[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 232 (Friday, December 3, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70217-70222]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-26649]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service


Announcement of Grant Application Deadlines

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of solicitation of applications.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) announces its Distance 
Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) Program grant application window for 
funding during fiscal year (FY) 2005 subject to the availability of 
funding. FY 2004 funding for the DLT grant program was approximately 
$24.6 million. This notice is being issued prior to passage of a final 
appropriations bill to allow applicants sufficient time to submit 
proposals and give RUS maximum time to process applications within the 
current fiscal year. A Notice of Funding Availability will be published 
announcing the funding level for the DLT grant program once an 
appropriations bill providing funding for DLT grants has been enacted. 
Expenses incurred in developing applications will be at the applicant's 
risk.
    In addition to announcing application windows, RUS announces the 
minimum and maximum amounts for DLT grants applicable for the fiscal 
year.

DATES: You may submit completed applications for grants on paper or 
electronically according to the following deadlines:
     Paper copies must be postmarked and mailed, shipped, or 
sent overnight no later than February 1, 2005, to be eligible for FY 
2005 grant funding. Late applications are not eligible for FY 2005 
grant funding.
     Electronic copies must be received by February 1, 2005, to 
be eligible for

[[Page 70218]]

FY 2005 grant funding. Late applications are not eligible for FY 2005 
grant funding.
     RUS will examine applications for items that would 
disqualify them from consideration if the applications are submitted on 
paper by January 3, 2005.

ADDRESSES: You may obtain application guides and materials for the DLT 
grant program via the Internet at the DLT Web site: http://www.usda.gov/rus/telecom/dlt/dlt.htm. You may also request application 
guides and materials from RUS by contacting the DLT Program at (202) 
720-0413.
    Submit completed paper applications for grants to the Rural 
Utilities Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence 
Ave., SW., Room 2845, STOP 1550, Washington, DC 20250-1550. 
Applications should be marked ``Attention: Director, Advanced Services 
Division, Telecommunications Program.''
    Submit electronic grant applications at http://www.grants.gov 
(Grants.gov), following the instructions you find on that Web site.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Orren E. Cameron, III, Director, 
Advanced Services Division, Rural Utilities Service, U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, telephone: (202) 720-0413, fax: (202) 720-1051.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Overview

    Federal Agency: Rural Utilities Service (RUS).
    Funding Opportunity Title: Distance Learning and Telemedicine 
Grants.
    Announcement Type: Initial announcement.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 10.855.
    Dates: You may submit completed applications for grants on paper or 
electronically according to the following deadlines:
     Paper copies must be postmarked and mailed, shipped, or 
sent overnight no later than February 1, 2005, to be eligible for FY 
2005 grant funding. Late applications are not eligible for FY 2005 
grant funding.
     Electronic copies must be received by February 1, 2005, to 
be eligible for FY 2005 grant funding. Late applications are not 
eligible for FY 2005 grant funding.
     RUS will examine applications for items that would 
disqualify them from consideration if the applications are submitted on 
paper by January 3, 2005.
    Items in Supplementary Information:

I. Funding Opportunity: Brief introduction to the DLT program
II. Minimum and Maximum Application Amounts
III. Eligibility Information: Who is eligible, what kinds of projects 
are eligible, what criteria determine basic eligibility
IV. Application and Submission Information: Where to get application 
materials, what constitutes a completed application, how and where to 
submit applications, deadlines, items that are eligible
V. Application Review Information: considerations and preferences, 
scoring criteria, review standards, selection information
VI. Award Administration Information: Award notice information, award 
recipient reporting requirements
VII. Agency Contacts: Web, phone, fax, e-mail, contact name

I. Funding Opportunity

    Distance learning and telemedicine grants are specifically designed 
to provide access to education, training and health care resources for 
people in rural America. The Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) 
Program (administered by the Universal Services Branch of the Rural 
Utilities Service (RUS)) funds the use of advanced telecommunications 
technologies to help communities meet those needs.
    The grants, which are awarded through competitive process, may be 
used to fund telecommunications, computer networks and related advanced 
technologies.

II. Maximum and Minimum Amount of Grant Applications

    Under 7 CFR 1703.124, the Administrator has determined the maximum 
amount of an application for a grant in FY 2005 is $500,000 and the 
minimum amount of a grant is $50,000.
    RUS will make awards and execute documents appropriate to the 
project after an appropriations bill has been enacted for FY 2005 and 
prior to any advance of funds to successful applicants.
    DLT grants cannot be renewed. Award documents specify the term of 
each award. Applications to extend existing projects are welcomed 
(grant applications must be submitted during the application window) 
and will be evaluated as new applications.

III. Eligibility Information

    A. Who is eligible for grants? (See 7 CFR 1703.103.)
    1. Only entities legally organized as one of the following are 
eligible for DLT grants:
    a. An incorporated organization or partnership,
    b. An Indian tribe or tribal organization, as defined in 25 U.S.C. 
450b (b) and (c),
    c. A state or local unit of government,
    d. A consortium, as defined in 7 CFR 1703.102, or
    e. Other legal entity, including a private corporation organized on 
a for-profit or not-for profit basis.
    2. Individuals are not eligible for DLT grants directly.
    3. Electric and telecommunications borrowers under the Rural 
Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 950aaa et seq.) are not eligible 
for grants.
    B. What are the basic eligibility requirements for a project?
    1. Required matching contributions.
    See Section IV of this notice and 7 CFR 1703.125(g) for information 
on documentation of matching contributions.
    a. Grant applicants must demonstrate a matching contribution, in 
cash or in kind (new, non-depreciated items), of at least fifteen (15) 
percent of the total amount of RUS financial assistance requested. 
Matching contributions must be used for eligible purposes of DLT grant 
assistance (see 7 CFR 1703.121 and paragraph IV.G of this notice). 
Greater amounts of eligible matching contributions may increase an 
applicant's score (see 7 CFR 1703.126(b)(4) and paragraph V.B.2.d of 
this notice).
    2. The DLT grant program is designed to flow the benefits of 
distance learning and telemedicine to residents of rural America (see 7 
CFR 1703.103(a)(2)). Therefore, in order to be eligible, applicants 
must propose to use the financial assistance to:
    a. Operate a rural community facility; or
    b. Deliver distance learning or telemedicine services to entities 
that operate a rural community facility or to residents of rural areas, 
at rates calculated to ensure that the benefit of the financial 
assistance is passed through to such entities or to residents of rural 
areas.
    4. Rurality.
    a. All projects that applicants propose to fund with RUS grant 
assistance must meet a minimum rurality threshold, to ensure that 
benefits from the projects flow to rural residents. The minimum 
eligibility score is 20 points. Please see Section IV of this notice 
and 7 CFR 1703.126(a)(2) for an explanation of the rurality scoring and 
eligibility criterion.
    b. Each application must apply the following criteria to each of 
its end-user sites, and hubs that are also proposed as end-user sites, 
in order to determine a rurality score. The rurality score is the 
average of all end-user sites' rurality scores.

[[Page 70219]]



----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                Criterion                          Character                  Population            DLT points
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Exceptionally Rural Area................  Area not within a city,     <=5000....................              45
                                           village or borough.
Rural Area..............................  incorporated or             >5000 and <=10,000........              30
                                           unincorporated area.
Mid-Rural Area..........................  incorporated or             >10,000 and <=20,000......              15
                                           unincorporated area.
Urban Area..............................  incorporated or             >20,000...................               0
                                           unincorporated area.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    c. The rurality score is one of the competitive scoring criteria 
applied to grant applications.
    5. Projects located in areas covered by the Coastal Barrier 
Resources Act (16 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) are not eligible for grants from 
the DLT Program. Please see 7 CFR 1703.123(a)(11).
    C. See paragraph IV.B of this notice for a discussion of the items 
that make up a completed application. You may also refer to 7 CFR 
1703.125 for completed grant application items.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    A. Where to get application information. Application guides, copies 
of necessary forms and samples, and the DLT Program regulation are 
available from these sources:
    1. The Internet: http://www.usda.gov/rus/telecom/dlt/dlt.htm, or 
http://www.grants.gov.
    2. The DLT Program of RUS for paper copies of these materials: 
(202) 720-0413.
    B. What constitutes a completed application?
    1. Detailed information on each item in the table in paragraph 
IV.B.6 of this notice can be found in the sections of the DLT Program 
regulation listed in the table, and the DLT grant application guide. 
Applicants are strongly encouraged to read and apply both the 
regulation and the application guide.
    a. When the table refers to a narrative, it means a written 
statement, description or other written material prepared by the 
applicant, for which no form exists. RUS recognizes that each project 
is unique and requests narratives of varying complexity to allow 
applicants to fully explain their request for financial assistance.
    b. When documentation is requested, it means letters, 
certifications, legal documents or other third-party documentation that 
provide evidence that the applicant meets the listed requirement. For 
example, to confirm Enterprise Zone (EZ) designations, applicants use 
various types of documents, such as letters from appropriate government 
bodies and copies of appropriate USDA Web pages. Leveraging 
documentation sometimes include letters of commitment from other 
funding sources, or other documents specifying in-kind donations. 
Evidence of legal existence is sometimes proven by applicants who 
submit articles of incorporation. None of the foregoing examples is 
intended to limit the types of documentation that may be submitted to 
fulfill a requirement. DLT Program regulations and the application 
guide provide specific guidance on each of the items in the table.
    2. The DLT application guide and ancillary materials provide all 
necessary forms and sample worksheets.
    3. While the table in paragraph IV.B.6 of this notice includes all 
items of a completed application for each program, RUS may ask for 
additional or clarifying information if the submitted items do not 
fully address a criterion or other provision. RUS will communicate with 
applicants if the need for additional information arises.
    4. Submit the required application items in the order provided in 
the application guide.
    5. DUNS Number. As required by the OMB, all applicants for grants 
must supply a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) 
number when applying. The Standard Form 424 (SF-424) contains a field 
for you to use when supplying your DUNS number. Obtaining a DUNS number 
costs nothing and requires a short telephone call to Dun and 
Bradstreet. Please see Grants.gov for more information on how to obtain 
a DUNS number or how to verify your organization's number.

     6.--Table of Required Elements of a Completed Grant Application
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                              REQUIRED items
                                 ---------------------------------------
        Application item             Grants (7 CFR
                                   1703.125 and CFR          Notes
                                       1703.126)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
SF-424 (Application for Federal   Yes...............  Completely filled
 Assistance form).                                     out.
Executive Summary...............  Yes...............  Narrative.
Objective Scoring Worksheet.....  Yes...............  Recommend using
                                                       the RUS
                                                       worksheet.
Rural Calculation Table.........  Yes...............  Recommend using
                                                       the RUS
                                                       worksheet.
National School Lunch Program     Yes...............  Recommend using
 Determination.                                        the RUS
                                                       worksheet; must
                                                       include source
                                                       documentation.
EZ/EC or Champion Communities     Yes...............  Documentation.
 designation.
Documented Need for Services/     Yes...............  Narrative &
 Benefits Derived from Services.                       documentation, if
                                                       necessary.
Innovativeness of the Project...  Yes...............  Narrative &
                                                       documentation.
Budget..........................  Yes...............  Table or
                                                       spreadsheet;
                                                       Recommend using
                                                       the RUS format.
Leveraging Evidence and Funding   Yes...............  Documentation.
 Commitments from All Sources.
Financial Information/            Yes...............  Narrative.
 Sustainability.
System/Project Cost               Yes...............  Narrative &
 Effectiveness.                                        documentation.
Telecommunications System Plan..  Yes...............  Narrative &
                                                       documentation;
                                                       maps or diagrams,
                                                       if appropriate.
Proposed Scope of Work..........  Yes...............  Narrative or other
                                                       appropriate
                                                       format.

[[Page 70220]]

 
Statement of Experience.........  Yes...............  Narrative 3-page,
                                                       single-spaced
                                                       limit.
Consultation with the USDA State  Yes...............  Documentation.
 Director, Rural Development.
Application conforms with State   Yes...............  Documentation.
 Strategic Plan per USDA State
 Director, Rural Development,
 (if plan exists).
Certifications:
    Equal Opportunity and         Yes...............  Recommend using
     Nondiscrimination.                                the RUS sample
                                                       form.
    Architectural Barriers......  Yes...............  Recommend using
                                                       the RUS sample
                                                       form.
    Flood Hazard Area             Yes...............  Recommend using
     Precautions.                                      the RUS sample
                                                       form.
    Uniform Relocation            Yes...............  Recommend using
     Assistance and Real                               the RUS sample
     Property Acquisition                              form.
     Policies Act of 1970.
    Drug-Free Workplace.........  Yes...............  Recommend using
                                                       the RUS sample
                                                       form.
    Debarment, Suspension, and    Yes...............  Recommend using
     Other Responsibility                              the RUS sample
     Matters--Primary Covered                          form.
     Transactions.
Lobbying for Contracts, Grants,   Yes...............  Recommend using
 Loans, and Cooperative                                the RUS sample
 Agreements.                                           form.
Non-Duplication of Services.....  Yes...............  Recommend using
                                                       the RUS sample
                                                       form.
Environmental Impact/Historic     Yes...............  Recommend using
 Preservation Certification.                           the RUS sample
                                                       form.
    Federal Obligations on        Yes...............  Recommend using
     Delinquent Debt.                                  the RUS sample
                                                       form.
    Evidence of Legal Authority   Yes...............  Recommend using
     to Contract with the                              the RUS sample
     Government (documentation).                       form.
    Evidence of Legal Existence   Yes...............  Recommend using
     (documentation).                                  the RUS sample
                                                       form.
    Supplemental Information (if  Optional..........  Narrative,
     any).                                             documentation or
                                                       other appropriate
                                                       format.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    C. How many copies of an application are required?
    1. Applications submitted on paper:
    a. Submit the original application and two (2) copies to RUS.
    b. Submit one (1) additional copy to the State government point of 
contact (if one has been designated) at the same time as you submit the 
application to RUS. See http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html 
for an updated listing of State government points of contact or contact 
the DLT branch.
    2. Electronically submitted applications:
    a. The additional paper copies for RUS specified in 7 CFR 
1703.128(c) and 7 CFR 1703.136(b) are not necessary if you submit the 
application electronically through Grants.gov.
    b. Submit one (1) copy to the State government point of contact (if 
one has been designated) at the same time as you submit the application 
to RUS. See http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html for an 
updated listing of State government points of contact.
    D. How and where to submit an application. Grant applications may 
be submitted on paper or electronically.
    1. Submitting applications on paper.
    a. Address paper applications for grants to the Rural Utilities 
Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, 
Room 2845, STOP 1550, Washington, DC 20250-1550. Applications should be 
marked ``Attention: Director, Advanced Services Division, 
Telecommunications Program.''
    b. Paper applications must show proof of mailing or shipping 
consisting of one of the following:
    (i) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service (USPS) postmark;
    (ii) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the 
USPS; or
    (iii) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial 
carrier.
    c. Due to screening procedures at the Department of Agriculture, 
packages arriving via the USPS are irradiated, which can damage the 
contents and delay delivery of your application to the DLT program. RUS 
encourages applicants to consider the impact of this procedure in 
selecting their application delivery method.
    2. Electronically submitted applications:
    a. Applications will not be accepted via facsimile machine 
transmission or electronic mail.
    b. Electronic applications for grants will be accepted if submitted 
through the Federal government's Grants.gov initiative at http://www.grants.gov.
    c. If you want RUS to review your application for items that would 
disqualify it for further consideration (see paragraph V.D of this 
notice), please do not use Grants.gov. Submit your application on 
paper. Grants.gov does not yet support such pre-application reviews.
    d. How to use Grants.gov:
    e. Grants.gov contains full instructions on all required passwords, 
credentialing and software.
    (i) Central Contractor Registry. In addition to the DUNS number 
required of all grant applicants, submitting an application through 
Grants.gov requires that you list your organization in the Central 
Contractor Registry (CCR). Setting up a CCR listing (a one-time 
procedure with annual updates) takes up to five business days, so RUS 
strongly recommends that you obtain your organization's DUNS number and

[[Page 70221]]

CCR listing well in advance of the deadline specified in this notice.
    (ii) Credentialing and authorization of applicants. Grants.gov will 
also require some one-time credentialing and online authentication 
procedures. These procedures may take several business days to 
complete, further emphasizing the need for early action to complete the 
sign-up, credentialing and authorization procedures at Grants.gov 
before you submit an application at that Web site.
    f. RUS encourages applicants who wish to apply through Grants.gov 
to submit their applications in advance of the deadlines.
    g. If a system problem occurs or you have technical difficulties 
with an electronic application, please use the customer support 
resources available at the Grants.gov Web site.
    E. Deadlines.
    1. Paper applications must be postmarked and mailed, shipped, or 
sent overnight no later than February 1, 2005, to be eligible for FY 
2005 grant funding. Late applications are not eligible for FY 2005 
grant funding.
    2. Electronic grant applications must be received by February 1, 
2005, to be eligible for FY 2005 funding. Late applications are not 
eligible for FY 2005 grant funding.
    3. RUS will examine applications for items that would disqualify 
them from consider if the applications are submitted on paper by 
January 3, 2005.
    F. Intergovernmental Review. The DLT grant program is subject to 
Executive Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs.'' As stated in paragraph IV.C of this notice, a copy of a DLT 
grant application must be submitted to the State single point of 
contact if one has been designated. Please see http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html to determine whether your state 
has a single point of contact.
    G. Funding Restrictions.
    1. Eligible purposes.
    a. End-user sites may receive financial assistance; hub sites 
(rural or non-rural) may also receive financial assistance if they are 
necessary to provide DLT services to end-user sites. Please see 7 CFR 
1703.101(h).
    b. To fulfill the policy goals laid out for the DLT Program in 7 
CFR 1703.101, the following table lists purposes for financial 
assistance and whether each purpose is eligible for the assistance. 
Please consult the application guide and the regulations (7 CFR 
1703.102 for definitions, in combination with the portions of the 
regulation cited in the table for each type of financial assistance) 
for detailed requirements for the items in the table. RUS strongly 
recommends that applicant exclude ineligible items from the grant and 
match portions of their project budgets. However, some items ineligible 
for funding or matching contributions may be vital to the project. RUS 
encourages applicants to document those costs in the application 
budget. Please see the application guide for a sample, recommended 
budget format.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                              Grants (7 CFR 1703.121 and
                                                   7 CFR 1703.123)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lease or purchase of eligible DLT equipment  Yes--equipment only.
 and facilities.
Acquire instructional programming..........  Yes.
Technical assistance, develop instructional  Yes, not to exceed 10% of
 programming, engineering or environmental    the grant.
 studies.
Medical or education equipment or            No.
 facilities necessary to the project.
Vehicles using distance learning or          No.
 telemedicine technology to deliver
 services.
Teacher-student links located at the same    No, if this is the sole
 facility.                                    project objective.
Links between medical professionals located  No, if this is the sole
 at the same facility.                        project objective.
Site development or building alteration....  No.
Land or building purchase..................  No.
Building construction......................  No.
Acquiring telecommunications transmission    No.
 facilities.
Salaries, wages, benefits for medical or     No.
 educational personnel.
Salaries/administrative expenses of          No.
 applicant or project.
Recurring project costs or operating         No. Equipment leases are
 expenses.                                    eligible.
                                              Telecommunications
                                              connection charges are not
                                              eligible.
Equipment to be owned by the LEC or other    Yes.
 telecommunications service provider, if
 the provider is the applicant.
Duplicate distance learning or telemedicine  No.
 services.
Any project that, for its success, depends   No.
 on additional DLT financial assistance or
 other financial assistance that is not
 assured.
Application preparation costs..............  No.
Other project costs not covered in           No.
 regulation.
Costs & facilities providing distance        No.
 learning broadcasting.
Reimburse applicant or others for costs      No.
 incurred prior to RUS receipt of completed
 application.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    2. Eligible Equipment & Facilities. Please see 7 CFR 1703.102 for 
definitions of eligible equipment, eligible facilities and 
telecommunications transmission facilities as used in the table above.

V. Application Review Information

A. Special Considerations or Preferences

    1. American Samoa, Guam, Virgin Islands, and Northern Mariana 
Islands applications are exempt from the matching requirement up to a 
match amount of $200,000 (see 48 U.S.C. 1469a; 91 Stat. 1164).

B. Criteria

    1. Grant applications are scored competitively and subject to the 
criteria listed below.
    2. Grant application scoring criteria (total possible points: 235) 
See 7 CFR 1703.125 for the items that will be reviewed during scoring, 
and 7 CFR 1703.126 for scoring criteria.
    a. Need for services proposed in the application, and the benefits 
that will be derived if the application receives a grant (up to 55 
points).
    b. Rurality of the proposed service area (up to 45 points).
    c. Percentage of students eligible for the National School Lunch 
Program (NSLP) in the proposed service area (demonstrates economic need 
of the area) (up to 35 points).
    d. Leveraging resources above the required matching level (up to 35 
points). Please see paragraph III.B.1.a of this notice for a brief 
explanation of matching contributions.

[[Page 70222]]

    e. Level of innovation demonstrated by the project (up to 15 
points).
    f. System cost-effectiveness (up to 35 points).
    g. Project overlap with Empowerment Zone, Enterprise Communities or 
Champion Communities designations (up to 15 points).

C. Review Standards

    1. In addition to the scoring criteria that rank applications 
against each other, RUS evaluates grant applications for possible 
awards on the following items, according to 7 CFR 1703.127:
    a. Financial feasibility.
    b. Technical considerations. If the application contains flaws that 
would prevent the successful implementation, operation or 
sustainability of a project, RUS will not award a grant.
    c. Other aspects of proposals that contain inadequacies that would 
undermine the ability of the project to comply with the policies of the 
DLT Program.
    D. As a courtesy, RUS will examine, provide comment, and return 
applications that include items that would disqualify them from further 
consideration for modification, if the applications are submitted by 
January 3, 2005. If you want RUS to examine your application in this 
manner, please submit your application on paper. Grants.gov does not 
currently support this kind of pre-application review.

E. Selection Process

    Grant applications are ranked by final score, and by application 
purpose (education or medical). RUS selects applications based on those 
rankings, subject to the availability of funds. RUS may allocate grant 
awards between medical and educational purposes, but is not required to 
do so. In addition, RUS has the authority to limit the number of 
applications selected in any one State during a fiscal year. See 7 CFR 
1703.127.

VI. Award Administration Information

A. Award Notices

    Awards will be made and notices sent only after an appropriations 
bill has been enacted for FY 2005 funding the DLT grant program. RUS 
generally notifies applicants whose projects are selected for awards by 
faxing an award letter. RUS follows the award letter with a grant 
agreement that contains all the terms and conditions for the grant. RUS 
recognizes that each funded project is unique, and therefore may attach 
conditions to different projects' award documents. An applicant must 
execute and return the grant agreement, accompanied by any additional 
items required by the grant agreement, within 120 days of the selection 
date.

B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

    The items listed in Section IV of this notice, and the DLT Program 
regulation, application guide and accompanying materials implement the 
appropriate administrative and national policy requirements.

C. Reporting

    1. Performance reporting. All recipients of DLT financial 
assistance must provide annual performance activity reports to RUS 
until the project is complete and the funds are expended. A final 
performance report is also required; the final report may serve as the 
last annual report. The final report must include an evaluation of the 
success of the project in meeting DLT Program objectives. See 7 CFR 
1703.107.
    2. Financial reporting. All recipients of DLT financial assistance 
must provide an annual audit, beginning with the first year a portion 
of the financial assistance is expended. Audits are governed by United 
States Department of Agriculture audit regulations. Please see 7 CFR 
1703.108.

VII. Agency Contacts

    A. Web site: http://www.usda.gov/rus/telecom/dlt/dlt.htm. The RUS' 
DLT Web site maintains up-to-date resources and contact information for 
DLT programs.
    B. Phone: 202-720-0413.
    C. Fax: 202-720-1051.
    D. E-mail: [email protected].
    E. Main point of contact: Orren E. Cameron, III, Director, Advanced 
Services Division, Rural Utilities Service, U.S. Department of 
Agriculture.

    Dated: November 30, 2004.
Curtis M. Anderson,
Acting Administrator, Rural Utilities Service.
[FR Doc. 04-26649 Filed 12-2-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-15-P