The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) announces that proposals are being accepted for participation in the 2003 Emerging Markets Program (EMP). The purpose of the EMP is to assist U.S. organizations, public and private, to improve market access and to develop and promote U.S. agricultural products and/or processes in low to middle income countries that offer promise of emerging market opportunities. This is to be accomplished by providing, or paying the costs of, approved technical assistance activities in those emerging markets. The EMP is administered by the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).

The Act defines an emerging market as any country that the Secretary of Agriculture determines:

(1) Is taking steps toward a market-oriented economy through the food, agriculture, or rural business sectors of the economy of the country; and

(2) Has the potential to provide a viable and significant market for United States agricultural commodities or products of United States agricultural commodities.

Because funds are limited and the range of potential emerging market countries is worldwide, proposals for technical assistance activities will be considered which target those countries with: (1) Per capita income less than $9,265 (the current ceiling on upper middle income economies as determined by the World Bank [World Development Indicators]); and (2) population greater than 1 million. Proposals may address suitable regional groupings, e.g. , the islands of the Caribbean Basin.

The EMP is authorized by section 1542 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation and Trade Act of 1990, as amended.

Any United States agricultural or agribusiness organization, university, or state department of agriculture is eligible to participate in the EMP. Proposals from research and consulting organizations will be considered if they provide evidence of substantial participation by the U.S. industry. U.S. market development cooperators may seek funding to address priority, market specific issues and to undertake activities not suitable for funding under other FAS marketing programs, e.g. , the Foreign Market Development Cooperator (Cooperator) Program and the Market Access Program (MAP).

All agricultural products, except tobacco, are eligible for consideration. Proposals which include multiple commodities are also eligible.

Only technical assistance activities are eligible for reimbursement. Following are examples of the types of activities that may be funded:

The program funds technical assistance activities on a project-by-project basis. EMP funds may not be used to support normal operating costs of individual organizations, nor as a source by which to recover prior expenses from previous or ongoing projects. Ineligible activities include restaurant promotions; branded product promotions (including labeling and supplementing normal company sales activities intended to increase awareness and stimulate sales of branded products); advertising; administrative and operational expenses for trade shows; and the preparation and printing of brochures, flyers, posters, etc., except in connection with specific technical assistance activities such as training seminars. Other items excluded from funding are contained in the 2003 Program Guidelines.

The underlying premise of the EMP is that there are distinctive characteristics of emerging agricultural markets that necessitate or benefit significantly from U.S. governmental assistance before the private sector begins to develop these markets through normal corporate or trade promotional activities. The emphasis is on marketing opportunities where there are risks that the private sector would not normally undertake alone. The EMP is intended to supplement, not supplant, the efforts of the U.S. private sector, and it complements the efforts of other FAS marketing programs. Once a market access issue has been addressed by the EMP, further market development activities may be considered under other programs such as GSM-102 or GSM-103 Export Credit Guarantee programs, the Facility Guarantee Program, the Supplier Credit Guarantee Program, the MAP, or the Cooperator Program.

The following marketing criteria will be used to determine the suitability of projects for funding under the EMP:

• Is there a significant lag in U.S. market share of a specific commodity in a given country or countries?

• Is there an identifiable obstacle or competitive disadvantage facing U.S. exporters ( e.g. , competitor financing, subsidy, competitor market development activity) or a systemic obstacle to imports of U.S. products ( e.g. , inadequate distribution, infrastructure impediments, insufficient information, lack of financing options or resources)?

• What is the potential of a project to generate a significant increase in U.S. agricultural exports in the near- to medium-term? (Estimates or projections of trade benefits to commodity exports, and the basis for evaluating such, must be included in EMP proposals.)

• Is there, for example, a change in a sanitary or phytosanitary trade barrier; a change in an import regime or the lifting of a trade embargo; or a shift in the political or financial situation in a country?

It is highly recommended that any organization considering applying to the program first obtain a copy of the 2003 Program Guidelines. These guidelines contain information on requirements that a proposal must include in order to be considered for funding under the program, along with other important information.

Requests for the 2003 Program Guidelines and additional information may be obtained from the Marketing Operations Staff at the address above. The guidelines are also available at the following URL address: http://www.fas.usda.gov/mos/em-markets/em-markets.html . To assist FAS in making determinations regarding funding, applications should be no longer than ten (10) pages and include the following information: (a) Date of proposal; (b) name of organization submitting proposal; (c) organization address, telephone and fax numbers, and tax ID number; (d) primary contact person; (e) full title of proposal; (f) target market(s); (g) description of problem(s), i.e. , constraint(s), to be addressed by the project such as inadequate knowledge of the market; insufficient trade contacts; lack of awareness by foreign officials of U.S. products and business practices; infrastructure, financing, and regulatory impediments or other non-tariff barriers; (h) project objectives; (i) performance measures—benchmarks for quantifying progress in meeting the objectives; (j) rationale—explanation of the underlying reasons for the project proposal and its approach, the anticipated benefits, the current conditions in the target market(s) affecting the intended commodity or product, and any additional pertinent analysis; (k) clear demonstration that successful implementation will benefit a particular industry as a whole, not just the applicant(s); (l) explanation as to what specifically could not be accomplished without federal funding assistance and why participating organization(s) are unlikely to carry out the project without such assistance; (m) specific description of activity(ies) to be undertaken; (n) time line(s) for implementation of the project, including start and end dates (start dates should be after July 15, 2003); (o) information on whether similar activities are or have previously been funded with USDA sources in target country/countries ( e.g. , under MAP and/or Cooperator Program); (p) detailed line item activity budget. Regarding the budget, cost items should be allocated separately to each participating organization. Expense items constituting a proposed activity's overall budget ( e.g. , salaries, travel expenses, consultant fees, administrative costs, etc. ), with a line item cost for each, should be listed, clearly indicating which items are to be covered by EMP funding, which by the participating U.S. organization(s), and which by third parties (if applicable). Cost items for individual consultant fees should show calculation of daily rate and number of days. Cost items for travel expenses should show number of trips, destinations, cost, and objective for each trip.

Qualifications of applicant(s) should be included as an attachment.

This notice is complemented by concurrent notices announcing other foreign market development programs administered by the FAS including the MAP, the Cooperator Program, the Section 108 Foreign Currency Program, and the Quality Samples Program. For 2003, EMP applicants have the opportunity to utilize the Unified Export Strategy (UES) application process, an online system which provides a means for interested applicants to submit a consolidated and strategically coordinated single proposal that incorporates funding requests for any or all of these programs. Applicants are not required to use the UES, but are strongly encouraged to do so because it reduces paperwork and expedites the FAS processing and review cycle.

Applicants planning to use the on-line system must contact the Marketing Operations Staff at (202) 720-4327 to obtain site access information. The Internet-based application, including step-by-step instructions for its use, is located at the following URL address: http://www.fas.usda.gov/cooperators.html . A “Help” file is available to assist applicants with the process. Applicants using the online system are strongly urged to provide a printed or diskette version of each proposal (using Word or compatible format) to one of the following addresses:

Hand Delivery (including FedEx, DHL, UPS, etc.): Marketing Operations Staff, Foreign Agricultural Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Room 4932- South, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-1042.

U.S. Postal Delivery: Marketing Operations Staff, Foreign Agricultural Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, STOP 1042, 1400 Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20250-1042.

In general, all qualified proposals received before the application deadline will compete for EMP funding. The limited funds and the range of emerging markets worldwide in which the funds may be used preclude CCC from approving large budgets for individual projects. While there is no minimum or maximum amount set for EMP-funded projects, most are funded at a level of less than $500,000 and for a duration of one year or less. Multi-year proposals may be considered in the context of a strategic detailed plan of implementation. Funding in such cases is normally provided one year at a time, with commitments beyond the first year subject to interim evaluations.

In general, priority consideration will be given to proposals that identify and seek to address specific problems or constraints in rural business systems or food and agribusiness systems in emerging markets through technical assistance activities to expand or maintain U.S. agricultural exports. Priority will also be given to those proposals that include the willingness of the applicant to commit its own funds, or those of the U.S. industry, to seek export opportunities in an emerging market. The percentage of private funding proposed for a project will, therefore, be a critical factor in determining which proposals are funded under the EMP. Proposals will also be judged on their ability to provide benefits to the organization receiving EMP funds and to the broader industry which that organization represents.

A performance report detailing the results of each project supported with EMP funds must be submitted to the Marketing Operations Staff at the address above. Because public funds are used to support EMP projects, these reports will be made available to the public. Complete final financial reports are to accompany performance reports.

The deadline for all applications to the EMP is 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, March 10, 2003. Announcements of funding decisions for the EMP are anticipated in early July 2003.

The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) announces that applications are being accepted for participation in the 2003/2004 Market Access Program (MAP). The MAP is designed to create, expand and maintain foreign markets for United States' agricultural commodities and products through cost-share assistance. Financial assistance under the MAP will be made available on a competitive basis and applications will be reviewed against the evaluation criteria contained herein. The MAP is administered by the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).

Under the MAP, the CCC enters into agreements with eligible participants to share the costs of certain overseas marketing and promotion activities. MAP participants may receive assistance for either generic or brand promotion activities. The program generally operates on a reimbursement basis.

The MAP is authorized under section 203 of the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978, as amended. MAP regulations appear at 7 CFR part 1485.

To participate in the MAP, an applicant must be: a nonprofit U.S. agricultural trade organization, a nonprofit state regional trade group ( i.e. , an association of State Departments of Agriculture), a U.S. agricultural cooperative, a State agency, or a small-sized U.S. commercial entity (other than a cooperative or producer association).

To be considered for the MAP, an applicant must submit to the FAS information required by the MAP regulations set forth in 7 CFR part 1485. Incomplete applications and applications which do not otherwise conform to this announcement will not be accepted for review.

The FAS administers various other agricultural export assistance programs including the Foreign Market Development Cooperator (Cooperator) Program, Cochran Fellowships, the Emerging Markets Program (EMP), the Quality Samples Program (QSP), the Section 108 Foreign Currency Program, the Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops (TASC) program and several Export Credit Guarantee programs. Organizations which are interested in applying for MAP funds are encouraged to submit their requests using the Unified Export Strategy (UES) format. The UES allows interested entities to submit a consolidated and strategically coordinated single proposal that incorporates requests for funding and recommendations for virtually all the FAS marketing programs, financial assistance programs, and market access programs. The suggested UES format encourages applicants to examine the constraints or barriers to trade which they face, identify activities which would help overcome such impediments, consider the entire pool of complementary marketing tools and program resources, and establish realistic export goals. Applicants are not required, however, to use the UES format.

Organizations can submit applications in the UES format by two methods. The first allows an applicant to submit information directly to the FAS through the UES application Internet Web site. The FAS highly recommends applying via the Internet, as this format virtually eliminates paperwork and expedites the FAS processing and review cycle. Applicants also have the option of submitting electronic versions (along with two paper copies) of their applications to the FAS on diskette.

Applicants planning to use the Internet-based system must contact the FAS Marketing Operations Staff at (202) 720-4327 to obtain site access information. The Internet-based application, including step-by-step instructions for its use, may be found at the following URL address: http://www.fas.usda.gov/cooperators.html.

Applicants who choose to submit applications on diskette can obtain an application format by contacting the Marketing Operations Staff at (202) 720-4327.

All MAP applicants, whether applying via the Internet or diskette, also must submit by March 10, 2003, via hand delivery or U.S. mail, an original signed certification statement as specified in 7 CFR 1485.13(a)(2)(i)(G).

Any organization that is not interested in applying for the MAP but would like to request assistance through one of the other programs mentioned should contact the Marketing Operations Staff on (202) 720-4327.

The FAS allocates funds in a manner which effectively supports the strategic decision-making initiatives of the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993 and the USDA's Food and Agricultural Policy (FAP). In deciding whether a proposed project will contribute to the effective creation, expansion, or maintenance of foreign markets, the FAS seeks to identify a clear, long-term agricultural trade strategy and a program effectiveness time line against which results can be measured at specific intervals using quantifiable product or country goals. The FAS also considers the extent to which a proposed project targets markets with the greatest growth potential. These factors are part of the FAS resource allocation strategy to fund applicants who can demonstrate performance and address the objectives of the GPRA and FAP.

Following is a description of the FAS process for reviewing applications and the criteria for allocating available MAP funds.

Applications received by the closing date will be reviewed by the FAS to determine the eligibility of the applicants and the completeness of the applications. These requirements appear at § 1485.12 and § 1485.13 of the MAP regulations. Applications which meet the requirements then will be further evaluated by the proper FAS Commodity Division. The Divisions will review each application against the criteria listed in § 1485.14 of the MAP regulations. The purpose of this review is to identify meritorious proposals and to recommend an appropriate funding level for each application based upon these criteria.

Meritorious applications then will be passed on to the Office of the Deputy Administrator, Commodity and Marketing Programs, for the purpose of allocating available funds among the applicants. Applications will compete for funds on the basis of the following allocation criteria (the number in parentheses represents a percentage weight factor):

• The applicant's 4-year average share (2000-2003) of all contributions (cash and goods and services provided by U.S. entities in support of overseas marketing and promotion activities) compared to

• The applicant's 4-year average share (2000-2003) of the funding level for all MAP participants.

• The 3-year average share (2000-2002) of the value of exports promoted by the applicant compared to

• The applicant's 2-year average share (2001-2002) of the funding level for all MAP applicants plus, for those groups participating in the Cooperator program, the 2-year average share (2002-2003) of Cooperator marketing plan budgets, and the 2-year average share (2001-2002) of foreign overhead provided for co-location within a U.S. agricultural office;

• The total dollar value of projected exports promoted by the applicant for 2003 compared to

• The applicant's requested funding level;

• Actual exports for 2001 as reported in the 2003 MAP application compared to

• Past projections of exports for 2001 as specified in the 2001 MAP application.

The Commodity Divisions' recommended funding levels for each applicant are converted to percentages of the total MAP funds available then multiplied by the total weight factor as described above to determine the amount of funds allocated to each applicant.

All Internet-based applications must be properly submitted by 5 p.m. eastern standard time, March 10, 2003. Signed certification statements also must be received by that time at one of the addresses listed below.

All applications on diskette (with two accompanying paper copies and a signed certification statement) and any other applications must be received by 5 p.m. eastern standard time, March 10, 2003, at one of the following addresses:

Hand Delivery (including FedEx, DHL, UPS, etc .): U.S. Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service, Marketing Operations Staff, Room 4932-S, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-1042.

U.S. Postal Delivery: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service, Marketing Operations Staff, STOP 1042, 1400 Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20250-1042.

The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) announces that proposals may be submitted for participation in the Quality Samples Program (QSP). The QSP is designed to encourage the development and expansion of export markets for U.S. agricultural commodities by assisting U.S. entities in providing commodity samples to potential foreign importers to promote a better understanding and appreciation for the high quality of U.S. agricultural commodities. All proposals will be reviewed against the evaluation criteria contained herein and funds will be awarded on a competitive basis. Financial assistance will be made available on a reimbursement basis. The QSP is administered by the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).

Under the QSP, CCC enters into agreements with those entities whose proposals have been accepted. The QSP agreement between CCC and the participant will include the maximum amount of CCC funds that may be used to reimburse certain activity costs that have been approved by CCC and paid by the QSP participant. QSP participants will be responsible for procuring (or arranging for the procurement of) commodity samples, exporting the samples, and providing the technical assistance necessary to facilitate successful use of the samples by importers. Participants that are funded under this announcement may seek reimbursement for the sample purchase price and the costs of transporting the samples domestically to the port of export and then to the foreign port of entry. Transportation costs from the foreign port, or point, of entry to the final destination will not be eligible for reimbursement. CCC will not reimburse the costs incidental to purchasing and transporting samples, for example, inspection or documentation fees. Although providing technical assistance is required for all projects, CCC will not reimburse the costs of providing technical assistance. A QSP participant will be reimbursed after CCC reviews its reimbursement claim and determines that the claim is complete.

QSP agreements are subject to review and verification by the FAS Compliance Review Staff. Upon request, a QSP participant shall provide to CCC the original documents which support the participant's reimbursement claims. CCC may deny a claim for reimbursement if the claim is not supported by adequate documentation. Cash advances will not be made available to any QSP participant.

This notice supercedes any prior notices concerning the QSP.

The QSP is authorized under section 5(f) of the CCC Charter Act, 15 U.S.C. 714c(f).

QSP projects are the activities undertaken by a QSP participant to provide an appropriate sample of a U.S. agricultural commodity to a foreign importer, or a group of foreign importers, in a given market. The purpose of the project is to provide information to an appropriate target audience regarding the attributes, characteristics, and proper use of the U.S. commodity. A QSP project addresses a single market/commodity combination. As a general matter, QSP projects should conform to the following guidelines:

• Projects should benefit the represented U.S. industry and not a specific company or brand;

• Projects should develop a new market for a U.S. product, promote a new U.S. product, or promote a new use for a U.S. product, rather than promote the substitution of one established U.S. product for another;

• Sample commodities provided under a QSP project must be in sufficient supply and available on a commercial basis;

• The QSP project must either subject the commodity sample to further processing or substantial transformation in the importing country, or the sample must be used in technical seminars designed to demonstrate to an appropriate target audience the proper preparation or use of the sample in the creation of an end product;

• Samples provided in a QSP project shall not be directly used as part of a retail promotion or supplied directly to consumers. However, the end product, that is, the product resulting from further processing, substantial transformation, or a technical seminar, may be provided to end use consumers to demonstrate to importers consumer preference for that end product; and

• Samples shall be in quantities less than a typical commercial sale and limited to the amount sufficient to achieve the project goal ( e.g. , not more than a full commercial mill run in the destination country).

• Have not previously purchased the U.S. commodity which will be transported under the QSP;

• Are unfamiliar with the variety, quality attribute, or end-use characteristic of the U.S. commodity which will be transported under the QSP;

• Have been unsuccessful in previous attempts to import, process, and market the U.S. commodity which will be transported under the QSP ( e.g. , because of improper specification, blending, or formulation; or sanitary or phytosanitary (SPS) issues);

• Are interested in testing or demonstrating the benefits of the U.S. commodity which will be transported under the QSP; or

• Need technical assistance in processing or using the U.S. commodity that will be transported under the QSP.

Under this announcement, the number of projects per participant will not be limited. However, individual projects will be limited to $75,000 of QSP reimbursement. Projects comprised of technical preparation seminars, that is, projects that do not include further processing or substantial transformation, will be limited to $15,000 of QSP reimbursement as these projects require smaller samples.

In order to be considered for participation in the QSP, interested parties should submit proposals to FAS as described in this notice. QSP proposals must contain complete information about the proposed projects. This notice is complemented by concurrent notices announcing four other foreign market development programs administered by FAS, including the Market Access Program (MAP), the Foreign Market Development Cooperator (Cooperator) Program, the Emerging Markets Program, the Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops Program, and the Section 108 Foreign Currency Program.

The MAP and Cooperator Program notices detail a Unified Export Strategy (UES) application process which provides a means for interested applicants to submit a consolidated and strategically coordinated single proposal that incorporates funding requests for any or all of these programs. Some applicants to the QSP, particularly those who also are applying for funding under the MAP or Cooperator Program, are encouraged to use the UES application process. The Internet-based UES application, including step-by-step instructions for its use, is located at the following URL address: http://www.fas.usda.gov/cooperators.html. Other applicants should follow the application procedures contained in this notice.

Entities interested in participating in the QSP are not required to submit proposals in any specific format; however, FAS recommends that proposals contain, at a minimum, the following:

• Organization's name, address, Chief Executive Officer (or designee), and Federal Tax Identification Number (TIN);

• Type of organization;

• Name, telephone number, fax number, and e-mail address of the primary contact person;

• A description of the organization and its membership;

• A description of the organization's prior export promotion experience; and

• A description of the organization's experience in implementing an appropriate trade/technical assistance component;

• An assessment of the market;

• A long-term strategy in the market; and

• U.S. export value/volume and market share (historic and goals) for 1999-2004;

• A brief project title;

• Amount of funding requested;

• A brief description of the specific market development trade constraint or opportunity to be addressed by the project, performance measures for the years 2003-2005 which will be used to measure the effectiveness of the project, a benchmark performance measure for 2002, the viability of long term sales to this market, the goals of the project, and the expected benefits to the represented industry;

• A description of the activities planned to address the constraint or opportunity, including how the sample will be used in the end-use performance trial, the attributes of the sample to be demonstrated and their end-use benefit, and details of the trade/technical servicing component (including who will provide and who will fund this component);

• A sample description ( i.e. , commodity, quantity, quality, type, and grade), including a justification for selecting a sample with such characteristics (this justification should explain in detail why the project could not be effective with a smaller sample);

• An itemized list of all estimated costs associated with the project for which reimbursement will be sought; and

• The importer's role in the project regarding handling and processing the commodity sample;

Proposals will be evaluated by the applicable FAS commodity division. The divisions will review each proposal against the factors described below. The purpose of this review is to identify meritorious proposals, recommend an appropriate funding level for each proposal based upon these factors, and submit the proposals and funding recommendations to the Deputy Administrator, Commodity and Marketing Programs.

FAS will use the following criteria in evaluating proposals:

• The ability of the organization to provide an experienced staff with the requisite technical and trade experience to execute the proposal;

• The extent to which the proposal is targeted to a market in which the United States is generally competitive;

• The potential for expanding commercial sales in the proposed market;

• The nature of the specific market constraint or opportunity involved and how well it is addressed by the proposal;

• The extent to which the importer's contribution in terms of handling and processing enhances the potential outcome of the project;

• The amount of reimbursement requested and the organization's willingness to contribute resources, including cash and goods and services of the U.S. industry and foreign third parties; and

• How well the proposed technical assistance component assures that performance trials will effectively demonstrate the intended end-use benefit.

• Per capita income less than $9,265 (the ceiling on upper middle income economies as determined by the World Bank [World Development Indicators 2001]); and population greater than 1 million. Proposals may address suitable regional groupings, for example, the islands of the Caribbean Basin; or

• U.S. market share of imports of the commodity identified in the proposal of 10 percent or less.

Following approval of a proposal, CCC will enter into an agreement with the organization that submitted the proposal. Agreements will incorporate the details of each project as approved by FAS. Each agreement will identify terms and conditions pursuant to which CCC will reimburse certain costs of each project. Agreements will also outline the responsibilities of the participant, including, but not limited to, procurement (or arranging for procurement) of the commodity sample at a fair market price, arranging for transportation of the commodity sample within the time limit specified in the agreement (organizations should endeavor to ship commodities within 6 months of effective date of agreement), compliance with cargo preference requirements (shipment on United States flag vessels, as required), compliance with the Fly America Act requirements (shipment on United States air carriers, as required), timely and effective implementation of technical assistance, and submission of a written evaluation report within 90 days of expiration of the agreement. Evaluation reports should address all performance measures which were presented in the proposal.

All Internet-based applications must be properly submitted by 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, March 10, 2003. All paper copy proposals must be submitted in duplicate and received by 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, March 10, 2003, at one of the following addresses:

Hand Delivery (including FedEx, UPS, etc.): U.S. Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service, Marketing Operations Staff, Room 4932-S, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-1042.

U.S. Postal Delivery: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service, Marketing Operations Staff, STOP 1042, 1400 Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20250-1042.

The Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) announces that applications are being accepted for participation in the fiscal year 2004 Foreign Market Development Cooperator (Cooperator) Program. The program is designed to create, expand, and maintain foreign markets for U.S. agricultural commodities and products through cost-share assistance. Financial assistance under the Cooperator Program will be made available on a competitive basis and applications will be reviewed against the evaluation criteria contained herein.

Under the Cooperator Program, FAS enters into agreements with nonprofit U.S. trade organizations which have the broadest possible producer representation of the commodity being promoted and gives priority to those organizations which are nationwide in membership and scope. Cooperators may receive assistance only for the promotion of generic activities which do not involve promotions targeted directly to consumers. The program generally operates on a reimbursement basis.

The Cooperator Program is authorized by title VII of the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978, as amended. Cooperator Program regulations appear at 7 CFR part 1484.

To participate in the Cooperator Program an applicant must be a nonprofit U.S. agricultural trade organization.

To be considered for the Cooperator Program, an applicant must submit to the FAS information required by the Cooperator Program regulations set forth in 7 CFR part 1484. Incomplete applications and applications which do not otherwise conform to this announcement will not be accepted for review.

The FAS administers various other agricultural export assistance programs, including the Market Access Program (MAP), Cochran Fellowships, the Emerging Markets Program, the Quality Samples Program, section 108 Foreign Currency Program, Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops Program, and several Export Credit Guarantee programs. Organizations which are interested in applying for Cooperator Program funds are encouraged to submit their requests using the Unified Export Strategy (UES) format. The UES allows interested entities to submit a consolidated and strategically coordinated single proposal that incorporates requests for funding and recommendations for virtually all the FAS marketing programs, financial assistance programs, and market access programs. The suggested UES format encourages applicants to examine the constraints or barriers to trade which they face, identify activities which would help overcome such impediments, consider the entire pool of complementary marketing tools and program resources, and establish realistic export goals. Applicants are not required, however, to use the UES format.

Organizations can submit applications in the UES format by two methods. The first allows an applicant to submit information directly to the FAS through the UES application Internet site. The FAS highly recommends applying via the Internet, as this format virtually eliminates paperwork and expedites the FAS processing and review cycle. Applicants also have the option of submitting electronic versions (along with two paper copies) of their applications to the FAS on diskette.

Applicants planning to use the Internet-based system must contact the Marketing Operations Staff on (202) 720-4327 to obtain site access information. The Internet-based application, including step-by-step instructions for its use, is located at the following URL address: http://www.fas.usda.gov/cooperators.html.

Applicants who choose to submit applications on diskette can obtain an application format by contacting the Marketing Operations Staff on (202) 720-4327.

All Cooperator Program applicants, whether applying via the Internet or diskette, also must submit by March 10, 2003, via hand delivery or U.S. mail, an original signed certification statement as specified in 7 CFR section 1484.20(a)(14).

Any organization which is not interested in applying for the Cooperator Program, but would like to request assistance through one of the other programs mentioned, should contact the Marketing Operations Staff on (202) 720-4327.

The FAS allocates funds in a manner which effectively supports the strategic decision-making initiatives of the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993 and the USDA's Food and Agricultural Policy (FAP). In deciding whether a proposed project will contribute to the effective creation, expansion, or maintenance of foreign markets, the FAS seeks to identify a clear, long-term agricultural trade strategy and a program effectiveness time line against which results can be measured at specific intervals using quantifiable product or country goals. The FAS also considers the extent to which a proposed project targets markets with the greatest growth potential. These factors are part of the FAS resource allocation strategy to fund applicants who can demonstrate performance and address the objectives of the GPRA and FAP.

Following is a description of the FAS process for reviewing applications and the criteria for allocating available Cooperator Program funds.

Applications received by the closing date will be reviewed by the FAS to determine the eligibility of the applicants and the completeness of the applications. These requirements appear at §§ 1484.14 and “ 1484.20 of the Cooperator Program regulations. Applications which meet the application requirements then will be further evaluated by the proper FAS Commodity Division. The Divisions will review each application against the criteria listed in § 1484.21 and § 1484.22 of the Cooperator Program regulations. The purpose of this review is to identify meritorious proposals and to recommend an appropriate funding level for each application based upon these criteria.

Meritorious applications then will be passed on to the Office of the Deputy Administrator, Commodity and Marketing Programs, for the purpose of allocating available funds among the applicants. Applications will compete for funds on the basis of the following allocation criteria (the number in parentheses represents a percentage weight factor):

• The applicant's 6-year average share (1999-2004) of all contributions (contributions may include cash and goods and services provided by U.S. entities in support of foreign market development activities) compared to

• The applicant's 6-year average share (1999-2004) of all Cooperator marketing plan expenditures.

The Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) will make available Tunisian dinars to provide assistance in market development and agricultural technical assistance activities. These foreign currencies were acquired by USDA pursuant to agreements made under Title I of the Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954, (Pub. L. 480).

Title I, Pub. L. 480 authorizes the U.S. government to finance the sale and exportation of agricultural commodities to foreign governments on concessional terms. Between 1986 and 1991, the U.S. entered into various Title I, Pub. L. 480 agreements with foreign governments, on terms which allowed repayment to the United States in local currencies. Pub. L. 480 authorizes the U.S. government to use these foreign currencies to implement market development and agricultural technical assistance activities.

This announcement supersedes all previous announcements regarding this program. On January 8, 2002, FAS published a notice in the Federal Register (67 FR 862-864) inviting proposals to use currencies of the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Sri Lanka, and Tunisia for market development projects and technical assistance activities. The currencies of the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and Sri Lanka, which were available under the previous announcements, are no longer available.

FAS must disburse local currencies to program participants, usually through the disbursing officer in the U.S. embassy in the country of origin. That is, FAS may not convert the local currency to any other currency prior to disbursement. It is the responsibility of the recipient to arrange for receiving and using the foreign currencies made available, or converting the funds to other currencies. Applicants should note that Tunisian currency may not be readily convertible.

This notice is complemented by concurrent notices announcing five other foreign market development programs administered by FAS, including the Market Access Program (MAP), the Foreign Market Development Cooperator (Cooperator) Program, the Emerging Markets Program, the Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops Program, and the Quality Samples Program. The MAP and Cooperator Program notices detail a Unified Export Strategy (UES) application process which provides a means for interested applicants to submit a consolidated and strategically coordinated single proposal that incorporates funding requests for any or all of these programs. Some applicants to the section 108 foreign currency program, particularly those who are applying for funding under more than one program, may wish to use the UES application process. The Internet-based UES application, including step-by-step instructions for its use, is located at the following URL address: http://www.fas.usda.gov/cooperators.html. Other applicants, particularly those who are applying for funding only under the section 108 foreign currency program, should follow the application procedures contained in this notice. Interested applicants that are unsure of how to apply are urged to contact the Marketing Operations Staff at the address or phone number above.

FAS recommends that proposals to participate in the section 108 foreign currency program contain, at a minimum, the following:

• Organization's name, address, Chief Executive Officer (or designee), and Federal Tax Identification Number (TIN);

• Type of organization, e.g. , corporation, non-profit organization;

• Name, telephone number, fax number, and e-mail address of the primary contact person;

• If a trade organization, a description of the organization and its membership;

• A description of the organization's prior export promotion experience; and

• A description of the organization's experience in implementing a trade or technical assistance activity;

• An assessment of the targeted market;

• A long-term strategy in the market; and

• U.S. export value/volume and market share data and goals for 2000-2005;

• A brief project title;

• Request for funding in one of the available foreign currencies;

• A brief description of the specific market development trade constraint to be addressed by the project, performance measures for the years 2003-2005 which will be used to measure the effectiveness of the project, a benchmark performance measure for 2003, the viability of long term sales to this market, the goals of the project, and the expected benefits to the represented industry;

• A method for evaluating and reporting results;

• A description of the activities planned to address the constraint; and

• An itemized list of all estimated costs associated with each project activity for which reimbursement will be sought;

The FAS allocates funds in a manner which effectively supports the strategic decision-making initiatives of the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993 and the USDA's Food and Agricultural Policy (FAP). In deciding whether a proposed project will contribute to the effective creation, expansion, or maintenance of foreign markets, the FAS seeks to identify a clear, long-term agricultural trade strategy and a program effectiveness time line against which results can be measured at specific intervals using quantifiable product or country goals. The FAS also considers the extent to which a proposed project targets markets with the greatest growth potential. These factors are part of the FAS resource allocation strategy to fund applicants who can demonstrate performance and address the objectives of the GPRA and FAP. FAS will provide financial assistance under this program on a competitive basis and applications will be reviewed against the evaluation criteria contained herein. Each proposal will be evaluated by the applicable FAS commodity division. The divisions will recommend funding levels for each applicant based on a review of the applications against the following factors:

• The ability of the organization to provide an experienced staff with the requisite technical and trade expertise to execute the proposal;

• The funding request and the organization's willingness to contribute resources, including cash, goods and services of the U.S. industry and foreign third parties;

• The conditions or constraints affecting the level of U.S. exports and market share for the agricultural commodities and products;

• The degree to which the proposed project is likely to contribute to the creation, expansion, or maintenance of the targeted foreign market; and

• The degree to which the organization's proposal is coordinated with other private or U.S. government-funded market development projects.

The purpose of this review is to identify meritorious proposals and to suggest an appropriate funding level for each application based upon these factors. Meritorious proposals will then be reviewed by representatives of each FAS program area for the purpose of allocating available funds among the applicants.

Preference is given to nonprofit U.S. agricultural trade organizations that represent an entire industry or are nationwide in membership and scope.

Following approval of a proposal, FAS will enter into an agreement with the organization that submitted the proposal. Agreements will incorporate the project details as approved by FAS and specify any other terms and conditions applicable to project funding. Agreements include the maximum amount of funds, in local currencies rather than U.S. dollars, which may be made available for a participant's approved activities. All agreements with non-profit organizations under this program are administered under 7 CFR 3019—Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and other Non-profit Organizations. These regulations can be found on the Internet at the following URL address: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_01/7cfr3019_01.html.

Applicants may submit proposals at any time. However, all Internet-based section 108 proposals (using the UES application) must be properly submitted by 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, March 10, 2003, because the UES entry Web site closes at that time. Signed SF-424 forms must be delivered to one of the addresses listed below.

All proposals on diskette (with two accompanying paper copies and a signed SF-424 form) and any other proposals must be delivered to one of the following addresses:

Hand Delivery (including FedEx, DHL, UPS, etc. ): U.S. Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service, Marketing Operations Staff, Room 4932-S, 14th and Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20250-1042.

U.S. Postal Delivery: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service, Marketing Operations Staff, STOP 1042, 1400 Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20250-1042.

These management activities would be administered by the Gallatin National Forest in Gallatin, Madison, Meagher, Park, Sweet Grass, and Stillwater Counties, Montana. The EIS will tier to the 1987 Gallatin National Forest and Grasslands Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan), which provide the overall management direction for the area. The proposed action is consistent with the Forest Plan. The purpose of the Forest Service proposal is to further movement towards desired conditions outlined in the Forest Plan, by:

• Protecting the natural condition and biodiversity on the Gallatin National Forest by preventing or limiting the spread of aggressive, non-native plant species that displace native vegetation;

• Promptly eliminating new invaders (species not previously reported in the area) before they become established;

• Reducing known and potential invasive plant seed sources on trailheads and campsites, along main roads and trails, within powerline corridors, and in wildlife and livestock use areas;

• Preventing or limiting the spread of established invasive plants into areas containing little or no infestation;

• Protecting sensitive and unique habitats including the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness Area, LeeMetcalf Wilderness, municipal watersheds, critical winter ranges, research natural areas, riparian areas, and sensitive plant populations.

The proposed action will be consistent with the Forest Plan, which provides goals, objectives, standards and guidelines of the various activities and land allocations on the forest. The Forest Plan allocates the project area into twenty-six management areas (MAs), the invasive plants occur within most of these management areas. Private lands are also included within the project area boundary. Although excluded from Forest Service activities, project access and the condition of private lands will be considered during alternative development and when analyzing potential cumulative efforts.

The key issue topics identified to date include:

• The current and potential impacts of invasive plants on natural resources such as critical big game habitat, native plant communities, wilderness values, watersheds, and threatened, endangered, or sensitive species;

• Economics, effectiveness, and potential impacts of various control methods on natural resources;

• Potential effects on non-target native plants, wildlife and fish populations, and human health from the application of herbicides (both ground base and aerial applications).

The areas the Forest Service plan to analyze include:

A range of reasonable alternatives will be considered, including a no action alternative. Other alternatives will examine various combinations of invasive plant treatment. Based on the issues gathered through scoping, the action alternatives will vary in the amount and location of acres considered for treatment and the number, type, and location of activity.

Public participation will be especially important at several points during the analysis, beginning with the scoping process (40 CFR 1501.7). The Forest Service will be seeking information, comments, and assistance from Federal, State, local agencies, tribes and other individuals or organizations who may be interested in or affected by the proposed project. This input will be used in preparation of the draft EIS. Continued scoping and public participation efforts will be used by the interdisciplinary team to identify new issues, determine alternatives in response to the issues, and determine the level of analysis needed to disclose potential biological, physical, economic, and social impacts associated with this project.

The draft EIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and to be available for public review by February 2003. The EPA will publish a notice of availability of the draft EIS in the Federal Register . The comment period on the draft EIS will be 45 days from the date the EPA notice appears in the Federal Register . At that time, copies of the draft EIS will be distributed to interested and affected agencies, organizations, and members of the public for their review and comment. It is important that those interested in this proposal on the Gallatin National Forest participate at that time.

The Forest Service believes it is important to give reviewers notice, at this early stage, of several court rulings related to public participation in the environmental review process. First, reviewers of a draft EIS must structure their participation in the environmental review of the proposal so that it is meaningful and alerts the agency to the reviewer's position contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Plant Corp. v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519, 553 (1978). Also, environmental objections that could be raised at the draft EIS stage but that are not raised until after completion of the final EIS may be waived or dismissed by the courts. City of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 f. 2d 1016, 1022 (9th Cir. 1986) and Wisconsin Heritages, Inc, v. Harris, 490 F. Supp. 1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980). Because of these court rulings, it is very important that those interested in this proposed action participate by the close of the 45-day comment period so that substantive comments and objections are made available to the Forest Service at a time when it can meaningfully consider and respond to them in the final EIS. To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues and concerns on the proposed actions, comments on the draft EIS should be as specific as possible. It is also helpful if comments refer to specific pages or chapters of the draft EIS. Comments may also address the adequacy of the draft EIS or merits of the alternatives formulated and discussed in the statement. (Reviewers may wish to refer to the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act at 40 CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.)

The final EIS is scheduled for completion by February 2003. In the final EIS, the Forest Service is required to respond to substantive comments received during the comment period for the draft EIS. Rebecca Heath, Forest Supervisor of the Gallatin National Forest, is the responsible official for all except use of herbicides within designated Wilderness Areas. The responsible official for use of herbicides within designated Wilderness Areas is Brad Powell, Regional Forester of the Northern Region. They will decide which, if any, of the proposed project alternatives will be implemented.

Their decisions and reasons for the decisions will be documented in appropriate Records of Decision. Those decisions will be subject to Forest Service appeal regulations (36 CFR part 215).

The Fortine Decision Area contains approximately 25,110 acres of land within the Kootenai National Forest in Lincoln County, Montana. The legal location of the Fortine Decision Area is as follows: all or portions of T33N, R26W; T32N, R26W; T32N, R27W; and T31N, R26W; PMM, Lincoln County, Montana. All of the proposed projects would occur on National Forest lands in the Upper Fortine drainage seven miles south of the town of Trego, Montana. All proposed activities are outside the boundaries of any roadless area or any areas considered for inclusion to the National Wilderness System as recommended by the Kootenai National Forest Plan or by any past or present legislative wilderness proposals.

The purpose and need for this project is to: (1) Manage forest ecosystems to improve forest health and provide habitat for plant and animal populations; (2) manage for stable stream channels, productive habitats for aquatic species, and water quality that meet or exceeds State of Montana water quality goals; (3) reduce existing and expected future fuel accumulations and the potential risk of high intensity wildland fire and subsequent risk to private property; (4) provide timber to support local, regional, and national needs; and (5) maintain and manage a cost effective, long-term road system that meets present and future resource management needs, increases security for wildlife, and insures safe access.

The Forest Service proposes to harvest timber through application of a variety of harvest methods on approximately 2358 acres of forestland within the Fortine Decision Area. Use of existing, temporary and permanent roads would be needed to access timber harvest areas. An estimated 0.75 miles of existing roads would be reconstructed in addition to 1.1 miles of new road construction to facilitate timber removal and improve access for resource management. The temporary road would be obliterated following completion of sale related activities. An additional 17 miles of road no longer needed for resource management, at this time, would be decommissioned by various methods, such as removal of culverts, recontouring, ripping and seeding, and installing barriers. The method of decommissioning would be selected for each road or portions of road on a site-specific basis. An estimated 2 miles of existing road would be restricted seasonally with 12 miles of existing road restricted year-round to reduce the potential loss of snags in old growth habitat, improve habit security for wildlife, and reduce sediment delivery to live streams. An estimated 11 miles of existing road would be restricted to reduce open road densities within and adjacent to designated old growth stands. More specifically management activities in this proposal include:

Regeneration Harvest: This harvest would leave approximately 20 large trees per acre, where feasible, to provide future snags and down woody material for wildlife habitat. A total of approximately 734 acres would be harvested through this method.

Intermediate Harvest: The following types of intermediate harvest are proposed: (1) Commercial thinning of condominate and subdominate trees while retaining a stocked stand of overstory trees on approximately 1522 acres; (2) harvest of post and pole sized lodgepole pine from approximately 71 acres; (3) salvage harvest on 31 acres would remove merchantable dead lodgepole pine while protecting desirable live trees in the stand.

Underburning: Underburning is proposed on approximately 179 acres outside harvest units to reduce fuel loads and reduce fire risk.

Roadside Fuel Reduction: Fuel reduction through slashing, hand piling and burning while maintaining the integrity of the stand is proposed within the first 100 feet of timber adjacent to open roads, on approximately 65 acres.

Burning of Natural Fuels and Slash: Burning of natural fuels and slash resulting from timber harvest is proposed on approximately 2358 acres.

Watershed/Fish Habitat Improvement: Watershed improvement projects include controlling cattle access to creeks, removing failed culverts, and applying best management practices on approximately 104 miles of existing road.

Range of Alternatives: The Forest Service will consider a range of alternatives. One of these will be the “no action” alternative in which none of the proposed activities would be implemented. Additional alternatives will examine varying levels and locations for the proposed activities to achieve the proposal's purposes, as well as to respond to the issues and other resource values.

Public Involvement and Scoping: In July 1999 preliminary efforts were made to involve the public in considering management opportunities within the Fortine Decision Area. Comments received prior to this notice will be included in the documentation for the EIS. This proposal includes openings greater than 40 acres, ranging from 46 to 60 acres. A 60 day public review period, and approval by the Regional Forester for exceeding the 40 acre limitation for regeneration harvest will occur prior to the signing of the Record of Decision. This 60 day period is initiated with this notice of intent.

Estimated Dates for Filing: The Draft EIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and available for public review by September 2003. At that time, EPA will publish a notice of availability of the Draft EIS in the Federal Register . The comment period on the Draft EIS will be a minimum of 45 days from the date the EPA publishes the notice of availability in the Federal Register . It is very important that those interested in the management of this area participate at that time.

The Final EIS is scheduled to be complete by December 2003. In the Final EIS, the Forest Service will respond to comments and responses received during the comment period that pertain to the environmental consequences discussed in the Draft EIS and applicable laws, regulations, and policies considered in making a decision regarding the proposal.

Reviewer's Obligations: The Forest Service believes it is important to give reviewers notice of several court rulings related to public participation in the environmental review process. First, reviewers of Draft EIS's must structure their participation in the environmental review of the proposal so that it is meaningful and alerts an agency to the reviewer's position and contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDC , 435 U.S. 519, 553 (1978). Also, environmental objections that could be raised at the Draft EIS stage may be waived or dismissed by the courts. City of Angoon v. Hodel , 803 F.2d 1016, 1022 (9th Cir. 1986) and Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. v. Harris , 490 F. Supp. 1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980). Because of these court rulings, it is very important that those interested in this proposed action participate by the close of the Draft EIS 45 day comment period so that substantive comments and objections are made available to the Forest Service at a time when it can meaningfully consider and respond to them in the Final EIS.

To be most helpful, comments on the Draft EIS should be as specific as possible and may address the adequacy of the statement or the merit of the alternatives discussed. Reviewers may wish to refer to the Council on Environmental Quality regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act at 40 CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.

Responsible Official: Edward C. Monnig, District Ranger, Fortine Ranger District, Kootenai National Forest, P.O. Box 116, Fortine, Montana 59918, is the Responsible Official. As the Responsible Official, he will decide if the proposed project will be implemented and will document the decision and reasons for the decision in the Record of Decision. That decision will be subject to Forest Service Appeal Regulations.

The committee will discuss and prioritize project proposals submitted by the public and Six Rivers National Forest. The meeting is open to the public. Public input opportunity will be provided and individuals will have the opportunity to address the committee at that time.

Title: Floriculture and Nursery Survey.

OMB Control Number: 0535-0093.

Expiration Date of Approval: April 30, 2003.

Type of Request: Intent to seek approval to extend an information collection.

Abstract: The objective of the National Agricultural Statistics Service is to prepare and issue State and national estimates of crop and livestock production, prices, and disposition. The Floriculture and Nursery Survey is conducted in 36 States and obtains basic agricultural statistics on production and value of floriculture and nursery products. The retail and wholesale quantity and value of sales are collected for fresh cut flowers, potted flowering plants, foliage plants, annual bedding/garden plants, herbaceous perennials, cut cultivated florist greens, propagative floriculture material, and unfinished plants. Additional detail on area in production, operation value of sales, and agricultural workers is included. These statistics are used by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help administer programs and by growers and marketers in making production and marketing decisions.

These data will be collected under the authority of 7 U.S.C. 2204(a). Individually identifiable data collected under this authority are governed by section 1770 of the Food Security Act of 1985, 7 U.S.C. 2276, which requires USDA to afford strict confidentiality to non-aggregated data provided by respondents.

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 30 minutes per response.

Respondents: Farms and businesses.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 14,000.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 7,000 hours.

Copies of this information collection and related instructions can be obtained without charge from Ginny McBride, NASS OMB Clearance Officer, at (202) 720-5778.

Comments: Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

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

Title: Vegetable Surveys Program.

OMB Number: 0535-0037.

Expiration Date of Approval: March 31, 2003.

Type of Request: Intent to revise and extend a currently approved information collection.

Abstract: The objective of the National Agricultural Statistics Service is to prepare and issue State and national estimates of crop and livestock production, prices, and disposition. The Vegetable Surveys Program obtains basic agricultural statistics for fresh market and processing vegetables in major producing States. Vegetable statistics are used by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help administer programs and by growers, processors, and marketers in making production and marketing decisions. The fresh market estimating program now consists of 24 selected crops and the processing program consists of 8 principal crops. To accommodate a reduction in allocated funds, a cut of approximately 20 percent was made in number of commodities, number of States surveyed, and sample sizes.

These data will be collected under the authority of 7 U.S.C. 2204(a). Individually identifiable data collected under this authority are governed by Section 1770 of the Food Security Act of 1985, 7 U.S.C. 2276, which requires USDA to afford strict confidentiality to non-aggregated data provided by respondents.

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 10 minutes per response.

Respondents: Farms and businesses.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 8,800.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 2,500 hours.

Copies of this information collection and related instructions can be obtained without charge from Ginny McBride, NASS OMB Clearance Officer, at (202) 720-5778.

Comments: Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

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

Title: Aquiculture Surveys.

OMB Control Number: 0535-0150.

Expiration Date of Approval: March 31, 2003.

Type of Request: Intent to revise and extend a currently approved information collection.

Abstract: The objective of the National Agricultural Statistics Service is to prepare and issue state and national estimates of crop and livestock production and prices. The Aquiculture Surveys collect information on trout and catfish inventory, acreage, and sales and catfish processed. Survey results are used by government agencies in planning farm programs.

Twenty states are in the trout growers survey. In January, previous year trout sales data are collected from farmers and distributed fish data are collected from state and federal hatcheries.

Thirteen states are in the catfish growers survey. Data are collected from farmers in January for January inventory, water area, and previous year sales. In addition, farmers in the four major catfish producing states are surveyed in July for mid-year inventory numbers.

All 26 catfish processing plants across the nation are in the catfish processing survey. Plants are surveyed monthly for amount purchased, prices paid, amount sold, and prices received.

These data will be collected under the authority of 7 U.S.C. 2204(a). Individually identifiable data collected under this authority are governed by section 1770 of the Food Security Act of 1985, 7 U.S.C. 2276, which requires USDA to afford strict confidentiality to non-aggregated data provided by respondents.

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 15 minutes per response.

Respondents: Farms.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 2,100.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 900 hours.

Copies of this information collection and related instructions can be obtained without charge from Ginny McBride, NASS OMB Clearance Officer, at (202) 720-5778.

Comments: Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology. All responses to this notice will become a matter of public record and be summarized in the request for OMB approval.

This notice is published pursuant to 41 U.S.C. 47(a) (2) and 41 CFR 51-2.3. Its purpose is to provide interested persons an opportunity to submit comments on the possible impact of the proposed actions.

If the Committee approves the proposed additions, the entities of the Federal Government identified in this notice for each service will be required to procure the services listed below from nonprofit agencies employing persons who are blind or have other severe disabilities. I certify that the following action will not have a significant impact on a substantial number of small entities. The major factors considered for this certification were:

1. If approved, the action will not result in any additional reporting, recordkeeping or other compliance requirements for small entities other than the small organizations that will furnish the services to the Government.

2. If approved, the action will result in authorizing small entities to furnish the services to the Government.

3. There are no known regulatory alternatives which would accomplish the objectives of the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act (41 U.S.C. 46-48c) in connection with the services proposed for addition to the Procurement List. Comments on this certification are invited.

Commenters should identify the statement(s) underlying the certification on which they are providing additional information.

The following services are proposed for addition to Procurement List for production by the nonprofit agencies listed:

Service Type/Location: Base Supply Center U.S. Coast Guard Integrated Support Command, Kodiak, Alaska.

NPA: Raleigh Lions Clinic for the Blind, Inc., Raleigh, North Carolina.

Contract Activity: U.S. Coast Guard Integrated Support Command, Kodiak, Alaska.

Service Type/Location: Custodial Service, U.S. Customs Service, 457 Aviation Hanger, San Antonio, Texas, U.S. Customs Service, Bldg #2, 447 Sandau Road, San Antonio, Texas.

NPA: Mavagi Enterprises, Inc., San Antonio, Texas.

Contract Activity: U.S. Customs Service, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Service Type/Location: Hospital Housekeeping Services, Darnall Army Community Hospital, Fort Hood, Texas.

NPA: Professional Contract Services, Inc., Austin, Texas.

Contract Activity: Headquarters, III Corps, Fort Hood, Texas.

Service Type/Location: Janitorial/Custodial, U.S. Army Reserve Center, Duluth, Minnesota.

NPA: Goodwill Industries Vocational Enterprises, Inc., Duluth, Minnesota.

Contract Activity: Headquarters, 88th Regional Support Command, Fort Snelling, Minnesota.

Service Type/Location: Mess Attendant, Willow Grove Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base; Liberty Dining Hall, Horsham, Pennsylvania.

NPA: Occupational Training Center of Burlington County, Mt. Holly, New Jersey.

Contract Activity: Fleet Industrial Supply Center, Norfolk Det Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

I certify that the following action will not have a significant impact on a substantial number of small entities. The major factors considered for this certification were:

1. If approved, the action will not result in any additional reporting, recordkeeping or other compliance requirements for small entities.

2. If approved, the action will result in authorizing small entities to furnish the product and service to the Government.

3. There are no known regulatory alternatives which would accomplish the objectives of the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act(41 U.S.C. 46-48c) in connection with the products and services proposed for deletion from the Procurement List.

The following product and service are proposed for deletion from the Procurement List:

Product/NSN: Brush, Tooth Brush Style, 7920-00-900-3577.

NPA: None currently authorized.

Contract Activity: GSA, General Product Center.

Service Type/Location: Janitorial/Custodial, U.S. Courthouse and Customhouse, Toledo, Ohio.

NPA: ContracTech, Inc., Toledo, Ohio.

Contract Activity: GSA, Public Buildings Service.

On September 11, 2002, the Department published its preliminary results of Structural Steel Beams From the Republic of Korea: Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review for Structural Steel Beams From the Republic of Korea , 67 FR 57574 (September 11, 2002) (“ Preliminary Results ”). In the Preliminary Results , we stated that we would seek additional information related to INI and its affiliation with Hyundai U.S.A. in order to, inter alia, understand M. K. Jung's control over INI and that we would allow interested parties to comment on this new information before making a final determination. On September 20, 2002, the Department issued a supplemental questionnaire requesting additional information on corporate structure and affiliation. On October 9, 2002, INI filed its supplemental questionnaire response. On October 18, 2002, petitioners (Nucor Corp., Nucor-Yamato Steel Co., TXI-Chaparral Steel Co.) filed comments and factual information on INI's October 9, 2002, response.

We invited parties to comment on these preliminary results. We received written comments on October 30, 2002, from petitioners and INI. On November 6, 2002, we received rebuttal comments from petitioners and INI. We have now completed the administrative review in accordance with section 751 of the Act.

The products covered by this investigation are doubly-symmetric shapes, whether hot- or cold-rolled, drawn, extruded, formed or finished, having at least one dimension of at least 80 mm (3.2 inches or more), whether of carbon or alloy (other than stainless) steel, and whether or not drilled, punched, notched, painted, coated or clad. These products include, but are not limited to, wide-flange beams (“W” shapes), bearing piles (“HP” shapes), standard beams (“S” or “I” shapes), and M-shapes.

All products that meet the physical and metallurgical descriptions provided above are within the scope of this investigation unless otherwise excluded. The following products are outside and/or specifically excluded from the scope of this investigation: structural steel beams greater than 400 pounds per linear foot or with a web or section height (also known as depth) over 40 inches.

The merchandise subject to this investigation is classified in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (“HTSUS”) at subheadings: 7216.32.0000, 7216.33.0030, 7216.33.0060, 7216.33.0090, 7216.50.0000, 7216.61.0000, 7216.69.0000, 7216.91.0000, 7216.99.0000, 7228.70.3040, 7228.70.6000. Although the HTSUS subheadings are provided for convenience and Customs purposes, the written description of the merchandise is dispositive.

All issues raised in the case and rebuttal briefs by parties to this administrative review are addressed in the “Issues and Decision Memorandum” (“ Decision Memorandum ”) from Joseph A. Spetrini, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Import Administration, to Faryar Shirzad, Assistant Secretary for Import Administration, dated January 9, 2003, which is hereby adopted by this notice. A list of the issues which parties have raised and to which we have responded, all of which are in the Decision Memorandum , is attached to this notice as an Appendix. Parties can find a complete discussion of all issues raised in this review and the corresponding recommendations in this public memorandum which is on file in the Central Records Unit, Room B-099 of the main Department building. In addition, a complete version of the Decision Memorandum can be accessed directly on the Web at http://ia.ita.doc.gov/. The paper copy and electronic version of the Decision Memorandum are identical in content.

We disregarded sales below cost for INI during the course of the review. See Preliminary Results .

Based on our analysis of comments received, we have made changes in the margin calculations for INI. The changes to the margin calculations are listed below:

We determine that the following percentage margin exists for the period February 11, 2000 through July 31, 2001:

The Department will determine, and the Customs Service shall assess, antidumping duties on all appropriate entries. In accordance with 19 CFR 351.212(b)(1), we have calculated an exporter/importer (or customer)-specific assessment rate for merchandise subject to this review. The Department will issue appraisement instructions directly to the Customs Service within 15 days of publication of these final results of review. We will direct the Customs Service to assess the resulting assessment rates against the entered customs values for the subject merchandise on each of the importer's/customer's entries during the review period.

The following deposit requirements will be effective upon publication of this notice of final results of administrative review for all shipments of structural steel beams from the Republic of Korea entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after the date of publication, as provided by section 751(a)(1) of the Act: (1) the cash deposit rate for each of the reviewed companies will be the rate listed in the final results of review (except that if the rate for a particular product is de minimis , i.e. , less than 0.5 percent, no cash deposit will be required for that company) see 19 CFR 351.106(c)(1); (2) for previously investigated companies not listed above, the cash deposit rate will continue to be the company-specific rate published for the most recent period; (3) if the exporter is not a firm covered in this review, a prior review, or the original less than fair value (“LTFV”) investigation, but the manufacturer is, the cash deposit rate will be the rate established for the most recent period for the manufacturer of the merchandise; and (4) the cash deposit rate for all other manufacturers or exporters will continue to be the “all others” rate of 37.21 percent, which is the all others rate established in the LTFV investigation.

These deposit requirements shall remain in effect until publication of the final results of the next administrative review.

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

This notice also serves as a reminder to parties subject to administrative protective orders (“APOs”) of their responsibility concerning the return or destruction of proprietary information disclosed under APO in accordance with 19 CFR 351.305, which continues to govern business proprietary information in this segment of the proceeding. Timely written notification of the return/destruction of APO materials or conversion to judicial protective order is hereby requested. Failure to comply with the regulations and terms of an APO is a violation which is subject to sanction.

We are issuing and publishing this determination and notice in accordance with sections 751(a)(1) and 771(i) of the Act.

Title III of the Export Trading Company Act of 1982 (15 U.S.C. 4001-21) authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to issue Export Trade Certificates of Review. An Export Trade Certificate of Review protects the holder and the members identified in the Certificate from state and federal government antitrust actions and from private treble damage antitrust actions for the export conduct specified in the Certificate and carried out in compliance with its terms and conditions. Section 302(b)(1) of the Export Trading Company Act of 1982 and 15 CFR 325.6(a) require the Secretary to publish a notice in the Federal Register identifying the applicant and summarizing its proposed export conduct.

Interested parties may submit written comments relevant to the determination whether an amended Certificate should be issued. If the comments include any privileged or confidential business information, it must be clearly marked and a nonconfidential version of the comments (identified as such) should be included. Any comments not marked privileged or confidential business information will be deemed to be nonconfidential. An original and five (5) copies, plus two (2) copies of the nonconfidential version, should be submitted no later than 20 days after the date of this notice to: Office of Export Trading Company Affairs, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, Room 1800H, Washington, DC 20230. Information submitted by any person is exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552). However, nonconfidential versions of the comments will be made available to the applicant if necessary for determining whether or not to issue the Certificate. Comments should refer to this application as “Export Trade Certificate of Review, application number 88-6A012.”

The National Tooling and Machining Association's (“NTMA”) original Certificate was issued on October 18, 1988 (53 FR 43140, October 25, 1988) and last amended on March 7, 2002 (67 FR 11981, March 18, 2002). A summary of the application for an amendment follows.

Summary of the Application:

Applicant: National Tooling and Machining Association, 9300 Livingston Road, Ft. Washington, Maryland 20744.

Contact: Thomas H. Garcia, Manager, Marketing Programs, Telephone: (301) 248-6200.

Application No.: 88-6A012.

Date Deemed Submitted: January 6, 2003.

Proposed Amendment: NTMA seeks to amend its Certificate so that the attached list will constitute the “Members” of the Certificate within the meaning of section 325.2(1) of the Regulations (15 CFR 325.2(1)).

NOAA announces the availability of $5,590,000 of Federal assistance in FY 2003 for Coral Conservation Activities. NOAA is providing $5,240,000 and DOI is providing $350,000. These funds will be used to support grants of financial assistance under the following six program categories: State and Territory Coral Reef Management; State and Territory Coral Reef Ecosystem Monitoring; Coral Reef Ecosystem Research; Coral Reef Conservation; Projects to Improve or Amend Coral Reef Fishery Management Plans; and International Coral Reef Conservation.

Please Note: The Coral Reef Ecosystem Research Program mentioned here will solicit proposals through NOAA's Undersea Research Program (NURP) on a different schedule than described in this Guidance. Applicants interested in submitting applications for coral research should consult section IV. Coral Reef Ecosystem Research.

The amount of funds available and the application requirements for each program category are established in Sections II - VII of this notice. In addition to this specific program information, all applicants should carefully read section VIII. General Information for All Applicants.

For applications submitted in electronic format, the preferred format is Adobe Acrobat (.PDF); however, WordPerfect or Microsoft Word files are acceptable. All applications must meet the information and formatting requirements specified in this Guidance. Federal financial assistance forms are not required to be submitted with the initial application; however, one original and two signed copies must be submitted with the final application.

Each application must include a cover sheet with the following information:

(a) Project title;

(b) Applicant organization;

(c) Principal investigator or contact;

(d) Contact information including address, phone and fax numbers, and e-mail address;

(e) Program category (see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION , below);

(f) Geographic location of the project;

(g) Amount of grant funds requested;

(h) Amount of matching funds provided; and,

(i) Concise paragraph project summary.

NOAA will select projects based on a review of applications pursuant to criteria contained in the Guidelines, the Strategy, and this Guidance. In addition, each program office will ensure where appropriate in their evaluation criteria, commitment to effective education and outreach consistent with NOAA's mission to protect coral reef resources. Selected recipients will enter into either a cooperative agreement with the NOAA Office responsible for the program or receive a grant depending upon the amount of NOAA's involvement in the project. Substantial involvement means a cooperative agreement, while independent work requires a grant. Examples of substantial involvement include:

(1) Requirements that the appropriate DOC official collaborate with the recipient by working jointly with a recipient scientist or technician in carrying out the scope of work;

(2) Specify direction or redirection of the scope of work due to the relationships with other projects; and,

(3) Review scope of work and closely monitor the program operations during the performance period.

Applicants whose initial applications are preliminarily selected must then submit a final Federal financial assistance award application package, including proposed projects and supporting documentation, and all required Federal financial assistance forms as described in the relevant program section below. The required Federal financial assistance forms SF-424, SF-424A, SF-424B, CD-511, CD-512, and if applicable, CD-346 and/or SF-LLL, can be obtained from the NOAA grants Website at http://www.rdc.noaa.gov/~grants/pdf . Applicants are required to include one original and two signed hard/paper copies for each final application package submitted.

The number of awards made under this funding Guidance may vary. See each program description in sections II - VII for more information. Successful applicants may be asked to revise award objectives, work plans, or budgets prior to submittal of the final application. The exact amount of funds to be awarded, the final scope of activities, the project duration, and specific NOAA cooperative involvement with the activities of each project will be determined in pre-award negotiations among the applicant, NOAA Grants Management Division (GMD), and relevant NOAA staff. Projects should not be initiated in expectation of Federal funding until a notice of award document is received from NOAA GMD. Publication of this document does not obligate NOAA to award any specific project or obligate all or any part of the available funds.

Statutory authority is provided under Section 6403 (Coral Reef Conservation Program) of the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 6401 et seq. ). Each program's Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number can be found in the specific program information included in sections II - VII below.

This description provides requirements for applying for funding appropriated by Congress to NOAA and DOI in FY 2003 to support comprehensive programs for the conservation and management of coral reefs and associated fisheries in the jurisdictions of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI), Florida, Hawaii, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), and American Samoa.

NOAA's National Ocean Service, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM) and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Office of Habitat Conservation (OHC), and DOI Office of Insular Affairs (OIA) are jointly providing approximately $2,100,000 in funding for cooperative agreements to support state and territorial coral reef and coral reef fishery management and conservation activities as listed in E(2) below.

Each jurisdiction need only develop and submit one comprehensive coral reef management application for the funds available under this section. The Federal agencies will coordinate their reviews of each application to ensure comparability and continuity. It is anticipated that OCRM will make awards to four of the seven jurisdictions and that DOI/OIA will make awards to the remaining three jurisdictions.

The eligible applicants are the governor-appointed point of contact agencies for coral reef activities in each of the jurisdictions of American Samoa, Florida, CNMI, Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and USVI.

Approximately $2,100,000 in FY 2003 funding is available for Coral Reef and Coral Reef Fishery Management cooperative agreements. Funding will be subject to the availability of federal appropriations. Support in out years after FY 2003 is contingent upon the availability of funds and the requirements of the Federal agency supporting the project. Each eligible jurisdiction can apply for a maximum $400,000.

Cooperative agreements will be awarded to each eligible jurisdiction. Applicants may submit applications covering a 12- to 18-month period with an anticipated start date of October 1, 2003.

The requirements for matching funds under Section VIII(3) of the Guidance are applicable to Funding Availability under this program. Specific information to be submitted in regard to matching funds can be found in the Application Content and Format Section below.

Applications should reflect the National Coral Reef Action Strategy , the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force National Action Plan to Conserve Coral Reefs , and local strategies for coral reef management, such as the 1999, U.S. All Islands Coral Reef Initiative Strategy , as modified by the events and activities of the last 3 years. In addition, proposed activities should be coordinated, where appropriate, with ongoing and proposed NOAA coral reef mapping, monitoring, coastal zone and fishery management initiatives, and DOI Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service coral reef activities.

In light of the October 2002 U.S. Coral Reef Task Force resolution to implement a regional process to address six key focus areas, jurisdictions are encouraged to propose funding under this program for local projects and participation in support of this effort. A copy of the Task Force Resolution is available at http://coralreef.gov/res1cfm/ .

In developing the application, applicants must consult with all relevant State and/or Territory governmental and non-governmental entities involved in coral reef activities in their respective jurisdictions. Those agencies consulted must include coastal zone management, water quality, and wildlife and/or marine resource agencies.

Funding under this award is also intended to support jurisdictional participation in national coral reef planning activities, such as U.S. Coral Reef Task Force meetings. As such, applicants should include in their proposal, anticipated travel costs associated with attendance and participation at U.S. Coral Reef Task Force and other relevant meetings and conferences.

Applicants may submit applications covering up to an 18-month period and must meet all applicable Department of Commerce (DOC) or DOI grant requirements. Initial and final applications must be submitted to NOAA by the due dates established in the DATES section above. Federal financial assistance forms are not required to be submitted with the initial application; however, all applicable Federal forms must be submitted with the final application. One original and two signed hard/paper copies of the final application, including forms, are required.

Large equipment and/or infrastructure acquisitions are not a priority for funding under this program. Such purchases proposed herein will be reviewed on a case by case basis with respect to the specific management objectives of this and the local coral reef program.

In developing the proposal, applicants must organize proposed tasks into the following nine key threat management categories (a - i, below), which are based on those found in the threat and management action matrices developed by the All Islands Group:

a. Climate Change, Coral Bleaching, Diseases and Extreme Biotic and Storm Events , e.g., applied research, monitoring, or planning to better understand and manage impacts;

b. Overfishing, Destructive Fishing, and the Harvest and Collection of Marine Ornamentals (Including Coral) , in FY 2003, NMFS OHC has provided $350,000 of the total $2,100,000 to fund priority state and territorial coral reef fishery management activities. Proposed funding for coral reef fishery management tasks should not exceed $60,000 per jurisdiction, and should be budgeted within the jurisdiction's comprehensive proposal.

The mandate of NMFS is to build sustainable fisheries, recover protected species, and sustain healthy habitats for these species. These tasks should be developed in the same format as the other coral reef management tasks and included and submitted in the comprehensive application. Examples of eligible projects include:

(i) Assessment and monitoring of fish and fishery resources, collection of fishery information;

(ii) Analysis of fishery impacts on reefs and support for the implementation of fishery gear restrictions or other priority regulations;

(iii) Development of fishery reserves;

(iv) Activities to improve management of ornamental reef species for the aquarium industry;

(v) Hiring or training of enforcement officers; and,

(vi) Outreach and education on fishery and endangered species issues.

c. Increasing Development Pressure, Unmanaged Land Use, and Population Growth , e.g., tasks to forward the conservation and management of coral reefs through planning, designation, implementation and evaluation of land use and marine protected areas; including personnel training, equipment procurement, management plan development, signage, monitoring and enforcement, etc.;

d. Tourism and Recreational Overuse, and Vessel Groundings and Anchorings , e.g., coastal zone management activities, marine and land zoning, vessel grounding prevention and management, mooring buoy installation, recreational signage, etc.;

e. Alien and Invasive Species , e.g., policy development, mitigation projects, etc.;

f. Marine Pollution, Sedimentation, Runoff, Nonpoint Source Pollution, and Marine Debris , e.g., tasks focused on: (1) Oil-spill prevention and response, e.g., developing response plans, personnel training, interagency coordination, etc.; (2) Marine debris prevention and removal, e.g., developing prevention policies, collection and disposal of debris, etc.; and (3) Reducing impacts from land-based/watershed pollution source, e.g., Best Management Practices (BMP) planning and implementation, watershed restoration projects, etc.;

g. Lack of General Public Awareness , e.g., tasks to increase general coral reef awareness including brochures and other informational materials, public meetings and workshops, etc.;

h. National Security Activities , e.g., tasks intended to support coordination toward the management of impacts from national security activities; and,

i. Other , e.g., activities that address other threats.

The first page of the application should consist of the cover page described in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section at the beginning of this document.

For each category in which one or more task is proposed, the applicant must include the following information:

a. A brief introduction that describes the status of the issue in the jurisdiction as addressed by the proposed task; recent actions undertaken to address the issues, with a focus on the status of previous federally funded tasks; the jurisdiction's strategy to address critical needs over the medium term; and, a justification for the proposed task.

b. A description of each proposed task that must include:

(i) The category of management action from the All Islands Group management action matrix under which the proposed activity falls;

(ii) Clear identification of the work to be completed, who will perform the work, relationship to ongoing projects and how the project fits into the jurisdiction's strategy for addressing the issue;

(iii) How the project coordinates with relevant local governmental and non-governmental agencies and, if applicable, NOAA or DOI regional activities;

(iv) Task timetable with interim benchmarks and clearly-defined work products;

(v) Project priority as compared to all other proposed projects; and,

(vi) A Summary Budget that includes a detailed breakdown of costs by category and information regarding the amount of matching funds available to the applicant, as described in Section VIII(3) of this Guidance. Intended sources of matching funds must be identified in the application, and applicants whose proposals are selected for funding will be required to submit with the final application, letter(s) of commitment to fund from the organization(s) providing matching funds.

c. Each application must also include, on the last page, a summary budget table of all projects, which lists the name of each project proposed and the corresponding total cost and matching funds information.

Applications will be peer-reviewed by individuals with coral reef and fisheries management experience on the following equally weighted evaluation criteria, as evidenced by information in the application:

a. Documented need for the proposed coral reef management activity to fill gaps in the jurisdiction's management capacity;

b. Demonstrated coordination with applicable ongoing local, state, territorial, and Federal coral reef management activities;

c. Technical merit of the proposed management activity; and,

d. Ability of the work to be completed for the funding and timing proposed.

Subsequently, a Federal agency team of representatives from NMFS, OCRM, and OIA will review the applications, pursuant to equally weighted criteria described in Section X(3) of the Guidelines and comments received from peer reviewers. Based on this review, the team will make a preliminary funding recommendation for each jurisdiction.

2. Selection Criteria

OCRM and DOI will then provide the preliminary funding recommendation and application comments to each selected jurisdiction. These comments will include input from peer reviewers and the Federal agency team and are intended for use in the applicant's development of the final application.

Upon receipt of the final application, complete with the requisite Federal financial assistance forms, the Federal agency team will review the complete package and make final funding recommendations based on the response to comments that were returned to the applicant. The team will submit these funding recommendations to the NOAA review panel for final review, pursuant to Section X(4) of the Guidelines.

If all available funds are not awarded, NOAA and DOI will consult with the eligible applicants on the use of any residual funds. NOAA and DOI will work with each jurisdiction to ensure the greatest degree of success in meeting local, state, territorial, and national coral reef management needs.

Specific authority for the NOAA program is found in 16 U.S.C. 6403. NOAA proposals will be reviewed and awarded by OCRM under title, Coastal Zone Management Program , CFDA Number: 11.419.

This description provides requirements for applying for funding appropriated by Congress to the NOAA in FY 2003 to support state and territorial coral reef ecosystem monitoring. This program will be administered by the NOS National Centers for Coastal and Ocean Science (NCCOS).

NOAA and its partners are implementing a nationally coordinated, comprehensive, long-term monitoring program to assess the condition of U.S. coral reef ecosystems and evaluate the effectiveness of coral reef ecosystem management decisions. This program was requested by the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force, which, along with the nation's coral reef program managers and the public, endorsed and called for implementation of “A National Program to Assess, Inventory, and Monitor U.S. Coral Reef Ecosystems.”

NOAA began implementing the Program in 2000 and continues to administer it with Congressional appropriations for coral reef conservation. The Program includes the collection, analysis, and reporting of long-term coral reef ecosystem monitoring data pursuant to scientifically valid methodologies and protocols and is a key priority of the National Coral Reef Action Strategy .

The implementation plan calls for integration of now-disparate monitoring sites into a coordinated national network, sharing of monitoring information among U.S. coral reef resource managers and scientists, and filling gaps in monitoring coverage nationwide. Through this Program, U.S. Federal, state, commonwealth, and territory, and Freely Associated State agencies support a variety of local and regional assessments, inventories, and monitoring of U.S. and U.S. affiliated coral reef resources. Additionally, there are several regional volunteer and community monitoring programs regularly assessing reef resources. A nationally coordinated coral monitoring infrastructure will enable the preparation of a biennial science-based report on the condition or “health” of U.S. coral reef ecosystems and support local coral reef management efforts.

The nation's coral reef resource managers have recommended key biotic and abiotic parameters that should be monitored at all local sites in the National monitoring network:

1. Benthic habitat characterization (e.g., depth, habitat delineation, and/or percent live/dead cover of corals, submerged aquatic vegetation, macroalgae, sponges, rugosity, diversity, etc.);

2. Associated biological community structure including fish condition (e.g., abundance, density, size, diversity, disease, harvest trends) and large motile and sessile invertebrates condition (abundance, density, size, diversity, disease, harvest trends); and,

3. Water/substrate quality (e.g., temperature, nutrient enrichment, toxic chemicals, turbidity).

Proposed work should include multi-organizational partnerships (local, regional, Federal, and possibly international) that build local capacity for maintaining long-term monitoring sites as part of a National Coral Reef Monitoring Network. NOAA will be an active partner in the development and implementation of the award; thus, proposals should be structured as cooperative agreements between NOAA and the principal investigators. For these proposals, it is appropriate to include the equipment necessary to build capacity to archive biotic transects (e.g., one or more digital videography cameras with underwater housing, museum maintenance of reference specimen collections, etc.).

On September 29, 2002, the Council approved Framework 15 and voted to submit the action to the Secretary of Commerce for approval. A proposed rule for Framework 15 will be published in the Federal Register following review by NMFS. Framework 15 would continue a Scallop Area Access Program for the Hudson Canyon and Virginia Beach Areas. Under the proposed area access program, limited access sea scallop vessels would be allowed to land scallops in excess of the proposed possession limit, or to take additional trips above those proposed in the program, and use the proceeds of the excess catch or additional trips to offset the costs of the research proposals submitted in response to this notice. The proposed areas would remain open until one of three events triggered a closure: (a) The fishing year ends (February 29, 2004); (b) the scallop landings from an area exceed the TAC and it is closed by the Regional Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator); or (c) the vessels use all authorized trips to fish for scallops within one or both of the areas. Framework 15 would authorize three trips per vessel for each area unless modified by action taken by the Regional Administrator. NOAA, in cooperation with the Council, is soliciting proposals for sea scallop research for the 2003 fishing year utilizing proposed TAC set-aside from the Hudson Canyon and Virginia Beach Areas. Contingent upon approval of Framework 15 by NMFS, vessels participating in an approved project and fishing in the Sea Scallop Access Areas would be authorized by the Regional Administrator to take additional trips into the areas and/or to land scallops in excess of the proposed 21,000-lb (9,525.4-kg) possession limit.

All research proposals to be conducted with TAC set-aside funds from the Hudson Canyon and Virginia Beach Areas must be received during the submission period identified in the DATES section of this document. Applicants must submit one signed original and two signed copies of the completed application (including supporting information). Once the applications are received, NOAA will either seek comments from the Council through the Council's public review process, or convene a Review Team, which will include representatives from the Council and may include independent technical experts, for the purpose of reviewing proposals in closed meetings under the direction of NOAA.

The total set-aside available for research is 172,953 lb (78.05 mt), an amount of scallops that has an approximate value of $579,392 (based on a projected scallop value of $3.35 per pound, with prices varying according to season and availability). The TAC set-aside for sea scallop research would be as follows: 170,638 lb (77 mt) for the Hudson Canyon Area; and 2,315 lb (1.05 mt) for the Virginia Beach Area.

Issuing grants is consistent with sections 303(b)(11), 402(e), and 404(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, 16 U.S.C. 1853(b)(11), 16 U.S.C. 1881a(e), and 16 U.S.C. 1881c(c), respectively.

11.454, Unallied Management Projects.

NOAA will award a grant to applicants with approved proposals through its grant award process. The project period for sea scallop research can not predate the beginning of the Atlantic sea scallop fishing year, March 1, 2003. The project period may not extend beyond February 29, 2004. Any portion of the 2003 fishing year TAC awarded must be caught for compensation by February 29, 2004. Proposals to fund research started on or after the project period are eligible for consideration. However, if the project is not approved, any research or expenditures related to this project will be the sole responsibility of the researcher without any further compensation from the TAC set-aside funds. Because of the time required to complete the grants process, it is likely that project activities will not be authorized until 1-2 months after the start of the fishing year on March 1, 2003.

The primary purpose of the GMT working meeting is to plan the GMT's annual schedule and strategies to effectively aid the Council in managing 2003 West Coast groundfish fisheries and Council initiatives expected to arise in 2003. Additionally, the GMT will discuss groundfish management measures in place for the winter and spring months, respond to assignments relating to implementation of the Council's groundfish strategic plan, consider technical aspects of draft stock rebuilding plans and analyses, and address other assignments relating to groundfish management.

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

The meetings are physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids should be directed to Ms. Carolyn Porter at 503-820-2280 at least 5 days prior to the meeting date.

The purpose of the work session is to brief the STT and SSC on changes made to or proposed for the chinook and coho Fishery Regulation Assessment Models (FRAM), review the scientific bases for those changes, and compare results from the updated model with those from the previous version.

Although nonemergency issues not contained in the meeting agendas may come before the STT and the SSC subcommittee 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 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 Ms. Carolyn Porter at (503) 820-2280 at least 5 days prior to the meeting date.

This meeting will be partially-closed to the public. Open sessions of the meeting will be limited by space accommodations. The meeting will be open to the public in accordance with Section 522b(c) of Title 5, U.S.C., specifically subparagraph 91) thereof and Title 5, U.S.C., appendix 1, subsection 10(d). Any interested person may attend, appear before or file statements with the committee at the time and in the manner permitted by the committee.

The Mid-Chesapeake Bay study area is defined by the confluence of the Chester River south to the confluence of the Potomac River with the Chesapeake Bay, Maryland.

Land subsidence, rising sea level, and wave action have caused valuable island habitats to be lost through erosion throughout the Chesapeake Bay. Through the beneficial use of dredged material, a restored island can be constructed to replace hundreds of acres of wetland and upland habitat. Therefore, the goal for this feasibility study is to restore valuable aquatic and terrestrial resting, foraging, and nursery habitat that has been lost in the Chesapeake Bay for many migratory birds, fish, and wildlife species through the beneficial use of dredged material. This habitat will afford improved productivity to the surrounding area, while providing an environmentally sound method for the use of dredged material removed from Bay channels.

Corps feasibility studies are conducted using a six-stage planning approach that incorporates the NEPA process: (1) Identify problems, opportunities, goals, and objectives; (2) Inventory baseline conditions; (3) Formulate alternatives; (4) Evaluate effects of the alternatives; (5) Compare alternatives; and (6) Select a recommended plan or set of alternative plans that are environmentally, economically, and engineering sound.

The project delivery team is actively seeking public opinion, participation, and advice to be incorporated into the planning process and the selection of an island for restoration. At this time, the islands that are under consideration within the Mid-Chesapeake Bay region include Barren, Bloodsworth, James, Holland, Lower Eastern Neck, Parson's and Sharp's islands. The team is open to any additional islands for consideration in the Mid-Bay region. As part of the initial phase of the study, an objective screening criteria will be developed based on information obtained for the State of Maryland's Dredged Material Management Program, public and agency input, available data, and best professional judgment. Following the Corps and NEPA processes, once the island is selected for restoration, a detailed analysis of the current existing conditions will be undertaken; alternative restoration plans will be developed, analyzed and compared; the impacts of those plans will be analyzed; and a recommended plan will be selected.

To solicit public input into the study and into the island selection, up to three public scoping meetings are planned for the late January/early February 2003 timeframe. A newsletter broadcasting the dates, times, and locations will be sent to agencies, groups and individuals on the study's mailing list once the meetings have been scheduled. To verify your inclusion, or to be added in the mailing list, please contact the study team leader, Ms. Michele Bistany ( see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT ).

The study will be conducted in compliance with Section 404 and Section 401 of the Clean Water Act, Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Air Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, Prime and Unique Farmlands, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, and National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Act. All appropriate documentation ( i.e., Section 7, Section 106 coordination letters, and public and agency comments) will be obtained and included as part of the EIS.

As part of the EIS process, recommendations will be based on an evaluation of the probable impact of the proposed activity on the public interest. The decision will reflect the national concern for the protection and utilization of important resources. The benefit, which may reasonably be expected to accrue from the proposal, will be balanced against its reasonably foreseeable detriments. All factors that may be relevant to the proposal will be considered, among these are wetlands; fish and wildlife resources; cultural resources; land use; water and air quality; hazardous, toxic, and radioactive substances; threatened and endangered species; regional geology; aesthetics; environmental justice; cumulative impacts; and the general needs and welfare of the public.

The draft EIS for the Mid-Chesapeake Bay Island environmental restoration study is expected for public release in July 2005.

Section 3506 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 35) requires that the Director of OMB provide interested Federal agencies and the public an early opportunity to comment on information collection requests. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) may amend or waive the requirement for public consultation to the extent that public participation in the approval process would defeat the purpose of the information collection, violate State or Federal law, or substantially interfere with any agency's ability to perform its statutory obligations. The Leader, Regulatory Information Management, Office of the Chief Information Officer, publishes this notice containing proposed information collection requests at the beginning of the Departmental review of the information collection. Each proposed information collection, grouped by office, contains the following: (1) Type of review requested, e.g. , new, revision, extension, existing or reinstatement; (2) Title; (3) Summary of the collection; (4) Description of the need for, and proposed use of, the information; (5) Respondents and frequency of collection; and (6) Reporting and/or Recordkeeping burden. ED invites public comment.

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 respondents, including through the use of information technology.

Type of Review: New Collection.

Title: EZ-Audit: Electronic Submission of Financial Statements and Compliance Audits.

Abstract: EZ-Audit will support the conversion and electronic submission of financial statements and existing compliance audits as required by 34 CFR 668.23 for all institutions participating in the Title IV, FSA programs.

Additional Information: Schools receiving Title IV funding must submit an audit in order to prove that they are financially solvent. Emergency clearance is requested for this collection because if submission is not done in a timely manner, Title IV institutions will be in jeopardy of noncompliance and will also lose funding.

Frequency: Annually.

A ffected Public: Not-for-profit institutions (primary), State, Local, or Tribal Gov't, SEAs or LEAs.

Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden:

Responses: 4000.

Burden Hours: 4000.

Requests for copies of the proposed information collection request should be addressed to Vivian Reese, Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Room 4050, Regional Office Building 3, Washington, DC 20202-4651. Requests may also be electronically mailed to the internet address OCIO_RIMG@ed.gov or faxed to 202-708-9346. Please specify the complete title of the information collection when making your request.

Comments regarding burden and/or the collection activity requirements should be directed to Joe Schubart at (202) 708-9266. Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.

Section 3506 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35) requires that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) provide interested Federal agencies and the public an early opportunity to comment on information collection requests. OMB may amend or waive the requirement for public consultation to the extent that public participation in the approval process would defeat the purpose of the information collection, violate State or Federal law, or substantially interfere with any agency's ability to perform its statutory obligations. The Leader, Regulatory Management Group, Office of the Chief Information Officer, publishes that notice containing proposed information collection requests prior to submission of these requests to OMB. Each proposed information collection, grouped by office, contains the following: (1) Type of review requested, e.g. new, revision, extension, existing or reinstatement; (2) Title; (3) Summary of the collection; (4) Description of the need for, and proposed use of, the information; (5) Respondents and frequency of collection; and (6) Reporting and/or Recordkeeping burden. OMB invites public comment.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Title: Annual Protection & Advocacy of Individual Rights (PAIR) Program Performance Report (SC).

Frequency: Annually .

Affected Public: Not-for-profit institutions (primary). State, Local, or Tribal Gov't, SEAs or LEAs.

Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden:

 Responses: 57.

 Burden Hours: 342.

Abstract: Form RSA-509 will be used to analyze and evaluate the Protection & Advocacy of Individual Rights (PAIR) Program administered by eligible systems in states. These systems provide services to eligible individuals with disabilities to protect their legal and human rights.

Written requests for information should be addressed to Vivian Reese, Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Room 4050, Regional Office Building 3, Washington, DC 20202-4651 or directed to her e-mail address Vivian.Reese@ed.gov. Requests may also be faxed to (202) 708-9346. Please specify the complete title of the information collection when making your request.

Comments regarding burden and/or the collection activity requirements should be directed to Joseph Schubart at his e-mail address Joe.Schubart@ed.gov. Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.

We allocate funds to eligible higher education institutions in each of the campus-based programs. We will not allocate funds under the campus-based programs for award year 2003-2004 to any currently non-participating institution unless the institution files its Application for Approval to Participate in Federal Student Financial Aid Programs and required supporting documents by the closing date. If the institution submits its Application for Approval to Participate in Federal Student Financial Aid Programs or other required supporting documents after the February 17, 2003, closing date, we will use this application in determining the institution's eligibility to participate in the campus-based programs beginning with the 2004-2005 award year. For purposes of this notice, ineligible institutions include only: (1) An institution that has not been designated as an eligible institution by the Department, but has previously filed a FISAP; or (2) An additional location of an eligible institution that is currently not included in the Department's eligibility certification for that eligible institution, but has been included in the institution's 2003-2004 FISAP.

Applicable Regulations: The following regulations apply to the campus-based programs: (1) Student Assistance General Provisions, 34 CFR part 668. (2) General Provisions for the Federal Perkins Loan Program, Federal Work-Study Program, and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant Program, 34 CFR part 673. (3) Federal Perkins Loan Program, 34 CFR part 674. (4) Federal Work-Study Program, 34 CFR part 675. (5) Federal Supplemental Opportunity Grant Program, 34 CFR part 676. (6) Institutional Eligibility Under the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, 34 CFR part 600. (7) New Restrictions on Lobbying, 34 CFR part 82. (8) Government wide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) and Government wide Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace (Grants), 34 CFR part 85. (9) Drug-Free Schools and Campuses, 34 CFR part 86.

NETL's Advanced Research Program is leading the effort in innovative sensor development for fossil fuel applications including the power systems conceived under the Vision 21 Program, such as oxygen blown gasification and combustion systems. Real time monitoring, diagnostics and control are critical for the safe and efficient operation of the energy conversion systems. However, due to the harsh conditions, current instrumentation and sensor technology is inadequate for the systems. The lack of suitable on-line measurement technology represents the primary motivation for seeking out new developments in sensor technology. The specific objective of this solicitation is to seek out new fundamental approaches to sensor concepts, materials, design, and fabrication that have potential application in the harsh environment of the advanced fossil fuel-based energy production systems. The types of projects sought through this solicitation include laboratory and bench-scale testing as well as fundamental research that addresses the barriers associated with ultra-high temperature operation.

The research objectives are to:

(1) Develop an understanding of the sensor mechanisms acquired by nano-scale design,

(2) Develop technology for fusion of high temperature materials and advanced sensors,

(3) Develop long term high temperature data for life prediction and reliability,

(4) Devise life assessment models and experimental verification,

(5) Obtain a quantitative description of the evolutionary processes that lead to failure and predict response of sensor materials in complex environments,