested organizations may submit written statements to the Department of Defense National Security Education Board about its mission and functions. Written statements may be submitted at any time or in response to the stated agenda of the planned meeting. All written statements shall be submitted to the Designated Federal Official for the National Security Education Board, and this individual will ensure that the written statements are provided to the membership for their consideration. Contact information for the Designated Federal Official can be obtained from the GSA's FACA Database—http://www.facadatabase.gov/. Statements being submitted in response to the agenda mentioned in this notice must be received by the Designated Federal Official at the address listed in FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT at least five calendar days prior to the meeting that is the subject of this notice. Written statements received after this date may not be provided to or considered by the National Security Education Board until its next meeting. The Designated Federal Official will review all timely submissions with the National Security Education Board and ensure they are provided to all members of the National Security Education Board before the meeting that is the subject of this notice. Committee's Point of Contact: Alison Patz, Alternate Designated Federal Official, (571) 256-0771, [email protected].

Purpose of the Meeting: The purpose of the meeting is to review and make recommendations to the Secretary of Defense concerning requirements established by the David L. Boren National Security Education Act, Title VII of Public Law 102-183, as amended.

Agenda: 10:00 a.m.—Welcome and Chair Opening Remarks. 10:30 a.m.—NSEP Programmatic Updates. 11:00 a.m.—National Language Service Corps. 11:30 a.m.—Outreach and Recruitment Strategies: Strengthening the Boren and Flagship Pipeline. 12:30 p.m.—Working Lunch with Boren Scholars and Fellows. 1:30 p.m.—Intelligence Community Engagement: Reflections from Interagency Chief Human Capital Officers. 2:30 p.m.—Interagency Language Program Updates. 3:15 p.m.—The Language Flagship Competition Cycle: Best Practices and Way Forward. 4:00 p.m.—Board Discussion. 4:30 p.m.—Adjourn.

Meeting Accessibility: Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552b and 41 CFR 102-3.140 through 102-3.165, and the availability of space, this meeting is open to the public. Seating is on a first-come basis.

The Department of Education (ED), in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), provides the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed, revised, and continuing collections of information. This helps the Department assess the impact of its information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. It also helps the public understand the Department's information collection requirements and provide the requested data in the desired format. ED is soliciting comments on the proposed information collection request (ICR) that is described below. The Department of Education is especially interested in public comment addressing the following issues: (1) Is this collection necessary to the proper functions of the Department; (2) will this information be processed and used in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate of burden accurate; (4) how might the Department enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (5) how might the Department minimize the burden of this collection on the respondents, including through the use of information technology. Please note that written comments received in response to this notice will be considered public records.

Title of Collection: Report of Randolph-Sheppard Vending Facility Program.

OMB Control Number: 1820-0009.

Type of Review: An extension of an existing information collection.

Respondents/Affected Public: State, Local, and Tribal Governments.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 51.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 689.

Abstract: The Vending Facility Program authorized by the Randolph-Sheppard Act provides persons who are blind with remunerative employment and self-support through the operation of vending facilities on federal and other property. Under the Randolph Sheppard Program, state licensing agencies recruit, train, license and place individuals who are blind as operators of vending facilities (including cafeterias, snack bars, vending machines, etc.) located on federal and other properties. In statute at 20 U.S.C. 107a(6)(a), the Secretary of Education is directed through the Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) to conduct periodic evaluations of the programs authorized under the Randolph-Sheppard Act. Additionally, section 107b(4) requires entities designated as the state licensing agency to make such reports in such form and containing such information as the Secretary may from time to time require. The information to be collected is a necessary component of the evaluation process and forms the basis for annual reporting. These data are also used to understand the distribution type and profitability of vending facilities throughout the country. Such information is useful in providing technical assistance to state licensing agencies and property managers. The Code of Federal Regulations, at 34 CFR 395.8, specifies that vending machine income received by the state from federal property managers can be distributed to blind vendors in an amount not to exceed the national average income for blind vendors. This amount is determined through data collected using RSA-15: Report of Randolph-Sheppard Vending Facility Program. In addition, the collection of information ensures the provision and transparency of activities referenced in 34 CFR 395.12 related to disclosure of program and financial information.

The following changes are found in the revised information collection (IC) RSA-15: Report of Randolph-Sheppard Vending Facility Program: At the end of the reporting form, a text box was added for notes or explanations. The instructions were modified accordingly to accommodate these changes in the form and to clarify information.

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, Oak Ridge, 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 Melyssa P. Noe 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 the agenda item should contact Melyssa P. Noe 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 Melyssa P. Noe at the address and phone number listed above. Minutes will also be available at the following Web site: https://energy.gov/orem/listings/oak-ridge-site-specific-advisory-board-meetings.

Purpose of the Committee: The Electricity Advisory Committee (EAC) was re-established in July 2010, in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), as amended, 5 U.S.C., App.2, to provide advice to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in implementing the Energy Policy Act of 2005, executing the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, and modernizing the nation's electricity delivery infrastructure. The EAC is composed of individuals of diverse background selected for their technical expertise and experience, established records of distinguished professional service, and their knowledge of issues that pertain to electricity.

Tentative Agenda: The meeting of the EAC is expected to include panels or presentations on the National Academy of Sciences grid resiliency report, modern grid-networked measurement and monitoring, cybersecurity, and the multiyear plan for energy sector cybersecurity. Additionally, the meeting is expected to include an update on the programs and initiatives of the DOE's Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability and a discussion of the plans and activities of the Smart Grid Subcommittee, Power Delivery Subcommittee, and Energy Storage Subcommittee. The meeting is also expected to include an update and associated discussion on the 60 day study exploring issues central to the long-term reliability of the electric grid.

The meeting agenda may change to accommodate EAC business. For EAC agenda updates, see the EAC Web site at: http://energy.gov/oe/services/electricity-advisory-committee-eac.

Public Participation: The EAC welcomes the attendance of the public at its meetings. Individuals who wish to offer public comments at the EAC meeting may do so on Thursday, September 14, 2017, but must register at the registration table in advance. Approximately five minutes will be reserved for public comments. Time allotted per speaker will depend on the number who wish to speak but is not expected to exceed three minutes. Anyone who is not able to attend the meeting, or for whom the allotted public comments time is insufficient to address pertinent issues with the EAC, is invited to send a written statement to Mr. Matthew Rosenbaum.

You may submit comments, identified by “Electricity Advisory Committee Open Meeting,” by any of the following methods:

• Mail/Hand Delivery/Courier: Matthew Rosenbaum, Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, U.S. Department of Energy, Forrestal Building, Room 8G-017, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585.

• Email: [email protected]. Include “Electricity Advisory Committee Open Meeting” in the subject line of the message.

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments. Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name and identifier. All comments received will be posted without change to http://energy.gov/oe/services/electricity-advisory-committee-eac, including any personal information provided.

• Docket: For access to the docket, to read background documents or comments received, go to http://energy.gov/oe/services/electricity-advisory-committee-eac.

The following electronic file formats are acceptable: Microsoft Word (.doc), Corel Word Perfect (.wpd), Adobe Acrobat (.pdf), Rich Text Format (.rtf), plain text (.txt), Microsoft Excel (.xls), and Microsoft PowerPoint (.ppt). If you submit information that you believe to be exempt by law from public disclosure, you must submit one complete copy, as well as one copy from which the information claimed to be exempt by law from public disclosure has been deleted. You must also explain the reasons why you believe the deleted information is exempt from disclosure.

DOE is responsible for the final determination concerning disclosure or nondisclosure of the information and for treating it in accordance with the DOE's Freedom of Information regulations (10 CFR 1004.11).

Minutes: The minutes of the EAC meeting will be posted on the EAC Web page at http://energy.gov/oe/services/electricity-advisory-committee-eac. They can also be obtained by contacting Mr. Matthew Rosenbaum at the address above.

DOE published a final rule under 10 CFR part 765 in the Federal Register on May 23, 1994, (59 FR 26714) to carry out the requirements of Title X of the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (sections 1001-1004 of Pub. L. 102-486, 42 U.S.C. 2296a et seq.) and to establish the procedures for eligible licensees to submit claims for reimbursement. DOE amended the final rule on June 3, 2003, (68 FR 32955) to adopt several technical and administrative amendments (e.g., statutory increases in the reimbursement ceilings). Title X requires DOE to reimburse eligible uranium and thorium licensees for certain costs of decontamination, decommissioning, reclamation, and other remedial action incurred by licensees at uranium and thorium processing sites to remediate byproduct material generated resulting from the sales to the United States Government. To be reimbursable, costs of remedial action must be for work that is necessary to comply with applicable requirements of the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act of 1978 (42 U.S.C. 7901 et seq.) or, where appropriate, with requirements established by a State pursuant to a discontinuance agreement under section 274 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2021). Claims for reimbursement must be supported by reasonable documentation as determined by DOE in accordance with 10 CFR part 765. Funds for reimbursement will be provided from the Uranium Enrichment Decontamination and Decommissioning Fund established at the Department of Treasury pursuant to section 1801 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2297g). Payment or obligation of funds shall be subject to the requirements of the Anti-Deficiency Act (31 U.S.C. 1341).

I. Background

On November 28, 2016, EPA finalized revisions to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) regulations governing imports and exports of hazardous waste and certain other materials in 40 CFR part 262 (81 FR 85696). These revisions included a stepwise conversion from a paper process for export shipments at the port to an electronic process to fulfill the direction set forth in Executive Order 13659 concerning the electronic management of international trade data by the U.S. Government as part of the International Trade Data System (ITDS).

Under Executive Order 13659, agencies were required to have capabilities, agreements, and other requirements in place by December 31, 2016, to utilize the ITDS and supporting systems, such as the Automated Export System (AES) or its successor system, as the primary means of receiving from users the standard set of data and other relevant documentation (exclusive of applications for permits, licenses, or certifications) required for the release of imported cargo and clearance of cargo for export. The AES resides in the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's (CBP's) Automated Commercial Environment (ACE). With respect to RCRA waste exports subject to consent requirements, EPA's regulatory revisions and CBP's changes to AES were established to utilize electronic processes in AES, or its successor system, in place of existing paper processes at the port or border crossing required to clear export shipments for departure. Currently, exports of hazardous waste, including those eligible for the alternate management standards of 40 CFR part 273 (i.e., universal waste) or 40 CFR part 266 (e.g., spent lead acid batteries being shipped for recycling), and exports of cathode ray tubes for recycling are subject to RCRA consent requirements. EPA's final rule had allowed exporters to choose whether to follow the existing paper process or the new electronic procedure at the border during an initial transition period until the “AES filing compliance date” defined in 40 CFR 260.10, and to be announced in a future Federal Register action.

With this announcement, starting on the AES filing compliance date of December 31, 2017, exporters or their authorized agents will no longer be able to use a paper process, and will have to file certain EPA data in the AES, or its successor system. The data they must file is set forth in 40 CFR 261.39(a)(5)(v)(B) for cathode ray tube exports and in 40 CFR 262.83(a)(6)(ii) for hazardous waste exports. A detailed description of the electronic process is available in Section III.B of the “Hazardous Waste Export-Import Revisions” (81 FR 85696, November 28, 2016) final rule.

EPA has held three webinars for exporters on how to file the EPA information in AES on January 18, 2017, May 8, 2017, and June 5, 2017. In the May and June webinars, EPA stated that the transition period would end no later than December 31, 2017. Materials and recordings of the May and June webinars are available at https://clu-in.org/conf/tio/AESExporters_050817/ and https://clu-in.org/conf/tio/AESExporters_060517/, respectively. EPA is also reaching out to individual exporters to ensure that all exporters with consent can successfully file the EPA information in AES for their export shipments.

SJVUAPCD Rule 2201 affords the EPA a 45-day period to review and object to, as appropriate, a proposed permit. Rule 2201 § 5.9.1. If the EPA does not object, Rule 2201 allows any person to petition the EPA, within 60 days, to object to the proposed permit. Petitions must be based only on objections to the permit that were raised with reasonable specificity during the public comment period, unless the petitioner demonstrates that it was impracticable to raise these issues during the comment period, or the grounds for the issue arose after this period.

The EPA received the Petition dated July 7, 2016, requesting that the EPA object to the proposed issuance of the Permit to Chevron USA Inc., for modifications to its 7Z Steam Plant, located in Kern County, California. In summary, the Petition claimed that certain emission reduction credits used in the permitting process were invalid.

On April 24, 2017, the Administrator issued an order denying the Petition. The EPA's rationale for denying the claims raised in the petition are described in the Order.

Supporting documents, which explain in detail the information that the EPA will be collecting, are available in the public docket for this ICR. The docket can be viewed online at www.regulations.gov or in person at the EPA Docket Center, WJC West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC. The telephone number for the Docket Center is 202-566-1744. For additional information about EPA's public docket, visit http://www.epa.gov/dockets.

Abstract: Under the provisions of the Clean Air Act (CAA), the Administrator is required to promulgate regulations to control air pollutant emissions from motor vehicles and nonroad engines, as defined in the CAA. Per Sections 207(c)(1) and 213 of the CAA, when a substantial number of properly maintained and used engines produced by a manufacturer do not conform to emission standards, the manufacturer is required to recall the engines. Engine manufacturers are required to submit Defect Information Reports (DIRs) if emission-related defects are found on engines of the same model year that may cause the engines' emissions to exceed the standards. EPA uses these reports to target potentially nonconforming classes of engines for future testing, to monitor compliance with applicable regulations and to order a recall, if necessary. Manufacturers can also initiate a recall voluntarily by submitting a Voluntary Emission Recall Report (VERR). VERRs and VERR updates allow EPA to determine whether the manufacturer conducting the recall is acting in accordance with the CAA and to examine and monitor the effectiveness of the recall campaign.

Forms: The forms associated with this ICR are form 5900-300 (Voluntary Emissions Recall Report); form 5900-301 (Emissions Defect Information Report); and form 5900-302 (Voluntary Emission Recall Quarterly Progress Report).

Respondents/affected entities: Manufacturers of heavy-duty highway and nonroad engines.

Respondent's obligation to respond: Mandatory under the Clean Air Act and 40 CFR parts 85, 89, 90, 91, 92, 94, 1035, 1039, 1042, 1045, 1048, 1051, 1054, 1068.

Estimated number of respondents: 29 (total).

Frequency of response: On occasion, bi-annual or quarterly.

Total estimated burden: 9,827 hours (per year). Burden is defined at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).

Total estimated cost: $936,157 (per year), includes $5,475 annualized capital or operation & maintenance costs.

Changes in the Estimates: There is decrease of 5,258 hours in the total estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR currently approved by OMB. This decrease is due to: (1) A correction on previous estimates, and (2) a significant decrease in the estimated number of respondents.

I. General Information A. Does this action apply to me?

This action is directed to the public in general, and may be of interest to a wide range of stakeholders including environmental, human health, 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.

The docket for this action, identified by docket identification (ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2017-0070, is available at http://www.regulations.gov or at the Office of Pesticide Programs Regulatory Public Docket (OPP Docket) in the Environmental Protection Agency Docket Center (EPA/DC), West William Jefferson Clinton Bldg., Rm. 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001. The Public Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the Public Reading Room is (202) 566-1744, and the telephone number for the OPP Docket is (703) 305-5805. Please review the visitor instructions and additional information about the docket available at http://www.epa.gov/dockets.

This notice announces the cancellations and amendments to terminate uses, as requested by registrants, of products registered under FIFRA section 3 (7 U.S.C. 136a). These registrations are listed in sequence by registration number in Tables 1 and 2 of this unit. The following registration number that was listed in the Federal Register of April 10, 2017 (82 FR 17246) (FRL-9959-66) has already been cancelled in a previous Federal Register notice: OR-080021 on March 22, 2017 (82 FR 14718) (FRL-9958-51).

Table 3 of this unit includes the names and addresses of record for all registrants of the products in Tables 1 and 2 of this unit, in sequence by EPA company number. This number corresponds to the first part of the EPA registration numbers of the products listed in Table 1 and Table 2 of this unit.

During the public comment period provided, EPA received two comments in response to the April 10, 2017 Federal Register notice announcing the Agency's receipt of the requests for voluntary cancellations and amendments to terminate uses of products listed in Table 1 and Table 2 of Unit II. One comment was received from Stepan Company requesting that EPA Reg. No. 1839-189 be retained and a second comment was received from Mason Chemical Company requesting that EPA Reg. No. 10324-89 be retained.

Pursuant to FIFRA section 6(f) (7 U.S.C. 136d(f)(1)), EPA hereby approves the requested cancellations and amendments to terminate uses of the registrations identified in Tables 1 and 2 of Unit II. Accordingly, the Agency hereby orders that the product registrations identified in Tables 1 and 2 of Unit II are canceled and amended to terminate the affected uses. The effective date of the cancellations that are subject of this notice is August 29, 2017. Any distribution, sale, or use of existing stocks of the products identified in Tables 1 and 2 of Unit II in a manner inconsistent with any of the provisions for disposition of existing stocks set forth in Unit VI will be a violation of FIFRA.

Section 6(f)(1) of FIFRA (7 U.S.C. 136d(f)(1)) provides that a registrant of a pesticide product may at any time request that any of its pesticide registrations be canceled or amended to terminate one or more uses. FIFRA further provides that, before acting on the request, EPA must publish a notice of receipt of any such request in the Federal Register. Thereafter, following the public comment period, the EPA Administrator may approve such a request. The notice of receipt for this action was published for comment in the Federal Register of April 10, 2017. The comment period closed on May 10, 2017.

Existing stocks are those stocks of registered pesticide products which are currently in the United States and which were packaged, labeled, and released for shipment prior to the effective date of the action. The existing stocks provision for the products subject to this order is as follows.

The registrants have requested to the Agency via letter to sell existing stocks for an 18-month period for products 706-69 (sell through date of September 27, 2018), 10324-169, 10324-174, 10324-184, 10324-197, 10324-218, 10807-438 and 33176-24.

For the other voluntary product cancellations listed in Table 1 of Unit II, the registrants may continue to sell and distribute existing stocks of the products listed in Table 1 until August 29, 2018, which is 1 year after publication of this cancellation order in the Federal Register. Thereafter, the registrants are prohibited from selling or distributing the products listed in Table 1 of Unit II., except for export in accordance with FIFRA section 17 (7 U.S.C. 136o) or for proper disposal.

Now that EPA has approved product labels reflecting the requested amendments to terminate uses for the products listed in Table 2 of Unit II, registrants are permitted to sell or distribute the products listed in Table 2, under the previously approved labeling until February 28, 2019, a period of 18 months after publication of this cancellation order in this Federal Register, unless other restrictions have been imposed. Thereafter, registrants will be prohibited from selling or distributing the products whose labels include the terminated uses identified in Table 2 of Unit II, except for export consistent with FIFRA section 17 or for proper disposal.

Persons other than the registrant may sell, distribute, or use existing stocks of canceled products and products whose labels include the terminated uses until supplies are exhausted, provided that such sale, distribution, or use is consistent with the terms of the previously approved labeling on, or that accompanied, the canceled products and products whose labels include the terminated uses.

Supporting documents which explain in detail the information that the EPA will be collecting are available in the public docket for this ICR. The docket can be viewed online at https://www.regulations.gov or in person at the EPA Docket Center, EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC. The telephone number for the Docket Center is 202-566-1744. For additional information about EPA's public docket, visit http://www.epa.gov/dockets.

Abstract: Gasoline volatility, as measured by Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) in pounds per square inch (psi), is controlled in the spring and summer in order to minimize evaporative hydrocarbon emissions from motor vehicles. RVP is subject to a Federal standard of 7.8 psi or 9.0 psi, depending on location. The addition of ethanol to gasoline increases the RVP by about 1 psi. Gasoline that contains 9 volume percent to 10 volume percent ethanol is subject to a standard that is 1.0 psi greater. As an aid to industry compliance and EPA enforcement, the product transfer document, which is prepared by the producer or importer and which accompanies a shipment of gasoline containing ethanol, is required by regulation to contain a legible and conspicuous statement that the gasoline contains ethanol and the percentage concentration of ethanol. This is intended to deter the mixing within the distribution system, particularly in retail storage tanks, of gasoline which contains ethanol in the 9 to 10 percent range with gasoline which does not contain ethanol in that range. Such mixing would likely result in a gasoline which is in violation of its RVP standard. Also, a party wishing a testing exemption, for research on gasoline that is not in compliance with the applicable volatility standard, must submit certain information to EPA.

Form Numbers: None.

Respondents/affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are those who produce or import gasoline containing ethanol, or who wish to obtain a testing exemption.

Respondent's obligation to respond: Mandatory per 40 CFR 80.27(d) and (e).

Estimated number of respondents: 2,000.

Frequency of response: On occasion.

Total estimated burden: 12,330 hours per year. Burden is defined at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).

Total estimated cost: $1.1 million, includes $20 annualized capital or operation & maintenance costs.

Changes in estimates: There is no change in the hours in the total estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR currently approved by OMB. The use of ethanol in gasoline has increased slightly, but that has been offset by a slight decrease in gasoline consumption.

Sections 744A and 744B of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. 379j-41 and 379j-42) establish fees associated with human generic drug products. Fees are assessed on: (1) Certain types of applications for human generic drug products; (2) certain facilities where APIs and FDFs are produced; (3) certain DMFs associated with human generic drug products; and (4) the generic drug applicant program (see section 744B(a)(1)-(5) of the FD&C Act).

GDUFA II fees vary greatly from those in GDUFA I because of two fundamental adjustments to the fee structure:

(1) The revenue base for GDUFA II is $493.6 million versus $323 million in the final year of GDUFA I—ANDAs are the primary workload driver of the program. GDUFA I was built on the assumption that FDA would receive 750 ANDAs per year. Over the first 4 years of GDUFA I, ANDA receipts have averaged approximately 1,000 per year. To address the increased workload, FDA hired additional staff and is projected to spend about $430 million in the final year of GDUFA I. To maintain FDA's current productivity and implement negotiated improvements, GDUFA II stipulates that user fees should total $493.6 million annually adjusted each year for inflation.

(2) GDUFA II will for the first time rely on annual program fees—GDUFA II shifts the fee burden somewhat from facility fees.

For FY 2018, the generic drug fee rates are: ANDA ($171,823), DMF ($47,829), domestic API facility ($45,367), foreign API facility ($60,367), domestic FDF facility ($211,087), foreign FDF facility ($226,087), domestic CMO facility ($70,362), foreign CMO facility ($85,362), large size operation generic drug applicant program ($1,590,792), medium size operation drug applicant program ($636,317), and small business generic drug applicant program ($159,079). These fees are effective on October 1, 2017, and will remain in effect through September 30, 2018.

The base revenue amount for FY 2018 is $493,600,000, as set in the statute (see section 744B(b)(1) of the FD&C Act). GDUFA II directs FDA to use the yearly revenue amount as a starting point to set the fee rates for each fee type. For more information about GDUFA II, please refer to the FDA Web site (http://www.fda.gov/gdufa). The ANDA, DMF, API facility, FDF facility, CMO facility, and generic drug applicant program fee (GDUFA Program Fee) calculations for FY 2018 are described in this document.

GDUFA II specifies that the $493,600,000 is to be adjusted for inflation increases for FY 2019 through FY 2022 using two separate adjustments—one for personnel compensation and benefits (PC&B) and one for non-PC&B costs (see section 744B(c)(1) of the FD&C Act). Because the adjustment for inflation does not take effect until FY 2019, FDA will not adjust the base revenue amount for inflation in FY 2018.

Under GDUFA II, the FY 2018 ANDA fee is owed by each applicant that submits an ANDA on or after October 1, 2017. This fee is due on the receipt date of the ANDA. Section 744B(b)(2)(B) specifies that the ANDA fee will make up 33 percent of the $493,600,000, which is $162,888,000.

To calculate the ANDA fee, FDA estimated the number of full application equivalents (FAEs) that will be submitted in FY 2018. An ANDA counts as one FAE; however, 75 percent of the fee paid for an ANDA shall be refunded according to GDUFA II if (1) the ANDA is refused for a cause other than failure to pay fees or (2) the ANDA has been withdrawn prior to receipt (section 744B(a)(2)(D)(i) of the FD&C Act). Therefore, an ANDA that is considered not to have been received by FDA due to reasons other than failure to pay fees or withdrawn prior to receipt counts as one-fourth of an FAE if the applicant initially paid a full application fee. One hundred percent of the fee paid for an ANDA shall be refunded if FDA initially receives the ANDA and subsequent to initial receipt, FDA determines that exclusivity should have prevented receipt of the ANDA, and thus FDA determines that the ANDA is no longer received (section 744B(a)(2)(D))(ii) of the FD&C Act).

FDA utilized data from ANDAs submitted from October 1, 2013, to April 30, 2017, to estimate the number of new original ANDAs that will incur filing fees in FY 2018. For FY 2018, the Agency estimates that approximately 938 new original ANDAs will be submitted and incur filing fees. Not all of the new original ANDAs will be received by the Agency and some of those not received will be resubmitted in the same fiscal year. Therefore, the Agency expects that the FAE count for ANDAs will be 948 for FY 2018.

The FY 2018 application fee is estimated by dividing the number of FAEs that will pay the fee in FY 2018 (948) into the fee revenue amount to be derived from ANDA application fees in FY 2018 ($162,888,000). The result, rounded to the nearest dollar, is a fee of $171,823 per ANDA.

The statute provides that those ANDAs that include information about the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients other than by reference to a DMF will pay an additional fee that is based on the number of such active pharmaceutical ingredients and the number of facilities proposed to produce those ingredients (see section 744B(a)(3)(F) of the FD&C Act). FDA considers that this additional fee is unlikely to be assessed often; therefore, FDA has not included projections concerning the amount of this fee in calculating the fees for ANDAs.

Under GDUFA II, the DMF fee is owed by each person that owns a type II active pharmaceutical ingredient DMF that is referenced, on or after October 1, 2012, in a generic drug submission by an initial letter of authorization. This is a one-time fee for each DMF. This fee is due on the earlier of the date on which the first generic drug submission is submitted that references the associated DMF or the date on which the drug master file holder requests the initial completeness assessment. Under section 744B(a)(2)(D)(iii) of the FD&C Act, if a DMF has successfully undergone an initial completeness assessment and the fee is paid, the DMF will be placed on a publicly available list documenting DMFs available for reference.

To calculate the DMF fee, FDA assessed the volume of DMF submissions over time. The Agency assessed DMFs from October 1, 2015, to April 30, 2017, and concluded that averaging the number of fee-paying DMFs provided the most accurate model for predicting fee-paying DMFs for FY 2018. FDA is estimating 516 fee-paying DMFs for FY 2018.

The FY 2018 DMF fee is determined by dividing the DMF target revenue by the estimated number of fee-paying DMFs in FY 2018. Section 744B(b)(2)(A) specifies that the DMF fees will make up five percent of the $493,600,000, which is $24,680,000. Dividing the DMF revenue amount ($24,680,000) by the estimated fee-paying DMFs (516), and rounding to the nearest dollar, yields a DMF fee of $47,829 for FY 2018.

Under GDUFA II, the fee for a facility located outside the United States and its territories and possessions shall be $15,000 higher than the amount of the fee for a facility located in the United States and its territories and possessions. The basis for this differential is the extra cost incurred by conducting an inspection outside the United States and its territories and possessions.

Under GDUFA II, the annual FDF facility fee is owed by each person who owns an FDF facility that is identified in at least one approved generic drug submission owned by that person or his affiliates. The CMO facility fee is owed by each person who owns an FDF facility that is identified in at least one approved ANDA but is not identified in an approved ANDA held by the owner of that facility or its affiliates. These fees are due no later than the first business day on or after October 1 of each such year. Section 744B(b)(2)(C) of the FD&C Act specifies that the FDF and CMO facility fee revenue will make up 20 percent of the $493,600,000, which is $98,720,000.

To calculate the fees, data from FDA's Integrity Services (IS) were utilized as the primary source of facility information for determining the denominators of each facility fee type. IS is the master data steward for all facility information provided in generic drug submissions received by FDA. A facility's reference status in an approved generic drug submission is extracted directly from submission data rather than relying on data from self-identification. This information provided the number of facilities referenced as FDF manufacturers in at least one approved generic drug submission. Based on FDA's IS data for FY 2018, the FDF and CMO facility denominators are 182 FDF domestic, 208 FDF foreign, 71 CMO domestic, and 97 CMO foreign facilities.

GDUFA II specifies that the CMO facility fee is to be equal to one-third the amount of the FDF facility fee. Therefore, to generate the target collection revenue amount from FDF and CMO facility fees ($98,720,000), FDA must weight a CMO facility as one-third of an FDF facility. FDA set fees based on the estimate of 182 FDF domestic, 208 FDF foreign, 23.67 CMO domestic (71 multiplied by one-third), and 32.33 CMO foreign facilities (97 multiplied by one-third), which equals 446 total weighted FDF and CMO facilities for FY 2018.

To calculate the fee for domestic facilities, FDA first determines the total fee revenue that will result from the foreign facility differential by subtracting the fee revenue resulting from the foreign facility fee differential from the target collection revenue amount ($98,720,000) as follows. The foreign facility fee differential revenue equals the foreign facility fee differential ($15,000) multiplied by the number of FDF foreign facilities (208) plus the foreign facility fee differential ($15,000) multiplied by the number of CMO foreign facilities (97), totaling $4,575,000. This results in foreign fee differential revenue of $4,575,000 from the total FDF and CMO facility fee target collection revenue. Subtracting the foreign facility differential fee revenue ($4,575,000) from the total FDF and CMO facility target collection revenue ($98,720,000) results in a remaining facility fee revenue balance of $94,145,000. To determine the domestic FDF facility fee, FDA divides the $94,145,000 by the total weighted number of FDF and CMO facilities (446), which results in a domestic FDF facility fee of $211,087. The foreign FDF facility fee is $15,000 more than the domestic FDF facility fee, or $226,087.

CMO fees are as follows. According to GDUFA II, the domestic CMO fee is calculated as one-third the amount of the domestic FDF facility fee. Therefore, the domestic CMO fee is $70,362, rounded to the nearest dollar. The foreign CMO fee is calculated as the domestic CMO fee plus the foreign fee differential of $15,000. Therefore, the foreign CMO fee is $85,362.

Under GDUFA II, the annual API facility fee is owed by each person who owns a facility that is identified in (1) at least one approved generic drug submission or (2) in a Type II API DMF referenced in at least one approved generic drug submission. These fees are due no later than the first business day on or after October 1 of each such year. Section 744B(b)(2)(D) of the FD&C Act specifies the API facility fee will make up seven percent of $493,600,000 in fee revenue, which is $34,552,000.

To calculate the API facility fee, data from FDA's IS were utilized as the primary source of facility information for determining the denominator. As stated above, IS is the master data steward for all facility information provided in generic drug submissions received by FDA. A facility's reference status in an approved generic drug submission is extracted directly from submission data rather than relying on data from self-identification. This information provided the number of facilities referenced as API manufacturers in at least one approved generic drug submission.

The total number of API facilities identified was 592. Of the total facilities identified as API facilities, there were 79 domestic facilities and 513 foreign facilities. The foreign facility differential is $15,000. To calculate the fee for domestic facilities, FDA must first subtract the fee revenue that will result from the foreign facility fee differential. FDA takes the foreign facility differential ($15,000) and multiplies it by the number of foreign facilities (513) to determine the total fee revenue that will result from the foreign facility differential. As a result of that calculation, the foreign fee differential revenue will make up $7,695,000 of the total API fee revenue. Subtracting the foreign facility differential fee revenue ($7,695,000) from the total API facility target revenue ($34,552,000) results in a remaining balance of $26,857,000. To determine the domestic API facility fee, we divide the $26,857,000 by the total number of facilities (592), which gives us a domestic API facility fee of $45,367. The foreign API facility fee is $15,000 more than the domestic API facility fee, or $60,367.

Under GDUFA II, if a person and its affiliates own at least one but not more than five approved ANDAs on October 1, 2017, the person and its affiliates shall owe a small business GDUFA Program Fee. If a person and its affiliates own at least 6 but not more than 19 approved ANDAs, the person and its affiliates shall owe a medium size operation GDUFA Program Fee. If a person and its affiliates own at least 20 approved ANDAs, the person and its affiliates shall owe a large size operation GDUFA Program Fee. These fees are due no later than the first business day on or after October 1 of each such year. Section 744B(b)(2)(E) of the FD&C Act specifies the GDUFA Program Fee will make up 35 percent of $493,600,000 in fee revenue, which is $172,760,000.

To determine the appropriate number of applicants for each tier, the Agency has posted lists of approved ANDAs on the FDA Web site (http://www.fda.gov/gdufa) and asked applicants on the list to claim which ANDAs and affiliates belong to the parent company. The original list of approved ANDAs came from the Agency's Document Archiving, Reporting, and Regulatory Tracking System (DARRTS), which included all ANDAs with the status of “approved” as of April 30, 2017.

In determining the appropriate number of approved ANDAs, the Agency has factored in a number of variables that could affect the collection of the target revenue: (1) Inactive ANDAs—applicants who have not submitted an annual report for one or more of their approved applications within the past 2 years; (2) unclaimed affiliations—a risk of undercollecting the target revenue if companies do not claim their ANDAs and their affiliates before the Program Fee is calculated; and (3) potential portfolio adjustment—applicants may choose to withdraw some of their approved ANDAs in order to move to a lower tier and reduce their fee exposure. The list of original approved ANDAs from the DARRTS database as of April 30, 2017, shows 339 applicants in the small business tier, 74 applicants in the medium size tier, and 65 applicants in the large size tier. This list also takes into account all the withdrawals, consolidations, and transfer of ownerships from industry as of April 30, 2017. Factoring in all the variables for the first year of GDUFA II, the Agency estimates there will be 258 applicants in the small business tier, 52 applicants in the medium size tier, and 62 applicants in the large size tier for FY 2018.

To calculate the GDUFA Program Fee, GDUFA II provides that large size operation generic drug applicants pay the full fee, medium size operation applicants pay two-fifths of the full fee, and small business applicants pay one-tenth of the full fee. To generate the target collection revenue amount from GDUFA Program Fees ($172,760,000), we must weigh medium and small tiered applicants as a subset of a large size operation generic drug applicant. FDA will set fees based on the weighted estimate of 25.8 applicants in the small business tier (258 multiplied by 10 percent), 20.8 applicants in the medium size tier (52 multiplied by 40 percent), and 62 applicants in the large size tier, arriving at 108.6 total weighted applicants for FY 2018.

To generate the large size operation GDUFA Program Fee, FDA divides the target revenue amount of $172,760,000 by 108.6, which equals $1,590,792. The medium size operation GDUFA Program Fee is 40 percent of the full fee ($636,317), and the small business operation GDUFA Program Fee is 10 percent of the full fee ($159,079).

The fee rates for FY 2018 are set out in table 1.

The new fee rates are effective October 1, 2017. To pay the ANDA, DMF, API facility, FDF facility, CMO facility, and GDUFA Program Fee, you must complete a Generic Drug User Fee Cover Sheet, available through https://www.fda.gov/gdufa and at https://userfees.fda.gov/OA_HTML/gdufaCAcdLogin.jsp, and generate a user fee identification (ID) number. Payment must be made in U.S. currency drawn on a U.S. bank by electronic check, check, bank draft, U.S. postal money order, credit card, or wire transfer. The preferred payment method is online using electronic check (Automated Clearing House (ACH) also known as eCheck) or credit card (Discover, VISA, MasterCard, American Express). Secure electronic payments can be submitted using the User Fees Payment Portal at https://userfees.fda.gov/pay (Note: Only full payments are accepted. No partial payments can be made online.) Once you search for your invoice, select “Pay Now” to be redirected to Pay.gov. Note that electronic payment options are based on the balance due. Payment by credit card is available for balances less than $25,000. If the balance exceeds this amount, only the ACH option is available. Payments must be made using U.S. bank accounts as well as U.S. credit cards.

FDA has partnered with the U.S. Department of the Treasury to utilize Pay.gov, a web-based payment application, for online electronic payment. The Pay.gov feature is available on the FDA Web site after completing the Generic Drug User Fee Cover Sheet and generating the user fee ID number.

Please include the user fee ID number on your check, bank draft, or postal money order and make payable to the order of the Food and Drug Administration. Your payment can be mailed to: Food and Drug Administration, P.O. Box 979108, St. Louis, MO 63197-9000. If checks are to be sent by a courier that requests a street address, the courier can deliver checks to: U.S. Bank, Attention: Government Lockbox 979108, 1005 Convention Plaza, St. Louis, MO 63101. (Note: This U.S. Bank address is for courier delivery only. If you have any questions concerning courier delivery, contact the U.S. Bank at 314-418-4013. This telephone number is only for questions about courier delivery). Please make sure that the FDA post office box number (P.O. Box 979108) is written on the check, bank draft, or postal money order.

If paying by wire transfer, please reference your unique user fee ID number when completing your transfer. Without your unique user fee ID number, the payment may not be applied. If the payment amount is not applied, the invoice amount would be referred to collections. The originating financial institution may charge a wire transfer fee. Please ask your financial institution about the wire transfer fee and include it with your payment to ensure that your fee is fully paid. Use the following account information when sending a payment by wire transfer: U.S. Department of Treasury, TREAS NYC, 33 Liberty St., New York, NY 10045, account number: 75060099, routing number: 021030004, SWIFT: FRNYUS33, Beneficiary: FDA, 8455 Colesville Rd., 14th Floor, Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002. If needed, FDA's tax identification number is 53-0196965.

I. Background

Section 738 of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. 379j) establishes fees for certain medical device applications, submissions, supplements, notices, and requests (for simplicity, this document refers to these collectively as “submissions” or “applications”); for periodic reporting on class III devices; and for the registration of certain establishments. Under statutorily-defined conditions, a qualified applicant may receive a fee waiver or may pay a lower small business fee (see 21 U.S.C. 379j(d) and (e)).

Under the FD&C Act, the fee rate for each type of submission is set at a specified percentage of the standard fee for a premarket application (a premarket application is a premarket approval application (PMA), a product development protocol (PDP), or a biologics license application (BLA)). The FD&C Act specifies the base fee for a premarket application for each year from FY 2018 through FY 2022; the base fee for a premarket application received by FDA during FY 2018 is $294,000. From this starting point, this document establishes FY 2018 fee rates for certain types of submissions, and for periodic reporting, by applying criteria specified in the FD&C Act.

The FD&C Act specifies the base fee for establishment registration for each year from FY 2018 through FY 2022; the base fee for an establishment registration in FY 2018 is $4,375. There is no reduction in the registration fee for small businesses. Each establishment that is registered (or is required to register) with the Secretary of Health and Human Services under section 510 of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. 360) because such establishment is engaged in the manufacture, preparation, propagation, compounding, or processing of a device is required to pay the annual fee for establishment registration.

The total revenue amount for FY 2018 is $183,280,756, as set forth in the statute prior to the inflation adjustment (see 21 U.S.C. 379j(b)(3)). MDUFA directs FDA to use the yearly total revenue amount as a starting point to set the standard fee rates for each fee type. The fee calculations for FY 2018 are described in this document.

MDUFA specifies that the $183,280,756 is to be adjusted for inflation increases for FY 2018 using two separate adjustments—one for payroll costs and one for non-payroll costs (see 21 U.S.C. 379j(c)(2)). The base inflation adjustment for FY 2018 is the sum of one plus these two separate adjustments, and is compounded as specified in the statute (see 21 U.S.C. 379j(c)(2)(C) and 379j(c)(2)(B)).

The component of the inflation adjustment for payroll costs is the average annual percent change in the cost of all personnel compensation and benefits (PC&B) paid per full-time equivalent position (FTE) at FDA for the first three of the four preceding FYs, multiplied by 0.60, or 60 percent (see 21 U.S.C. 379j(c)(2)(C)).

Table 1 summarizes the actual cost and FTE data for the specified FYs, and provides the percent change from the previous FY and the average percent change over the first 3 of the 4 FYs preceding FY 2018. The 3-year average is 2.2354 percent (rounded).

The payroll adjustment is 2.2354 percent multiplied by 60 percent, or 1.3412 percent.

The statute specifies that the component of the inflation adjustment for non-payroll costs for FY 2018 is the average annual percent change that occurred in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for urban consumers (Washington-Baltimore, DC-MD-VA-WV; Not Seasonally Adjusted; All Items; Annual Index) for the first 3 of the preceding 4 years of available data multiplied by 0.40, or 40 percent (see 21 U.S.C. 379j(c)(2)(C)).

Table 2 provides the summary data and the 3-year average percent change in the specified CPI for the Baltimore-Washington area. These data are published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and can be found on their Web site at https://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/surveymost?cu by checking the box marked “Washington-Baltimore All Items, November 1996 = 100−CUURA311SA0” and then clicking on the “Retrieve Data” button.

The non-pay adjustment is 1.0139 percent multiplied by 40 percent, or 0.4056 percent.

Next, the payroll adjustment (1.3412 percent or 0.013412) is added to the non-payroll adjustment (0.4056 percent or 0.004056), for a total of 1.7468 percent (or 0.017468). To complete the inflation adjustment, 1 (100 percent or 1.0) is added for a total base inflation adjustment of 1.017468 for FY 2018.

MDUFA IV provides for this inflation adjustment to be compounded for FY 2018 and each subsequent fiscal year (see 21 U.S.C. 379j(c)(2)(B)(ii)). The base inflation adjustment for FY 2018 (1.017468) is compounded by multiplying it by the compounded applicable inflation factors from FY 2016 and FY 2017 (1.020416 times 1.015774 or 1.036512). To complete the compounded inflation adjustment for FY 2018, the FY 2016 and FY 2017 compounded adjustment (1.036512) is multiplied by the FY 2018 base inflation adjustment (1.017468) to reach the applicable inflation adjustment of 1.054618 (rounded) for FY 2018. We then multiply the total revenue amount for FY 2018 ($183,280,756) by 1.054618, yielding an inflation adjusted total revenue amount of $193,291,000 (rounded to the nearest thousand dollars).

Under the FD&C Act, all submission fees and the periodic reporting fee are set as a percent of the standard (full) fee for a premarket application (see 21 U.S.C. 379j(a)(2)(A)).

MDUFA specifies that the base fees of $294,000 (premarket application) and $4,375 (establishment registration) are to be adjusted for inflation for FY 2018 using the same methodology as that for the total revenue inflation adjustment in section II (see 21 U.S.C. 379j(c)(2)(D)(i)). Multiplying these base fees by the compounded inflation adjustment of 1.054618 yields inflation adjusted base fees of $310,058 (premarket application) and $4,614 (establishment registration).

After the applicable inflation adjustment to fees is done, FDA may increase, if necessary to achieve the inflation adjusted total revenue amount, the base fee amounts on a uniform proportionate basis (see 21 U.S.C. 379j(c)(2)(D)(ii)). If necessary after this adjustment, FDA may further increase the base establishment registration fees to generate the inflation adjusted total revenue amount (see 21 U.S.C. 379j(c)(3)).

Table 3 provides the last 3 years of fee-paying submission counts and the 3-year average. These numbers are used to project the fee-paying submission counts that FDA will receive in FY 2018. Most of the fee-paying submission counts are published in the MDUFA Financial Report to Congress each year.

The information in table 3 is necessary to estimate the amount of revenue that will be collected based on the fee amounts. Table 4 displays the FY 2018 base fees set in statute (column one) and the inflation adjusted base fees (per calculations in section III.A.) (column two). Using the inflation adjusted fees and the 3-year averages of fee paying submissions, the collections would total $192,850,757, which is $440,243 lower than the statutory revenue limit. Accordingly, the next step in the fee setting process is to increase the base fee amounts on a uniform proportionate basis to generate the inflation adjusted total revenue amounts (see 21 U.S.C. 379j(c)(2)(D)(ii) and table 4, column three). Applying these further adjusted fee rates to the 3-year average of fee paying submissions results in the establishment registration fee rate being increased by $10 to determine the new establishment registration fee rate of $4,624 (see 21 U.S.C. 379j(c)(3) and table 4, column three), leaving a total revenue shortfall of $12,278. The fees in the second column from the right are those we are establishing in FY 2018, which are the standard fees.