[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 46 (Tuesday, March 9, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10990-10991]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-5293]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[Docket No. 040303081-4081-01; I.D. 010904D]
RIN 0648-AR98


2005 Mid-Atlantic Research Set-Aside Program

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice and request for proposals.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that for fishing year 2005 the Mid-Atlantic 
Fishery Management Council (Council) may set aside up to 3 percent of 
the total allowable landings (TAL) in certain Mid-Atlantic fisheries to 
be used for research endeavors under a research set-aside (RSA) 
program. The RSA program provides a mechanism to fund research and 
compensate vessel owners through the sale of fish harvested under the 
research quota. Vessels participating in an approved research project 
may be authorized by the Northeast Regional Administrator, NMFS, to 
harvest and to land species in excess of any imposed trip limit or 
during fishery closures. Landings from such trips would be sold to 
generate funds that would help defray the costs associated with 
research projects. No Federal funds would be provided for research 
under this notification. NMFS is soliciting proposals for research 
activities concerning the summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, Loligo 
squid, Illex squid, Atlantic mackerel, butterfish, bluefish, and 
tilefish fisheries.

DATES: Proposals must be received by NMFS no later than 5 p.m. EST, 
April 8, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Proposals must be submitted to NMFS, One Blackburn Drive, 
Gloucester, MA 01930.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For a copy of the full funding 
opportunity announcement for this request for proposals and/or an 
application kit contact Paul Perra (see ADDRESSES ), or by phone at 
978-281-9153, or fax to 978-281-9135, or via internet at paul.perra@ 
noaa.gov. The text of the full funding opportunity announcement can 
also be accessed at NOAA's web site: http://www.ofa.noaa.gov/amd/
SOLINDEX.HTML.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS announces that for fishing year 2005 
the Council may set aside up to 3 percent of the TAL in certain Mid-
Atlantic fisheries to be used for research endeavors under an RSA 
program. The RSA program provides a mechanism to fund research and 
compensate vessel owners through the sale of fish harvested under the 
research quota. Vessels participating in an approved research project 
may be authorized by the Northeast Regional Administrator, NMFS, to 
harvest and to land species in excess of any imposed trip limit or 
during fishery closures. Landings from such trips would be sold to 
generate funds that would help defray the costs associated with 
research projects. No Federal funds would be provided for research 
under this notification. NMFS is soliciting proposals for research 
activities concerning the summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, Loligo 
squid, Illex squid, Atlantic mackerel, butterfish, bluefish, and 
tilefish fisheries.
    Electronic Access: Applicants should read the full text of the 
funding opportunity announcement for the NMFS program which can be 
accessed via web site: http://www.ofa.noaa.gov/amd/SOLINDEX.HTML or by 
contacting the program official identified above. This announcement 
will also be available through the Internet at http://www.Grants.gov.
    Funding Availability: No Federal funds are provided for research 
under this notification. The Federal Government may issue an Exempted 
Fishing Permit or Letter of Acknowledgment, as applicable, which may 
provide special fishing privileges in response to research proposals 
selected under this program.
    Statutory Authority: Issuing grants is consistent with sections 
303(b)(11), 402(e), and 404(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act, 16 U.S.C. 1853(b)(11), 16 U.S.C. 
1881a(e), and 16 U.S.C. 1881c(c), respectively.
    CFDA: 11.454, Unallied Management Projects
    Eligibility: Eligible applicants are institutions of higher 
education, hospitals, other nonprofits, commercial organizations, 
individuals, State, local and Indian tribal governments. Federal 
agencies or institutions are not eligible to receive Federal assistance 
under this notice. Also, a person is not eligible to submit an 
application under this program if he/she is an employee of any Federal 
agency or a Regional Fishery Management Council. However, Council 
members who are not Federal employees may submit an application.
    Cost Sharing Requirements: None.
    Intergovernmental Review: Required, if applicable. Applications 
under this

[[Page 10991]]

program are subject to Executive Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental 
Review of Federal Programs''.
    Limitation of Liability: In no event will NOAA or the Department of 
Commerce be responsible for proposal preparation costs if these 
programs are cancelled because of other agency priorities. Publication 
of this announcement does not oblige NOAA to award any specific project 
or to provide special fishing privileges.
    National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA): NOAA must analyze the 
potential environmental impacts, as required by the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), for applicant projects or proposals 
which are seeking NOAA federal assistance opportunities including 
special fishing privileges. Detailed information on NOAA compliance 
with NEPA can be found at the following NOAA NEPA website: http://www.nepa.noaa.gov/, including our NOAA Administrative Order 216-6 for 
NEPA, http://www.nepa.noaa.gov/NAO216--6--TOC.pdf, and the Council on 
Environmental Quality implementation regulations, http://ceq.eh.doe.gov/nepa/regs/ceq/toc_ceq.htm.
    Consequently, as part of an applicant's package, and under their 
description of their program activities, applicants are required to 
provide detailed information on the activities to be conducted, 
locations, sites, species and habitat to be affected, possible 
construction activities, and any environmental concerns that may exist 
(e.g., the use and disposal of hazardous or toxic chemicals, 
introduction of non-indigenous species, impacts to endangered and 
threatened species, aquaculture projects, and impacts to coral reef 
systems). In addition to providing specific information that will serve 
as the basis for any required impact analyses, applicants may also be 
requested to assist NOAA in drafting of an environmental assessment, if 
NOAA determines an assessment is required. Applicants will also be 
required to cooperate with NOAA in identifying and implementing 
feasible measures to reduce or avoid any identified adverse 
environmental impacts of their proposal. The failure to do so shall be 
grounds for the denial of an application.
    Evaluation and Selection Procedures: NOAA published its first 
omnibus notice announcing the availability of grant funds for both 
projects and fellowships/scholarship/ internships for Fiscal Year 2004 
in the Federal Register on June 30, 2003 (68 FR 38678). The evaluation 
criteria and selection procedures contained in the June 30, 2003 
omnibus notice are applicable to this solicitation. For a copy of the 
June 30, 2003, omnibus notice please go to: http://www/ofa.noaa.gov/
amd/SOLINDEX.HTML.
    The Department of Commerce Pre-Award Notification Requirements for 
Grants and Cooperative Agreements: The Department of Commerce Pre-Award 
Notification Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements 
contained in the Federal Register notice of October 1, 2001 (66 FR 
49917), as amended by the Federal Register notice published on October 
30, 2002 (67 FR 66109), are applicable to this solicitation.

Classification

    Paperwork Reduction Act: This document contains collection-of-
information requirements subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). 
The use of Standard Forms 424 and 424A,424B, SF-LLL, and CD-346 has 
been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the 
respective control numbers 0348-0043, 0348-0044, 0348-0040, 0348-0046, 
and 0605-0001. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person is 
required to respond to, nor shall any person be subject to a penalty 
for failure to comply with, a collection of information subject to the 
requirements of the PRA unless that collection of information displays 
a currently valid OMB control number.
    Executive Order 12866: This notice has been determined to be not 
significant for purposes of Executive Order 12866.
    Executive Order 13132 (Federalism): It has been determined that 
this notice does not contain policies with Federalism implications as 
that term is defined in Executive Order 13132.
    Administrative Procedure Act/ Regulatory Flexibility Act: Prior 
notice and an opportunity for public comments are not required by the 
Administrative Procedure Act or any other law for this notice 
concerning grants, benefits, and contracts (5 U.S.C. section 
553(a)(2)). Because notice and opportunity for comment are not required 
pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553 or any other law, the analytical requirements 
of the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. section 601 et seq.) are 
inapplicable. Therefore, a regulatory flexibility analysis has not been 
prepared.

    Dated:March 04, 2004.
William T. Hogarth,
Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 04-5293 Filed 3-8-04; 8:45 am]
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