[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 225 (Wednesday, November 22, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67548-67549]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-19800]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[Docket No. 030602141-6291-43]


Availability of Grants Funds for Fiscal Year 2007; Reopening of 
Application Deadline

AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 
Department of Commerce (DOC).

ACTION: Notice

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SUMMARY: NOAA publishes this notice to reopen the solicitation period 
on the ``NOAA Office of Hydrologic Development Hydrologic Research 
Announcement of Opportunity, FY 2007,'' which was originally announced 
in the Federal Register on June 12, 2006. This notice is being modified 
to more fully explain ensemble streamflow forecasting. This notice 
applies to only those applicants who have already submitted pre-
proposals. The solicitation period is being extended from June 12, 
2006, to December 15, 2006, to provide pre-proposal applicants the 
opportunity to submit revised proposals.

DATES: Proposals must be received by the NWS no later than 3 p.m., 
eastern standard time, December 15, 2006.

ADDRESSES: Applications should be submitted electronically to http://www.grants.gov/. Electronic submission is strongly encouraged. 
Applicants without Internet access may send hard copy applications to 
Pedro Restrepo, NOAA/NWS; 1325 East-West Highway, Room 8176, phone 
number 301-713-0640, ext. 210; Silver Spring, MD 20910-3283; these 
applications must be received by the Office of Hydrologic Development 
no later than 3 p.m. EST on December 15, 2006.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Pedro Restrepo by phone at 301-
713-0640 ext. 210, or fax to 301-713-0963, or via internet at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NOAA recently became aware that the Office 
of Hydrologic Development Hydrologic Research's Announcement of 
Opportunity for FY 2007 (71 FR 33919, June 12, 2006) did not clearly 
describe the program priority identified as Ensemble Streamflow 
Forecasting, which was listed under the heading: ``B. NWS/OHD/HL 
Hydrologic Modeling Priorities.'' In order to ensure that applicants 
are fully informed of NOAA's program priorities, NOAA clarifies that 
Ensemble Streamflow Forecasting includes the preprocessing of 
atmospheric forecasts, and the use of weather and climate reforecast 
datasets to produce reliable and skillful ensemble forcing and to 
evaluate improvement in hydrologic forecast skill.
    NOAA recognizes that applicants who submitted their full proposals 
may wish to revise their submission in light of this clarification. 
Therefore, NOAA re-opens the solicitation period from November 22, 2006 
to December 15, 2006 to allow these applicants the opportunity to 
revise and submit their full proposals. This re-opening applies only to 
those applicants who previously submitted a pre-proposal. This re-
opening is not a solicitation for new pre-proposals. All other 
requirements for this solicitation remain the same.

Limitation of Liability

    In no event will NOAA or the Department of Commerce be responsible 
for proposal preparation costs if this program is cancelled because of 
other agency priorities. Publication of this announcement does not 
oblige NOAA to award any specific project or to obligate any available 
funds. Applicants are hereby given notice that funding for the Fiscal 
Year 2007 program is contingent upon the availability of Fiscal Year 
2007 appropriations.

Universal Identifier

    Applicants should be aware they are required to provide a Dun and 
Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number during the 
application process. See the October 30, 2002, Federal Register, (67, 
FR 66177) for additional information. Organizations can receive a DUNS 
number at no cost by calling the dedicated toll-free DUNS Number 
request line at 1-866-705-5711 or via the Internet at http://www.dunandbradstreet.com.

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 funding opportunities. 
Detailed information on NOAA compliance with NEPA can be found at the 
following NOAA NEPA Web site: 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 feasible 
measures to reduce or avoid any identified adverse environmental 
impacts of their proposal. The failure to do so shall be grounds for 
not selecting an application. In some cases if additional information 
is required after an application is selected, funds can be withheld by 
the Grants Officer under a special award condition requiring the 
recipient to submit additional environmental compliance information 
sufficient to enable NOAA to make an assessment on any impacts that a 
project may have on the environment. The Department of Commerce Pre-
Award Notification Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements 
contained in the Federal Register notice of December 30, 2004 (69 FR 
78389) are applicable to this solicitation.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    This document contains collection-of-information requirements 
subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). The use of Standard Forms 
424, 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

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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 comment are not required 
by the Administrative Procedure Act or any other law for rules 
concerning public property, loans, grants, benefits, and contracts (5 
U.S.C. 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. 601 et seq.) 
are inapplicable. Therefore, a regulatory flexibility analysis has not 
been prepared.

    Dated: November 14, 2006.
D.L. Johnson,
NOAA Assistant Administrator for Weather Services.
[FR Doc. E6-19800 Filed 11-21-06; 8:45 am]
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