[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 164 (Tuesday, August 25, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45338-45348]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-22798]


      

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_______________________________________________________________________

Part III





Environmental Protection Agency





_______________________________________________________________________



Environmental Education Grants Program (FY 1999), Solicitation; Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 164 / Tuesday, August 25, 1998 / 
Notices  

[[Page 45338]]



ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6151-7]


Solicitation Notice; Environmental Education Grants Program 
(Fiscal Year 1999)

Contents

Section I--Overview and deadlines
Section II--Eligible applicants and activities
Section III--Funding priorities
Section IV--Requirements for proposals and matching funds
Section V--Review and selection process
Section VI--Grantees responsibilities
Section VII--Other information and mailing list

Section I. Overview and Deadlines

A. Purpose of Solicitation

    This document solicits grant proposals from education institutions, 
environmental and educational public agencies, and not-for-profit 
organizations to support environmental education projects, as defined 
in this document. This solicitation notice contains all the information 
and forms necessary to prepare a proposal. If your project is selected 
as a finalist after the evaluation process is concluded, EPA will 
provide you with additional forms needed to process your proposal.
    The Environmental Education Grants Program provides financial 
support for projects which design, demonstrate, or disseminate 
environmental education practices, methods, or techniques. This program 
is authorized under section 6 of the National Environmental Education 
Act of 1990 (the Act) (Pub. L. 101-619). EPA anticipates funding of 
approximately $3 million for this annual grant cycle, subject to 
appropriations and the availability of funds. The Act requires that 25% 
of available funds go to small grants of $5,000 or less and sets a 
maximum limit of $250,000 for a single grant. These grants require non-
federal matching funds for a minimum of 25% of the total cost of the 
project.

B. Environmental Education Versus Information

    Environmental education: increases public awareness and knowledge 
about environmental issues; provides the public with the skills needed 
to make informed decisions and take responsible actions; enhances 
critical-thinking, problem-solving, and effective decision-making 
skills; and teaches individuals to weigh various sides of an 
environmental issue to make informed and responsible decisions. 
Environmental education does not advocate a particular viewpoint or 
course of action. 
    EPA will not fund projects that are solely designed to develop or 
disseminate environmental ``information.'' Environmental information 
provides facts or opinions about environmental issues or problems, but 
may not enhance critical-thinking, problem-solving, or decision-making 
skills. Although information is an essential element of any educational 
effort, environmental information is not, by itself, environmental 
education.

C. Due Date and Grant Schedule

    An original proposal signed by an authorized representative plus 
two copies, must be mailed to EPA postmarked no later than November 16, 
1998. Proposals which are postmarked after that date will not be 
considered for funding. EPA expects to announce the grant awards in the 
late Spring of 1999. Applicants should anticipate project start dates 
no earlier than Summer and, for planning purposes, may use July 1, 
1999, as the earliest start date.

D. Addresses for Mailing Proposals

    Proposals requesting over $25,000 in federal environmental 
education grant funds must be mailed to EPA headquarters in Washington, 
DC; proposals requesting $25,000 or less must be mailed to the EPA 
regional office where the project takes place. The headquarters address 
and the list of regional office mailing addresses by state is included 
at the end of this document. Proposals submitted to EPA headquarters 
and regional offices will be evaluated using the same criteria, as 
defined in sections IV and V of this solicitation.

E. Funding Limits Per Proposal

    Since implementation of this grants program in 1992, there has been 
a great deal of public enthusiasm for developing environmental 
education projects. Consequently, EPA has consistently received many 
more applications for these grants than can be supported with available 
funds. The competition for grants is intense, especially at 
headquarters where in past years approximately 5% of proposals received 
have been funded. Regional offices generally fund about 10% of 
proposals they receive for over $5,000 and more than 15% of proposals 
for $5,000 or less.
    Although the Act sets a maximum limit of $250,000 in environmental 
education grant funds for any one project, because of limited funds, 
EPA prefers to award smaller grants to more recipients. Proposals 
submitted to the EPA Regions have a better chance of being funded, in 
part because under section 6(i) of the Act, EPA is required to award 
25% of the total amount of its grant funds for ``small projects'' which 
request $5,000 or less. Consequently, many regional grants are for 
$5,000 or less. You will significantly increase your chance of being 
funded if you request $5,000 or less from a Regional Office or $150,000 
or less from headquarters.

Section II. Eligible Applicants and Activities

F. Eligible Applicants

    Any local or tribal government education agency, state government 
education or environmental agency, college or university, not-for-
profit organization as described in section 501 (C)(3) of the Internal 
Revenue Code, or noncommercial educational broadcasting entity may 
submit a proposal. A teacher's school district, an educator's nonprofit 
organization, or a faculty member's college or university may apply, 
but an individual teacher, educator, or faculty member may not. These 
terms are defined in section 3 of the Act and 40 CFR 47.105. ``Tribal 
education agency'' means a school or community college which is 
controlled by an Indian tribe, band, or nation, which is recognized as 
eligible for special programs and services provided by the United 
States to Indians because of their status as Indians and which is not 
administered by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

G. Multiple or Repeat Proposals

    An organization may submit more than one proposal if the proposals 
are for different projects. No organization will be awarded more than 
one grant for the same project during the same fiscal year. Applicants 
who were awarded funds in the past may submit new proposals to expand a 
previously funded project or to fund an entirely different one. Each 
new proposal will be evaluated based upon the specific criteria set 
forth in this solicitation and in relation to the other proposals 
received in this fiscal year. Due to limited resources, EPA does not 
generally sustain projects beyond the initial grant period. This grant 
program is geared toward providing seed money to initiate new projects 
or to advance existing projects that are ``new'' in some way, such as 
reaching new audiences or new locations. If you have received a grant 
from this program in the past, it is essential that you explain how 
your current proposal is ``new.''

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H. Eligible Activities

    As specified under the Act, environmental education activities that 
are eligible for funding under this program include, but are not 
limited to, the following:
    1. Training or educating teachers, faculty, or related personnel;
    2. Designing and demonstrating field methods, educational practices 
and techniques, including assessing environmental and ecological 
conditions or specific environmental issues or problems;
    3. Designing, demonstrating, or disseminating environmental 
curricula (see next paragraph); and
    4. Fostering international cooperation in addressing environmental 
issues and problems in the United States, Canada, and/or Mexico.
    Curricula: Regarding Item 3 above, EPA strongly encourages 
applicants to demonstrate or disseminate existing environmental 
curricula rather than designing new curricula because experts indicate 
that a significant amount of quality curricula have already been 
developed and are under-utilized. EPA will consider funding new 
curricula only where the applicant demonstrates that there is a need 
(e.g., that existing curricula cannot be adapted well to a particular 
local environmental concern or audience, or existing curricula are not 
otherwise accessible). The applicant must specify what steps they have 
taken to determine this need (e.g., you may cite a conference where 
this need was discussed, the results of inquiries made within your 
community or with various educational institutions, or a research paper 
or other published document).

I. Ineligible Activities

    Environmental education funds cannot be used for:
    1. Construction projects;
    2. Technical training of environmental management professionals;
    3. Non-educational research and development; and/or
    4. Environmental information projects that have no educational 
component, as described in section IB.
    Regarding Item (1) above, EPA will not fund construction activities 
such as the acquisition of real property (e.g., buildings) or the 
construction or modification of any building. EPA may, however, fund 
activities such as creating a nature trail or building a bird watching 
station as long as these items are an integral part of the 
environmental education project, and the cost is a relatively small 
percentage of the total amount of federal funds requested.

Section III. Funding Priorities

J. Educational Priorities

    All proposals must satisfy the definition of ``environmental 
education'' under section IB and also address one of the following 
educational priorities. Headquarters will fund the larger grants (over 
$25,000) that address any of the four categories listed below; and 
regional offices will fund the smaller grants ($25,000 or less) in any 
of seven categories listed below. The order of the list is random and 
does not indicate a ranking.
Headquarters Priorities
    (1) Health: Educating teachers, students, parents, community 
leaders, or the public about human-health threats from environmental 
pollution, especially as it affects children.
    (2) Capacity Building: Increasing state, local, or tribal capacity 
to develop and deliver coordinated environmental education programs.
    (3) Education Reform: Utilizing environmental education as a 
catalyst to advance state, local, or tribal education reform and 
improvement goals.
    (4) Community Issues: Designing and implementing model projects to 
educate the public about environmental issues in their communities 
through community-based organizations or through print, film, 
broadcast, or other media.
Regional Office Priorities
    (1) Health: Educating teachers, students, parents, community 
leaders, or the public about human-health threats from environmental 
pollution, especially as it affects children.
    (2) Capacity Building: Increasing state, local, or tribal capacity 
to develop and deliver coordinated environmental education programs.
    (3) Education Reform: Utilizing environmental education as a 
catalyst to advance state, local, or tribal education reform and 
improvement goals.
    (4) Community Issues: Educating the public about environmental 
issues in their communities through community-based organizations or 
through print, film, broadcast, or other media.
    (5) Teaching Skills: Educating teachers, faculty, or nonformal 
educators about environmental issues to improve their environmental 
education teaching skills (e.g., through workshops).
    (6) Career Development: Educating students in formal or nonformal 
settings about environmental issues to encourage environmental careers.
    (7) Environmental Justice: Educating low-income or culturally-
diverse audiences about environmental issues, thereby advancing 
environmental justice.
Definitions
    The terms used above and in section IV are defined as follows:
    Wide application pertains to a project that targets a large and 
diverse audience in terms of numbers or demographics; or that can serve 
as a model program elsewhere.
    Environmental issue is one of importance to the community, state, 
or region being targeted by the project (e.g., one community may have 
significant air pollution problems which makes teaching about human 
health effects from it and solutions to air pollution important, while 
rapid development in another community may threaten a nearby wildlife 
habitat, thus making habitat or ecosystem protection a high priority 
issue.)
    Partnerships refers to the forming of a collaborative working 
relationship between two or more organizations such as governmental 
agencies, not-for-profit organizations, educational institutions, and/
or the private sector. It may also refer to intra-organizational unions 
such as the science and art departments within a university 
collaborating on a project.
    Building state, local, or tribal capacity refers to developing or 
improving the infrastructure needed to enhance the coordinated delivery 
of environmental education at the state, local, or tribal level. This 
should involve a coordinated effort by the major education and 
environmental education providers from the respective state, locality, 
or tribe in the planning and implementation of the project (e.g., state 
education and natural resource departments, local school districts and 
boards, professional education and environmental education associations 
or coordinating councils, as well as nonprofit education and 
environmental education organizations) and may also include other types 
of organizations and private businesses as partners. Examples of how to 
build state, local, or tribal capacity include, but are not limited to, 
the following:
--Identifying and assessing needs and setting priorities;
--Evaluating current programs and links among programs;
--Developing and implementing coordinated strategic plans;
--Identifying funding sources and creating grant programs;
--Identifying existing resources, developing databases of such 
resources, and disseminating these resources and information;

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--Establishing or enhancing on-line communications to facilitate 
networking among organizations;
--Ensuring sustained professional development activities; and/or
--Holding leadership seminars and other types of training.
    Education reform and improvement refers to state, local, or tribal 
efforts to improve student academic achievement and to equip students 
with the necessary knowledge and skills to be lifelong learners. Your 
proposal should clearly describe what your state, local, or tribal 
educational reform and improvement needs and goals are, and how they 
relate to your environmental education project. Examples of possible 
reform and improvement strategies to which the proposed environmental 
education program might be linked include, but are not limited to, the 
following:
--Curricular and instructional innovations, such as more emphasis on 
inquiry and problem-solving;
--Learning experiences that have practical application in the real 
world;
--Project-based learning;
--Team building and group decision-making;
--Interdisciplinary study;
--Development of new high content and performance standards;
--Design of corresponding assessment systems and the realignment of 
curriculum and instructional practice to the new high standards and 
assessment systems;
--Use of technology in promoting learning;
--Implementation of sustained and intensive professional development 
activities; and/or
--Creation of family and community partnerships.
    Human health threats from environmental pollution as used here is 
intended to address recommended actions stated in EPA's ``National 
Agenda to Protect Children's Health from Environmental Threats.'' The 
action reads as follows ``We call on American parents, teachers and 
community leaders to take personal responsibility for learning about 
the hazards that environmental problems pose to our children--and 
provide them with the information they need to help protect children 
from those risks at home, at school and at play. An informed, involved 
local community does a better job of making environmental decisions 
than a distant bureaucracy--and never more so than when it comes to our 
children. Parents, teachers and community leaders can and should play a 
vital, day-to-day role in learning about the particular environmental 
hazards their children face in their own communities, and then use that 
knowledge to make more informed decisions that prevent environmental 
health problems and protect children.'' Therefore, through this 
solicitation, EPA encourages environmental education projects to 
educate the public about environmental hazards and how to minimize 
human exposure to preserve good health.
    Environmental justice refers to EPA's goal to encourage applicants 
to submit proposals that include efforts to target low-income and 
culturally-diverse populations, thereby promoting environmental 
justice. The term environmental justice refers to the fair treatment of 
people of all races, cultures, and income with respect to the 
development, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, 
regulations, and policies. Fair treatment means that no racial, ethnic, 
or socioeconomic group should bear a disproportionate share of the 
negative environmental consequences that might result from the 
operation of industrial, municipal, and commercial enterprises and from 
the execution of federal, state, local, and tribal programs and 
policies. An example would be an education project directed at an 
environmental problem with a disproportionately high and adverse human 
health or environmental impact on a low-income or culturally-diverse 
community.

Section IV. Requirements for Proposals and Matching Funds

K. Contents of Proposal

    The proposal must contain two standard federal forms, a work plan 
with a detailed budget, and appendices, as described below:
    Federal Forms: Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424) and 
Budget Information (SF-424A): The SF-424 and SF-424A are required for 
all federal grants and must be submitted as part of your proposal. 
These forms, along with instructions and samples, are included at the 
end of this document. Only finalists will be asked to submit additional 
federal forms needed to process their proposal.
    Work Plan: A work plan describes your proposed project. It must 
include and be formatted according to all five sections described 
below. When the proposals are scored, the total number of points 
possible for each proposal is 100. Each of the following five sections 
of the work plan are assigned points which add up to 90. Reviewers will 
be given the flexibility to provide up to 10 extra points for 
exceptional projects based upon the overall quality of the proposal, 
evidence that educational priorities will be effectively advanced by 
the project, and that it will provide a good return on the investment. 
Examples of factors for extra points include strong partnerships, 
creative use of resources, innovativeness, and sustainability of the 
project.
    1. Project Summary: Provide an overview of your entire project in 
this format. The summary must briefly cover the following and fit on 
one page:
    (a) Organization: Describe your organization (and list your key 
partners for this grant, if applicable). Partnerships are encouraged 
and considered to be a major factor in the success of projects.
    (b) Summary Statement: Provide an overview of your project that 
explains the concept and your goals and objectives. This should be a 
very basic explanation in layman's terms to provide a reviewer with an 
understanding of the purpose and expected outcome of your educational 
project.
    (c) Educational Priority: Identify which priority listed in section 
III you will address, such as education reform. Proposals may address 
several educational priorities, however, EPA cautions against losing 
focus on projects. Evaluation panels often select projects with a 
clearly defined purpose, rather than projects that attempt to address 
multiple priorities at the expense of a quality outcome.
    (d) Delivery Method: Explain how you will reach your audience, such 
as workshops, conferences, interactive programs, etc.
    (e) Audience: Describe the demographics of your target audience 
including the number and types you expect to reach, such as, teachers, 
students, specific grade levels, ethnic composition, members of the 
general public, etc.
    (f) Costs: List the types of activities for which the EPA portion 
of grant funds will be spent.
    The project summary will be scored on how well you provide an 
overview of your entire project using the topics stated above.

Project Summary Maximum Score: 10 points.

    2. Project Description: Describe precisely what your project will 
achieve--how, when, why, and who will benefit. Explain the strategy, 
objectives, activities, delivery methods, and outcomes in enough detail 
to answer a grant reviewer's questions. Include a ``time line'' to link 
your activities and products to a clear project

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schedule and lay them out over the months of your budget period.
    This subsection will be scored on how clearly you describe your 
project and how effectively your project meets the following criteria:
    (a) addresses an educational priority listed in section III, such 
as education reform or children's health; and addresses an 
environmental issue, such as clean air, ecosystem protection, or cross-
cutting issues; and explains their importance to your community, state, 
or region;
    (b) establishes realistic goals and objectives;
    (c) identifies its target audience and demonstrates an 
understanding of the needs of that audience, including cultural 
diversity where appropriate;
    (d) uses an effective delivery method for reaching the target 
audience, and also has the potential for wide application; and
    (e) demonstrates that it uses or produces quality educational 
products or methods which teach critical-thinking, problem-solving, and 
decision-making skills.

Project Description Maximum Score: 50 points (10 points for each of the 
five elements identified above).

    3. Project Evaluation: Explain how you will ensure that you are 
meeting the goals and objectives of your project. Evaluation plans may 
be quantitative and/or qualitative and may include, for example, 
surveys, observation, or outside consultation.
    The project evaluation will be scored on the extent to which your 
plan will: (a) measure the project's effectiveness; and (b) apply 
evaluation data gathered during your project to strengthen it.

Project Evaluation Maximum Score: 10 points (5 points for each of the 
two elements identified above).

    4. Budget: Describe how EPA funds and non-federal matching funds 
will be used for personnel/salaries, fringe benefits, travel, 
equipment, supplies, contract costs, and indirect costs. Include a 
table which lists each major proposed activity, and the amount of EPA 
funds and/or matching funds that will be spent on each activity. 
Smaller grants with uncomplicated budgets may have a table that lists 
only a few activities. Budget periods not to exceed one-year are 
preferred by EPA for all grants and are mandatory for small grants of 
$5,000 or less. Budget periods for larger grants cannot exceed two 
years.

    Please Note the following funding restrictions:

--Indirect costs may be requested only if your organization has 
already negotiated and received a currently valid ``indirect cost 
rate'' from a cognizant federal agency.
--Funds for salaries and fringe benefits may be requested only for 
those personnel who are directly involved in implementing the 
proposed project and whose salaries and fringe benefits are directly 
related to specific products or outcomes of the proposed project. 
EPA strongly encourages applicants to request competitive amounts of 
funding for salaries and fringe benefits.
--EPA will not fund the acquisition of real property (including 
buildings) or the construction or modification of any building.

    Matching Funds Requirement: Non-federal matching funds of at least 
25% of the total cost of the project are required, and EPA encourages 
matching funds of greater than 25%. The 25% match may be provided by 
the applicant or another organization or institution, and may be 
provided in cash or by in-kind contributions and other non-cash 
support. In-kind contributions often include salaries or other 
verifiable costs and this value must be carefully documented. In the 
case of salaries, applicants may use either minimum wage or fair market 
value.
    IMPORTANT: The matching non-federal share is a percentage of the 
entire cost of the project. For example, if the 75% federal portion is 
$5,000, then the entire project should, at a minimum, have a budget of 
$6,667, with the recipient providing a contribution of $1,667. To 
assure that your match is sufficient, simply divide the Federally 
requested amount by three. Your match must be at least one-third of the 
requested amount to be sufficient. All grants are subject to federal 
audit.
    Other Federal Funds: You may use other federal funds in addition to 
those provided by this program, but only for different activities. You 
may not use any federal funds to meet any part of the required 25% 
match described above, unless it is specifically authorized by statute. 
If you have already been awarded federal funds for a project for which 
you are seeking additional support from this program, you must indicate 
those funds in the budget section of the work plan. You must also 
identify the project officer, agency, office, address, phone number, 
and the amount of the federal funds.
    This subsection will be scored on: (a) how well the budget 
information clearly and accurately shows how funds will be used; and 
(b) whether the funding request is reasonable given the activities 
proposed.

Budget Maximum Score: 10 points (5 points for each of the two elements 
identified above).

    5. Appendices: Key Personnel and Letters of Commitment: Attach one 
or two page resumes for up to three key personnel implementing the 
project. If there are partners, include one page letters of commitment 
from partners explaining their role in the proposed project. Do not 
include letters of endorsement or recommendation; they will not be 
considered in evaluating proposals. Please do not submit other 
appendices or attachments such as video tapes or sample curricula.
    This subsection will be scored based upon whether resumes of key 
personnel are included and whether the key personnel are qualified to 
implement the proposed project. In addition, the score will reflect 
whether letters of commitment are included (if partners are used) and 
the extent to which a firm commitment is made.

Appendices Maximum Score: 10 points.

L. Page Limits

    Work plan page limits are based on dollar amounts requested as 
follows:
    1. $25,000 or less: EPA Regional Offices prefer a work plan of 3 
pages, but will accept up to 5 pages.
    2. Above $25,000: EPA Headquarters will accept a work plan of up to 
10 pages.
    These page limits apply to Parts 1, 2, and 3 of the Work Plan, 
(i.e., the Summary, Project Description, and Project Evaluation). Parts 
4 and 5 (i.e. Budget and Appendices) are not included in these page 
limits. ``One page'' refers to one side of a single-spaced typed page. 
The pages must be letter sized (8 \1/2\  x  11 inches), with margins at 
least an inch wide and with normal type size, rather that extremely 
small type.

M. Submission Requirements and Copies

    The applicant must submit one original and two copies of the 
proposal (a signed SF-424, an SF-424A, a work plan, a budget, and 
appendices). To conserve paper, please provide double-sided copies of 
the proposal.
    Do not include other attachments such as cover letters, tables of 
contents, or appendices other than resumes and letters of commitment. 
The SF-424 should be the first page of your proposal and must be signed 
by a person authorized to receive funds. Blue ink for signatures is 
preferred. Proposals must be reproducible; they should not be bound. 
They should be stapled or clipped once in the upper left hand

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corner, on white paper, and with page numbers. Mailing addresses are 
listed at the end of this document.

N. Regulatory References

    The Environmental Education Grant Program Regulations, published in 
the Federal Register on March 9, 1992, provide additional information 
on EPA's administration of this program (57 FR 8390; Title 40 CFR, part 
47 or 40 CFR part 47). Also, EPA's general assistance regulations at 40 
CFR part 31 applies to state, local, and Indian tribal governments and 
40 CFR part 30 applies to all other applicants such as nonprofit 
organizations.

Section V. Review and Selection Process

O. Proposal Review

    Proposals will be reviewed in two phases--the screening phase and 
the evaluation phase. During the screening phase, proposals will be 
reviewed to determine whether they meet the basic requirements of this 
document. Only those proposals which meet all of the basic requirements 
will enter the full evaluation phase of the review process. During the 
evaluation phase, proposals will be evaluated based upon the quality of 
their work plans. Reviewers conducting the screening and evaluation 
phases of the review process will include EPA officials and external 
environmental educators approved by EPA. At the conclusion of the 
evaluation phase, the reviewers will score work plans based upon the 
scoring system described in more detail in section IV. In summary, the 
maximum score of 100 points can be reached as follows:

(1) Project Summary--10 Points
(2) Project Description--50 Points
(3) Project Evaluation--10 Points
(4) Budget--10 Points
(5) Appendices--10 Points
(6) Bonus Points--10 Points (Reviewers grant these for excellent 
proposals)

P. Final Selections

    After individual projects are evaluated and scored by reviewers, as 
described under section IV, EPA officials in the regions and at 
headquarters will select a diverse range of finalists from the highest 
ranking proposals. In making the final selections, EPA will take into 
account the following:
    (1) Effectiveness of collaborative activities and partnerships, as 
needed to successfully develop or implement the project;

(2) Environmental and educational importance of the activity or 
product;
(3) Effectiveness and of the delivery mechanism (i.e., workshop, 
conference, etc.);
(4) Cost effectiveness of the proposal; and
(5) Geographic distribution of projects.

Q. Notification to Applicants

    Applicants will receive a confirmation that EPA has received their 
proposal once EPA has received all proposals and entered them into a 
computerized database, usually within two months of receipt. EPA will 
notify applicants about the outcome of their proposal when grant awards 
are announced in late spring or early summer.

Section VI. Grantees Responsibilities

R. Responsible Officials

    The Act requires that projects be performed by the applicant or by 
a person satisfactory to the applicant and EPA. All proposals must 
identify any person other than the applicant who will assist in 
carrying out the project. These individuals are responsible for 
receiving the grant award agreement from EPA and ensuring that all 
grant conditions are satisfied. Recipients are responsible for the 
successful completion of the project.

S. Incurring Costs

    Grant recipients may begin incurring costs on the start date 
identified in the EPA grant award agreement. Activities must be 
completed and funds spent within the time frames specified in the 
document.

T. Reports and Work Products

    Specific reporting requirements will be identified in the EPA grant 
award agreement. Grant recipients with a federal environmental 
education grant greater than $25,000 will be required to submit semi-
annual progress reports; and grantees for less may be required to 
submit semi-annual reports. Grant recipients will submit two copies of 
their final report and two copies of all work products to the EPA 
project officer within 90 days after the expiration of the budget 
period. This report will be accepted as the final report unless the EPA 
project officer notifies you that changes must be made.
    EPA plans to assemble a library of final reports and work products 
at headquarters in Washington, D.C. EPA also plans to evaluate these 
final reports and work products and disseminate those that serve as 
model programs.

Section VII. Other Information and Mailing List

U. Internet Access

    You can view and download this solicitation notice, a list of EPA 
environmental education contacts, tips for developing successful grant 
applications, descriptions of past projects funded under this program, 
and other education resource materials at: http://www.epa.gov/enviroed. 
In addition, a tutorial for grant applicants is available at: http://
www.epa.gov/seahome/grants/src/grant.htm.
    If you receive this solicitation electronically and if the standard 
federal forms for Application (SF-424) and Budget (SF-424A) are not 
available or cannot be printed, you may locate them the following ways 
(but please read our instructions which have been modified somewhat): 
the Federal Register in which this document is published contains the 
forms and is available to be copied at many public libraries; many 
federal offices use the forms and have copies available; or you may 
call or write the appropriate EPA office listed at the end of this 
document.

V. Other Funding

    Please note that this is a very competitive grants program. Limited 
funding is available and many grant applications are expected to be 
received. Therefore, the Agency cannot fund all applications. If your 
project is not funded, you may wish to review a listing of other EPA 
grant programs in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance. This 
publication is available at local libraries, colleges, and 
universities.

W. Classification of Notice

    Under 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A) as added by the Small Business 
Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996, EPA submitted a report 
containing this rule and other required information to the U.S. Senate, 
the U.S. House of Representatives, and the Comptroller General of the 
General Accounting Office prior to publication of this rule in today's 
Federal Register. This rule is not a ``major rule'' as defined by 5 
U.S.C. 804(2).
    The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved the 
information collection requirements contained in this solicitation 
under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et 
seq. and has assigned OMB control number 2030-0006.

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X. Mailing list for Year 2000 Environmental Education Grants

    EPA develops an entirely new mailing list for the grants program 
each year. The Fiscal Year 2000 mailing list will automatically include 
all applicants who submit proposals for a 1999 grant and anyone who 
specifically requests the next Solicitation Notice. If you do not 
submit a proposal for 1999 and wish to be added to our future mailing 
list, mail your request--please do not telephone--along with your name, 
organization, address, and phone number to: Environmental Ed Grant 
Program (Year 2000), Office of Environmental Education (1704), EPA, 401 
M Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20460.

    Dated: August 19, 1998.
Diane H. Esanu,
Acting Deputy Associate Administrator, Office of Communications, 
Education, and Media Relations.

Mailing Addresses and Information

    Applicants who need more information about this grant program or 
clarification about specific requirements in this Solicitation Notice, 
may contact the EPA Environmental Education Division in Washington, 
D.C. for grant requests of more than $25,000 or their EPA regional 
office for grant requests of $25,000 or less.

U.S. EPA Headquarters--For Proposals Requesting More than $25,000

Mail proposals to: Environmental Education Grant Program, Office of 
Environmental Education (1704), 401 M Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 
20460.
Information: Diane Berger and Sheri Jojokian, Environmental Education 
Specialists, 202-260-8619.

U.S. EPA Regional Offices--For Proposals Requesting $25,000 or Less

    Mail the proposal to the Regional Office where the project will 
take place, rather than where the applicant is located, if these 
locations are different.

EPA Region I--CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT

Mail proposals to: U.S. EPA, Region I, Env Ed Grants, Grants 
Management Office, JFK Federal Building (MGM), Boston, MA 02203
Hand-deliver to: One Congress Street, 11th Floor Mail Room, Boston, 
MA (M-F 8 am-4 pm)
Information: Kristen Conroy, Enviro Ed Office, 617-565-3618

EPA Region II--NJ, NY, PR, VI

Mail proposals to: U.S. EPA, Region II, Env Ed Grants, Grants and 
Contracts Management Branch, 290 Broadway, 27th Floor, New York, NY 
10007-1866
Information: Teresa Ippolito, EE Coordinator, 212-637-3671

EPA Region III--DC, DE, MD, PA, VA, WV

Mail proposals to: U.S. EPA, Region III, Env Ed Grants, Grants 
Management Section (3PM70), 1650 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 
19103-2029
Information: Nan Ides, Enviro Ed Office, 215-814-5546

EPA Region IV--AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN

Mail proposals to: U.S. EPA, Region IV, Env Ed Grants, Office of 
Public Affairs, 61 Forsyth Street, S.W., Atlanta, GA 30303
Information: Janie Foy, EE Office, 404-562-8432

EPA Region V--IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI

Mail proposals to: U.S. EPA, Region V, Env Ed Grants, Grants 
Management Section (MC-10J), 77 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, IL 
60604
Information: Julie Moriarty, EE Office, 312-353-5789

Region VI--AR, LA, NM, OK, TX

Mail proposals to: U.S. EPA, Region VI, Env Ed Grants (6XA), 1445 
Ross Avenue, Dallas, TX 75202
Information: Jo Taylor, EE Grants Coordinator, 214-665-2204

Region VII--IA, KS, MO, NE

Mail proposal to: U.S. EPA, Region VII, Env Ed Grants, Office of 
External Programs, 726 Minnesota Avenue, Kansas City, KS 66101
Information: Rowena Michaels, EE Coordinator, 913-551-7003

Region VIII--CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, WY

Mail proposals to: U.S. EPA, Region VIII, Env Ed Grants, 999 18th 
Street (80C), Denver, CO 80202-2466
Information: Cece Forget, EE Coordinator, 303-312-6605

Region IX--AZ, CA, HI, NV, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Marianas

Mail proposals to: U.S. EPA, Region IX, Env Ed Grants, Office of 
Communications and Government Relations (CGR-3), 75 Hawthorne 
Street, San Francisco, CA 94105
Information: Matt Gaffney, Office of Communications and Government 
Relations (OCGR), 415-744-1166

Region X--AK, ID, OR, WA

Mail proposals to: U.S. EPA, Region X, Env Ed Grants, Public 
Environmental Resource Center, 1200 Sixth Avenue (EXA-124), Seattle, 
WA 98101
Information: Sally Hanft, EE Coordinator, 1-800-424-4EPA, 206-553-
1207

Instructions for the SF-424--Application

    This is a standard Federal form to be used by applicants as a 
required face sheet for the Environmental Education Grants Program. 
These instructions have been modified for this program only and do not 
apply to any other Federal program.
    1. Check the box marked ``Non-Construction'' under ``Application.''
    2. Date application submitted to Federal agency (or State if 
applicable) and applicant's control number (if applicable).
    3. State use only (if applicable).
    4. If you are currently funded for a related project, enter present 
Federal identifier number. If not, leave blank.
    5. Legal name of applicant organization, name of primary 
organizational unit which will undertake the grant activity, complete 
address of the applicant organization, and name and telephone number of 
the person to contact on matters related to this application.
    6. Enter Employer Identification Number (EIN) as assigned by the 
Internal Revenue Service. You can obtain this number from your payroll 
office. It is the same Federal Identification Number which appears on 
W-2 forms. If your organization does not have a number, you may obtain 
one by calling the Taxpayer Services number for the IRS.
    7. Enter the appropriate letter in the space provided.
    8. Check the box marked ``new'' since all proposals must be for new 
projects.
    9. Enter U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
    10. Enter 66.951 Environmental Education Grants Program
    11. Enter a brief descriptive title of the project.
    12. List only the largest areas affected by the project (e.g., 
State, counties, cities).
    13. Self-explanatory (see section IV, K4 in Solicitation Notice).
    14. In (a) list the Congressional District where the applicant 
organization is located; and in (b) any District(s) affected by the 
program or project. If your project covers many areas, several 
congressional districts will be listed. If it covers the entire state, 
simply put in STATEWIDE. If you are not sure about the congressional 
district, call the County Voter Registration Department.
    15. Amount requested or to be contributed during the funding/budget 
period by each contributor. Line (a) is for the amount of money you are 
requesting from EPA. Lines (b-e) are for the amounts either you or 
another organization are providing for this project. Line (f) is for 
any program income which you expect will be generated by this project. 
Examples of program income are fees for services performed, income 
generated from the sale of a brochure produced with the grant funds, or 
admission fees to a conference financed by the grant funds.

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The total of lines (b-e) must be at least 25% of line (g), as this 
grant has a match requirement of 25% of the TOTAL ALLOWABLE PROJECT 
COSTS. Value of in-kind contributions should be included on appropriate 
lines as applicable. If both basic and supplemental amounts are 
included, show breakdown on an attached Budget sheet. For multiple 
program funding, use totals and show breakdown using same categories as 
item 15.
    16. Check (b) (NO) since your application does not have to be sent 
through the state clearinghouse for review.
    17. This question applies to the applicant organization, not the 
person who signs as the authorized representative. Categories of debt 
include delinquent audit disallowances, loans and taxes.
    18. The authorized representative is the person who is able to 
contract or obligate your agency to the terms and conditions of the 
grant. (Please sign with blue ink.) A copy of the governing body's 
authorization for you to sign this application as official 
representative must be on file in the applicant's office.

Instructions for the SF-424A--Budget

    This is a standard Federal form used by applicants as a basic 
budget. These instructions have been modified for this grant program 
only and do not apply to any other Federal Program.
    Do NOT fill in section A--Budget Summary.

Complete Section B--Budget Categories--Columns (1), (2) and (5)

    For each major program, function or activity, fill in the total 
requirements for funds by object class categories.
    All applications should contain a breakdown by the relevant object 
class categories shown in Lines (a-h): columns (1), (2), and (5) of 
section B. Include Federal funds in column (1) and non-Federal 
(matching) funds in column (2), and put the totals in column (5). Many 
applications will not have entries in all object class categories.
    Line 6i--Show the totals of lines 6a through 6h in each column.
Line 6j--Show the amount of indirect costs. (To be applicable, you must 
have a currently valid ``indirect cost rate'' from a Federal agency.)
Line 6k--Enter the total of amounts of Lines 6i and 6j.
Line 7--Program Income--Enter the estimated amount of income, if any, 
expected to be generated from this project. Do not add or subtract this 
amount from the total project amount. Describe the nature and source of 
income in the detailed budget description.

Detailed Itemization of Costs

    The proposal must also contain a detailed budget description as 
specified in the Notice in section IV, K4, and should conform to the 
following:
    Personnel: List all participants in the project by position title. 
Give the percentage of the budget period for which they will be fully 
employed on the project (e.g., half-time for half the budget period 
equals 25 percent, full-time for half the budget period equals 50 
percent, etc.). Give the annual salary and the total cost over the 
budget period for all personnel listed.
    Travel: If travel is budgeted, show destination and purpose of 
travel as well as costs.
    Equipment: Identify all equipment to be purchased and for what 
purpose it will be used.
    Supplies: If the supply budget is less than 2% of total costs, you 
do not need to itemize.
    Contractual: Specify the nature and cost of such services. EPA may 
require review of contracts for personal services prior to their 
execution to assure that all costs are reasonable and necessary to the 
project.
    Construction: Not allowable for this program.
    Other: Specify all other costs under this category.
    Indirect Costs: Provide an explanation of how indirect charges were 
calculated for this project.

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[FR Doc. 98-22798 Filed 8-24-98; 8:45 am]
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