[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 131 (Tuesday, July 9, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41026-41028]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-16361]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Request for Proposals for 2013 Statewide Wood Energy Teams

AGENCY: U.S. Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Request for proposals.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service, State 
and Private Forestry (S&PF), is providing leadership and funding on 
behalf of a USDA, multi-agency, Wood To Energy Initiative by offering a 
Request For Proposals (RFP) that supports collaborative, statewide wood 
energy teams that advance the installation of commercially viable wood 
energy systems. Public-private statewide teams are invited to seek 
funding to support the development of geographic or business sector-
based clusters of wood energy projects. Activities may include, but are 
not limited to, workshops and assistance that provide technical, 
financial and environmental information; preliminary engineering 
assessments; and community outreach needed to support development of 
wood energy projects in both the public and private sectors.

DATES: Application Deadline: Monday, August 5, 2013.

ADDRESSES: All applications shall be sent to the Wood Education and 
Resource Center (WERC): Wood Education and Resource Center, U.S. Forest 
Service, 301 Hardwood Lane, Princeton, WV 24740, Phone: (304) 487-1510, 
Email: [email protected].
    Detailed information regarding what to include in the application, 
eligibility, and necessary prerequisites for consideration are 
available at http://www.na.fs.fed.us/werc and at www.grants.gov. Paper 
copies of the information are also available by contacting the U.S. 
Forest Service, Wood Education and Resource Center (WERC), 301 Hardwood 
Lane, Princeton, West Virginia 24740, (304) 487-1510.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions regarding the 
application or administrative regulations, contact your appropriate 
Forest Service Regional Biomass Coordinator as listed in the addresses 
below or contact Steve Milauskas ([email protected]) or Ed Cesa 
([email protected]) at the Wood Education and Resource Center, Princeton, 
WV (304) 487-1510. For additional contact information, please see 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Additional Contact Information

 Forest Service Region 1 (MT, ND, Northern ID & Northwestern 
SD), ATT: Angela Farr, USDA Forest Service, Northern Region (R1), 
Federal Building, 200 East Broadway, Missoula, MT 59807, 
[email protected], (406) 329-3521
 Forest Service Region 2 (CO, KS, NE, SD, & WY), ATT: Rick 
Cooksey, USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region (R2), 740 Simms 
St., Golden, CO 80401-4702, [email protected], (303) 275-5750
 Forest Service Region 3 (AZ & NM), ATT: Dennis Dwyer, USDA 
Forest Service, Southwestern Region (R3), 333 Broadway Blvd. SE., 
Albuquerque, NM 87102, [email protected], (505) 842-3480
 Forest Service Region 4 (Southern ID, NV, UT, & Western WY), 
ATT: Scott Bell, USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Region (R4), 
Federal Building, 324 25th St., Ogden, UT 84401, [email protected], (801) 
625-5259
 Forest Service Region 5 (CA, HI, Guam and Trust Territories of 
the Pacific Islands), ATT: Larry Swan, USDA Forest Service, Pacific 
Southwest Region (R5), 1323 Club Drive, Vallejo, CA 95492-1110, 
[email protected], (707) 562-8917
 Forest Service Region 6 (OR & WA), ATT: Ron Saranich, USDA 
Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region (R6), 333 SW 1st Ave., 
Portland, OR 97204, [email protected], (503) 808-2346
 Forest Service Region 8 (AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, OK, 
SC, TN, TX, VA, Virgin Islands & Puerto Rico), ATT: Dan Len, USDA 
Forest Service, Southern Region (R8), 1720 Peachtree Rd. NW., Atlanta, 
GA 30309, [email protected], (404) 347-4034
 Forest Service Region 9 (CT, DL, IL, IN, IA, ME, MD, MA, MI, 
MN, MO, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, VT, WV, WI), ATT: Lew McCreery, 
Northeastern Area--S&PF, 180 Canfield St., Morgantown, WV 26505, 
[email protected], (304) 285-1538
 Forest Service Region 10 (Alaska), ATT: Daniel Parrent, USDA 
Forest Service, Alaska Region (R10), 161 East 1st Avenue, Door 8, 
Anchorage, AK 99501, [email protected], (907) 743-9467

    The agreements awarded pursuant to this RFP may support one or more 
goals of Public Law 110-234, Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 
2008, Rural Revitalization Technologies (7 U.S.C. 6601), Consolidated 
and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013, Public Law 113-6 and 
the nationwide challenge of disposing of woody residues from wildland 
fire hazardous fuels, other forest management treatments, and 
manufacturing residuals while expanding renewable energy opportunities 
in rural areas and markets for ecosystem restoration projects. Goals of 
the program are to:
     Create wood energy systems using commercially available 
technologies that use woody biomass.
     Expand markets that convert woody biomass into energy to 
support wildfire mitigation, forest restoration, and other forest 
management goals.
     Develop a systematic approach to installations that will 
support clusters of projects or larger projects that improve the 
viability of businesses that harvest, process, and deliver wood.
     Support the development or expansion of statewide wood 
energy teams that can provide technical, financial and environmental 
information required for developing wood energy projects to reduce the 
use of fossil fuels, including but not limited to:
    [cir] Pre-feasibility and preliminary engineering assessments.
    [cir] Education and outreach to support the installation of 
commercially available wood energy systems in the public and private 
sectors.
    [cir] Innovative approaches to managing and financing wood energy 
project development.

[[Page 41027]]

Cooperative Agreement Requirements

1. Eligibility Information

    a. Eligible Applicants. Eligible applicants are State, local and 
Tribal governments, non-profit organizations, or public utilities 
districts. Applicants may be either or both of the fiscal and 
administrative agents for the funding.
    b. Cost Sharing (Matching Requirement). Applicants must demonstrate 
at least a 1:1 non-Federal match of the amount received through the 
Cooperative Agreement. The match amount can be either cash or in-kind 
contributions. For example, if the Forest Service provides $250,000 
through the Cooperative Agreement, $200,000 could be provided in cash 
and $50,000 could be provided by in-kind contributions from non-Federal 
partners. In-kind salary contributions from Federal partners in the 
statewide teams do not qualify as match.

2. Award Information

    Total funding anticipated for awards is $1 million for the FY 2013 
Statewide Wood Energy Teams. Individual Cooperative Agreements cannot 
exceed $250,000. The Federal government's obligation under this program 
is contingent upon the availability of funds. Cooperative Agreements 
exist for three to five years from the date of award. Written 
performance reports and financial reports shall be required and 
submitted to the appropriate office as described in the final 
Cooperative Agreement. Ten percent of funding will be held by the 
administrator of the Cooperative Agreement until reporting is 
completed. Cooperative Agreements require Forest Service personnel to 
have substantial involvement in projects.

3. Application Requirements

    This program requires that teams have had prior working experience 
or demonstrate capacity to form and develop effective working teams 
immediately upon award of funding. The following are key elements 
applicants will need to include in their application submission:
    a. Applicants must include a list of team members and what 
agencies, organizations, businesses or interests they represent, and 
why this particular team composition and representation will enable 
successful implementation of the proposed work plan. Evidence of 
outreach or description of what has been done to date to incorporate 
participation from underserved communities must be described. Letters 
of commitment from individual members or institutions to participate as 
part of the team should be included in an appendix.
    b. Applicants shall explain how and why the team was begun and its 
accomplishments to date. Applicants must describe team management 
structure and what individuals fill what roles. Proposed teams should 
describe prior working relationships and accomplishments as a team or 
demonstrate their capacity to function as an effective team. If a 
formal strategic or organizational plan exists, it can be included as 
an appendix. In addition, there should be evidence of prior ability to 
leverage resources and/or a clear plan with experienced individuals 
assigned that will implement the team's plan to leverage resources, 
sufficient at minimum for the 1:1 match requirement.
    c. Applicants shall include the geographic scope of the team's 
work. Most teams will operate statewide. If a sub-state level team is 
proposed, the importance of operating at that scale will need to be 
justified. Only one team per state will be funded. Multi-state 
proposals will not be considered at this time. However, regional 
coordination across state lines can improve a team's effectiveness. An 
applicant can submit individual proposals for multiple states, but must 
have letters of support from officials in each state.
    d. Applicants must include a proposed program of work for the life 
of the agreement which could be for a period of three to five years. 
The program of work will include a statement of need and specific goals 
and/or objectives that articulates how the team plans to accomplish the 
installation of clusters of wood energy projects or larger projects. It 
will include expected timeframes and methods for identifying target 
areas, outreach to accomplish installations, engineering assessments, 
financing, addressing sustainability issues, and other tasks as 
appropriate. This section should also identify potential challenges and 
uncertainties that could have a significant impact on the program of 
work.
    e. Applicants will estimate of the number of systems planned, under 
construction, and installed for each year and the total length of the 
agreement period. Systems should be commercially available with a track 
record of successful operation, not experimental or demonstration 
systems. If the team has been functioning and has some projects in 
process, it is appropriate to show how this agreement will facilitate 
completion of these projects and provide a list of the projects already 
underway.

4. Application Evaluation

    Applications will be evaluated against the criteria discussed in 
Section 5. All applications will be screened to ensure compliance with 
the administrative requirements as set forth in this RFP. Applications 
not following the directions for submission shall be disqualified 
without appeal. Directions can be found at http://www.na.fs.fed.us/werc/ under 2013 Statewide Wood Energy Teams.
    The appropriate Forest Service Region/Area shall provide guidance 
on completing the RFP during the application development process. The 
nationwide competition will consist of a technical review of the 
proposed projects by Federal experts or their designees. Panel 
reviewers independently evaluate each proposal for merit and assign a 
score using the criteria listed in Section 5. Selected proposals shall 
be submitted to the Forest Service national leadership, who make the 
final decision on the selected proposals.

5. Evaluation Criteria and Point System

    Reviewers will assign points to each proposal based on their 
ability to meet the following criteria. A maximum of 100 total points 
can be earned per proposal.
     Alignment with statewide wood energy team goals identified 
in RFP (20 points),
     Knowledge and skills of team members and composition of 
teams (20 points),
     Team management and leveraged resources (20 points),
     Program of work, budget, and projected accomplishments (20 
points),
     Communication; outreach; and methodology for announcing, 
selecting and providing project assistance (20 points).

6. Application Information

    a. Application Submission. Applications shall be postmarked on or 
before August 5, 2013. No Exceptions. One paper copy and an electronic 
version shall be submitted to U.S. Forest Service, Wood Education and 
Resource Center, 301 Hardwood Lane, Princeton, West Virginia 24740. 
Electronic versions shall be submitted to [email protected]. In addition, 
applications may also be submitted electronically through 
www.grants.gov.
    b. Application Format and Content. Each submittal shall be in PDF 
or Word format. Paper copy shall be single sided on 8.5- by 11-inch 
plain white paper only (no colored paper, over-sized paper, or special 
covers). Do not staple.

[[Page 41028]]

Submit all parts of the application at one time. Do not submit Letters 
of Commitment separately. No proposals will be accepted by facsimile 
machine. Use an 11-point font or larger. All forms and application 
template can be found at http://www.na.fs.fed.us/werc under 2013 
Statewide Wood Energy Teams.
    A complete application includes the following items:

1. SWET Project Application, Part 1: Cooperator Contact Information
2. SWET Project Application, Part 2: Narrative Proposal and Program of 
Work
3. SWET Project Application, Part 3: Financial Forms

    A maximum of 11 pages per proposal for the items listed below will 
be accepted,
(1) Qualifications and Summary Portfolio of Team Members (Limit 1.5 
Pages)
     Include each team member's name, affiliation, and years of 
experience in wood energy, including combustion technology, wood 
sourcing, financing, and community outreach.
     Describe outreach to underserved communities for 
participation or what has been done to incorporate participation from 
underserved communities.
     Include a description of prior working relationships and 
accomplishments as a team, including Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs), 
charters, or other formal agreements.
(2) Project Narrative (3.5 Pages)
     Describe how the team will be managed and which 
individuals will fill which roles.
     Describe the team's experience leveraging funds and its 
plan to leverage funds to support the team's operation and achieve the 
required 1:1 match.
     Describe methods for selecting areas of focus (e.g. 
geographic clusters, business sectors or larger projects to be 
targeted).
     Describe methods for solicitation and selection of 
projects.
     Include the proposed geographic area where the team will 
work and the number of years requested for the agreement.
(3) Program of Work (3.5 Pages)
     Describe statement of need and specific goals and 
objectives.
     Describe projected accomplishments and deliverables, 
including estimated number of systems planned, under construction, and 
installed.
     Describe communication and outreach activities that create 
social acceptance in communities where projects are targeted.
     Describe monitoring plan, including annual and final 
reports provided to agreement administrator, which will include 
summaries of community outreach activities, preliminary assessments, 
resource inventories, success stories, etc.
     Describe timeframe for activities described.
(4) Budget Summary and Justification in Support of SF 424A (2 Pages)
     Address proposed expenditures in relation to the proposed 
program of work.
     Include cash and in kind match, other federal funds and 
staff time that may help accomplish the program of work, and fee 
structure for fee-for-services, if planned.
(5) Project Outcomes, Annual Progress Reports and Final Reports (0.5 
Pages)
     List anticipated project outcomes and accomplishments, as 
well as desired results.
     Describe types of reports, documents, and success stories 
that will be provided at the end of the project to be posted to the 
WERC Web site.
     Annual progress reports are required on an annual calendar 
year basis. The reports will provide an overview of accomplishments by 
goals and objectives included in the approved Cooperative Agreement 
narrative.
     A detailed final progress report is required and should 
include the following items:
    [cir] Final Summary Report--A brief overview of accomplishments by 
goals and objectives included in the approved Cooperative Agreement 
narrative.
    [cir] Final Accomplishment Report--includes various assessments, 
reports, case studies and related documents that resulted from project 
activities.
    Final reports will be added to the WERC Statewide Wood Energy Team 
Web site.

7. Appendices

    The following information shall be included in appendices:
    a. Letters of Commitment from Team Members or Institutions: Letters 
of commitment shall be included in an appendix and are intended to 
display willingness to participate in the wood energy team. These 
letters shall include commitments of cash or in-kind services from all 
those listed in the SF 424 and SF 424A. Each letter of support is 
limited to one page in length.
    b. Documentation of Team Member or Institution Experience with Wood 
Energy: Additional information about team member or institutional 
experience with wood energy should be provided in this appendix.
    c. Documentation of Formal Agreements, Charters, etc. (optional): 
Provide any written formal organizational framework that will guide the 
operation of the team such as MOUs, State Incorporation papers, or 
other instruments which establish the capacity and ability of the team 
to function and manage their actions.
    d. Federal Funds: List all other Federal funds received for this 
Wood Energy Team within the last three years. List agency, program 
name, and dollar amount.
    e. Administrative Forms: SF 424, SF 424A, SF 424B and AD 1047, 
1049, 3030 and certificate regarding lobbying activities are standard 
forms that shall be included in the application. These forms can be 
accessed at http://www.na.fs.fed.us/werc under 2013 Statewide Wood 
Energy Teams.

    Dated: July 1, 2013.
James Hubbard,
Deputy Chief, State and Private Forestry.
[FR Doc. 2013-16361 Filed 7-8-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-P