[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 5 (Friday, January 7, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1092-1094]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-408]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Business-Cooperative Service


Inviting Preapplications for Technical Assistance for Rural 
Transportation Systems

AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS), an Agency within 
the Rural Development mission area, announces the availability of one 
single $500,000 grant from the passenger transportation portion of the 
Rural Business Enterprise Grant (RBEG) Program for Fiscal Year (FY) 
2000 to be competitively awarded to a qualified national organization.

DATES: The deadline for receipt of a preapplication in the Rural 
Development State Office is March 1, 2000. Preapplications received at 
a Rural Development State Office after that date will not be considered 
for FY 2000 funding.

ADDRESSES: For further information, entities wishing to apply for 
assistance should contact a Rural Development State Office to receive 
further information and copies of the preapplication package. A list of 
Rural Development State Offices follows:

Alabama
    USDA Rural Development State Office, Sterling Center, Suite 601, 
4121 Carmichael Road, Montgomery, AL 36106-3683, (334) 279-3400
Alaska
    USDA Rural Development State Office, 800 West Evergreen, Suite 
201, Palmer, AK 99645-6539, (907) 745-2176
Arizona
    USDA Rural Development State Office, 3003 North Central Avenue, 
Suite 900, Phoenix, AZ 85012-2906, (602) 280-8700
Arkansas
    USDA Rural Development State Office, 700 West Capitol Avenue, 
Room 3416, Little Rock, AR 72201-3225, (501) 301-3200
California
    USDA Rural Development State Office, 430 G Street, Agency 4169, 
Davis, CA 95616-4169, (530) 792-5800
Colorado
    USDA Rural Development State Office, 655 Parfet Street, Room E-
100, Lakewood, CO 80215, (303) 236-2801
Delaware-Maryland
    USDA Rural Development State Office, 4607 South DuPont Highway, 
Camden, DE 19934-9998, (302) 697-4300
Florida/Virgin Islands
    USDA Rural Development State Office, 4440 NW. 25th Place, 
Gainesville, FL 32614-7010, (352) 338-3400
Georgia
    USDA Rural Development State Office, Stephens Federal Building, 
355 E.

[[Page 1093]]

Hancock Avenue, Athens, GA 30601-2768, (706) 546-2162
Hawaii
    USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Room 311, 
154 Waianuenue Avenue, Hilo, HI 96720, (808) 933-8380
Idaho
    USDA Rural Development State Office, 9173 West Barnes Drive, 
Suite A1, Boise, ID 83709, (208) 378-5600
Illinois
    USDA Rural Development State Office, Illini Plaza, Suite 103, 
1817 South Neil Street, Champaign, IL 61820, (217) 398-5235
Indiana
    USDA Rural Development State Office, 5975 Lakeside Boulevard, 
Indianapolis, IN 46278, (317) 290-3100
Iowa
    USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Room 873, 
210 Walnut Street, Des Moines, IA 50309, (515) 284-4663
Kansas
    USDA Rural Development State Office, 1200 SW. Executive Drive, 
Topeka, KS 66604, (785) 271-2700
Kentucky
    USDA Rural Development State Office, 771 Corporate Drive, Suite 
200, Lexington, KY 40503, (606) 224-7300
Louisiana
    USDA Rural Development State Office, 3727 Government Street, 
Alexandria, LA 71302, (318) 473-7920
Maine
    USDA Rural Development State Office, 444 Stillwater Avenue, 
Suite 2, Bangor, ME 04402-0405, (207) 990-9106
Massachusetts/Rhode Island/Connecticut
    USDA Rural Development State Office, 451 West Street, Amherst, 
MA 01002, (413) 253-4300
Michigan
    USDA Rural Development State Office, 3001 Coolidge Road, Suite 
200, East Lansing, MI 48823, (517) 324-5100
Minnesota
    USDA Rural Development State Office, 410 AgriBank Building, 375 
Jackson Street, St. Paul, MN 55101-1853, (651) 602-7800
Mississippi
    USDA Rural Development State Office Federal Building, Suite 831, 
100 West Capitol Street, Jackson, MS 39269, (601) 965-4316
Missouri
    USDA Rural Development State Office, 601 Business Loop 70 West, 
Parkade Center, Suite 235, Columbia, MO 65203, (573) 876-0976
Montana
    USDA Rural Development State Office, 900 Technology Blvd., Unit 
1, Suite B, Bozeman, MT 59715, (406) 585-2580
Nebraska
    USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Room 152, 
100 Centennial Mall N, Lincoln, NE 68508, (402) 437-5551
Nevada
    USDA Rural Development State Office, 1390 South Curry Street, 
Carson City, NV 89703-9910, (775) 887-1222
New Jersey
    USDA Rural Development State Office, Tarnsfield Plaza, Suite 22, 
790 Woodlane Road, Mt. Holly, NJ 08060, (609) 265-3600
New Mexico
    USDA Rural Development State Office, 6200 Jefferson Street, NE., 
Room 255, Albuquerque, NM 87109, (505) 761-4950
New York
    USDA Rural Development State Office, The Galleries of Syracuse, 
441 South Salina Street, Suite 357, Syracuse, NY 13202-2541, (315) 
477-6400
North Carolina
    USDA Rural Development State Office, 4405 Bland Road, Suite 260, 
Raleigh, NC 27609, (919) 873-2000
North Dakota
    USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Room 208, 
220 East Rosser, Bismarck, ND 58502-1737, (701) 530-2043
Ohio
    USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Room 507, 
200 North High Street, Columbus, OH 43215-2477, (614) 255-2500
Oklahoma
    USDA Rural Development State Office, 100 USDA, Suite 108, 
Stillwater, OK 74074-2654, (405) 742-1000
Oregon
    USDA Rural Development State Office, 101 SW Main Street, Suite 
1410, Portland, OR 97204-3222, (503) 414-3300
Pennsylvania
    USDA Rural Development State Office, One Credit Union Place, 
Suite 330, Harrisburg, PA 17110-2996, (717) 237-2299
Puerto Rico
    USDA Rural Development State Office, New San Juan Office 
Building, Room 501, 159 Carlos E. Chardon Street, Hato Rey, PR 
00918-5481, (787) 766-5095
South Carolina
    USDA Rural Development State Office, Strom Thurmond Federal 
Building, 1835 Assembly Street, Room 1007, Columbia, SC 29201, (803) 
765-5163
South Dakota
    USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Room 210, 
200 4th Street, SW., Huron, SD 57350, (605) 352-1100
Tennessee
    USDA Rural Development State Office, 3322 West End Avenue, Suite 
300, Nashville, TN 37203-1084, (615) 783-1300
Texas
    USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Suite 
102, 101 South Main, Temple, TX 76501, (254) 742-9700
Utah
    USDA Rural Development State Office, Wallace F. Bennett Federal 
Building, 125 South State Street, Room 4311, Salt Lake City, UT 
84147-0350, (801) 524-4320
Vermont/New Hampshire
    USDA Rural Development State Office, City Center, 3rd Floor, 89 
Main Street, Montpelier, VT 05602, (802) 828-6000
Virginia
    USDA Rural Development State Office, Culpeper Building, Suite 
238, 1606 Santa Rosa Road, Richmond, VA 23229, (804) 287-1550
Washington
    USDA Rural Development State Office, 1835 Black Lake Boulevard, 
SW., Suite B, Olympia, WA 98512-5715, (360) 704-7740
West Virginia
    USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, 75 High 
Street, Room 320, Morgantown, WV 26505-7500, (304) 291-4791
Wisconsin
    USDA Rural Development State Office, 4949 Kirschling Court, 
Stevens Point, WI 54481, (715) 345-7600
Wyoming
    USDA Rural Development State Office, 100 East B, Federal 
Building, Room 1005, Casper, WY 82602, (307) 261-6300

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The passenger transportation portion of the 
RBEG program is authorized by section 310B(c)(2) of the Consolidated 
Farm and Rural Development Act (CONACT) (7 U.S.C. 1932 (C)(2)). The 
RBEG program is administered on behalf of RBS at the State level by the 
Rural Development State Offices. The primary objective of the program 
is to improve the economic conditions of rural areas. Assistance 
provided to rural areas under this program may include on-site 
technical assistance to local and regional governments, public transit 
agencies, and related nonprofit and for-profit organizations in rural 
areas; the development of training materials; and the provision of 
necessary training assistance to local officials and agencies in rural 
areas.
    Awards under the RBEG passenger transportation program are made on 
a competitive basis using specific selection criteria contained in 7 
CFR part 1942, subpart G, and in accordance with section 310B(c)(2) of 
the CONACT. That subpart also contains the information required to be 
in the preapplication package. Up to 25 Administrator's points may be 
added to an application's priority score based on the extent to which 
the application targets assistance to Empowerment Zones/Enterprise 
Communities, Champion Communities, or other rural communities that have 
experienced persistent poverty, out-migration of population, or sudden 
severe structural changes in the local economy. A project that scores 
the greatest number of points based on the selection criteria and 
Administrator's points will be selected. Preapplications will be 
tentatively scored by the State Offices and

[[Page 1094]]

submitted to the National Office for review, final scoring, and 
selection.
    To be considered ``national,'' a qualified organization is required 
to provide evidence that it operates in multi-state areas. There is not 
a requirement to use the grant funds in a multi-state area. Under this 
program, grants are made to a qualified private non-profit organization 
for the provision of technical assistance and training to rural 
communities for the purpose of improving passenger transportation 
services or facilities. Public bodies are not eligible for passenger 
transportation RBEG grants.
    Refer to section 310B(c)(2) (7 U.S.C. 1932) of the CONACT and 7 CFR 
part 1942, subpart G for the information collection requirements of the 
RBEG program.

Fiscal Year 2000 Preapplications Submission

    Each preapplication received in a Rural Development State Office 
will be reviewed to determine if this preapplication is consistent with 
the eligible purposes outlined in 7 CFR part 1942, subpart G, and 
section 310B(c)(2) of the CONACT. Each selection priority criterion 
outlined in 7 CFR part 1942, subpart G, section 1942.305(b)(3), must be 
addressed in the preapplication. Failure to address any of the criteria 
will result in a zero-point score for that criterion and will impact 
the overall evaluation of the preapplication. Copies of 7 CFR part 
1942, subpart G, will be provided to any interested applicant making a 
request to a Rural Development State Office listed in this notice. All 
projects to receive technical assistance through these passenger 
transportation grant funds are to be identified when the preapplication 
is submitted to the Rural Development State Office. Multiple project 
preapplications must identify each individual project, indicate the 
amount of funding requested for each individual project, and address 
the criteria as stated above for each individual project. For multiple-
project preapplication, the average of the individual project scores 
will be the score for that preapplication.
    All eligible preapplications, along with tentative scoring sheets 
and the Rural Development State Director's recommendation, will be 
referred to the National Office no later than April 14, 2000, for final 
scoring and selection for award.
    The National Office will score preapplications based on the grant 
selection criteria and weights contained in 7 CFR part 1942, subpart G, 
and Administrator's points, and will select a grantee subject to the 
grantee's satisfactory submission of a formal application and related 
materials in the manner and time frame established by RBS in accordance 
with 7 CFR part 1942, subpart G. It is anticipated that the grantee 
will be selected by June 1, 2000. All applicants will be notified by 
RBS of the Agency decision on the award.
    The information collection requirements within this Notice are 
covered under OMB No. 0570-0022 and 7 CFR part 1942, subpart G.

    Dated: December 20, 1999.
Dayton J. Watkins,
Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative Service.
[FR Doc. 00-408 Filed 1-6-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-XV-P