[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 6 (Tuesday, January 9, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1636-1638]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-605]


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 Notices
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 6 / Tuesday, January 9, 2001 / 
Notices  

[[Page 1636]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Business-Cooperative Service


Inviting Preapplications for Technical Assistance for Rural 
Transportation Systems

AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS), an Agency within 
the Rural Development mission area, announces the availability of two 
individual grants. One single $500,000 grant from the passenger 
transportation set aside of the funds appropriated for RBS programs and 
another single $250,000 grant from the Federally Recognized Native 
American Tribes set aside of the funds appropriated for RBS under the 
Rural Business Enterprise Grant (RBEG) Program for Fiscal Year (FY) 
2001. Each grant is to be competitively awarded to a qualified national 
organization. These grants are to provide technical assistance for 
rural transportation.

DATES: The deadline for receipt of preapplications in the Rural 
Development State Office is March 2, 2001. Preapplications received at 
a Rural Development State Office after that date will not be considered 
for FY 2001 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) 761-7705
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, P.O. Box 400, 4607 South DuPont 
Highway, Camden, DE 19934-9998, (302) 697-4300
Florida/Virgin Islands
USDA Rural Development State Office, P.O. Box 147010, 4440 NW, 25th 
Place, Gainesville, FL 32614-7010, (352) 338-3400
Georgia
USDA Rural Development State Office, Stephens Federal Building 355 E. 
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, P.O. Box 4653, 1200 SW., Executive 
Drive, Topeka, KS 66604, (785) 271-2700
Kentucky
USDA Rural Development State Office, 771 Corporate Drive, Suite 200, 
Lexington, KY 40503, (859) 224-7300
Louisiana
USDA Rural Development State Office, 3727 Government Street, 
Alexandria, LA 71302, (318) 473-7920
Maine
USDA Rural Development State Office, P.O. Box 405, 967 Illinois Avenue, 
Suite 4, 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

[[Page 1637]]

Montana
USDA Rural Development State Office, P.O. Box 850, 900 Technology 
Blvd., Unit 1, Suite B, Bozeman, MT 59717, (406) 585-2580
Nebraska
USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Room 152, 100 
Centennial Mall North, 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, P.O. Box 1737, Federal Building, 
Room 208, 220 East Rosser Avenue, Bismarck, ND 58502-1737, (701) 530-
2043
Ohio
USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Room 507, 200 
North High Street, Columbus, OH 43215-2418, (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, Munoz Rivera, Number 654, IBM 
Plaza, Suite 601, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00918, (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 23229-5014, (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) 284-4860
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 82601, (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. For the $500,000 grant, 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. For the $250,000 grant, at least 75 percent of the 
benefits of the project must be received by members of Federally 
Recognized Tribes. Up to 25 Administrative points may be added to an 
applicant's priority score based on the extent of the service areas to 
be served, the number of Federally Recognized Native American Tribes 
and tribal members that are being served, and the documented need for 
the project. The project that scores the greatest number of points 
based on the selection criteria and Administrator's points will be 
selected for each grant. Preapplications will be tentatively scored by 
the State Offices and 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 
notice, grants will be made to qualified private

[[Page 1638]]

non-profit organizations 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 2001 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 contained in 7 U.S.C. 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 preapplications are 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 
preapplications, 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 13, 2001, 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 grantees 
will be selected by June 1, 2001. 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 22, 2000.
Judith A. Canales,
Acting Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative Service.
[FR Doc. 01-605 Filed 1-8-01; 8:45 am]
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