[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 125 (Thursday, June 28, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34425-34427]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-16228]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Guidance for Fiscal Year 2001 Coral Reef Management Funding

AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of 
Commerce.

ACTION: Announcement of funding opportunity for financial assistance 
for Island coral reef conservation and management cooperative 
agreements.

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SUMMARY: The purpose of this notice is to advise the public that the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. 
Department of the Interior (DOI) are soliciting proposals from the U.S. 
Flag Island jurisdiction of American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the 
Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. 
Virgin Islands for the purpose of coral reef conservation and 
management.

DATES: NOAA and DOI must receive Applications for cooperative 
agreements according to the following schedule:

Draft applications received by NOAA and DOI: June 29, 2001
NOAA and DOI comments back to Islands: July 20, 2001
Final complete application received by NOAA and DOI: August 3, 2001
Cooperative agreements awarded on or before: October 1, 2001

ADDRESSES: Applications should be sent to: John King, Acting Chief, 
CPD/OCRM, N/ORM-3, National Ocean Service, 1305 East-West Highway, 
Silver Spring, MD 20910, and Karen Koltes, Coral Reef Program Manager, 
Office of Insular Affairs, MS 4328 Department of the Interior, 
Washington, DC 20240.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For NOAA: Bill Millhouser, Pacific 
Regional Manager, CPD/OCRM, N-ORM-3, National Ocean Service, 1305 East-
West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910; 301-713-3155 x 189; Internet: 
[email protected].
    For DOI: Karen Koltes, Coral Reef Program Manager, Office of 
Insular Affairs, MS 4328, Department of the Interior, Washington, DC 
20240; 202-208-5345; Internet: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: (1) Program Authorities: Specific authority 
for this Announcement is found in 16 U.S.C. 1442, Executive Order 13089 
(June 11, 1998), Coral Reef Protection, for NOAA.
    (2) Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Numbers: 11.419 for NOAA 
Coastal Zone Management Program Administration.
    (3) Program Description: This notice provides guidance for applying 
for funding appropriated by Congress to the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Department of the Interior 
(DOI) in Fiscal Year (FY) 2001 to support the conservation and 
management of coral reefs and associated fisheries by the island 
jurisdictions of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Hawaii, Guam, 
the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa.
    Congress appropriated $26,941,000 in FY 2001 funding to NOAA in 
support of the Administration's budget request for Coral Reef 
Conservation activities. The Department of the Interior Office of 
Insular Affairs (OIA) also received funding in FY 2001 to enhance coral 
reef protection and management.
    Among the top coral reef conservation priorities for both agencies 
is support for State and Territorial coral reef conservation activities 
as envisioned in the 1999, U.S. All Islands Coral Reef Initiative 
Strategy, and subsequent locally generated management strategies. NOAA 
and DOI will jointly award $2,435,000 in FY 2001 to support priority 
island coral reef ecosystem conservation efforts. Of this total, NOAA's 
National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) will award $350,000 
to support Monitoring and Assessment cooperative agreements with the 
Islands. As was the case last year, NCCOS will award a separate 
Monitoring and Assessment award to each jurisdiction. NOAA's Office of 
Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM), the National Marine 
Fisheries Service (NMFS) Office of Protected Resources (PR), and Office 
of Insular Affairs (OIA/DOI) will provide an additional $1,885,000 in 
funding for cooperative agreements to support Island coral reef and 
coral reef fishery management and conservation activities as listed 
below.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                            Amount  (in
          Program purpose                   Agency           millions)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Coral reef management..............  OCRM                         $1.200
                                     OIA/DOI                        .350
 
Coral reef fishery management......  PR/NMFS                        .335
                                                         ---------------
    Total..........................  ...................           1.885
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    OCRM, PR/NMFS and OIA/DOI will coordinate their funding such that 
each Island will need to develop only one coral reef and coral reef 
fishery management application. The Federal agencies will coordinate 
their review of both cooperative agreements to ensure comparability and 
continuity between the two processes. It is anticipated OCRM will make 
awards to three of the six jurisdictions and that DOI will make awards 
to the remaining three jurisdictions.
    To allow each Island the ability to continue projects initiated 
with last year's awards, each jurisdiction is eligible to receive an 
award ranging from a minimum of $225,000 to a maximum of approximately 
$400,000. To be eligible for the award, the jurisdiction must have made 
reasonable progress in completing tasks under their FY 1999 and FY 2000 
coral management awards, as evidenced in the required performance and 
financial reports.
    (4) Funding Availability: Funding is contingent upon the 
availability of Federal appropriations. It is estimated that 
approximately $1,885,000 in FY 2001 funding is available for Coral Reef 
and Coral Reef Fishery Management cooperative agreements. Support in 
outyears after FY 2001 is contingent upon the availability of funds and 
the requirements of the agency supporting the project.
    (5) Matching Requirements: None.
    (6) Type of Funding Instrument: Cooperative agreements.
    (7) Eligibility Criteria: Eligible applicants are government 
jurisdictions of American Samoa, the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana 
Islands, Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
    (8) Award Period: Full Proposals should cover a project period of 
12 to 18 months with an anticipated start date of October 1, 2001.
    (9) Indirect Costs: If indirect costs are proposed, the total 
dollar amount of the indirect costs proposed in an application must not 
exceed the indirect cost rate negotiated and approved by a cognizant 
Federal agency prior to the proposed effective date of the award.
    (10) Application Forms: Applications should reflect the strategy 
developed in

[[Page 34426]]

the 1999, U.S. All Islands Coral Reef Initiative Strategy, as modified 
by the events and activities of the last three years, and support the 
U.S. Coral Reef Task Force National Action Plan to Conserve Coral 
Reefs. In addition, proposed activities should be coordinated, where 
appropriate, with ongoing and proposed NOAA mapping, monitoring, and 
fishery management initiatives, and DOI Fish and Wildlife Service and 
National Park Service coral reef activities.
    States and territories must consult with all relevant local 
governmental and non-governmental entities involved in coral reef 
activities in developing the application. Local government agencies 
that must be consulted include coastal zone management, water quality, 
and wildlife and/or marine resource agencies.
    Applicants should also include in their award, anticipated travel 
costs associated with attendance and participation at U.S. Coral Reef 
Task Force and other relevant meetings and conferences. In the past, 
NOAA and/or DOI have funded much of this travel on an invitational 
basis. However, Federal staff and travel funding limitations will not 
allow for the continuation of such arrangements. Applicants may submit 
applications covering up to an eighteen-month period, and must meet all 
applicable DOC or DOI grant requirements, and submit, with the final 
application package, all required Federal financial assistance forms. 
One copy of the jurisdiction's award application should be submitted to 
OCRM and one copy to OIA.
    (a) Application Format. There is a need for improved accountability 
relative to the objectives established for this program, as well as 
under the National Action Plan. Therefore, to track each applicant's 
progress in managing its coral reef and fishery resources this year's 
applications should be structured as follows:
    First, in developing the proposal, the applicant should organize 
proposed tasks into the following ten (10) categories, which are based 
on those found in the National Action Plan:
    (i) Mapping, Aerial Photography, and Digital/Satellite Imagery for 
reef conservation, e.g. developing benthic habitat maps or other 
Geographic Information System (GIS) data layers, etc
    (ii) Monitoring and Assessment of coral reefs or reef resources; 
e.g. baseline characterizations of reef ecosystems, workshops to 
standardize methods, database system development, purchase of 
eequipment, training, etc (Note: most, if not all of proposed 
monitoring projects, should be funded out of the NCCOS Coral Reef 
Monitoring Award.
    (iii) Research, e.g., nutrient input modeling, coral recruitment 
studies, coral culturing, etc.
    (iv) Socio-economic and Resource Valuation, e.g., community 
surveys, economic valuations, alternatiave income generation workshops, 
etc.
    (v) Marine Protected Areas and associated management activities, 
e.g., Marine Protected Area (MPA) or Marine Management Area (MMA) 
planning and implementation, peresonnel training, equipment 
procurement, signage, enforcement, etc.
    (vi) Coral Reef Fisheries Management and Enforcement, e.g., 
resources assessments, colleciton of fishery information, 
im,plementation of fishery regulations and reserves, enforcement 
personnel training and equipment procurement, etc.
    (vii) Reducing Habitat Destruction, e.g., coastal zone management, 
vessel grounding prevention and management, mooring buoy installation, 
etc.
    (viii) Reducing Pollution:
     Oil-spill prevention and response, e.g., developing 
response plans, personnel training, interagency coordination, etc.
     Marine debris prevention and removal, e.g., developing 
prevention policies, collection and disposal of debris, etc
     Reducing inspects from land-based watershed pollution 
source, e.g., developing prevention policies, collection and disposal 
of debris, etc
     Reducing impacts from land-based/watershed pollution 
source, e.g., BMP planning and implementation, watershed restoration 
projects, etc.
     Invasive alien species management, e.g., policy 
development, mitigation projects, etc.
    (ix) Coral Reef Restoration, e.g., damage mitigation, coral 
transplantation, monitoring of restoration sites, etc.
    (x) Public Education and Outreach, e.g., brochures and other 
informational materials, public meetings and workshops, etc.
    Second, for each category in which a project is proposed, the 
applicant should include an introduction that describes: The status and 
magnitude of the issues in your jurisdiction; recent actions undertaken 
to address the issues, with a focus on federally-funded tasks; and the 
jurisdiction's strategy to address critical needs over the medium term 
(the next two to three years). This introduction should not exceed one 
page for each category project.
    Finally, the description of each proposed task should include:
     Clear identification of the work to be completed, who will 
perform the work, and how the project fits into the jurisdiction's 
strategy for addressing the larger issue;
     How the project coordinates with relevant local 
governmental and non-governmental agencies and, if applicable, NOAA or 
DOI regional activities;
     Summary budget;
     Task timetable with interim benchmarks and clearly-defined 
work products; and,
     Project priority as compared to all other proposed 
projects.
    (b) Special Guidance for Coral Reef Fishery Management Proposals 
Funded by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). The mandate of 
NMFS is to build sustainable fisheries, recover protected species, and 
sustain healthy habitats for these species.
    In FY 2001, NMFS has identified $335,000 to fund priority Island 
coral reef projects in these substantive areas. Examples of eligible 
projects include:
     Assessment and monitoring of fish and fishery resources, 
collection of fishery information;
     Analysis of fishery impacts on reefs and support for the 
implementation of fishery gear restrictions or other priority 
regulations;
     Development of fishery reserves;
     Activities to improve management of ornamental reef 
species for the aquarium industry;
     Hiring or training of enforcement officers; and,
     Outreach and education on fishery and endangered species 
issues.
    Proposals for coral reef fisheries management projects should range 
from $40,000 to $60,000 per jurisdiction.
    (11) Evaluation Criteria: The objective of this funding is to 
support systematic coral reef management and conservation programs in 
the U.S. Flag Islands aimed at maintaining and/or improving the health 
of coral reef ecosystems. OCRM, NMFS, and DOI will allocate the 
$1,885,000 designated as Coral Reef Management and Coral Reef Fishery 
Management funds based on of the following equally weighted evaluation 
criteria:
    (a) The need for coral reef management activities in the 
jurisdiction;
    (b) The quality of the application submitted; and,
    (c) The past performance of the jurisdiction in completing work in 
FY 1999 and FY 2000 NOAA and DOI coral awards.
    (12) Selection Procedures: A Federal agency team of representatives 
from

[[Page 34427]]

OCRM, NMFS, and DOI will make the final funding allocations for each 
jurisdiction. The Federal agency team will review the draft 
applications and will provide comments to each applicant. These 
comments will include input from individuals with coral reef and 
fisheries management experience. The Federal agency team will then 
review the final complete applications and make final decisions on the 
funding to be awarded to each jurisdiction based on the score that each 
application receives as a result of the application of the criteria 
listed in subsection (11) above.
    If one or more jurisdictions are ineligible to receive an award, 
NOAA and DOI will consult with the individual members of the All 
Islands Group on the use of those residual funds. NOAA and DOI will 
work with each jurisdiction to ensure the greatest degree of success in 
meeting that island's objectives.

Other Requirements

    (1) Federal Policies and Procedures--Recipients and sub recipients 
are subject to all Federal laws and Federal and DOC policies, 
regulations and procedures applicable to Federal financial assistance 
awards. Applicants must use the standard NOAA grants application 
package, available from OCRM or the NOAA Grants Management Division, 
with the exception of draft applications, which should, at a minimum, 
include basic information on task descriptions and costs. Final 
complete applications must meet all requirements contained in this 
notice.
    (2) Past Performance--Unsatisfactory performance under prior 
Federal awards may result in an application not being considered for 
funding.
    (3) Pre-award Activities--If applicants incur any costs prior to an 
award being made, they do so at their own risk of not being reimbursed 
by the Government. Notwithstanding any verbal or written assurance that 
may have been received, there is no obligation on the part of DOC to 
cover pre-award costs.
    (4) No Obligation for Future Funding--If an application is selected 
for funding, DOC has no obligation to provide any additional future 
funding in connection with that award. Renewal of an award to increase 
funding or extend the period of performance is at the total discretion 
of DOC.
    (5) Delinquent Federal Debts--No award of Federal funds shall be 
made to an applicant who has an outstanding delinquent Federal debt 
until either:
    (a) The delinquent account is paid in full,
    (b) A negotiated repayment schedule is established and at least one 
payment is received, or
    (c) Other arrangements satisfactory to DOC are made.
    (6) Primary Applicant Certifications--All primary applicants must 
submit a completed form CD-511, ``Certifications Regarding Debarment, 
Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters; Drug-Free Workplace 
Requirements and Lobbying,'' and the following explanations hereby 
provided:
    (a) Nonprocurement Debarment and Suspension--Prospective 
participants (as defined at 15 CFR part 26, section 105) are subject to 
15 CFR part 26, ``Nonprocurement Debarment and Suspension'' and the 
related section of the certification form prescribed above applies;
    (b) Drug Free Workplace--Grantees (as defined at 15 CFR part 26, 
section 605) are subject to 15 CFR part 26, subpart F, ``Government 
Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace (Cooperative agreements),'' and 
the related section of certification form prescribed above applies;
    (c) Anti-Lobbying--Persons (as defined at 15 CFR part 26, section 
105) are subject to the lobbying provisions of 31 U.S.C. 1352, 
``Limitations on use of appropriated funds to influence certain Federal 
contracting and financial transactions,'' and the lobbying section of 
the certification form prescribed above applies to applications/bids 
for cooperative agreements, cooperative agreements, and contracts for 
more than $100,000, and loans and loan guarantees for more than 
$150,000, or the single family maximum mortgage limit for affected 
programs, whichever is greater; and
    (d) Anti-Lobbying Disclosures--Any applicant that has paid or will 
pay for lobbying using any funds must submit an SF-LLL, ``Disclosure of 
Lobbying Activities,'' as required under 15 CFR part 28, appendix B.
    (7) Lower Tier Certifications--Recipients shall require applicants/
bidders for sub awards, contracts, subcontracts, or other lower tier 
covered transactions at any tier under the award to submit, if 
applicable, a completed Form CD-512, ``Certifications Regarding 
Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion-Lower Tier 
Covered Transactions and Lobbying'' and disclosure form SF-LLL, 
``Disclosure of Lobbying Activities.'' Form CD-512 is intended for the 
use of recipients and should not be transmitted to DOC. SF-LLL 
submitted by any tier recipient or sub recipient should be submitted to 
DOC in accordance with the instructions contained in the award 
document.
    (8) False Statements--A false statement on an application is 
grounds for denial or termination of funds and grounds for possible 
punishment by a fine or imprisonment as provided in 18 U.S.C. 1001.
    (9) This notice has been determined to be not significant for 
purposes of Executive Order 12866.
    (10) This notice does not involve collection-of-information 
requirements subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act.
    (11) This rule does not contain policies with Federalism impacts as 
that term is defined in Executive Order 13132.

    Dated: June 21, 2001.
Ted Lillestolen,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Ocean Services and Coastal Zone 
Management, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. 01-16228 Filed 6-27-01; 8:45 am]
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