[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 77 (Monday, April 23, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20105-20106]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-1997]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Availability of Grants Funds for Fiscal Year 2007

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: NOAA publishes this notice to change the funding amounts, year 
of funds, the approximate range of awards that will be made, and the 
earliest start dates of awards for the solicitation ``FR 2007 Regional 
Integrated Ocean Observing System Development,'' which was originally 
announced in the Federal Register on December 27, 2006. This notice 
applies to only those applicants who have already submitted letters of 
intent and who have been invited to submit full proposals.

DATES: Proposals must be submitted through Grants.gov no later than 5 
p.m., Eastern Time, April 17, 2007.

ADDRESSES: Full proposal application packages should be submitted 
through Grants.gov APPLY. The standard NOAA funding application package 
is available at http://www.grants.gov.
    If an applicant does not have Internet access, the applicant must 
submit through surface mail one set of originals (signed) and two 
copies of the proposals and related forms to the Coastal Services 
Center. No e-mail or fax copies will be accepted. Any U.S. Postal 
Service correspondence should be sent to the

[[Page 20106]]

attention of James Lewis Free, NOAA Coastal Services Center, 2234 South 
Hobson Avenue, Charleston, South Carolina, 29405-2413.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For administrative issues, contact 
James Lewis Free at 843-740-1185 (phone) or e-mail him at 
[email protected]. Technical questions on the IOOS announcement 
should be directed to the following people according to the focus area 
in question: RCOOS Development, Geno Olmi by telephone at 843-740-1230 
(phone) or e-mail him at [email protected]; IOOS Applications and 
Product Development, Dave Eslinger by telephone (843) 740-1270, or by 
e-mail [email protected]; and Data Management and Communications, 
Jim Boyd by telephone (843) 740-1278, or by e-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NOAA publishes this notice to change the 
funding amounts, year of funds, the approximate range of awards that 
will be made, and the earliest start dates of awards for the 
solicitation ``FY 2007 Regional Integrated Ocean Observing System 
Development'' announced in the Federal Register on December 27, 2006 
(71 FR 77733). NOAA modifies the years of funding available to include 
FY 2008 funds, increases the approximate range of awards that will be 
made, and moves up the earliest start dates of awards for the NOAA 
Coastal Services Center Announcement of Opportunity, FY 2007 to more 
fully explain what funds will be used, how many awards might be made, 
and when awards may start. This notice applies to applicants who 
submitted letters of intent and who have been invited to submit full 
proposals. All other requirements for this solicitation remain the 
same.

Limitation of Liability

    In no even 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 and 2008 
program is contingent upon the availability of Fiscal Year 2007 and 
2008 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 Preaward 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.

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 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: April 12, 2007.
Nicholas Schmidt,
Deputy Director, Coastal Services Center.
[FR Doc. 07-1997 Filed 4-20-07; 8:45 am]
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