[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 193 (Wednesday, October 6, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59943-59944]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-22506]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[USCG-2004-19253]


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

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard seeks applications for fiscal year 2005 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 
recreational 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 18, 
2004. Proposals for the fiscal year 2005 grant cycle must be received 
before 3 p.m. eastern time, January 18, 2005.

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 in docket 
USCG-2004-19253 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. The points of 
contact for the ten project areas are listed at the end of the 
description of each project area.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title 46, United States Code, section 13103, 
allocates funds available from the Aquatic Resources Trust Fund for 
boating safety grants. The majority of funds are allocated to the 
States, and up to 5 percent of these funds may be distributed by the 
Coast Guard for grants and cooperative agreements to national, 
nonprofit, public service organizations for national recreational 
boating safety activities. It is anticipated that up to $2,950,000 will 
be made available for fiscal year 2005. Thirty awards totaling 
$2,950,000 were made in fiscal year 2004 ranging from $7,000 to 
$465,000. 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 18, 2004. 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 5-year grant with 12-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. 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 2006 
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 and the nationwide grassroots activities of the 
many volunteer groups who coordinate local media events, education 
programs, and public awareness activities, as well as complement the 
Coast Guard ``You're In Command'' campaign. The major focus of the 
campaign will be to affect the behavior of all boaters with special 
focus on boat operators being responsible for their own safety as well 
as the safety of their passengers. A significant emphasis should be 
placed on life jacket wear, safety and security issues, and the dangers 
of carbon monoxide, as well as boating under the influence of alcohol 
or a dangerous drug. Efforts will also be coordinated, year-round, with 
other national 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, oversee, 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 with 
special focus on boat operators being responsible for their own safety 
as well as the safety of their passengers. Significant emphasis should 
be placed on offering multiple subject

[[Page 59944]]

matter areas that afford the participants professional development 
opportunities and educational enhancement. Areas should focus on, but 
not be limited to: life jacket wear, safety and security issues, the 
dangers of carbon monoxide, boating education, vessel safety, as well 
as boating under the influence of alcohol or a dangerous drug. 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 closer cooperation and assistance in developing, 
administering, and enforcing Federal and State laws and regulations 
pertaining to boating safety. Point of Contact: Ms. Audrey Pickup, 
(202) 267-0872.
    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. Richard Kanehl, (202) 267-0976.
    5. Develop and Conduct Boating Accident Investigation 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. Point of Contact: Mr. Bruce Schmidt, (202) 267-0985.
    7. Flotation Foam Study. The Coast Guard seeks a grantee to conduct 
short and long-term testing on marine-rated flotation foam products to 
include the following: foam chemistry; blowing agents; manufacturing 
and process control; freeze-thaw cycles; mechanical vibration; 
biological/bacterial agents; salt/fresh water; and solvents. Point of 
Contact: Mr. Po Chang, (202) 267-0986.
    8. Navigation Lighting on Barges. The Coast Guard seeks a grantee 
to research and analyze the danger posed to recreational boaters by 
barges, both under tow and being pushed, under the conditions of 
reduced visibility. The grantee would provide recommendations for 
additional lighting or other means to increase the visibility of the 
barges. Any lighting recommendations must be consistent with Rule 20 of 
the Navigation Rules (33 U.S.C. 2020), that is, additional lights 
cannot be mistaken for the lights specified in the Rules and do not 
impair their visibility or distinctive character. Point of Contact: Mr. 
Dick Blackman, (202) 267-6810.
    9. Propeller Injury Protection. The Coast Guard seeks a grantee to 
conduct a market survey of available propeller injury mitigation 
technology, access the technical characteristics of each, and prepare a 
report summarizing available options and the advantages and 
disadvantages of each in various boating activities such as 
watersports, fishing, cruising, etc. Point of Contact: Mr. Richard 
Blackman, (202) 267-6810.
    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.
    Please note: This will be the final year our office will be 
publishing a notice of availability of funding for national nonprofit 
public service organizations in the Federal Register. Under Department 
of Homeland Security policy, we will announce future availability of 
funding electronically, at the Web site: http://www.grants.gov. Please 
visit this Web site for our future announcements.
    The Boating Safety Financial Assistance Program is listed in 
section 97.012 of the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance.

    Dated: September 30, 2004.
James W. Underwood,
Rear Admiral, U. S. Coast Guard, Director of Operations Policy.
[FR Doc. 04-22506 Filed 10-5-04; 8:45 am]
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