[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 164 (Wednesday, August 23, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51401-51404]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-21421]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

[FHWA Docket No. FHWA-2000-7646]


Implementation Guidance for the National Historic Covered Bridge 
Preservation Program

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments on selection criteria for fiscal 
year (FY) 2001 and beyond.

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SUMMARY: This document describes the National Historic Covered Bridge 
Preservation program (NHCBP) for FY 2000, and seeks comments from all 
interested parties on the application and selection criteria to be used 
by the FHWA in future years in evaluating candidates for historic 
covered bridge preservation. A memorandum soliciting candidate projects 
for preservation work from State transportation agencies was issued to 
FHWA division offices on June 5, 2000, and is attached to the end of 
this notice.

DATES: Comments on the selection criteria for NHCBPP funding for FY 
2001 and beyond must be received on or before October 10, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Your signed, written comments on the bridge project 
selection criteria for the NHCBP program funding for FY 2001 and beyond 
must refer to the docket number appearing at the top of this document 
and you must submit the comments to the Docket Clerk, U.S. DOT Dockets, 
Room PL-401, Seventh Street, SW., Washington D.C. 20590-0001 or submit 
electronically at http://dmses.dot.gov/submit. All comments received 
will be available for examination at the above address between 9 a.m. 
and 5 p.m., e.t., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. Those 
desiring notification of receipt of comments should include a self 
addressed, stamped envelope or postcard or print the acknowledgement 
page that appears after submitting comments electronically.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Sheila Rimal Duwadi, Office of 
Bridge

[[Page 51402]]

Technology, HIBT-30, (202) 366-4619; or Mr. Bruce Eberle, Office of 
Human Environment, HEPH-10, (202) 366-2060; or Mr. Robert J. Black, 
Office of the Chief Counsel, HCC-30, (202) 366-1359; Federal Highway 
Administration, 400 Seventh Street SW., Washington DC 20590-0001. 
Office hours are from 7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., e.t., Monday through 
Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Electronic Access and Filing

    You may submit or retrieve online through the Document Management 
system (DMS) at: http://dmses.dot.gov/submit. Acceptable formats 
include: MS Word (versions 95 to 97), MS Word for Mac (versions 6 to 
8), Rich Text File (RTF), American Standard Code Information 
Interchange (ASCII)(TXT), Portable Document Format (PDF), and 
WordPerfect (versions 7 to 8). The DMS is available 24 hours each day, 
365 days each year. Electronic submission and retrieval help and 
guidelines are available under the help section of the web site.
    An electronic copy of this document may be downloaded using a modem 
and suitable communications software from the Government Printing 
Office Electronic Bulletin Board Service at (202) 512-1661. Internet 
users may reach the Office of the Federal Register's home page at 
http://www.nara.gov/fedreg and the Government Printing Office's web 
site at http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara. The solicitation memorandum 
will also be available on the FHWA web site at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge.

Background

    The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) (Public 
Law 105-178, 112 Stat. 107, June 9, 1998), as amended by the TEA 21 
Restoration Act (the Act) (Public Law 105-206, 112 Stat. 834 (1998)), 
established the National Historic Covered Bridge Preservation grants 
program. Section 1224 of the Act authorizes $10 million to be 
appropriated for each of the fiscal years 1999 through 2003. In FY 
1999, no funds were provided for this program. In FY 2000, $8 million 
was authorized from the FHWA administrative expense. On June 5, 2000, 
the FHWA issued a memorandum to its division offices located in each 
State, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico soliciting from the 
transportation agencies candidate bridge projects for FY 2000 NHCBP 
program funding. The memorandum contains information on the program, 
program implementation, eligible activities, the application process, 
and the selection criteria for use by the FHWA in evaluating FY 2000 
candidate bridge projects. The memorandum is published here for 
informational purposes. The FHWA has determined that the research 
projects under this program will be solicited through the FHWA's Office 
of Contract Management under a broad agency announcement, and will 
therefore be a separate program under the main NHCBP program. Any 
reference made to the Research Program is for informational purposes, 
and for completeness.
    The FHWA plans to use the same process, and to continue to use the 
same selection criteria for FY 2001 and beyond for this grant program. 
However, before doing so, the FHWA is interested in the views of the 
States and other interested parties on the process, and on these bridge 
selection criteria. The purpose of this notice is to invite comments 
from the States and others on this process and on these selection 
criteria which will be used for soliciting and for evaluating candidate 
bridge projects for FY 2001 and beyond.

National Historic Covered Bridge Preservation Program Guidelines

    The NHCBP program provides for two categories of projects: First, 
for grants to assist the States in their efforts to rehabilitate or 
repair and to preserve the Nations's historic covered bridges which are 
listed or are eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic 
Places \1\; and second, for the conduct of research to find improved 
means of restoring, and protecting covered bridges, and disseminating 
this information through technology transfer. Funding and specifics of 
the two categories of projects include:
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    \1\ The National Register of Historic Places is the official 
list of America's districts, sites, buildings, structures or objects 
that are significant in American history, architecture, archeology, 
engineering, and culture. The National Register is administered by 
the Department of the Interior.
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    1. Historic Covered Bridge Preservation, Rehabilitation, or 
Restoration. Of the funds provided for FY 2000, the FHWA will provide a 
minimum of $7 million for the following activities:
    a. Preservation, rehabilitation or restoration of an historic 
covered bridge in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior's 
Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. The standards 
should be consulted for the terms and definitions for the distinct 
approaches to the treatment of historic properties, i.e. preservation, 
rehabilitation, or restoration. Although the standards were developed 
for historic buildings, the terms, guidelines and suggested approaches 
are generally applicable to historic covered bridges.
    b. Preservation of an historic covered bridge, including through: 
(i) installation of a fire protection system; (ii) installation of a 
system to prevent vandalism and arson; and (iii) relocation of a bridge 
to a preservation site.
    2. Historic Covered Bridge Preservation Research. Of the funds 
provided for FY 2000, the FHWA will provide a maximum of $1 million for 
research projects including but not limited to:
    a. Collection and dissemination of information concerning historic 
covered bridges;
    b. Development of educational programs relating to the history and 
construction techniques of historic covered bridges; and
    c. Basic research to find better means of protecting historic 
covered bridges from rot, fire, natural disasters, or weight-related 
damages.
    The activities under category 1 are the subject of the attached 
memorandum and this notice. The bridge projects for this part of the 
program are being solicited through the State highway agencies. The 
activities under category 2 will be solicited separately by the FHWA 
under a broad agency announcement.

Federal Share

    Federal share of the costs for any project eligible under this 
program is 80 percent.

Obligation Limitation

    There is no obligation limitation on the NHCBP program funds.

Eligibility

    To be considered, a covered bridge must be eligible for listing or 
listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Projects must be 
carried out in the most historically appropriate manner and preserve 
the existing structure. The project must also provide for replacement 
of wooden components with wooden components, unless the use of wood is 
impractical for safety reasons. The Secretary of the Interior's 
Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties should be consulted 
in carrying out any preservation work. Although the standards were 
developed for historic buildings, the terms, guidelines and suggested 
approaches are generally applicable to historic covered bridges, and 
must be considered if one is to retain the historical characteristic of 
a structure.
    The project may be on any public roadway, including Federal, State, 
and locally funded projects.

[[Page 51403]]

    Funds are available for costs of preliminary engineering, costs of 
rehabilitation, preservation, and arson and vandalism prevention 
activities. Funds are also available for evaluating any innovative 
portion of the restoration work not to exceed 2 years, and for 
preparation of a case study report.

Solicitation Procedures

    Each year when funds are authorized for this program the FHWA will 
send a solicitation memorandum to the division offices for bridge 
preservation projects. The memorandum will contain the amount of 
available funding for that year, the selection criteria, and the 
program guidelines. This year's solicitation memorandum was sent on 
June 5. For FY 2000, eligible bridge candidates submitted to the FHWA 
that are not selected will be placed on file for the next year's 
solicitation. Prior to placement of an eligible bridge candidate on 
file for inclusion in the next year's selection pool, the FHWA will ask 
the originator if it wishes for us to continue to maintain the 
candidate for the next year. If the originator declines, the FHWA will 
remove the project from its file. Eligible bridge candidates placed on 
file and not selected for funding in the next fiscal year will be 
removed from the FHWA selection pool.

Responsibilities

State Transportation Agency Responsibilities

    Coordinate with State, local, and Federal agencies within the State 
to develop viable candidate bridge projects.
    Coordinate bridge projects with the State Historic Preservation 
Officer or his/her designee.
    Ensure that the applications for candidate bridge projects meet the 
submission requirements outlined in the solicitation memorandum.
    Establish priorities for their candidate bridge projects if 
desired.
    Submit applications to the local FHWA division office to meet the 
submission deadline.
    Monitor the selected project(s); and prepare and submit a report on 
the work at the completion of each project to the FHWA.

FHWA Division Office Responsibilities

    Provide the solicitation memorandum and program information to the 
State transportation agency.
    Request candidate projects be submitted by the State to the FHWA 
Division office to meet the submission deadline established in the 
solicitation.
    Review all candidate applications submitted by the State for 
completeness prior to forwarding them to the FHWA Headquarters office.
    Make recommendations as appropriate.
    Monitor selected projects through completion. Ensure reports are 
submitted by the States on each project completed.

FHWA Headquarters Program Office Responsibilities.

    Solicit candidates through the solicitation memorandum.
    Form a Review Panel to review and select candidate projects.
    Allocate funds for the selected projects.
    Monitor the projects through completion.
    Compile project report(s) submitted by the States through the 
division offices.

FHWA Headquarters Program Office Contact

    For questions concerning the NHCBP program, please contact Ms. 
Sheila Rimal Duwadi, Office of Bridge Technology, HIBT-30, at (202) 
366-4619, FAX (202) 366-3077, or e-mail [email protected]; and 
Mr. Bruce Eberle, Office of Human Environment, HEP-10, at (202) 366-
2060, FAX (202) 366-3409, or e-mail [email protected].

Selection Criteria for Bridge Preservation Projects

    Candidate projects will be selected utilizing input from a panel 
formed by the FHWA.
    Candidate projects which best meet the intent of this program will 
receive the highest priority. Applicants may want to provide additional 
information to explain how the project meets the intent of the program.
    Candidate projects ready for or near the construction phase will be 
given priority consideration.
    Candidate projects that leverage Federal funds with other 
significant public or private resources will be given preference.
    Candidate projects which further the aims of the Historic Bridge 
Management Plan and/or the State Historic Preservation Plan with the 
endorsement of the State Historic Preservation Officer will be given 
priority consideration.
    Candidate projects that propose restoration, and rehabilitation 
will be prioritized by sufficiency rating, the lower the rating the 
higher the priority. Also, to be eligible for rehabilitation the bridge 
should be eligible for funding under the Highway Bridge Replacement and 
Rehabilitation Program.
    Candidate projects proposing complete restoration and 
rehabilitation will be given priority over candidate projects proposing 
only the installation of fire/vandalism protection systems or those 
proposing moving the bridge to a preservation location.
    Candidate projects that propose fire/vandalism protection system 
installation or moving the bridge to a preservation site will not be 
considered if the bridge is eligible for replacement.

Application Guidance

    A copy of the application is available at the FHWA website at 
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge under the ``Covered Bridge Program, 
Program Implementation.'' The application asks for various information 
about a bridge and proposed preservation project so that FHWA can 
determine if it is a good candidate. The information requested includes 
the location of the bridge, its age, structural description and what 
are the qualities that make the bridge eligible for the National 
Register. The application also asks what repair work has previously 
been done and what the grant will be used for now. Plans and a 
narrative history of the bridge are also requested.

Priority Ranking

    Each State, in cooperation with the FHWA division office, is 
requested to prioritize its candidate projects giving reasons for the 
priority.

High Cost Projects

    The FHWA will attempt to equitably distribute funds to applicant 
States in accordance with the States' priorities. However, subject to 
special consideration, it is to be expected that high cost project 
requests may be funded at less than 100 percent of a State's requested 
amount. In FY 2000, the threshold amount will depend on the total 
number of eligible projects submitted, as well as on the total amount 
of funds requested. Candidates projects that cannot be obligated in FY 
2000 will be kept on file until FY 2001 funds become available. At that 
time, we will ask the division office to verify whether or not the 
State wants the project application to be used for FY 2001 ranking.

Decision Process for Funding

    All projects will be evaluated and recommended for funding by a 
selection panel formed by the FHWA.

Schedule

    The following is the schedule for program activities:
    June 2000: Call for FY 2000 projects.

[[Page 51404]]

    August 1, 2000: FHWA request for submission of FY 2000 candidate 
projects.
    September 2000: Selection of FY 2000 projects.
    Early 2001 Call for FY 2001 projects (subject to available 
funding).

Solicitation Memorandum of June 5, 2000

    Text of the solicitation memorandum of June 5, 2000, reads as 
follows:

    Action: Request for Candidates National Historic Covered Bridge 
Preservation Program--Reply due: August 1, 2000
    From: David H. Densmore, Director of Bridge Technology.
    To: Resource Center Directors, Division Administrators, Federal 
Lands Highway Division Engineers.
    The purpose of this memorandum is to solicit candidate bridge 
projects from the States for the National Historic Covered Bridge 
Preservation (NHCBP) program. This program was established by 
section 1224 of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, 
as amended by the TEA 21 Restoration Act (TEA-21). The program 
provides funding to assist the States in their efforts to preserve, 
rehabilitate, or restore the Nation's historic covered bridges. For 
the purposes of this program, the term ``historic covered bridge'' 
means a covered bridge that is listed or eligible for listing on the 
National Register for Historic Places.
    This program provides for two categories of projects: First, for 
grants to assist the States in their efforts to rehabilitate or 
repair and to preserve the Nations's historic covered bridges; and 
second, for the conduct of research and technology transfer. The 
total available funding provided for this program in FY 2000 is $8 
million. Funding and specifics for the two project categories 
include:
    1. Historic Covered Bridge Preservation, Rehabilitation, or 
Restoration. Of the funds provided for FY 2000, the FHWA will 
provide a minimum of $7 million for this category. Grants will be 
awarded to States submitting applications that demonstrate a need 
for assistance in carrying out one or more eligible projects as 
outlined below:
    a. to preserve, rehabilitate, or restore a historic covered 
bridge.
    b. to preserve a historic covered bridge, including through: (i) 
installation of a fire protection system; (ii) installation of a 
system to prevent vandalism and arson; and (iii) relocation of a 
bridge to a preservation site.
    2. Historic Covered Bridge Preservation Research. Of the funds 
provided for FY 2000, the FHWA will provide a maximum of $1 million 
for this category. This phase of the program will be carried out 
through a separate Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), and is included 
here for information purposes only. The research projects will 
include, but not be limited to the following:
    a. collection and dissemination of information concerning 
historic covered bridges;
    b. development of educational programs relating to the history 
and construction technique of historic covered bridges; and
    c. conduct of basic research to find better means of protecting 
historic covered bridges from rot, fire, natural disasters, or 
weight-related damages.
    To ensure the projects retain their historical significance, 
each project must be carried out in the most historically 
appropriate manner following the Department of Interior Standards, 
and the standards and guidelines approved by the State Historic 
Preservation Officer. The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for 
the Treatment of Historic Properties may be obtained at the 
following website, http://www2.cr.nps.gov/tps/secstan1.htm and 
should be consulted for terms and definitions for the distinct 
approaches to treatment of historic properties, i.e. preservation, 
rehabilitation, and restoration. Although the Standards were 
developed for historic buildings the terms, guidelines, and 
suggested approaches are generally applicable to historic covered 
bridges.
    We are requesting that all applications be submitted on or 
before August 1, 2000.
    Please refer to the attached program summary for additional 
guidance. Using the explanation of the criteria and associated 
selection considerations, please assist your State department of 
transportation in determining the projects to be submitted.
    Attached is an application form which is to be used for 
candidate projects. The State's application should describe the 
project in enough detail to demonstrate that it meets one or more of 
the goals of this program. The application should be completed and 
submitted to the Office of Bridge Technology along with any other 
supporting documents that provide a further description of the 
project including the scope of work and bridge plans.
    Questions concerning this program should be addressed to Ms. 
Sheila Rimal Duwadi, Office of Bridge Technology, at (202) 366-4619, 
or to Mr. Bruce Eberle, Office of Human Environment, at (202) 366-
2060.


    Authority: 23 U.S.C. 315; and 49 CFR 1.48)

    Issued on: August 15, 2000.
Anthony R. Kane,
Federal Highway Executive Director.
[FR Doc. 00-21421 Filed 8-22-00; 8:45 am]
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