[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 190 (Tuesday, October 1, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61720-61721]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-24939]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Coast Guard

[USCG-2002-13436]


National Boating Safety Activities: Funding for National 
Nonprofit Public Service Organizations

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard seeks applications for grants and cooperative 
agreements from national, nongovernmental, nonprofit, public service 
organizations. These grants and cooperative agreements would be used to 
fund projects on various subjects promoting boating safety on the 
national level. This notice provides information about the grant and 
cooperative agreement application process and some of the subjects of 
particular interest to the Coast Guard.

DATES: Application packages may be obtained on or after October 9, 
2002. Proposals for the fiscal year 2003 grant cycle must be received 
before 4 p.m. eastern time, January 15, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Application packages may be obtained by calling the Coast 
Guard Infoline at 800-368-5647. Submit proposals to: Commandant (G-OPB-
1), U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters, 2100 Second Street SW., Room 3100, 
Washington, DC 20593-0001. This notice is available from the Coast 
Guard Infoline and on the Internet at http://dms.dot.gov or at the Web 
site for the Office of Boating Safety at http://www.uscgboating.org.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Vickie Hartberger, Office of 
Boating Safety, U.S. Coast Guard (G-OPB-1/room 3100), 2100 Second 
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20593-0001; 202-267-0974.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title 26, United States Code, section 9504, 
establishes the Boat Safety Account of the Aquatic Resources Trust 
Fund. From this trust fund, the majority of funds are allocated to the 
States, and up to 5% of these funds may be distributed by the Coast 
Guard for grants and cooperative agreements to national, nonprofit, 
public service organizations for national boating safety activities. It 
is anticipated that $2,950,000 will be available for fiscal year 2003. 
Twenty-six awards totaling $2,950,000 were made in fiscal year 2002 
ranging from $6,820 to $450,000. Nothing in this announcement should be 
construed as committing the Coast Guard to dividing available funds 
among qualified applicants or awarding any specified amount.
    It is anticipated that several awards will be made by the Director 
of Operations Policy, U.S. Coast Guard. Applicants must be national, 
nongovernmental, nonprofit, public service organizations and must 
establish that their activities are, in fact, national in scope. An 
application package may be obtained by writing or calling the point of 
contact listed in ADDRESSES on or after October 9, 2002. The 
application package contains all necessary forms, an explanation of how 
the grant program is administered, and a checklist for submitting a 
grant application. Specific information on organization eligibility, 
proposal requirements, award procedures, and financial administration 
procedures may be obtained by contacting the person listed in FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
    Prospective grantees may propose up to a five-year grant with 
twelve-month (fiscal year) increments. In effect, an award would be 
made for the first year and thereafter renewal is optional. Each annual 
increment would not be guaranteed. Under a continuation (multi-year) 
grant type of award the Coast Guard agrees to support a grant project 
at a specific level of effort for a specified period of time, with a 
statement of intention to provide certain additional future support, 
provided funds become available, the achieved results warrant further 
support, and are in support of the needs of the government. Award of 
continuation grants will be made on a strict case-by-case basis to 
assist planning certain large scale projects and ensure continuity. 
Procedures also provide for awarding noncompetitive grants or 
cooperative agreements on a case-by-case basis. This authority is 
judiciously used to fund recurring annual projects or events which can 
only be carried out by one organization, and projects that present 
targets of opportunity for timely action on new or emerging program 
requirements or issues.
    The following list includes items of specific interest to the Coast 
Guard, however, potential applicants should not be constrained by the 
list. We welcome any initiative that supports the organizational 
objectives of the Recreational Boating Safety Program to save lives, 
reduce the number of boating accidents, injuries and property damage, 
and lower associated health care costs. We have a high interest in 
initiatives that focus on recreational anglers, canoeists, kayakers, 
and/or personal watercraft operators. Some project areas of continuing 
and particular interest for grant funding include the following:

1. Develop and Conduct a National Annual Safe Boating Campaign

    The Coast Guard seeks a grantee to develop and conduct the year 
2004 National Annual Safe Boating Campaign that targets specific boater 
market segments and recreational boating safety topics. This year-round 
campaign must support the organizational objectives of the Recreational 
Boating Safety Program, as well as support the nationwide grassroots 
activity of the many volunteer groups who coordinate local media 
events, education programs, and public awareness activities. The major 
focus of the campaign will be to affect the behavior of all boaters 
with special emphasis on paddlers, hunters and anglers, and users of 
personal watercraft. A significant emphasis on safety and security 
issues and the dangers of carbon monoxide, as well as boating under the 
influence of alcohol and/or drugs, should be within the context of the 
campaign. Efforts will also be coordinated, year-round, with other 
national transportation safety activities and special media events. 
Point of Contact: Ms. Jo Calkin, 202-267-0994.

2. Develop and Conduct a National Recreational Boating Safety Outreach 
and Awareness Conference

    The Coast Guard seeks a grantee to plan, implement, and conduct a 
National Recreational Boating Safety Outreach and Awareness Conference 
that supports the organizational objectives of the Recreational Boating 
Safety Program. The overall conference focus should have promotional 
strategies which address the following specific targeted audiences: 
paddlers, anglers and hunters, and personal watercraft users. A 
significant emphasis on the dangers of carbon monoxide, propeller 
strikes and off-throttle steering of personal watercraft should be 
within the context of the conference. Point of Contact: Ms. Jo Calkin, 
202-267-0994.

3. State/Federal/Boating Organizations Cooperative Partnering Efforts

    The Coast Guard seeks a grantee to provide programs to encourage 
greater participation and uniformity in boating safety efforts. 
Applicants would provide a forum to encourage greater uniformity of 
boating laws and regulations, reciprocity among jurisdictions, and

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closer cooperation and assistance in developing, administering, and 
enforcing Federal and State laws and regulations pertaining to boating 
safety. Point of Contact: Mr. John Malatak, 202-267-6286.

4. Voluntary Standards Development Support

    The Coast Guard seeks a grantee to carry out a program to encourage 
active participation by members of the public and other qualified 
persons in the development of technically sound voluntary safety 
standards for boats and associated equipment. Point of Contact: Mr. 
Peter Eikenberry, 202-267-6984.

5. Develop and Conduct Boating Accident Seminars

    The Coast Guard seeks a grantee to develop, provide instructional 
material, and conduct training courses nationwide for boating accident 
investigators, including three courses at the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve 
Training Center in Yorktown, Virginia. Point of Contact: Mr. Rick Gipe, 
202-267-0985.

6. National Estimate of Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs) Wear Rate

    The Coast Guard seeks a grantee to develop a statistically valid 
national estimate and evaluation of wear rates of PFDs by recreational 
boaters. Wear rate should be determined by actual observation of 
boaters rather than other means such as surveys. Point of Contact: Mr. 
Peter Eikenberry, 202-267-6894.

7. Flare Disposal Program

    The Coast Guard seeks a grantee to develop a national program for 
the disposal of flares and pyrotechnic devices required to be carried 
aboard recreational boats that have surpassed their expiration date. 
The grantee should thoroughly analyze the problem associated with the 
disposal of flares and pyrotechnics as hazardous waste, review current 
methods recommended for their disposal and the effectiveness of each 
method, and develop a plan for their disposal that can be implemented 
on a nationwide basis. Point of Contact: Mr. Richard Kanehl, 202-267-
0976.

8. Personal Watercraft Accident Analysis

    The Coast Guard seeks a grantee to research and analyze personal 
watercraft accidents attributable to lack of off-throttle steering, 
develop a valid statistical baseline, and formulate a method to discern 
and monitor future accident trends. Grantee shall use State data from 
the Boating Accident Report System. Point of Contact: Mr. Gary Larimer, 
202-267-0986.

9. Boating Risk Analysis Information System (BRAINS)

    The Coast Guard seeks a grantee to enhance the functionality and 
update the accident report data used in the Boating Risk Analysis 
Information System (BRAINS) software application. BRAINS enables 
analysts to isolate the specific effect of one accident report variable 
or a group of variables (i.e., alcohol use, type of boat, PFD wear) on 
the outcome of an accident scenario. BRAINS serves as a decision 
support system using data captured by the BARD system and is a valuable 
tool to better target accident prevention efforts. A BRAINS Web site 
enables customers to use an Internet version or download a full-blown 
version of the software. In addition to updating the accident report 
data used in BRAINS, the grantee shall improve the functionality of the 
application in a Windows environment as well as the charting and 
reporting capabilities. Point of Contact: Mr. Bruce Schmidt, 202-267-
0955.

10. Recreational Boating Study/Survey Analysis

    The Coast Guard seeks a grantee to research and analyze past, 
current, and ongoing recreational boating studies/surveys/data 
collection efforts conducted by national organizations, universities, 
Federal and State agencies, and others. The results are to be cataloged 
in a master bibliography with a brief synopsis of each study/survey and 
indexed by topic and by entity conducting the study/survey. This 
information will then be used to determine deficiencies in recreational 
boating research, to identify opportunities for collective planning for 
future surveys/studies/data collection initiatives, and to strive to 
create uniform definitions for boating-related terms and concepts. This 
effort should utilize a task force in partnership with key stakeholder 
groups and the academic community. Point of Contact: Mr. Bruce Schmidt, 
202-267-0955.
    Potential grantees should focus on partnership, i.e., exploring 
other sources, linkages, in-kind contributions, cost sharing, and 
partnering with other organizations or corporations. We encourage 
proposals addressing other boating safety concerns.

The Boating Safety Financial Assistance Program is listed in section 
20.005 of the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance.

    Dated: September 25, 2002.
Harvey E. Johnson,
Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Director of Operations Policy.
[FR Doc. 02-24939 Filed 9-30-02; 8:45 am]
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