[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 80 (Friday, April 25, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20150-20155]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-10770]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[Docket No. 970321061-7061-01; I.D. 042297B]
RIN: 0648-ZA28
Financial Assistance for Chesapeake Bay Stock Assessments to
Encourage Research Projects for Improvement in the Stock Conditions of
the Chesapeake Bay Fisheries
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of availability of funds.
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SUMMARY: A total of $540,000 in Fiscal Year (FY) 1997 funds is
available through the NOAA/NMFS Chesapeake Bay Office to assist
interested state fishery agencies, academic institutions, and other
nonprofit organizations relating to cooperative research units, in
carrying out research projects to provide information for Chesapeake
Bay Stock Assessments through cooperative agreements. About $240,000 of
the base amount is available to initiate new projects in FY 1997, as
described in this announcement. NMFS issues this document describing
the conditions under which eligible applications will be accepted and
how NMFS will determine which applications will be selected for
funding.
DATES: Applications for funding under this program will be accepted
until 6 p.m. eastern standard time on May 27, 1997. Applications
received after that time will not be considered for funding. No
applications will be accepted by facsimile machine submission.
Successful applicants generally will be selected approximately 90
days from the date of publication in the Federal Register of this
document. The earliest date for awards will be approximately 180 days
after the date of publication in the Federal Register of this document.
ADDRESSES: Send applications to: M. Elizabeth Gillelan, Division Chief,
NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office, NMFS, 410 Severn Avenue, Suite 107A,
Annapolis, MD 21403.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: M. Elizabeth Gillelan, 410/267-5660.
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SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction.
A. Authority. The Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956, as amended, at 16
U.S.C. 753 (a), authorizes the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary), for
the purpose of developing adequate, coordinated, cooperative research
and training programs for fish and wildlife resources, to continue to
enter into cooperative agreements with colleges and universities, with
game and fish departments of the several states, and with non-profit
organizations relating to cooperative research units. The Departments
of Commerce (DOC), Justice, State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act of 1997 makes funds available to the Secretary
(Public Law 104-208).
B. Catalog of Federal assistance. The research to be funded is in
support of the Chesapeake Bay Studies (CFDA 11.457), under the
Chesapeake Bay Stock Assessment Committee (CBSAC).
C. Program Description. CBSAC was established in 1985 to plan and
review Bay-wide resource assessments, coordinate relevant actions of
state and Federal agencies, report on fisheries status and trends, and
determine, fund and review research projects. The program implements a
Bay-wide plan for the assessment of commercially, recreationally, and
selected ecologically important species in the Chesapeake Bay. In 1988,
CBSAC developed a Bay-wide Stock Assessment Plan, in response to
provisions in the Chesapeake Bay Agreement of 1987. The plan identified
that key obstacles to assessing Bay stocks was the lack of consistent,
Bay-wide, fishery-dependent and fishery-independent data. Research
projects funded since 1988 have focused on developing and improving
fishery-independent surveys and catch statistics for key Bay species,
such as striped bass, oysters, blue crabs and alosids. Stock assessment
research is essential, given the recent declines in harvest and
apparent stock condition for many of the important species of the
Chesapeake Bay.
II. Areas of Special Emphasis
A. Proposals should exhibit familiarity with related work that is
completed or ongoing. Where appropriate, proposals should be
multidisciplinary. Coordinated efforts involving multiple eligible
applicants or persons are encouraged. Eligible women and minority owned
and operated non-profit organizations are encouraged to apply.
Consideration for funding will be given to applications that
address one or more of the following stock assessment research and
management priorities for the Chesapeake Bay. Proposals in other areas
will be considered on a funds-available basis.
1. Design and development of a method to age blue crabs in
Chesapeake Bay using lipofuscin. Last year, a feasibility study was
funded to evaluate whether metabolic products called lipofuscin are
useful to estimate age and growth of blue crabs. It is understood that
the chemical characteristics of lipofuscin and their accumulation rates
over time are a function of tissue and metabolic rate. The priority
this year is to further study lipofuscin accumulation rate dynamics
temporally and spatially, and to test the use of lipofuscin data in
blue crab growth models. At a minimum, proposals should define how the
measurement of lipofuscin can be used in growth models that incorporate
size, sex, salinity, and temperature to enable age determination.
2. Development of a design for a Bay-wide recreational survey,
directed primarily at blue crabs, but including other recreationally-
harvested species where opportunities arise. A major impediment to
understanding the status of the blue crab fishery resource in the
Chesapeake Bay is the lack of knowledge of the total removals of blue
crabs by recreational crabbing. While estimates of commercial catches
from both Maryland and Virginia are available based on state reporting
requirements, estimates of recreational blue crab harvest are not
available for most years.
This study should provide not only estimates of harvest and
associated effort but also biological sample data on size, sex, and
length distribution of the recreational harvest of blue crabs. This
could be designed as a stand-alone survey or as a supplement to the
NMFS' Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistics Survey.
3. Design and implementation of a Bay-wide blue crab tagging study,
integrated with the aforementioned recreational survey. This study
should be designed to produce additional age data, growth rates,
migration rates, population rates, terminal molt estimates, commercial
fishing mortality estimates, recreational fishing mortality estimates
and natural mortality estimates.
4. Design and development of a hard clam stock assessment which
would provide abundance and mortality estimates for the entire
Chesapeake Bay stock. The hard clam has become a valuable economic
species in Chesapeake Bay with little associated assessment data. This
study will integrate and compile fisheries harvest data and provide
estimates of abundance and mortality rates.
B. Applications addressing the priorities should build upon, or
take into account, any related past or current work.
III. How to Apply
A. Eligible applicants. Applications for cooperative agreements
under the Chesapeake Bay Studies Program may be submitted, in
accordance with the procedures set out in this document, by any state
game and fish department, college or university, or other nonprofit
organizations relating to cooperative research units. Other Federal
agencies or institutions are not eligible to receive Federal assistance
under this document.
DOC/NOAA/NMFS employees, including full-time, part-time and
intermittent personnel are not eligible to submit an application under
this solicitation or aid in the preparation of an application, except
to provide information on program goals, funding priorities,
application procedures, and completion of application forms. Since this
is a competitive program, assistance will not be provided in
conceptualizing, developing, or structuring proposals.
Eligible applicants outside the Chesapeake Bay region may submit
proposals, as long as their objectives support the technical and
management priorities of the Chesapeake Bay, as defined in section
II.A. above. All solicited proposals received by the closing date will
be considered by NMFS.
B. Duration and terms of funding. Under this solicitation, NMFS
will fund Chesapeake Bay Stock Assessment Research Projects for 1 year
cooperative agreements. The cooperative agreement has been determined
as the appropriate funding instrument because of the substantial
involvement of NMFS in:
1. Developing program research priorities;
2. Evaluating the performance of the program for effectiveness in
meeting regional goals for Chesapeake Bay stock assessments;
3. Monitoring the progress of each funded project;
4. Holding periodic workshops with investigators; and
5. Working with recipients in preparation of annual reports
summarizing current accomplishments of the Chesapeake Bay Stock
Assessment Committee. Project dates should be scheduled to begin no
later than 1 October 1997. Cooperative agreements are approved on an
annual basis but may be considered eligible for continuation beyond the
first project
[[Page 20152]]
and budget period subject to the approved scope of work, satisfactory
progress, and availability of funds at the total discretion of NMFS.
However, there are no assurances for such continuation. Publication of
this document does not obligate NMFS to award any specific cooperative
agreement or to obligate any part of the entire amount of funds
available.
C. Cost-Sharing requirements. Applications must reflect the total
budget necessary to accomplish the project, including contributions
and/or donations. Cost-sharing is not required under the Chesapeake Bay
Stock Assessment Research Program. However, cost sharing is encouraged
to enhance the value of a project, and in case of a tie in considering
proposals for funding, cost-sharing may affect the final decision. The
appropriateness of all cost-sharing will be determined on the basis of
guidance provided in applicable Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
Federal cost principles. If an applicant chooses to share cost, and if
that application is selected for funding, the applicants will be bound
by the percentage of cost-sharing reflected in the award documents.
The non-Federal share may include funds received from private
sources or from state or local governments or the value of in-kind
contributions. Federal funds may not be used to meet the non-Federal
share of matching funds, except as provided by Federal statute. In-kind
contributions may be in the form of, but are not limited to, personal
services rendered in carrying out functions related to the project, and
permission to use real or personal property owned by others (for which
consideration is not required) in carrying out the project. To support
the budget, the applicant must describe briefly the basis for
estimating the value of the non-Federal funds derived from in-kind
contributions.
The total cost of a project begins on the effective date of a
cooperative agreement between the applicant and an authorized
representative of the U.S. Government and ends on the date specified in
the award. Accordingly, the time expended and costs incurred in either
the development of a project or the financial assistance application,
or in any subsequent discussions or negotiations prior to the award,
are neither reimbursable nor recognizable as part of the recipient's
cost share.
D. Format. 1. Applications for project funding must be complete.
Applicants must identify the specific research priority or priorities
to which they are responding. For applications containing more than one
project, each project component must be identified individually using
the format specified in this section. If an application is not in
response to a priority, it should be so stated. Applicants should not
assume prior knowledge on the part of NMFS as to the relative merits of
the project described in the application. Applications are not to be
bound in any manner and should be one-sided. All incomplete
applications will be returned to the applicant. Applicants must submit
one signed original and two copies of the complete application.
Required forms are provided in a NOAA Application Kit which applicants
may obtain from the NOAA Grants Management Division or the NOAA
Chesapeake Bay Office (see ADDRESSES).
2. Applications must be submitted in the following format:
a. Cover sheet: An applicant must use OMB Standard Form 424
(revised 4/92) as the cover sheet for each project. Applicants may
obtain copies of these forms from the NOAA Grants Management Division
or the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office (see ADDRESSES).
b. Project summary: Each proposal must contain a summary of not
more than one page that provides the following:
(1) Project title.
(2) Project status (new).
(3) Project duration (beginning and ending dates).
(4) Name, address, and telephone number of applicant.
(5) Principal Investigator(s).
(6) Project objectives.
(7) Summary of work to be performed.
(8) Total Federal funds requested.
(9) Cost-sharing to be provided from non-Federal sources, if any.
Specify whether contributions are project-related cash or in-kind.
(10) Total project cost.
c. Project description: Each project must be completely and
accurately described. Each project description may be up to 15 pages in
length. If an application is awarded, NMFS will make all portions of
the project description available to the public for review; therefore,
NMFS cannot guarantee the confidentiality of any information submitted
as part of any project, nor will NMFS accept for consideration any
project requesting confidentiality of any part of the project.
Each project must be described as follows:
(1) Identification of problem(s): Describe the specific priority/
problem to be addressed (see section II above).
(2) Project objectives: This is one of the most important parts of
the Project Proposal. Use the following guidelines for stating the
objective of the project.
(a) Keep it simple and easily understandable.
(b) Be as specific and quantitative as possible.
(c) Specify the ``what and when;'' avoid the ``how and why.''
(d) Keep it attainable within the time, money, and human resources
available.
(e) Use action verbs that are accomplishment oriented.
(3) Need for Government financial assistance: Demonstrate the need
for assistance. Any appropriate database to substantiate or reinforce
the need for the project should be included. Explain why other funding
sources cannot fund all the proposed work. List all other sources of
funding that are or have been sought for the project.
(4) Benefits or results expected: Identify and document the results
or benefits to be derived from the proposed activities.
(5) Project statement of work: The Statement of Work is the
scientific or technical action plan of activities that are to be
accomplished during each budget period of the project. This description
must include the specific methodologies, by project job activity,
proposed for accomplishing the proposal's objective(s). If the work
described in this section does not contain sufficient detail to allow
for proper technical evaluation, NMFS will not consider the application
for funding and will return it to the applicant.
Investigators submitting proposals in response to this announcement
are strongly encouraged to develop inter-institutional, inter-
disciplinary research teams in the form of single, integrated proposals
or as individual proposals that are clearly linked together. Such
collaborative efforts will be factored into the final funding decision
by the Chief of the NOAA/NMFS Chesapeake Bay Office.
Each Statement of Work must include the following information:
(a) The applicant's name.
(b) The inclusive dates of the budget period covered under the
Statement of Work.
(c) The title of the proposal.
(d) The scientific or technical objectives and procedures that are
to be accomplished during the budget period. Devise a detailed set of
objectives and procedures to answer who, what, how, when, and where.
The procedures must be of sufficient detail to enable competent workers
to be able to follow them and to complete scheduled activities.
(e) Location of the work.
(f) A list of all project personnel and their responsibilities.
(g) A milestone table, labeled with Month I, Month II, Month III,
etc, that summarizes the procedures (from item
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III.D.c(5)(d)) that are to be attained in each month covered by the
Statement of Work.
(6) Participation by persons or groups other than the applicant:
Describe the level of participation required in the project(s) by NOAA
or other government and non-government entities. Specific NOAA
employees should not be named in the initial proposal.
(7) Federal, state and local government activities: List any
programs (Federal, state, or local government or activities, including
Sea Grant, state Coastal Zone Management Programs, NOAA Oyster Disease
Research Program, the state/Federal Chesapeake Bay Program, etc.) this
project would affect and describe the relationship between the project
and those plans or activities.
(8) Project management: Describe how the project will be organized
and managed. Include resumes of principal investigators. List all
persons directly employed by the applicant who will be involved with
the project. If a consultant and/or subcontractor is selected prior to
application submission, include the name and qualifications of the
consultant and/or subcontractor and the process used for selection.
(9) Monitoring of project performance: Identify who will
participate in monitoring the project.
(10) Project impacts: Describe how these products or services will
be made available to the fisheries and management communities.
(11) Evaluation of project: The applicant is required to provide an
evaluation of project accomplishments at the end of each budget period
and in the final report. The application must describe the methodology
or procedures to be followed to determine technical feasibility, or to
quantify the results of the project in promoting increased production,
product quality and safety, management effectiveness, or other
measurable factors.
(12) Total project costs: Total project costs is the amount of
funds required to accomplish what is proposed in the Statement of Work,
and includes contributions and donations. All costs must be shown in a
detailed budget. A standard budget form (SF-424A) is available from the
offices listed (see ADDRESSES). NMFS will not consider fees or profits
as allowable costs for grantees. Additional cost detail may be required
prior to a final analysis of overall cost allowability, allocability,
and reasonableness. The date, period covered, and findings for the most
recent financial audit performed, as well as the name of the audit
firm, the contact person, and phone number and address, must be also
provided.
d. Supporting documentation: Provide any required documents and any
additional information necessary or useful to the description of the
project. The amount of information given in this section will depend on
the type of project proposed, but should be no more than 20 pages. The
applicant should present any information that would emphasize the value
of the project in terms of the significance of the problems addressed.
Without such information, the merits of the project may not be fully
understood, or the value of the project may be underestimated. The
absence of adequate supporting documentation may cause reviewers to
question assertions made in describing the project and may result in
lower ranking of the project. Information presented in this section
should be clearly referenced in the project description.
IV. Review Process and Criteria
A. Initial Evaluation of Applications. Applications will be
reviewed by NOAA to assure that they meet all requirements of this
announcement, including eligibility and relevance to the Chesapeake Bay
Stock Assessment Research Program.
B. Consultation with Experts in the Field of Stock Assessment
Research. For applications meeting the requirements of this
solicitation, NMFS will conduct a technical evaluation of each project
prior to any other review. This review normally will involve experts
from non-NOAA as well as NOAA organizations. All comments submitted to
NMFS will be taken into consideration in the technical evaluation of
projects. Each reviewer will be asked to rate and provide comments
based on the following evaluation criteria:
1. Problem description and conceptual approach for resolution,
especially the applicant's comprehension of the problem(s), familiarity
with related work that is completed or ongoing, and the overall concept
proposed to resolve the problem(s) (30 points).
2. Soundness of project design/technical approach, especially
whether the applicant provided sufficient information to technically
evaluate the project and, if so, the strengths and weaknesses of the
technical design proposed for problem resolution (35 points).
3. Project management and experience and qualifications of
personnel, including organization and management of the project, and
the personnel experience and qualifications (15 points).
4. Justification and allocation of the budget in terms of the work
to be performed (20 points).
C. Review panel. NMFS will convene a review panel consisting of at
least three regionally recognized experts in the scientific and
management aspects of stock assessment research who will conduct
reviews as follows:
1. Evaluate technical reviews.
2. Provide independent review based on the same criteria as the
technical review.
3. Discuss all review comments as a panel.
4. Provide individual panelist scores and suggestions for
modifications (i.e., budget, personnel, technical approach, etc.).
D. Funding decision. 1. Applications will be ranked by NMFS into
two groups: (a) Recommended, and (b) not recommended. As previously
stated (section III.A.1.), collaborative proposals and applications
which proposed a cost share are strongly encouraged, and therefore will
be given added weight in the selection process. The numeric ranking by
the review panel will be the major consideration for deciding which of
the ``recommended'' proposals will be selected for funding.
2. After projects have been ranked for funding, the Chief of the
NOAA/NMFS Chesapeake Bay Office, in consultation with the Assistant
Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA, will determine the projects to be
recommended for funding based upon the technical evaluations, panel
review, numerical ranking and availability of funding. The Chief may
also give greater consideration to those projects that best meet the
objectives of the program. The exact amount of funds awarded to each
project will be determined in preaward negotiations between the
applicant, the Grants Office, and the NOAA/NMFS Chesapeake Bay Office
staff.
V. Administrative Requirements
A. Obligations of the applicant. 1. Deliverables--In addition to
quarterly status and budget reports, and at the time of submission of
the final report of results of funded projects, recipients must submit
a four-to-five page summary of project work and results that will be
compiled in a report of Chesapeake Bay Stock Assessment Research
Program results.
2. Periodic Workshops-Investigators will be expected to attend one
or two workshops with other Stock Assessment Research Program
researchers to encourage interdisciplinary dialogue and forge synthesis
of results.
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3. Primary applicant certifications--All primary applicants must
submit a completed Form CD-511, ``Certifications Regarding Debarment,
Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters; Drug-Free Workplace
Requirements and Lobbying,'' and the following explanations are hereby
provided:
a. Nonprocurement debarment and suspension--Prospective
participants (as defined at 15 CFR 26.105) are subject to 15 CFR part
26, ``Nonprocurement Debarment and Suspension,'' and the related
section of the certification form prescribed above applies;
b. Drug-free workplace--Grantees (as defined at 15 CFR part 26.605)
are subject to 15 CFR part 26, subpart F, ``Governmentwide Requirements
for Drug-Free Workplace (Grants),'' and the related section of the
certification form prescribed above applies;
c. Anti-lobbying--Persons (as defined at 15 CFR 28.105) are subject
to the lobbying provisions of 31 U.S.C. 1352, ``Limitation on use of
appropriated funds to influence certain Federal contracting and
financial transactions,'' and the lobbying section of the certification
form prescribed above applies to applications/bids for grants,
cooperative agreements, and contracts for more than $100,000, and loans
and loan guarantees for more than $150,000, or the single family
maximum mortgage limit for affected programs, whichever is greater; and
d. Anti-lobbying disclosure--Any applicant who has paid or will pay
for lobbying using any funds must submit an SF-LLL, ``Disclosure of
Lobbying Activities,'' as required under 15 CFR part 28, appendix B.
4. Lower Tier Certifications--Recipients shall require applicants/
bidders for subgrants, contracts, subcontracts, or other lower tier
covered transactions at any tier under the award to submit, if
applicable, a completed Form CD-512, ``Certifications Regarding
Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion-Lower Tier
Covered Transactions and Lobbying'' and disclosure form SF-LLL,
``Disclosure of Lobbying Activities.'' Form CD-512 is intended for the
use of recipients and should not be transmitted to DOC. SF-LLL
submitted by any tier recipient or subrecipient should be submitted to
DOC in accordance with the instructions contained in the award
document. B. Other requirements. 1. Federal policies and procedures--
Recipients and subrecipients are subject to all Federal laws and
Federal and DOC policies, regulations, and procedures applicable to
Federal financial assistance awards.
2. Indirect cost rates--The total dollar amount of the indirect
costs proposed in an application under this program must not exceed the
indirect cost rate negotiated and approved by a cognizant Federal
agency. NOAA's acceptance of negotiated rates is subject to total
indirect costs not to exceed 100 percent of total direct costs. This
language is pursuant to the NOAA Grants and Cooperative Agreements
Policy Manual, Chapter 3(B)(2).
3. Past performance-Unsatisfactory performance under prior Federal
awards may result in an application not being considered for funding.
In addition, any recipient and/or researcher who is past due for
submitting acceptable progress reports on any previous project funded
under this program may be ineligible to be considered for new awards
until the delinquent reports are received, reviewed and deemed
acceptable by NMFS.
4. Financial management certifications/preaward accounting survey--
Successful applicants, at the discretion of the NOAA Grants Officer,
may be required to have their financial management systems certified by
an independent public accountant as being in compliance with Federal
standards specified in the applicable OMB Circulars prior to execution
of the award. Any first-time applicant for Federal grant funds may be
subject to a preaward accounting survey by the DOC prior to execution
of the award.
5. Delinquent Federal debts-No award of Federal funds shall be made
to an applicant who has an outstanding delinquent Federal debt until
either:
a. The delinquent account is paid in full;
b. A negotiated repayment schedule is established and at least one
payment is received; or
c. Other arrangements satisfactory to DOC are made.
6. Name checks-Potential recipients may be required to submit an
``Identification-Application for Funding Assistance''
(Form CD-346), which is used to ascertain background information on
key individuals associated with the potential recipient. All non-profit
and for-profit applicants are subject to a name check review process.
Name checks are intended to reveal if any key individuals associated
with the applicant have been convicted of or are presently facing,
criminal charges such as fraud, theft, perjury, or other matters that
significantly reflect on the applicant's management honesty or
financial integrity. Applicants will also be subject to credit check
reviews.
7. False statements--A false statement on the application is
grounds for denial or termination of funds and grounds for possible
punishment by a fine or imprisonment as provided in 18 U.S.C. 1001.
8. Preaward activities--If applicants incur any costs prior to an
award being made, they do so solely at their own risk of not being
reimbursed by the Government. Notwithstanding any verbal or written
assurance that may have been received, there is no obligation on the
part of DOC to cover preaward costs.
9. Purchase of American-made equipment and products--Applicants are
hereby notified that they will be encouraged, to the greatest extent
practible, to purchase American-made equipment and products with
funding provided under this program.
10. Other--If an application is selected for funding, DOC has no
obligation to provide any additional funding in connection with that
award. Renewal of an award to increase funding or extend the period of
performance is at the total discretion of DOC.
Cooperative agreements awarded pursuant to pertinent statutes shall
be in accordance with the Fisheries Research Plan (comprehensive
program of fisheries research) in effect on the date of the award.
Classification
This action has been determined to be ``not significant'' for
purposes of E.O. 12866.
Applications under this program are subject to E.O. 12372,
``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.''
Prior document and an opportunity for public comment are not
required by the Administrative Procedure Act or any other law for this
notice concerning grants, benefits, and contracts. Therefore, a
regulatory flexibility analysis is not required for purposes of the
Regulatory Flexibility Act.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person is required
to respond to nor shall a person be subject to a penalty for failure to
comply with a collection of information subject to the requirements of
the Paperwork Reduction Act unless that collection of information
displays a current valid OMB control number.
This document contains collections of information subject to the
Paperwork Reduction Act, which have been approved by OMB under OMB
control numbers 0348-0043 and 0605-0001.
[[Page 20155]]
Dated: April 21, 1997.
Nancy Foster,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 97-10770 Filed 4-24-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F