[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 82 (Thursday, April 27, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24693-24695]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-10519]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6585-8]


Notice of Request for Pre-Proposals To Convene a National 
Watershed Forum

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the EPA is soliciting pre-
proposals from organizations interested in convening a National 
Watershed Forum and that are eligible to receive Federal assistance 
awards under the Clean Water Act Section 104(b)(3). Eligible entities 
under Clean Water Act Section 104(b)(3) authority are ``State water 
pollution control agencies, interstate agencies, other public or non-
profit private agencies, institutions, organizations, and 
individuals.'' EPA will award up to $300,000 to a recipient 
organization through a cooperative agreement to support the recipient 
organization's efforts to convene a National Watershed Forum.

DATES: Pre-proposals must be received on or before 5pm Eastern Time on 
June 1, 2000 to be considered for this Federal assistance award.

ADDRESSES: Pre-proposals must be electronically mailed (E-mailed) to 
[email protected]

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chris Lewicki by telephone at 202-260-
2757 or by E-mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

What Is the Purpose of This Request for Pre-Proposals?

    EPA is seeking to award a cooperative agreement to a non-profit 
organization or other eligible entity under the Clean Water Act Section 
104(b)(3) to support the recipient organization's efforts to convene a 
National Watershed Forum (Forum), preferably in Spring 2001, but no 
later than November 17, 2001. EPA and cooperating Federal agencies \1\ 
will jointly co-sponsor the Forum with the recipient organization and, 
through participation on a Forum planning committee, will have 
substantial involvement in helping the recipient organization carry out 
the project.
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    \1\ Cooperating Federal agencies are those Federal agencies that 
have written agreements with the EPA to be co-sponsors of the 
National Watershed Forum.
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    This is a request for pre-proposals from eligible entities who wish 
to convene a National Watershed Forum

[[Page 24694]]

and who have a demonstrable substantive interest in watershed 
protection and restoration across the nation. A detailed work plan and 
budget is all that is required at this time. The organization whose 
pre-proposal is selected for the Federal assistance award (cooperative 
agreement) will need to complete an EPA Application Kit for Assistance, 
including the Federal SF-424 form (Application for Federal Assistance) 
by June 23, 2000.

What Need Is There for a National Watershed Forum?

    Approximately 40 percent of the nation's surveyed waters do not 
provide for basic uses such as fishing and swimming. Over the past 
several years, there has been a tremendous increase in the number of 
community-oriented, local watershed protection and restoration efforts. 
EPA estimates that there are more than 4,000 such efforts nationwide. 
Citizens are recognizing that to make further improvements in the 
condition of the aquatic resources in their community, they need to 
organize into local watershed groups and seek collaborative 
partnerships. These watershed groups help build public understanding of 
the problems in their watersheds and public will to take cooperative 
actions to address the problems. But, they can not do it alone. The 
National Watershed Forum will help the efforts of diverse watershed 
interests by providing opportunities to:
     Investigate barriers to watershed protection and 
restoration,
     Investigate future directions and actions needed to 
advance watershed protection and restoration efforts,
     Learn about innovative tools for watershed protection,
     Explore creative approaches to watershed protection and 
restoration,
     Form networks,
     Build partnerships, and
     Establish linkages to and among regional watershed 
roundtables.
    The Forum will be a highly interactive and productive event. EPA 
anticipates the Forum will engage approximately 500 delegates, 
representing diverse watershed interests. Working sessions at the Forum 
could resemble focus groups, with participants divided according to 
their primary interests (e.g., urban watershed restoration, source 
water protection, storm water management, aquatic habitat, instream 
flows).
    Regional watershed roundtables (Roundtables), which are convening 
across the country, are building the momentum for the Forum in two 
ways. First, the stakeholder dialogue resulting from the Roundtables 
can help the recipient organization in the development of the Forum 
agenda. Second, the Roundtables have assembled the diverse watershed 
interests in their region (e.g., watershed associations, private 
landowners, conservationists, commercial enterprises, government 
agencies, tribes, and others) from which delegates could be sent to the 
Forum to represent their region's watershed stakeholders.
    The Forum can showcase innovative tools and approaches for 
watershed protection and restoration, stimulate dialogue and 
interaction among watershed groups across the country, and explore new 
directions for cooperative action that will sustain watersheds into the 
next century and beyond.

What Must the Recipient Organization Accomplish With the Federal 
Financial Assistance?

    Through a cooperative agreement to one non-profit organization or 
other eligible entity, EPA will award up to $300,000 to support the 
investigation, by diverse watershed stakeholders, of barriers, and 
solutions for overcoming these barriers, to watershed protection and 
restoration.
    A portion of the $300,000 award will be dedicated to support travel 
of non-Federal delegates that would not otherwise be able to attend the 
National Watershed Forum. The recipient organization is responsible for 
making the final decision regarding which non-Federal delegates will 
receive travel support. The recipient organization is encouraged to 
leverage resources to the extent possible. The co-sponsoring Federal 
agencies expect the recipient organization to successfully accomplish 
the following:
     Cooperate with the Forum planning committee;
     Share responsibility with the Forum planning committee for 
logistical planning, selection of location and facilities, speakers, 
panelists, and agenda development;
     Design, produce, and disseminate a report that analyzes 
and synthesizes the results of the Roundtables to help inform the 
agenda development of the Forum (each Roundtable has its own report 
that summarizes the regional dialogue);
     Effectively and efficiently convene, preferably in Spring 
2001, but no later than November 17, 2001 the National Watershed Forum;
     Design and develop Internet web page and live Internet 
broadcasts of the Forum;
     Summarize the dialogue of the Forum's focus groups for 
presentation at the Forum and presentation on a Forum web site;
     Develop and implement a travel award process for non-
Federal delegates;\2\
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    \2\ Note that the non-Federal travel support system must ensure 
that the recipient organization that receives the assistance award, 
rather than the Federal co-sponsors, makes the decisions on who 
receives travel assistance.
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     Develop and summarize participants' evaluation of the 
National Watershed Forum; and
     Design, produce, and disseminate a final report that 
summarizes the national dialogue of the Forum's focus groups.

What Is the Statutory Authority?

    The EPA will be awarding a cooperative agreement to one non-profit 
organization or other eligible entity to support the investigation, by 
diverse watershed stakeholders, of barriers, and solutions for 
overcoming these barriers, to watershed protection and restoration 
under the authority of Section 104(b)(3) of the Clean Water Act.

What Information Needs To Be Included in the Pre-Proposal?

    In the preparation of a pre-proposal, please note that the 
Government's intent is to support the efforts of the recipient 
organization and not to obtain services for its direct use and benefit.
    1. Identify name, phone number, FAX number, postal address, and e-
mail address of the primary contact for your pre-proposal.
    2. Brief description of the organization, including its experience 
related to facilitating dialogue among diverse interests and its 
understanding of watershed protection and restoration issues across the 
nation.
    3. Description of how this project benefits the organization's 
mission.
    4. Brief biographies of organization's lead staff for the project.
    5. Description of the process that would be used to convene the 
National Watershed Forum (including time line, outreach, agenda 
development, methods for facilitating dialogue, methods for any 
additional fund raising, methods for documenting results of dialogue).
    6. Budget summary that identifies estimated EPA and non-Federal 
resources needed for costs associated with personnel, fringe, 
contractual services, travel (including staff travel and travel 
scholarships for non-Federal delegates to the Forum), supplies, 
indirect costs, and any other anticipated costs.
    7. Identify any anticipated program income resulting from this 
award (e.g., registration fees, publications fees) and

[[Page 24695]]

a description of how you propose this program income will be used to 
support the National Watershed Forum.
    8. Describe how you intend to obtain diverse watershed stakeholder 
participation in the planning and participation in the National 
Watershed Forum (e.g., watershed alliances, environmental and public 
health organizations, private land owners, commercial enterprises, 
tribes, and government agencies).
    9. Description of how you propose to select which non-Federal Forum 
delegates will receive travel scholarships.
    10. Description of process to be used to produce a final report 
that summarizes dialogue (barriers and new directions and actions to 
overcome these barriers) that are representative of the full range of 
viewpoints of all the delegates at the National Watershed Forum.
    11. Description of the reporting mechanisms that would be used to 
track and report on progress associated with convening the National 
Watershed Forum. Include description of how the organization plans to 
measure success.
    12. Description of any other relevant information (e.g., other 
support that you may be able to offer) that EPA \3\ may need to 
evaluate your proposal (see evaluation criteria below).
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    \3\ EPA will receive input on pre-proposals from cooperating 
Federal agencies. The responsibility for the final decision to 
select a recipient organization to co-sponsor the Forum, however, 
rests with EPA.
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    13. Description of organization's past experience as a grant 
recipient.

What Are the Pre-Proposal Evaluation Criteria for Selecting the 
Recipient Organization?

     Capacity to design effective, interactive focus group 
process among diverse interests and organizations and to provide 
professional, neutral facilitators in focus group process. 15 points
     Capacity to design, produce, and disseminate a report that 
summarizes Forum dialogue. 10 points
     Capacity to handle non-Federal planning and logistics of 
Forum, such as location and facilities selection, travel scholarships, 
materials development and printing, and agenda development. 15 points
     Demonstrable substantive interest and experience in 
watershed planning, protection and restoration issues across the entire 
nation. 10 points
     Capacity to summarize results of focus groups for 
presentation at the Forum and presentation on web site. 5 points
     Ability to design and develop Internet web page and live 
Internet broadcasts. 5 points
     Ability to understand the results of regional watershed 
roundtables, and to design, produce, and disseminate a report that 
analyzes and synthesizes the results of the Roundtables to help inform 
the agenda development of the Forum. 5 points
     Capacity to work closely with Forum planning committee and 
incorporate Forum planning committee's input into design and 
implementation of Forum. 15 points
     History of successful performance as a grant or 
cooperative agreement recipient. 10 points
     Ability to leverage resources and minimize overhead. 10 
points
    Total: 100 points
    Pre-Proposal Format: Pre-proposals must be submitted in Word 
Perfect 5.1, 5.2, 6, 7, or 8 or in Microsoft Word.
    Pre-proposal typeface must be in 12 point font with one inch 
margins. Pre-proposals must not exceed 10 pages in length.
    Where To Send Pre-Proposals: Only pre-proposals that are 
electronically mailed (E-mail) will be considered. E-mail pre-proposals 
to: [email protected]
    In the subject heading of your E-mail submission, state the 
following, ``FORUM PRE-PROPOSAL.''
    Pre-Proposal Due Date: Pre-proposals must be received on or before 
5pm Eastern Time on June 1, 2000 to be considered for this Federal 
assistance award.
    Expected Date of Notification of Selection of Recipient 
Organization: EPA will select the recipient organization and notify all 
organizations that submitted pre-proposals of its decision by June 16, 
2000. The organization whose pre-proposal is selected for the Federal 
assistance award (cooperative agreement) will need to complete an EPA 
Application Kit for Assistance, including the Federal SF-424 form 
(Application for Federal Assistance) by June 23, 2000.
    Expected Date of Final Award to Recipient Organization: No later 
than September 30, 2000.
    Contact Person: Chris Lewicki, EPA Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and 
Watersheds 202-260-2757 phone
    For E-mail inquiries: [email protected]
    In the subject heading of your E-mail inquiry, state the following, 
``FORUM INQUIRY'' Please include your phone number in the E-mail.
    web site: http://www.epa.gov/owow

    Dated: April 21, 2000.
Robert H. Wayland III,
Director, Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds.
[FR Doc. 00-10519 Filed 4-26-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P