The proposed new Forest Service Manual Chapter 2040 on National Forest System Monitoring will improve the Agency's ability to make evidence-based decisions, as required by the 2012 Planning Rule and the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018. The proposed directive creates a framework that clearly defines the Forest Service's monitoring principles, what those principles are intended to accomplish, and the roles and responsibilities for leaders at all levels to implement the policy. An analysis of existing agency policy in Forest Service Handbooks and Manuals was conducted to evaluate monitoring requirements to inform the development of a National Forest System monitoring policy.

The Forest Service has determined that the proposed new directive sets forth policy and responsibilities, with the goal of providing current direction applicable to the Forest Service monitoring program. Therefore, the Forest Service is publishing the proposed directive for public comment in accordance with 36 CFR part 216. The Forest Service is seeking public comment on the proposed directive, including the sufficiency of the proposed directive in meeting its stated objectives, ways to enhance the utility and clarity of information within the direction, or ways to streamline processes outlined. The proposed directive location of this new chapter has the potential to change. It is expected that Chapter 2040 will replace Chapter 1940—Inventory, Monitoring, and Assessment Activities which established direction associated solely for land management planning.

Forest Service National Environmental Policy Act procedures exclude from documentation in an environmental assessment or impact statement “rules, regulations, or policies to establish service wide administrative procedures, program processes, or instructions” 36 CFR 220.6(d)(2). The Agency's conclusion is that these proposed directives fall within this category of actions and that no extraordinary circumstances exist as currently defined that require preparation of an environmental assessment or an environmental impact statement.

After the public comment period closes, the Forest Service will consider timely comments that are within the scope of the proposed directive in the development of the final directive. A notice of the final directive, including a response to timely comments, will be posted on the Forest Service's web page at https://www.fs.usda.gov/about-agency/regulations-policies/comment-on-directives.

The decision to approve the revised land management plan for the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests and the Regional Forester's identification of species of conservation concern is subject to the objection process identified in 36 CFR part 219 subpart B (219.50 to 219.62). Per 36 CFR 219.53, only individuals and entities who have submitted substantive formal comments related to a plan revision during the opportunities for public comment that are attributable to the objector may file an objection unless the objection concerns an issue that arose after the opportunities for formal comment.

An objection must include the following (36 CFR 219.54(c)):

(1) The objector's name and address along with a telephone number or email address if available. In cases where no identifiable name is attached to an objection, the Forest Service will attempt to verify the identity of the objector to confirm objection eligibility;

(2) Signature or other verification of authorship upon request (a scanned signature for electronic mail may be filed with the objection);

(3) Identification of the lead objector when multiple names are listed on an objection. The Forest Service will communicate to all parties to an objection through the lead objector. Verification of the identity of the lead objector must also be provided if requested;

(4) The name of the plan revision or forest plan amendment being objected to and the name and title of the Responsible Official;

(5) A statement of the issues and/or parts of the plan revision to which the objection applies;

(6) A concise statement explaining the objection and suggesting how the proposed plan decision may be improved. If the objector believes that the plan revision is inconsistent with law, regulation, or policy, an explanation should be included;

(7) A statement that demonstrates the link between the objector's prior substantive formal comments and the content of the objection, unless the objection concerns an issue that arose after the opportunities for formal comment; and

(8) All documents referenced in the objection (a bibliography is not sufficient), except that the following need not be provided:

a. All or any part of a federal law or regulation,

b. Forest Service Directive System documents and land management plans or other published Forest Service documents,

c. Documents referenced by the Forest Service in the planning documentation related to the proposal subject to objection, and

d. Formal comments previously provided to the Forest Service by the objector during the plan revision comment period.

It is the responsibility of the objector to ensure that the Reviewing Officer receives the objection in a timely manner. The regulations prohibit extending the length of the objection filing period.

The Responsible Official who will approve the record of decision for the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests revised land management plan is Cheryl Probert, Forest Supervisor for the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests, 1008 Highway 64, Kamiah, Idaho 83536, 208-935-4239. The Responsible Official for the identification of the species of conservation concern for the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests is Leanne Marten, Northern Region Regional Forester, 26 Fort Missoula, Missoula, MT 59804.

The Regional Forester is the Reviewing Officer for the revised land management since the Forest Supervisor is the Responsible Official (36 CFR 219.56(e)(2)). Objection review of the list of species of conservation concern will be subject to a separate objection process. The Chief of the Forest Service is the Reviewing Officer for the list of species of conservation concern identification as the Regional Forester is the Responsible Official (36 CFR 219.56(e)(2)).

This authority may be delegated to an individual Deputy Chief or Associate Deputy Chief for the National Forest System, consistent with delegations of authority provided in the Forest Service Manual at sections 1235.4 and 1235.5.

The Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (16 U.S.C. 6803(b)) requires the Forest Service to publish a six-month advance notice in the Federal Register of establishment of new recreation fee sites. In accordance with Forest Service Handbook 2309.13, chapter 30, the Forest Service will publish the proposed new recreation fee sites in local newspapers and other local publications for public comment. Most of the new recreation fee revenues would be spent where they are collected to enhance the visitor experience at the new recreation fee sites.

An expanded amenity recreation fee of $16 per night and $6 per extra vehicle would be charged for the Daly Lake, Scott Lake, Harralson Horse Camp, and Skookum Campgrounds. In addition, an expanded amenity recreation fee of $85 per night would be charged for rental of Marion Forks Guard Station and Gold Lake Cabin.

Expenditures from recreation fee revenues collected at the new recreation fee sites would enhance recreation opportunities, improve customer service, and address maintenance needs. Once public involvement is complete, these new recreation fees will be reviewed by a Resource Advisory Committee prior to a final decision and implementation. Reservations for Daly Lake, Scott Lake, Harralson Horse Camp, and Skookum Campgrounds, Marion Forks Guard Station, and Gold Lake Cabin could be made online at www.recreation.gov or by calling 877-444-6777. Reservations would cost $8.00 per reservation.

The Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (16 U.S.C. 6803(b)) requires the Forest Service to publish a six-month advance notice in the Federal Register of establishment of new recreation fee sites. In accordance with Forest Service Handbook 2309.13, chapter 30, the Forest Service will publish the proposed new recreation fee sites in local newspapers and other local publications for public comment. Most of the new recreation fee revenues would be spent where they are collected to enhance the visitor experience at the new recreation fee sites.

An expanded amenity recreation fee of $10 per night would be charged for the Hickey Gap and Dry Creek Campgrounds. In addition, an expanded amenity recreation fee of $100 per night would be charged for rental of Morganton Point Cabin. A standard amenity recreation fee of $5 per day per vehicle would be charged at Woody Gap, Dockery Lake, and Mount Yonah developed recreation sites. The Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests Annual Pass and the America the Beautiful—the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass would be honored at these standard amenity recreation fee sites.

Expenditures from recreation fee revenues collected at the new recreation fee sites would enhance recreation opportunities, improve customer service, and address maintenance needs. Once public involvement is complete, the new recreation fees will be reviewed by a Recreation Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) prior to a final decision and implementation. Reservations for campgrounds and cabins could be made online at www.recreation.gov or by calling 877-444-6777. Reservations would cost $8.00 per reservation.

This committee meeting is available to the public through the registration link above. Any interested member of the public may listen to the meeting. An open comment period will be provided to allow members of the public to make a statement as time allows. Per the Federal Advisory Committee Act, public minutes of the meeting will include a list of persons who are present at the meeting. If joining via phone, callers can expect to incur regular charges for calls they initiate over wireless lines, according to their wireless plan. The Commission will not refund any incurred charges. Callers will incur no charge for calls they initiate over land-line connections to the toll-free telephone number. Closed captioning will be available for individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, or who have certain cognitive or learning impairments. To request additional accommodations, please email Liliana Schiller, Support Services Specialist, at lschiller@usccr.gov at least 10 business days prior to the meeting.

Members of the public are entitled to submit written comments; the comments must be received in the regional office within 30 days following the meeting. Written comments may be emailed to Victoria Moreno at vmoreno@usccr.gov. Persons who desire additional information may contact the Regional Programs Coordination Unit at (312) 353-8311.

Records generated from this meeting may be inspected and reproduced at the Regional Programs Coordination Unit Office, as they become available, both before and after the meeting. Records of the meetings will be available via www.facadatabase.gov under the Commission on Civil Rights, North Carolina Advisory Committee link. Persons interested in the work of this Committee are directed to the Commission's website, http://www.usccr.gov, or may contact the Regional Programs Coordination Unit at lschiller@usccr.gov.

Members of the public may join online or listen to this discussion through the above registration link or call-in number. An open comment period will be provided to allow members of the public to make a statement as time allows. Callers can expect to incur regular charges for calls they initiate over wireless lines, according to their wireless plan. The Commission will not refund any incurred charges. Closed captions will be provided. Individuals who are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing may also follow the proceedings by first calling the Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339 and providing the Service with the conference call number and conference ID number.

Members of the public are entitled to submit written comments; the comments must be received in the regional office within 30 days following the meeting. Written comments may be emailed to Melissa Wojnaroski at mwojnaroski@usccr.gov.

Records generated from this meeting may be inspected and reproduced at the Regional Programs Unit Office, as they become available, both before and after the meeting. Records of the meeting will be available via www.facadatabase.gov under the Commission on Civil Rights, Arkansas Advisory Committee link. Persons interested in the work of this Committee are directed to the Commission's website, http://www.usccr.gov, or may contact the Regional Programs Unit at the above email or street address.

Exceptional Circumstance: Pursuant to 41 CFR 102-3.150, the notice for this meeting is given less than 15 calendar days prior to the meeting because of the exceptional circumstance of the upcoming expiration of the current Committee appointment term and the resulting timeline under which the Committee must complete its next and final project.

This meeting will take place in Spanish with English interpretation. This committee meeting is available to the public through the registration link above. Any interested member of the public may listen to the meeting. An open comment period will be provided to allow members of the public to make a statement as time allows. Per the Federal Advisory Committee Act, public minutes of the meeting will include a list of persons who are present at the meeting. If joining via phone, callers can expect to incur regular charges for calls they initiate over wireless lines, according to their wireless plan. The Commission will not refund any incurred charges. Callers will incur no charge for calls they initiate over land-line connections to the toll-free telephone number. Closed captioning will be available for individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, or who have certain cognitive or learning impairments. To request additional accommodations, please email ebohor@usccr.gov at least 10 business days prior to the meeting.

Members of the public are entitled to submit written comments; the comments must be received in the regional office within 30 days following the meeting. Written comments may be emailed to Victoria Moreno at vmoreno@usccr.gov. Persons who desire additional information may contact the Regional Programs Coordination Unit at 1-312-353-8311.

Records generated from this meeting may be inspected and reproduced at the Regional Programs Coordination Unit Office, as they become available, both before and after the meeting. Records of the meetings will be available via www.facadatabase.gov under the Commission on Civil Rights, Puerto Rico Advisory Committee link. Persons interested in the work of this Committee are directed to the Commission's website, http://www.usccr.gov, or may contact the Regional Programs Coordination Unit at ebohor@usccr.gov.

This Committee meeting is available to the public through the registration link above. Any interested member of the public may attend this meeting. An open comment period will be provided to allow members of the public to make oral statements as time allows. Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, public minutes of the meeting will include a list of persons who are present at the meeting. If joining via phone, callers can expect to incur regular charges for calls they initiate over wireless lines, according to their wireless plan. The Commission will not refund any incurred charges. Callers will incur no charge for calls they initiate over land-line connections to the toll-free telephone number. Closed captioning is available by selecting “CC” in the meeting platform. To request additional accommodations, please email svillanueva@usccr.gov at least 10 business days prior to the meeting.

Members of the public are entitled to submit written comments; the comments must be received in the regional office within 30 days following the scheduled meeting. Written comments may be emailed to Mallory Trachtenberg at mtrachtenberg@usccr.gov. Persons who desire additional information may contact the Regional Programs Coordination Unit at 1-202-809-9618.

Records generated from this meeting may be inspected and reproduced at the Regional Programs Coordination Unit Office, as they become available, both before and after the meeting. Records of the meetings will be available via www.facadatabase.gov under the Commission on Civil Rights, New York Advisory Committee link. Persons interested in the work of this Committee are directed to the Commission's website, http://www.usccr.gov, or may contact the Regional Programs Coordination Unit at svillanueva@usccr.gov .

On July 31, 2023, Commerce published in the Federal Register the preliminary results of the 2021-2022 administrative review  1 of the antidumping duty order on heavy walled rectangular welded carbon steel pipes and tubes from the Republic of Korea (Korea). 2 We invited interested parties to comment on the Preliminary Results. 3 No interested party submitted comments. Accordingly, the final results of the review remain unchanged from the Preliminary Results. Commerce conducted this administrative review in accordance with section 751 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act).

The products covered by the Order are certain heavy walled rectangular welded steel pipes and tubes from Korea. 4

We determine that the following weighted-average dumping margin exists for the period September 1, 2021, through August 31, 2022:

On June 2, 2023, Commerce published the Preliminary Results of this administrative review in accordance with sections 751(a)(1) and 777(i)(1) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act). 1 POSCO/POSCO International Corporation (PIC) is the sole producer and exporter that is subject to this administrative review. Between July and August 2023, we conducted sales verifications of the questionnaire responses in accordance with section 782(i) of the Act. 2 Following the verifications, we invited interested parties to submit case and rebuttal briefs. 3 We received no comments from interested parties. Accordingly, no decision memorandum accompanies this Federal Register notice.

POSCO filed a hearing request on July 3, 2023, and subsequently withdrew its request on November 9, 2023. 4 On September 22, 2023, we extended the deadline for the final results to no later than November 29, 2023. 5 Commerce conducted this review in accordance with section 751(a) of the Act.

The scope of the Order includes certain hot-rolled products of carbon steel and alloy steel, in coils, of approximately round cross section, less than 19.00 mm in actual solid cross-sectional diameter. On April 8, 2019, Commerce excluded from the scope of the Order grade 1078 and higher tire cord quality wire rod used in the production of tire cord wire. 7 On June 13, 2019, Commerce excluded from the scope of the Order valve spring quality steel products defined as wire rod. 8 For a complete description of the scope of the Order, see Preliminary Results PDM.

In the Preliminary Results, we used the quarterly cost methodology. 9 While preparing the verification outlines, we found that we did not deploy the methodology properly in the preliminarily margin calculation program. For these final results, we corrected the error in the final margin calculation program, and that correction did not change the preliminarily weighted-average dumping margin. 10

We determine that the following estimated weighted-average dumping margin exists for the period May 1, 2021, through April 30, 2022:

We intend to disclose to interested parties the corrected margin calculation program within five days of the publication date of this notice, in accordance with 19 CFR 351.224(b).

Pursuant to section 751(a)(2)(C) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.212(b)(1), Commerce has determined, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) shall assess, antidumping duties on all appropriate entries of subject merchandise in accordance with the final results of this review. 11 Because POSCO's weighted-average dumping margin is zero percent, we intend to instruct CBP to liquidate the appropriate entries without regard to antidumping duties.

In accordance with Commerce's practice, for entries of subject merchandise during the POR produced by POSCO for which it did not know its merchandise was destined for the United States, we intend to instruct CBP to liquidate such entries at the all-others rate if there is no company-specific rate for the intermediate company(ies) involved in the transaction. 12

Commerce intends to issue assessment instructions to CBP no earlier than 35 days after the date of publication of the final results of this review in the Federal Register . If a timely summons is filed at the U.S. Court of International Trade, the assessment instructions will direct CBP not to liquidate relevant entries until the time for parties to file a request for a statutory injunction has expired ( i.e., within 90 days of publication).

The following cash deposit requirements will be effective for all shipments of subject merchandise entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after the publication date of the final results of this administrative review, as provided by section 751(a)(2)(C) of the Act: (1) the cash deposit rate for POSCO will be zero; (2) for previously-investigated companies not participating in this review, the cash deposit rate will continue to be the company-specific rate published for the most recently completed segment of this proceeding; (3) if the exporter was not covered in this review or the investigation, but the producer was covered, the cash deposit rate will be the rate established in the most recently completed segment of this proceeding for the producer of subject merchandise; and (4) the cash deposit rate for all other producers or exporters will continue to be 41.10 percent, the all-others rate established in the original less-than-fair-value investigation. 13 These cash deposit requirements, when imposed, shall remain in effect until further notice.

This notice serves as a final reminder to importers of their responsibility under 19 CFR 351.402(f)(2) to file a certificate regarding the reimbursement of antidumping duties prior to liquidation of the relevant entries during this review period. Failure to comply with this requirement could result in the presumption that reimbursement of antidumping duties occurred and the subsequent assessment of doubled antidumping duties.

This notice also serves as the only reminder to parties subject to an administrative protective order (APO) of their responsibility concerning the destruction of proprietary information disclosed under APO in accordance with 19 CFR 351.305(a)(3). Timely written notification of the return or destruction of APO materials or conversion to judicial protective order is hereby requested. Failure to comply with the regulations and terms of an APO is a sanctionable violation.

We are issuing and publishing these final results in accordance with sections 751(a)(1) and 777(i)(1) of the Act, and 19 CFR 351.213(h) and 351.221(b)(5).

The MMPA prohibits the “take” of marine mammals, with certain exceptions. Sections 101(a)(5)(A) and (D) of the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq. ) direct the Secretary of Commerce (as delegated to NMFS) to allow, upon request, the incidental, but not intentional, taking of small numbers of marine mammals by U.S. citizens who engage in a specified activity (other than commercial fishing) within a specified geographical region if certain findings are made and either regulations are proposed or, if the taking is limited to harassment, a notice of a proposed IHA is provided to the public for review.

Authorization for incidental takings shall be granted if NMFS finds that the taking will have a negligible impact on the species or stock(s) and will not have an unmitigable adverse impact on the availability of the species or stock(s) for taking for subsistence uses (where relevant). Further, NMFS must prescribe the permissible methods of taking and other “means of effecting the least practicable adverse impact” on the affected species or stocks and their habitat, paying particular attention to rookeries, mating grounds, and areas of similar significance, and on the availability of the species or stocks for taking for certain subsistence uses (referred to in shorthand as “mitigation”); and requirements pertaining to the mitigation, monitoring and reporting of the takings are set forth. The definitions of all applicable MMPA statutory terms cited above are included in the relevant sections below.

To comply with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA; 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. ) and NOAA Administrative Order (NAO) 216-6A, NMFS must review our proposed action ( i.e., the issuance of an IHA) with respect to potential impacts on the human environment.

This action is consistent with categories of activities identified in Categorical Exclusion B4 (IHAs with no anticipated serious injury or mortality) of the Companion Manual for NAO 216-6A, which do not individually or cumulatively have the potential for significant impacts on the quality of the human environment and for which we have not identified any extraordinary circumstances that would preclude this categorical exclusion. Accordingly, NMFS has preliminarily determined that the issuance of the proposed IHA qualifies to be categorically excluded from further NEPA review.

We will review all comments submitted in response to this notice prior to concluding our NEPA process or making a final decision on the IHA request.

On May 16, 2023, NMFS received a request from the City of Oceanside for an IHA to take marine mammals incidental to construction activities associated with fishing pier and non-motorized vessel improvement in Oceanside Harbor, Oceanside, CA. Following NMFS' review of the application, the City of Oceanside submitted revised versions on July 18 and October 17, 2023. The application was deemed adequate and complete on November 2, 2023. The City of Oceanside's request is for take of seven species of marine mammals by Level B harassment only. Neither the City of Oceanside nor NMFS expect serious injury or mortality to result from this activity and, therefore, an IHA is appropriate.

The City of Oceanside proposes to remove and replace the existing public fishing pier and non-motorized vessel launch in Oceanside Harbor, Oceanside, CA. The purpose of this project is to completely replace the pier and launch dock with the goals of making the pier larger, bringing the pier to current code standards, and relocating the launch dock to improve accessibility. The existing pier is past its design service life and has inadequate load-bearing capabilities. The applicant intends to use vibratory extraction to remove four 16-inch octagonal concrete support piles; vibratory driving to install up to 18 18-inch round plastic-coated steel piles to within 0.61-1.52 meters (m; 2-5 feet (ft)) of required depth; and, potentially, impact driving to complete pile installation depending on observed soil resistance. While not expected to be required based on site geology, 18 10-inch steel piles may be used as temporary guide piles to aid in the installation of the larger 18-inch structural piles.

A maximum of 6 non-consecutive days of piling activities is proposed to occur during the course of construction (5-6 months) from March 2024 through February 2025. The proposed project footprint is approximately 0.0081 square kilometers (km 2 ; 0.0031 square miles (mi 2 )) with water depths ranging from approximately −6 m (−20 ft) below mean lower low water (MLLW) and 2.4 m (7.8 ft) above MLLW.

This IHA would be effective from March 1, 2024, until February 28, 2025. The project is anticipated to occur over a period of 183 days (5-6 months) from March 1, 2024, through February 28, 2025 (excluding work from April 1 through August 31, 2024, to account for the breeding and nesting season of the Endangered Species Act (ESA)-listed California least tern ( Sternula antillarum browni )), and in-water pile activity is anticipated to occur for 6 non-consecutive days during that time. The City of Oceanside plans to conduct piling activities during daylight hours, generally limited to between 45 minutes post-sunrise and 45 minutes pre-sunset. Pile removal and installation activities may take place concurrently, where multiple piles are extracted or installed during a day, but not coincidentally. Pile extraction is anticipated to take 1 day and pile installation is anticipated to take 5 days.

This project would be located at the existing Oceanside Harbor Fishing Pier in Oceanside, CA (Figure 1), with depths ranging from approximately 6 m below to 2.4 m above MLLW.

Vibratory extraction of four existing 16-inch octagonal concrete support piles would occur in 1 day. Vibratory installation of up to 18 18-inch round plastic-coated steel pipe piles, with the potential for an additional 18 10-inch temporary steel guide piles, would occur over 5 days (table 1). If 10-inch steel guide piles are needed, they will be installed and extracted via vibratory hammer within the same timeframe as the permanent piles. New 18-inch steel piles will be installed with a vibratory hammer until they are within 0.61-1.52 m of the required depth, at which point the remaining driving will be done with an impact hammer depending on observed sediment resistance. Temporary 10-inch guide piles would only be installed to aid in installation of structural 18-inch piles if hard sediments are encountered that will deflect pile positioning. All activities may occur with or without high-pressure water jetting.

Other pile removal methods, including removing piles via high-pressure water jet may also occur, but no take of marine mammals is anticipated to occur incidental to this portion of the project and these activities will not be discussed further.

Proposed mitigation, monitoring, and reporting measures are described in detail later in this document (please see Proposed Mitigation and Proposed Monitoring and Reporting).

Sections 3 and 4 of the application summarize available information regarding status and trends, distribution and habitat preferences, and behavior and life history of the potentially affected species. NMFS fully considered all of this information and we refer the reader to these descriptions instead of reprinting the information. Additional information regarding population trends and threats may be found in NMFS' Stock Assessment Reports (SAR; https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/marine-mammal-protection/marine-mammal-stock-assessments ) and more general information about these species ( e.g., physical and behavioral descriptions) may be found on NMFS' website ( https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/find-species ).

Table 2 lists all species or stocks for which take is expected and proposed to be authorized for this activity, and summarizes information related to the population or stock, including regulatory status under the MMPA and ESA and potential biological removal (PBR), where known. PBR is defined by the MMPA as the maximum number of animals, not including natural mortalities, that may be removed from a marine mammal stock while allowing that stock to reach or maintain its optimum sustainable population (as described in NMFS' SARs). While no serious injury or mortality is anticipated or proposed to be authorized here, PBR and annual serious injury and mortality from anthropogenic sources are included here as gross indicators of the status of the species or stocks and other threats.

Marine mammal abundance estimates presented in this document represent the total number of individuals that make up a given stock or the total number estimated within a particular study or survey area. NMFS' stock abundance estimates for most species represent the total estimate of individuals within the geographic area, if known, that comprises that stock. For some species, this geographic area may extend beyond U.S. waters. All managed stocks in this region are assessed in NMFS' U.S. Pacific SARs. All values presented in table 2 are the most recent available at the time of publication (including from the final 2022 SARs) and are available online at: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/marine-mammal-protection/marine-mammal-stock-assessments.

As indicated above, all seven species in table 2 temporally and spatially co-occur with the activity to the degree that take is reasonably likely to occur. Based on previous marine mammal monitoring events near the mouth of Oceanside Harbor (Merkel and Associates, Inc., 2022; Merkel and Associates, Inc., 2023), other marine mammals rarely occur within Oceanside Harbor and any occurrence in the project area would be very rare. While Risso's dolphins ( Grampus griseus ) and gray whales ( Eschrichtius robustus ) have been sighted outside of the harbor and in coastal waters, these species' general spatial occurrence is such that take is not expected to occur as they typically occur more offshore, and they are not discussed further beyond the explanation provided here.

Bottlenose dolphins (California coastal stock) occur in coastal waters within 1 km of shore, primarily between Point Conception, CA, and San Quintin, Mexico (Hansen, 1990, Carretta et al., 1998). California coastal bottlenose dolphins show little site fidelity and likely move within their home range in response to patchy concentrations of nearshore prey (Defran and Weller, 1999, Bearzi et al., 2009). Oceanographic events may influence the distribution and residency patterns of dolphins (Hansen and Defran, 1990, Wells et al., 1990). In southern California, coastal bottlenose dolphins are typically found within 250 m of the shoreline (Hansen and Defran, 1993).

Bottlenose dolphin sightings are not common in Oceanside Harbor but do occur, typically within the outer surge basin of the harbor and, rarely, within the inner harbor.

Short-beaked common dolphins (California/Oregon/Washington stock) are the most abundant cetacean off of California and are widely distributed between the coast and approximately 556 km offshore. In contrast, long-beaked common dolphins (California stock) are considered a nearshore species and generally occur within 92.6 km of shore. Both stocks may shift their distributions seasonally and annually in response to oceanographic conditions and prey availability (Carretta et al., 2023). Long-beaked common dolphins tend to prefer shallower, warmer waters as compared to the short-beaked common dolphin (Perrin, 2009), yet both stocks appear to be more abundant in coastal waters during warm-water months (Bearzi, 2005).

While there is no occurrence data for common dolphin in Oceanside Harbor, they are rare visitors to the northern portion of San Diego Bay and could be expected to be rare visitors within the outer portion of Oceanside Harbor.

Pacific white-sided dolphins (California stock) are endemic to temperate waters of the North Pacific Ocean, and are the most abundant pelagic species of dolphin in the region (Carretta et al., 2023). Off the U.S. West Coast, Pacific white-sided dolphins occur primarily in shelf and slope waters. Sighting patterns from aerial and shipboard surveys conducted in California, Oregon, and Washington suggest seasonal north-south movements, with animals found primarily off California during colder water months and shifting northward into Oregon and Washington as water temperatures increase in late spring and summer (Green et al., 1992, Green et al., 1993, Forney and Barlow, 1998, Carretta et al., 2023). Pacific white-sided dolphins are highly social and commonly occur in groups of less than a hundred, although groups of several thousands of individuals have been observed. They often associate with Risso's dolphins and short-beaked common dolphins, and occasionally feed in association with California sea lions and mixed species aggregations of seabirds.

No data of Pacific white-sided dolphin occurrence within Oceanside Harbor exists but, as they do occur in the waters of southern California, they could enter the outer portion of Oceanside Harbor.

California sea lions occur from Vancouver Island, British Columbia, to the southern tip of Baja California, Mexico. Habitat use and distribution varies with sex and reproductive stage, and sea lions breed on the offshore islands of southern California, western Baja California, and the Gulf of California from May through July (Heath and Perrin, 2009, Lowry et al., 2017). Adult males may haul out on land to breed and defend territory from mid-May through late July. Adult males and females are known to haul out more often during warm-water months.

California sea lions are commonly seen in the proposed project area and generally in and around Oceanside Harbor on a pinniped haulout float, buoys, rocks, and other structures throughout the harbor (Merkel and Associates, Inc., 2023). Beyond these structures, there are no known natural haulout locations near the proposed action area. Abundance in the proposed project area varies substantially through time, with variability also being driven by food availability and breeding season movements ( pers. comm. Oceanside Harbor Department). California sea lions in Oceanside Harbor are typically concentrated around the pinniped float approximately 21 m north of the end of the existing fishing pier in the proposed project area. This structure was installed several years ago to attract sea lions away from docks and boats (see Figure 2-1 in application). The Harbor Department noted that the pinniped float varies from being completely full (approximately 100 animals or more) to completely empty. Prior to in-water activity, the pinniped float would be relocated by the Oceanside Harbor Department when no sea lions or other marine mammals are present to minimize attraction of sea lions to the proposed work area during construction.

California sea lions experienced an Unusual Mortality Event (UME), not correlated to an El Niño event, from 2013-2017 (Carretta et al., 2023). Pup and juvenile age classes experienced high mortality during this time, likely attributed to a lack of prey availability, specifically Pacific sardines ( Sardinops sagax ). California sea lions are also susceptible to the algal neurotoxin domoic acid (Carretta et al., 2023), which is expected to cause future mortalities among California sea lions due to the prevalence of harmful algal blooms within their habitat, as evidenced by recent stranding events along parts of the Southern California coast in summer 2023.

Harbor seals are distributed from Baja California, Mexico, to the eastern Aleutian Islands of Alaska (Harvey and Goley, 2011). Harbor seals do not make extensive pelagic migrations but may travel hundreds of kilometers to find food or suitable breeding areas (Harvey and Goley, 2011, Carretta et al., 2023). Seals primarily haul out on remote mainland and island beaches, reefs, and estuary areas. At haulout sites, they congregate to rest, socialize, breed, and molt. In California, there are approximately 500 haulout sites along the mainland and on offshore islands, including intertidal sandbars, rocky shores, and beaches (Hanan, 1996, Lowry et al., 2008).

Harbor seals are present within Oceanside Harbor, primarily in the outer surge basin and not typically within the inner harbor (Merkel and Associates, Inc., 2023). Harbor seals may haul out on the pinniped float, rocks, buoys, or other structures within the harbor.

Northern elephant seals breed and give birth in California and Baja California, mainly on offshore islands during the months of December through March (Stewart and Huber, 1993, Stewart et al., 1994, Carretta et al., 2023). Molting season takes place from March to August. In between the spring/summer molting season and winter breeding season, northern elephant seals migrate north, exhibiting spatial segregation in foraging areas in the Gulf of Alaska, western Aleutian Islands, and central North Pacific Ocean to feeding grounds (Carretta et al., 2023). Northern elephant seal populations in the United States and Mexico have recovered after being hunted to near extinction (Stewart et al., 1994) and undergoing a severe population bottleneck, leading to a loss of genetic diversity, that resulted in the population being reduced to an estimated 10-30 individuals (Hoelzel et al., 2002, Carretta et al., 2023). There are two distinct populations of northern elephant seals, including a breeding population in Baja California, Mexico, and a breeding population on U.S. islands off of California. Northern elephant seals in the region could be from either population (Carretta et al., 2023).

Northern elephant seals rarely occur in the Southern California Bight and are not expected to occur in Oceanside Harbor. However, given the species has been sighted along the southern California coast in recent years, potentially due to the continuing long-term increase in the population of northern elephant seals (Lowry et al., 2020), there is a possibility of occurrence in the project area.

Hearing is the most important sensory modality for marine mammals underwater, and exposure to anthropogenic sound can have deleterious effects. To appropriately assess the potential effects of exposure to sound, it is necessary to understand the frequency ranges marine mammals are able to hear. Not all marine mammal species have equal hearing capabilities ( e.g., Richardson et al., 1995, Wartzok and Ketten, 1999, Au and Hastings, 2008). To reflect this, Southall et al. (2007, 2019) recommended that marine mammals be divided into hearing groups based on directly measured (behavioral or auditory evoked potential techniques) or estimated hearing ranges (behavioral response data, anatomical modeling, etc. ). Note that no direct measurements of hearing ability have been successfully completed for mysticetes ( i.e., low-frequency cetaceans). Subsequently, NMFS (2018) described generalized hearing ranges for these marine mammal hearing groups. Generalized hearing ranges were chosen based on the approximately 65 decibel (dB) threshold from the normalized composite audiograms, with the exception for lower limits for low-frequency cetaceans where the lower bound was deemed to be biologically implausible and the lower bound from Southall et al. (2007) was retained. Marine mammal hearing groups and their associated hearing ranges are provided in table 3.

An AOA is a defined geographic area that NOAA has evaluated through both spatial analysis and a programmatic National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process and determined to be environmentally, socially, and economically appropriate to support multiple commercial aquaculture operations. On June 1, 2023, NOAA announced the beginning of the process to identify AOAs in partnership with the State of Alaska in Alaska State waters. This is the beginning of a multi-year process in which NOAA and the State of Alaska will work to analyze locations and identify AOAs in Alaska State waters to help sustainably advance invertebrate ( e.g., shellfish, sea cucumber) and seaweed ( e.g., macroalgae, kelp) aquaculture. NOAA will not consider finfish aquaculture during identification of AOAs in Alaska because it is prohibited by state law.

NOAA has directives to preserve ocean sustainability and facilitate domestic aquaculture in the U.S., including through the National Aquaculture Act of 1980, the NOAA Marine Aquaculture Policy, and the Executive Order 1321, Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth (May 7, 2020). NOAA has a variety of proven science-based tools and strategies that can support these directives and help communities thoughtfully consider how and where to sustainably develop aquaculture that will complement wild-capture fisheries, working waterfronts, and our Nation's seafood processing and distribution infrastructure.

The areas identified as AOAs will have characteristics that are expected to be able to support multiple aquaculture farm sites of varying types; however, all portions of the AOA may not be appropriate for aquaculture or for all types of aquaculture. Identifying AOAs is an opportunity to use the best available science, which includes Indigenous Knowledge, and supports the “triple bottom line” of environmental, economic, and social sustainability. This approach has been refined and utilized widely within states and by other countries with robust, sustainable aquaculture sectors.

The Secretary of Commerce will identify AOAs in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, other appropriate Federal officials, and appropriate Regional Fishery Management Councils, and in coordination with appropriate State and Tribal governments.

NOAA held a 60-day public comment period in 2020 (85 FR 67519, October 23, 2020) to collect input on where in the country to focus the science-based, inclusive process to identify AOAs. During that comment period, NOAA received letters of support from individuals, industry, Alaska Native organizations, state agencies, and the state legislature to begin the process in Alaska State waters.

NOAA cannot conduct spatial modeling on the scale of the entire coast of Alaska, and will narrow down to study areas that will be the focus moving forward. This will be done using a combination of spatial mapping, scientific review, public input gathered through this RFI, and other relevant information. NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science will use public input and the best available data, which includes Indigenous Knowledge, to account for key environmental, economic, social, and cultural considerations to identify areas that may support sustainable aquaculture development. NOAA will then combine those data with input from other State and Federal agencies, Fishery Management Councils, Marine Fisheries Commissions, Alaska Native Tribes and organizations, and the general public to identify areas that will be considered in more depth through the NEPA process. Through this notice, NOAA is requesting data, comments, views, information, analysis, or suggestions from the public to support the identification of AOAs in Alaska State waters, including siting parameters that can be used to select potential study areas for further analysis. The public input provided in response to this request for information will inform NOAA as it works with Federal, State, and local agencies, appropriate Regional Fishery Management Councils, and in coordination with appropriate Alaska Native Tribes and organizations to identify AOAs. Additional opportunities for public input will be provided during the NEPA process.

NOAA may use the information received through this notice in the NEPA process. The information could inform the development of potential NEPA alternatives, such as different locations, different aquaculture types in each location ( e.g., seaweed in one location, shellfish in another location), and different configurations of farm locations or farming gear. NOAA expects to publish a notice of intent (NOI) to prepare a programmatic NEPA document. Public notices announcing the NOI and announcing the availability of a draft NEPA document will provide future opportunities for public comment on the identification of AOAs in Alaska State waters.

AOA identification is a planning process, and does not result in areas permitted for aquaculture. Future aquaculture operations proposed within an AOA would be subject to the same Federal and State permitting and authorization requirements as an aquaculture operation proposed anywhere else and would be required to comply with all applicable Federal and State laws and regulations. Site-specific environmental surveys may be required for the permitting process. Additional NEPA analysis beyond that completed for identification of AOA(s) may be necessary as a part of permitting and authorization processes for individual operations.

Additional information on identifying AOAs in Alaska, including frequently asked questions, is available on NOAA's website at: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska/aquaculture/identifying-aquaculture-opportunity-areas-alaska.

NOAA requests data, comments, views, information, analysis, or suggestions from the public to support the identification of AOAs in Alaska state waters, including siting parameters that can be used to select potential study areas for further analysis.

NOAA proposes using the following parameters to select study areas in Alaska State waters:

a. State waters within a 25-mile (40-kilometer) radius of coastal community population centers (based on 2010 census data) as a proxy for needed infrastructure to support aquaculture development in Alaska.

b. State waters that do not regularly experience significant sea ice cover (based on the 10 year aggregate maximum sea ice cover reported by the U.S. National Ice Center).

Figures showing the potential AOA study areas that would result from use of these parameters can be found on the NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science Alaska AOA study area website: https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/news/alaska-aquaculture-opportunity-areas/.

These parameters are proposed starting points, from which NOAA will select study areas using a combination of spatial mapping approaches, scientific review, public input, Indigenous Knowledge, and any other relevant information.

Specifically, NOAA is soliciting information and feedback on:

1. Are the preliminary parameters (noted above) useful? Are there other parameters NOAA should consider in identifying initial study areas for the aquaculture siting analysis? Are there other distances from population centers/local infrastructure that should be considered, and why?

2. Are there size limitations NOAA should consider for AOAs in Alaska? How many farms should fit within an AOA? Should the size of AOAs be aligned with state economic development goals for shellfish and seaweed aquaculture?

3. Are there specific locations within Alaska State waters that should be considered or avoided for AOAs? Please be as specific as possible and include latitude and longitude or defining landmarks. Please indicate why such areas should be considered or avoided, for example, favorable biological parameters, water quality ( e.g., nutrients or other constituents that might make an area favorable), proximity to infrastructure ( e.g., ports, testing or processing facilities, or hatcheries that could supply seed for grow-out), relationship to other planned initiatives, etc.

4. Are there subsistence harvest locations, fishing areas, and other traditionally and culturally important locations or sacred sites that should be avoided? Is there available spatial data or geographic information system (GIS) layers, or a point of contact for these data or information?

5. Are there specific locations within Alaska State waters where the presence of aquaculture gear may overlap with sensitive habitats or biologically important areas for protected species ( e.g., whales, sea otters, sea lions, etc.)?

6. Are there specific locations within Alaska State waters that should be avoided because of concerns about harmful algal blooms (HABs) or impaired water quality?

7. Is there ongoing environmental, economic, or social science research that would assist in the identification of AOAs in Alaska State waters? If so, please describe in as much detail as is available.

8. Is there information that may not be readily available or accessible online that would be useful for AOA planning processes in Alaska State waters? This includes spatial data or GIS layers representing subsistence, environmental, and socioeconomic considerations, or a point of contact for these data, for the following categories:

a. Biophysical/oceanographic (ice cover, temperature, ocean acidification indices, wave climate, currents, bathymetry),

b. Natural resources (minerals, energy resources, fishes and other aquatic organisms, protected species and habitats, marine mammals, kelp beds, eelgrass beds, biodiversity),

c. Social, historical, and cultural resources (cultural and subsistence harvest, community subsistence hunting, subsistence fishing, culturally important sites to encourage or avoid, shipwrecks),

d. Government boundaries,

e. Industry (fishing, energy production, transportation, communication cables),

f. Military,

g. Navigation, and

h. Recreational resources (fishing, hunting, etc.).

9. Are there aquaculture species or gear considerations that may result in optimized growth in Alaska State waters? This might include (but is not limited to): species or aquaculture gear depth thresholds, water current thresholds, temperature thresholds, salinity thresholds, etc. Are there any species or gear not currently being used in Alaska State waters that you would like to see in the future? Do they extend any of these (or other) thresholds? Please be as specific as possible.

10. Is there any additional information NOAA should consider?

When providing input, please specify:

• The question number(s) you are responding to; and

• Whether your comments are related to specific type(s) of aquaculture (macroalgae, invertebrates, or a combination of species).

Responses to this request are voluntary. Respondents need not reply to all questions.

Authority: E.O. 13921.

Section 6217(a) of the Coastal Zone Act Reauthorization Amendments (CZARA), 12 U.S.C. 1455b(a), requires that each state or territory with a coastal zone management program previously approved under section 306 of the Coastal Zone Management Act must prepare and submit to the Federal agencies a coastal nonpoint pollution control program for approval. Indiana submitted its program to the Federal agencies for approval in 2008 after gaining Federal approval of its coastal zone management plan in 2002. The Federal agencies provided public notice of and invited public comment on their proposal to approve, with conditions, the Indiana program (72 FR 62444). The Federal agencies approved the program dated January 15, 2008, subject to the conditions specified therein. The Federal agencies now propose to find, and invite public comment on the proposed findings, that Indiana has satisfied the conditions associated with the earlier approval of its coastal nonpoint program.

The proposed findings document for Indiana's program is available at www.regulations.gov (search for NOAA-NOS-2022-0018) and information on the Coastal Nonpoint Program in general is available on the NOAA website at coast.noaa.gov/czm/pollutioncontrol/ .

CPSC seeks to extend the following currently approved collection of information, and to revise it to include additional forms of qualitative studies:

Title: Focus Groups and Other Qualitative Studies.

OMB Number: 3041-0136.

Type of Review: Extension and revision of collection.

Frequency of Response: On occasion.

Affected Public: Consumers.

Estimated Number of Respondents: CPSC estimates that this collection will involve 2,620 participants, including prospective focus group participants who are screened but ultimately not selected for participation.

Estimated Time per Response: We estimate that the average response time for each participant will be 1.1 hours.

Total Estimated Annual Burden: Based on CPSC's estimates that 2,620 participants will each spend an average of 1.1 hours responding to the collection, CPSC estimates that the total annual burden of this collection is 2,882 hours. The annualized cost to respondents for the information collection is $124,675.32 (2,882 hours × $43.26/hr), as estimated from total compensation data available from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 1

General Description of Collection: Section 5(a) of the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA), 15 U.S.C. 2054(a), authorizes the Commission to conduct studies and investigations relating to the causes and prevention of deaths, accidents, injuries, illnesses, other health impairments, and economic losses associated with consumer products. Section 5(b) of the CPSA, 15 U.S.C. 2054(b), further provides that the Commission may conduct research, studies, and investigations on the safety of consumer products, or test consumer products and develop product safety test methods and testing devices.

To help identify and evaluate product-related incidents, Commission staff invites and obtains direct feedback from consumers on issues related to product safety, such as recall effectiveness, product use, and perceptions regarding safety issues. The information that the CPSC collects from future focus groups—including usability studies and ethnographic studies for consumer products, which are being added to this revised collection—will help inform the Commission's identification and evaluation of consumer products and product use, by providing insight and information into consumer perceptions and usage patterns. In some cases, one-on-one interviews may be conducted as a more in-depth extension of a focus group, or in place of a traditional focus group or study. This information may also assist the Commission in its efforts to support voluntary standards activities and help CPSC identify emerging consumer safety issues requiring additional research. In addition, based on the information obtained, CPSC may be able to provide safety information to the public that is easier to read and understood by a wider range of consumers.

The Commission solicits written comments from all interested persons about the proposed collection of information. The Commission specifically solicits information relevant to the following topics:

• whether the collection of information described above is necessary for the proper performance of the Commission's functions, including whether the information would have practical utility;

• whether the estimated burden of the proposed collection of information is accurate;

• whether the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected could be enhanced; and

• whether the burden imposed by the collection of information could be minimized by use of automated, electronic, or other technological collection techniques, or other forms of information technology.

Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 4314(c) (1-5), the Department of the Air Force announces the appointment of members to the Air Force's Senior Executive Service Performance Review Board. Appointments are made by the authorizing official. Each board member shall review and evaluate performance scores provided by the Senior Executive's rater/immediate supervisor. Performance standards must be applied consistently across the Air Force. The board will make final recommendations to the authorizing official relative to the performance of the executive.

The members of the 2023 Performance Review Board for the Air Force are:

The following Tier 3 Career SES members will serve as alternates:

Due to circumstances beyond the control of the Designated Federal Officer, the Defense Advisory Committee on Investigation, Prosecution, and Defense of Sexual Assault in the Armed Forces was unable to provide public notification required by 41 CFR 102-3.150(a) concerning its December 5-6, 2023 meeting. Accordingly, the Advisory Committee Management Officer for the Department of Defense, pursuant to 41 CFR 102-3.150(b), waives the 15-calendar day notification requirement.

This meeting is being held under the provisions of chapter 10 of title 5, United States Code (U.S.C.) (commonly known as the “Federal Advisory Committee Act” or “FACA”), 5 U.S.C. 552b (commonly known as the “Government in the Sunshine Act”), and 41 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 102-3.140 and 102-3.150.

Purpose of the Meeting: In section 546 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2015 (Pub. L. 113-291), as modified by section 537 of the NDAA for Fiscal Year 2016 (Pub. L. 114-92), Congress tasked the DAC-IPAD to advise the Secretary of Defense on the investigation, prosecution, and defense of allegations of rape, forcible sodomy, sexual assault, and other sexual misconduct involving members of the Armed Forces. This will be the thirty-second public meeting held by the DAC-IPAD. On Day 1, the DAC-IPAD will deliberate on the draft DAC-IPAD Report on Randomizing Court Martial Panel Member Selection Criteria; will deliberate on the draft Report on Section 549B, FY23 NDAA, regarding Victim Access to Information; will receive an update from the Case Review Subcommittee on the preliminary results of the panel selection data study; will receive a presentation on the current performance metrics proposal for the Offices of Special Trial Counsel; and will receive updates from the Special Projects Subcommittee and the Policy Subcommittee.

Agenda: Day 1: 2:40 p.m.-2:45 p.m. Welcome and Introduction to Public Meeting; 2:45 p.m.-3:45 p.m. DAC-IPAD Deliberations on the Draft DAC-IPAD Report on Randomizing Court-Martial Panel Member Selection; 3:45 p.m.-4:45 p.m. DAC-IPAD Deliberations on the Draft Report on Sec. 549B, FY23 NDAA, regarding Victim Access to Information; 4:45 p.m. Public Meeting Day 1 Adjourned. Day 2: 9:00 a.m.-9:05 a.m. Welcome and Overview of Day 2; 9:05 a.m.-10:25 a.m. Panel Selection Study Update and Discussion; 10:25 a.m.-11:15 a.m. Performance Metrics for the Offices of Special Trial Counsel; 11:15 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Break; 11:30 a.m.-11:45 a.m. Special Projects Subcommittee Update; 11:45 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Policy Subcommittee Update 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m. Lunch; 1:00 p.m.-1:30 p.m. Public Comment; 1:30 p.m.-2:00 p.m. Meeting Wrap-Up & Preview of Next Meeting; 2:00 p.m. Public Meeting Day 2 Adjourned.

Meeting Accessibility: Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552b and 41 CFR 102-3.140 and 5 U.S.C. 1009(a)(1), the public or interested organizations may submit written comments to the DAC-IPAD about its mission and topics pertaining to this public meeting. Written comments must be received by the DAC-IPAD at least five (5) business days prior to the meeting date so that they may be made available to the DAC-IPAD members for their consideration prior to the meeting. Written comments should be submitted via email to the DAC-IPAD at whs.pentagon.em.mbx.dacipad@mail.mil in the following formats: Adobe Acrobat or Microsoft Word. Please note that since the DAC-IPAD operates under the provisions of the FACA, all written comments will be treated as public documents and will be made available for public inspection.

Written Statements: Pursuant to 41 CFR 102-3.140 and 5 U.S.C. 1009(a)(3), interested persons may submit a written statement to the DAC-IPAD. Individuals submitting a statement must submit their statement no later than 5:00 p.m. EST, Monday, December 4, 2023, to Dwight Sullivan, 703-695-1055 (Voice), 703-693-3903 (Facsimile), dwight.h.sullivan.civ@mail.mil (Email). If a statement pertaining to a specific topic being discussed at the planned meeting is not received by Monday, December 4, 2023, then it may not be provided to, or considered by, the Committee during the December 5-6, 2023, meeting. The DFO will review all timely submissions with the DAC-IPAD Chair and ensure such submissions are provided to the members of the DAC-IPAD before the meeting. Any comments received by the DAC-IPAD prior to the stated deadline will be posted on the DAC-IPAD website ( http://dacipad.whs.mil/ ).

This meeting is being held under the provisions of chapter 10 of title 5 United States Code (U.S.C.) (commonly known as the “Federal Advisory Committee Act” or “FACA”), 5 U.S.C. 552b (commonly known as the “Government in the Sunshine Act”), and 41 CFR 102-3.140 and 102-3.150.

Due to circumstances beyond the control of the DFO, the Board was unable to provide public notification required by 41 CFR 102-3.150(a) concerning amendments to its previously approved and announced November 14-15, 2023 meeting agenda. Accordingly, the Advisory Committee Management Officer for the Department of Defense, pursuant to 41 CFR 102-3.150(b), waives the 15-calendar day notification requirement.

Purpose of the Meeting: The mission of the Board is to examine and advise the Secretary of Defense on overall DoD management and governance. The Board provides independent, strategic-level, private sector and academic advice and counsel on enterprise-wide business management approaches and best practices for business operations and achieving National Defense goals.

Agenda: The Board will begin in closed session on November 14 from 9:15 a.m. to 11:20 a.m. The DFO will begin the closed session followed by a welcome by Board Chair, Honorable (Hon.) Deborah James. The Board will receive a classified discussion on Managing the Department During International Crises from Hon. Kathleen Hicks, Deputy Secretary of Defense, followed by a classified overview on Acquiring Capabilities for the United States Space Force (USSF) from Lt Col Raquel Salim, USSF, Program Element Monitor, Space Domain Awareness & Space Control. This briefing will provide an overview of the Space Force mission, organizational structure, leadership, capabilities, and space acquisition. The DFO will adjourn the closed session. The Board will meet in open session November 14 from 11:25 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The DFO will open the public session followed by a welcome by the Board Chair, Hon. Deborah James. The Board will receive an update on DoD Talent Management from Mr. Brynt Parmeter, Chief Talent Management Officer, and Ms. Angela Cough, Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office Senior Advisor, Digital Workforce Talent & Functional Community Management. After a lunch break, the Board will resume their open session from 1:45 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. The Board Chair will provide remarks, followed by a discussion on Enterprise Digitization: Emerging Technologies and Ecosystem Strategy at the Speed of Artificial Intelligence (AI) from Mr. Ryan McManaus, Founder and CEO of Techtonic. After a short break, the Board will receive a presentation on the Board study, Improving the Business Operations Culture of the Department of Defense from General Larry Spencer (Ret), Chair, Talent Management, Culture, & Diversity Subcommittee, and then the Board will deliberate and vote on the study. The DFO will then adjourn the open session. The Board will reconvene in closed session on November 14 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:35 p.m. The DFO will begin the closed session followed by remarks by Board Chair, Hon. Deborah James and Deputy Secretary, Hon. Kathleen Hicks. Next, the Board will hear a classified update on the United States Army's Future Development and Joint Integration from GEN Randy George, Chief of Staff of the Army. The DFO will adjourn the closed session. The Board will meet in open session November 15, 2023 from 9 a.m. to 11:35 a.m. The DFO will begin the open session followed by the Chair's welcome. Next the Board will receive a presentation on the Board's Space Acquisition study from Ms. Linnie Haynesworth, Chair, Business Operations Advisory Subcommittee, and then the Board will deliberate and vote on the study. After a short break, the Board will have a discussion on reshaping the culture of the Office of the Director of Administration and Management and Office of the Secretary of Defense from Ms. Jennifer C. Walsh, Performance Improvement Officer and Director of Administration and Management, and Mr. Sajeel Ahmed, Deputy Director of Administration and Management. The DFO will adjourn the open session.

The latest version of the agenda will be available on the Board's website at: https://dbb.dod.afpims.mil/Meetings/Meeting-November-2023/.

Meeting Accessibility: In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 1009(d) and 41 CFR 102-3.155, it is hereby determined that the November 14-15 meeting of the Board will include classified information and other matters covered by 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(1) and that, accordingly, portions of the meeting will be closed to the public. This determination is based on the consideration that it is expected that discussions throughout the closed portions will involve classified matters of national security. Such classified material is so intertwined with the unclassified material that it cannot reasonably be segregated into separate discussions without defeating the effectiveness and meaning of these portions of the meeting. To permit these portions of the meeting to be open to the public would preclude discussion of such matters and would greatly diminish the ultimate utility of the Board's findings and recommendations to the Secretary of Defense and the Deputy Secretary of Defense. Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 1009(a)(1) and 41 CFR 102-3.140, the portions of the meeting on November 14 from 11:25 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 1:45 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. and on November 15, 2023 from 9 a.m. to 11:35 a.m. are open to the public virtually. Persons desiring to attend the public sessions are required to register. To attend the public sessions, submit your name, affiliation/organization, telephone number, and email contact information to the Board at osd.pentagon.odam.mbx.defense-business-board@mail.mil. Requests to attend the public sessions must be received no later than 12 p.m. on Monday, November 13, 2023. Upon receipt of this information, the Board will provide further instructions for virtually attending the meeting.

Written Comments and Statements: Pursuant to 41 CFR 102-3.105(j) and 102-3.140 and 5 U.S.C. 1009(a)(3) of the FACA, the public or interested organizations may submit written comments or statements to the Board in response to the stated agenda of the meeting or regarding the Board's mission in general. Written comments or statements should be submitted to Ms. Cara Allison Marshall, the DFO, via electronic mail (the preferred mode of submission) at the address listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section. Each page of the comment or statement must include the author's name, title or affiliation, address, and daytime phone number. The DFO must receive written comments or statements submitted in response to the agenda set forth in this notice by noon on Monday, November 13, 2023 to be considered by the Board. The DFO will review all timely submitted written comments or statements with the Board Chair and ensure the comments are provided to all members of the Board before the meeting. Written comments or statements received after this date may not be provided to the Board until its next scheduled meeting. Please note that all submitted comments and statements will be treated as public documents and will be made available for public inspection, including, but not limited to, being posted on the Board's website.

The Department, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), provides the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed, revised, and continuing collections of information. This helps the Department assess the impact of its information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. It also helps the public understand the Department's information collection requirements and provide the requested data in the desired format. The Department is soliciting comments on the proposed information collection request (ICR) that is described below. The Department is especially interested in public comment addressing the following issues: (1) is this collection necessary to the proper functions of the Department; (2) will this information be processed and used in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate of burden accurate; (4) how might the Department enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (5) how might the Department minimize the burden of this collection on the respondents, including through the use of information technology. Please note that written comments received in response to this notice will be considered public records.

Title of Collection: Certification of Identity and Consent Form.

OMB Control Number: 1894-NEW.

Type of Review: New ICR.

Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals or households.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 130.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 65.

Abstract: The collection is necessary under 5 U.S.C. 552a(b) to collect information from individuals requesting information under the Privacy Act (PA). The Department will use the information to provide documents that are responsive to a Privacy Act or FOIA/Privacy Act request under the Freedom of Information Act.

The Department is especially interested in public comment addressing the following issues: (1) is this collection necessary to the proper functions of the Department; (2) will this information be processed and used in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate of burden accurate; (4) how might the Department enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (5) how might the Department minimize the burden of this collection on the respondents, including through the use of information technology. Please note that written comments received in response to this notice will be considered public records.

Title of Collection: Measures and Methods for the National Reporting System for Adult Education.

OMB Control Number: 1830-0027.

Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved ICR.

Respondents/Affected Public: State, Local, and Tribal Governments.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 57.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 5,700.

Abstract: The respondents are the 57 states/outlying areas that receive adult education state grant funds under the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA). The information collected is the states' annual performance report. OCTAE will use the data to ensure that states meet the performance accountability requirements of AEFLA.

Purpose of Program: The purposes of this program are to (1) support schools that use Native American and Alaska Native languages as the primary language of instruction; (2) maintain, protect, and promote the rights and freedom of Native Americans and Alaska Natives to use, practice, maintain, and revitalize their languages, as envisioned in the Native American Languages Act of 1990 (25 U.S.C. 2901, et seq. ); and (3) support the Nation's First Peoples' efforts to maintain and revitalize their languages and cultures, and to improve educational opportunities and student outcomes within Native American and Alaska Native communities.

Background: The Department encourages applicants to propose a broad range of activities to achieve these purposes, including activities that are aligned with the Administration's policy focus areas and with the needs described by Tribal leaders and the education field during the March 17, 2022, Department-sponsored listening session, “Advancing the Interagency Memorandum of Agreement on Native Languages: Promising Practices and Persistent Barriers.” Specifically, we encourage promoting education equity and adequacy in resources and opportunity for underserved students, including rigorous, engaging, and well-rounded approaches to learning that are inclusive regarding culture and language and prepare students for college, career, and civic life. Activities that support Native American language education and development include implementing inclusive pedagogical practices in professional development programs; using technology to support evidence-based approaches to personalized student learning in the classroom; and increasing the number and diversity of experienced and effective educators, including those from the community they serve.

In addition, the Department intends for the NAL@ED program to have a broad impact in three ways. First, the Department will fund only one high-quality project per Native language under this competition, provided there are enough high-quality applications. This is consistent with the statutory requirement that the Department ensure a diversity of languages are represented to the maximum extent feasible. Second, in addition to soliciting applications from existing Native language instructional programs (Absolute Priority 2), the Department is soliciting applications supporting new Native language instructional programs via Absolute Priority 1. Third, the Department will not exclusively fund applicants from a single State, provided there is a sufficient number of high-quality applications (Program Requirement 3). This approach will help ensure the program has a broad impact by funding projects supporting a variety of Native languages.

Priorities: This competition includes two absolute priorities and two competitive preference priorities. These priorities are from the notice of final priorities, requirements, definitions, and selection criteria for this program published in the Federal Register on July 14, 2020 (85 FR 42305) (NFP).

Absolute Priorities: For FY 2024 and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, these priorities are absolute priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that meet either Absolute Priority 1 or 2.

Note: The Department may create two funding slates—one for applications that meet Absolute Priority 1 and a separate slate for applications that meet Absolute Priority 2. As a result, the Secretary may fund applications out of the overall rank order, but the Department is not bound to do so. Applicants must clearly identify the specific absolute priority that the proposed project addresses in the project abstract section of the application.

These priorities are:

Absolute Priority 1: Develop and Maintain New Native American Language Programs.

To meet this priority, an applicant must propose to develop and maintain a Native American language instructional program that—

(a) Will support Native American language education and development for Native American students, as well as provide professional development for teachers and, as appropriate, staff and administrators, to strengthen the overall language and academic goals of the school or schools that will be served by the project;

(b) Will take place in a school; and

(c) Does not augment or replace a program of identical scope that was active within the last three years at the school(s) to be served.

Absolute Priority 2: Expand and Improve Existing Native American Language Programs.

To meet this priority, an applicant must propose to improve and expand a Native American language instructional program that—

(a) Will improve and expand Native American language education and development for Native American students, as well as provide professional development for teachers and, as appropriate, staff and administrators, to strengthen the overall language and academic goals of the school or schools that will be served by the project;

(b) Will continue to take place in a school; and

(c) Within the past three years has been offered at the school(s) to be served.

Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2024 and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, these priorities are competitive preference priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we award up to an additional 7 points to an application, depending on how well an application meets Competitive Preference Priority 1, and we award an additional 5 points to an application that meets Competitive Preference Priority 2. The maximum number of competitive preference priority points is 12.

These priorities are:

Competitive Preference Priority 1: Support Project Sustainability With Title VI Indian Education Formula Grant Funds. (Up to 7 points).

To meet this priority, an applicant or a partner must receive, or be eligible to receive, a formula grant under title VI of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA), and must commit to use all or part of that formula grant to help sustain this project after the conclusion of the grant period. To meet this priority, an applicant must include in its application—

(a) A statement that indicates the school year in which the entity will begin using title VI formula grant funds to help support this project;

(b) The percentage of the title VI grant that will be used for the project, which must be at least—

(i) 20 percent of the applicant's title VI formula grant (3 points);

(ii) 40 percent of the applicant's title VI formula grant (4 points);

(iii) 60 percent of the applicant's title VI formula grant (5 points);

(iv) 80 percent of the applicant's title VI formula grant (6 points); or

(v) 100 percent of the applicant's title VI formula grant (7 points); and

(c) The timeline for obtaining parent committee input and approval of this action, if necessary.

Competitive Preference Priority 2: Preference for Indian Applicants. (0 or 5 points).

To meet this priority, an application must be submitted by an Indian Tribe, Indian organization, Bureau of Indian Education (BIE)-funded school, or Tribal College or University (TCU) that is eligible to participate in the NAL@ED program. A consortium of eligible entities that meets the requirements of 34 CFR 75.127 through 75.129 and includes an Indian Tribe, Indian organization, BIE-funded school, or TCU will also be considered eligible to meet this priority. In order to be considered a consortium application, the application must include the consortium agreement signed by all parties.

Note: The consortium agreement must state that the members designate one member of the group to apply for the grant, detail the activities that each member of the group plans to perform, and bind each member of the group to every statement and assurance made by the applicant in the application (34 CFR 75.128(a) and (b)).

Application Requirements: These application requirements are from section 6133(c) of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7453) and from the NFP. For FY 2024 and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, applicants must meet the following application requirements.

(1) General Requirements. An applicant must include the following information in its application—

(a) A completed information form that includes:

(i) Instructional language. The name of the Native American or Alaska Native language to be used for instruction at the school(s) supported by the eligible entity.

(ii) Students to be served. The number of students to be served by the project and the grade level(s) of targeted students in the proposed project.

(iii) Instructional hours. The number of hours of instruction per week in and through one or more Native American or Alaska Native languages currently being provided to targeted students at such school(s), if any.

(iv) Pre- and post-assessments. Whether a pre- and post-assessment of Native American language proficiency is available and, if not, the percentage of grant funds that will be used for developing such assessment.

(v) Program description. A description of how the eligible entity will support Native American language education and development, and provide professional development for staff, in order to strengthen the overall language and academic goals of the school(s) that will be served by the project; ensure the implementation of rigorous academic content that prepares all students for college and career; and ensure that students progress toward meeting high-level fluency goals in the Native American language.

(vi) Organizational information. For each school included in the project, information regarding the school's organizational governance or affiliations, including information about the school's governing entity (such as a local educational agency (LEA), Tribal educational agency or department, charter organization, private organization, or other governing entity); the school's accreditation status; any partnerships with institutions of higher education (IHEs); and any indigenous language schooling and research cooperatives.

(b) An assurance that for each school to be included in the project—

(i) The school is engaged in meeting State or Tribally designated long-term goals for students, as may be required by applicable Federal, State, or Tribal law;

(ii) The school provides assessments of students using the Native American or Alaska Native language of instruction, where possible;

(iii) The qualifications of all instructional and leadership personnel at such school are sufficient to deliver high-quality education through the Native American or Alaska Native language used in the school; and

(iv) The school will collect and report to the public data relative to student achievement and, if appropriate, rates of high school graduation, career readiness, and enrollment in postsecondary education or workforce development programs, of students who are enrolled in the school's programs.

(2) Memorandum of Agreement. Any applicant that proposes to work with a partner to carry out the proposed project must include a signed and dated memorandum of agreement that describes the roles and responsibilities of each partner to participate in the grant, including—

(a) A description of how each partner will implement the project according to the timelines described in the grant application;

(b) The roles and responsibilities of each partner related to ensuring the data necessary to report on the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) indicators;  1 and

(c) The roles and responsibilities of each partner related to ensuring that Native American language instructors can be recruited, retained, and trained, as appropriate, in a timely manner.

This memorandum of agreement must be signed no more than four months prior to the application deadline ( i.e., the agreement must be signed within the four months prior to the application deadline).

(3) Applicant Engagement with Indian Tribes and Tribal Organizations. All non-Tribal applicants must engage with appropriate officials from Tribe(s) located in the area served by the project, or with a local Tribal organization, prior to submission of an application. The engagement must provide for the opportunity for officials from Tribes or Tribal organizations to meaningfully and substantively contribute to the application. Non-Tribal applicants must submit evidence of either Tribal engagement or a letter of support from one or more Tribes or Tribal organizations. This evidence can be part of the memorandum of agreement required by Application Requirement 2 or can be uploaded as a separate attachment.

Note: If an applicant is an affected LEA that is subject to ESEA section 8538, then the LEA is required to consult with appropriate officials from Tribe(s) or Tribal organizations approved by the Tribes located in the area served by the LEA prior to its submission of an application, on the contents of the application as required under ESEA section 8538. Affected LEAs are those that have 50 percent or more of their student enrollment made up of Native American students or received an Indian education formula grant under title VI of the ESEA in the previous fiscal year that exceeds $40,000. (ESEA sec. 8538)

(4) Certification. An applicant that is an LEA (including a public charter school that is an LEA under State law), a school operated by the BIE, or a nontribal for-profit or nonprofit organization must submit a certification from an entity described in application requirement (4)(a), containing the assurances described in application requirement (4)(b).

(a) The certification must be from one of the following entities, on whose land the school or program is located, or that is an entity served by the school, or whose members (as defined by that entity) are served by the school:

(i) A federally recognized Indian Tribe or Tribal organization.

(ii) A TCU.

(iii) An Alaska Native Regional Corporation or an Alaska Native nonprofit organization.

(iv) A Native Hawaiian organization.

(b) The certification must state that—

(i) The school or applicant organization has the capacity to provide education primarily through a Native American or an Alaska Native language; and

(ii) There are sufficient speakers of the target language at the school or available to be hired by the school or applicant organization.

Program Requirements: For FY 2024 and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, grantees must adhere to the following program requirements:

(1) Native American Language Proficiency Assessment. Grantees must administer pre- and post-assessments of Native American language proficiency to participating students. This Native American language assessment may be any relevant tool that measures student Native American language proficiency, such as oral, written, or project-based assessments, and formative or summative assessments.

(2) Diversity of Languages. To ensure a diversity of languages as required by statute, the Department will not fund more than one project in any competition year that proposes to use the same Native American language, assuming there are enough high-quality applications. In the event of a lack of high-quality applications in one competition year, the Department may choose to fund more than one project with the same Native American language.

(3) Geographic Distribution. To ensure geographic diversity, assuming there are enough high-quality applications, the Department will not exclusively fund projects that all propose to serve students in the same State in any competition year. In the event of a lack of high-quality applications in one competition year, the Department may choose to fund only applications that propose to provide services in one State.

(4) ISDEAA Statutory Hiring Preference:

(a) Awards that are primarily for the benefit of Indians are subject to the provisions of section 7(b) of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (ISDEAA) (Pub. L. 93-638). That section requires that, to the greatest extent feasible, a grantee—

(1) Give to Indians preferences and opportunities for training and employment in connection with the administration of the grant; and

(2) Give to Indian organizations and to Indian-owned economic enterprises, as defined in section 3 of the Indian Financing Act of 1974 (25 U.S.C. 1452(e)), preference in the award of contracts in connection with the administration of the grant. (25 U.S.C. 5307(b))

(b) For purposes of this section, an Indian is a member of any federally recognized Indian Tribe.

Definitions: The definitions of “Indian organization (or Tribal organization)” and “Tribe” are from the NFP. The definitions of “Native American,” “Native American language,” and “Tribal college or university” are from the ESEA. The specific sections of the ESEA are included in parentheticals.

Indian organization (or Tribal organization) means an organization that—

(1) Is legally established—

(i) By Tribal or inter-Tribal charter or in accordance with State or Tribal law; and

(ii) With appropriate constitution, bylaws, or articles of incorporation;

(2) Includes in its purposes the promotion of the education of Indians;

(3) Is controlled by a governing board, the majority of which is Indian;

(4) If located on an Indian reservation, operates with the sanction of or by charter from the governing body of that reservation;

(5) Is neither an organization or subdivision of, nor under the direct control of, any IHE or TCU; and

(6) Is not an agency of State or local government.

Native American means:

(1) “Indian” as defined in section 6151(3) of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7491(3)), which includes individuals who are Alaska Natives and members of federally recognized or State recognized Tribes;

(2) Native Hawaiian; or

(3) Native American Pacific Islander. (ESEA secs. 6151(3) and 8101(34))

Native American language means the historical, traditional languages spoken by Native Americans. (ESEA sec. 8101(34))

Tribal college or university means an institution that—

(1) Qualifies for funding under the Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities Assistance Act of 1978 (25 U.S.C. 1801, et seq. ) or the Navajo Community College Act (25 U.S.C. 640a note); or

(2) Is cited in section 532 of the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 301 note). (ESEA sec. 6133 and section 316 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended)

Tribe means either a federally recognized Tribe or a State-recognized Tribe.

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7453.

Note: Projects will be awarded and must be operated in a manner consistent with the nondiscrimination requirements contained in the Federal civil rights laws.

Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The Office of Management and Budget Guidelines to Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) in 2 CFR part 180, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards in 2 CFR part 200, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR part 3474. (d) The NFP.

Note: The open licensing requirement in 2 CFR 3474.20 does not apply to this program.

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants except federally recognized Indian Tribes.

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to IHEs only.

Type of Award: Discretionary grants.

Estimated Available Funds: The Administration requested $12,365,000 for Indian Education National Activities for FY 2024, of which we intend to use an estimated $2,400,000 for this competition. The actual level of funding, if any, depends on final congressional action. However, we are inviting applications to allow enough time to complete the grant process if Congress appropriates funds for this program.

Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2024 and subsequent years from the list of unfunded applications from this competition.

Estimated Range of Awards: $300,000-$400,000.

Estimated Average Size of Awards: $350,000.

Estimated Number of Awards: 4.

Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.

Project Period: Up to 36 months.

1. Eligible Applicants: The following entities, either alone or in a consortium, that have a plan to develop and maintain, or to improve and expand, programs that support the entity's use of a Native American or Alaska Native language as the primary language of instruction in one or more elementary or secondary schools (or both) are eligible under this program:

(a) An Indian Tribe.

(b) A Tribal College or University (TCU).

(c) A Tribal education agency.

(d) An LEA, including a public charter school that is an LEA under State law.

(e) A school operated by the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE).

(f) An Alaska Native Regional Corporation (as described in section 3(g) of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1602(g))).

(g) A private, Tribal, or Alaska Native nonprofit organization.

(h) A non-Tribal for-profit organization.

2. a. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not require cost sharing or matching.

b. Indirect Cost Rate Information: This program uses an unrestricted indirect cost rate. For more information regarding indirect costs, or to obtain a negotiated indirect cost rate, please see www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/intro.html.

c. Administrative Cost Limitation: Under ESEA section 6133(g), no more than five percent of funds awarded for a grant under this program may be used for administrative purposes. Note that, since fiscal year 2020, Congress has included language in appropriations acts to clarify that the statutory 5 percent limit does not include indirect costs. In the event such language is not included in the FY 2024 appropriations act, the Department will work with successful applicants to make budget adjustments to align with administrative cost restrictions, if necessary.

3. Other: Projects funded under this competition must budget for a two-day Project Directors' meeting in Washington, DC, during each year of the project period. This meeting may be held virtually if conditions warrant such a format.

1. Application Submission Instructions: Applicants are required to follow the Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on December 7, 2022 (87 FR 75045) and available at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/12/07/2022-26554/common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs, which contain requirements and information on how to submit an application.

2. Submission of Proprietary Information: Given the types of projects that may be proposed in applications for this competition, your application may include business information that you consider proprietary. In 34 CFR 5.11 we define “business information” and describe the process we use in determining whether any of that information is proprietary and, thus, protected from disclosure under Exemption 4 of the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552, as amended).

Because we plan to make successful applications available to the public by posting them on our website, you may wish to request confidentiality of business information.

Consistent with Executive Order 12600, please designate in your application any information that you believe is exempt from disclosure under Exemption 4. In the appropriate Appendix section of your application, under “Other Attachments Form,” please list the page number or numbers on which we can find this information. For additional information please see 34 CFR 5.11(c).

3. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is subject to Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. Information about Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order 12372 is in the application package for this competition.

4. Recommended Page Limit: The application narrative is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your application. We recommend that you (1) limit the application narrative to no more than 30 pages and (2) use the following standards:

• A “page” is 8.5″ x 11″, on one side only, with 1″ margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.

• Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings, footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in charts, tables, figures, and graphs.

• Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller than 10 pitch (characters per inch).

• Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, Courier New, or Arial.

The recommended page limit does not apply to the cover sheet; the budget section, including the narrative budget justification; the assurances and certifications; or the one-page abstract, the resumes, the bibliography, the letter(s) of support, or the signed consortium agreement. However, the recommended page limit does apply to all of the application narrative. An application will not be disqualified if it exceeds the recommended page limit.

5. Notice of Intent to Apply: The Department will be able to review grant applications more efficiently if we know the approximate number of applicants that intend to apply. Therefore, we strongly encourage each potential applicant to notify us of their intent to submit an application. To do so, please email the program contact person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT with the subject line “Intent to Apply,” and include the applicant's name and a contact person's name and email address. Applicants that do not submit a notice of intent to apply may still apply for funding; applicants that do submit a notice of intent to apply are not bound to apply or bound by the information provided.

1. Selection Criteria. The selection criteria for this competition are from the NFP and 34 CFR 75.210. The source of each selection criterion, and the maximum possible score for addressing each criterion and subcriterion, is included in parentheses. The maximum possible score for addressing all of the criteria in this section is 100 points.

In evaluating an application, the Secretary considers the following criteria:

(a) Quality of the project design (32 points).

The Secretary considers the quality of the design of the proposed project. In determining the quality of the design of the proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:

(1) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable. (9 points) (34 CFR 75.210(c)(2)(i))

(2) The extent to which the project design will ensure that students' progress toward grade-level and developmentally appropriate fluency in the Native American language. (6 points) (NFP)

(3) The extent to which the proposed project will incorporate parent engagement and participation in Native American language instruction. (6 points) (NFP)

(4) The quality of the approach to developing and administering pre- and post-assessments of student Native American language proficiency, including consultation with individuals with assessment expertise, as needed. (6 points) (NFP)

(5) The extent to which the performance feedback and continuous improvement are integral to the design of the proposed project. (5 points) (34 CFR 75.210 (c)(2)(xxi))

(b) Quality of project services (29 points). The Secretary considers the quality of the services to be provided by the proposed project. In determining the quality of the services to be provided by the proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:

(1) The quality and sufficiency of strategies for ensuring equal access and treatment for eligible project participants who are members of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability. (1 point) (34 CFR 75.210(d)(2))

(2) The quality of the plan for supporting grade-level and developmentally appropriate instruction in a Native American language by providing instruction of or through the Native American language. (11 points) (NFP)

(3) The extent to which the project will provide professional development for teachers and, as appropriate, staff and administrators to strengthen the overall language proficiency and academic goals of the school(s) that will be served by the project, including cultural competence training for all staff in the school(s). (10 points) (NFP)

(4) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed project involve the collaboration of appropriate partners for maximizing the effectiveness of project services. (4 points) (34 CFR 75.210(d)(3)(ix))

(5) The extent to which the percentage of the school day that instruction will be provided in the Native American language is ambitious and is reasonable for the grade level and population served. (3 points) (NFP)

(c) Quality of project personnel (16 points).

The Secretary considers the quality of the personnel who will carry out the proposed project. In determining the quality of project personnel, the Secretary considers:

(1) The extent to which the applicant encourages applications for employment from persons who are members of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability. (1 point) (NFP)

(2) The extent to which teachers of the Native American language who are identified as staff for this project have teaching experience and are fluent in the Native American language. (9 points) (NFP)

(3) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, of key project personnel. (6 points) (34 CFR 75.210(e)(3)(ii))

(d) Adequacy of resources (10 points).

The Secretary considers the adequacy of resources for the proposed project. In determining the adequacy of resources for the proposed project, the Secretary considers:

(1) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to the objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed project. (6 points) (34 CFR 75.210(f)(2)(iv))

(2) The potential for continued support of the project after Federal funding ends, including, as appropriate, the demonstrated commitment of appropriate entities to such support. (4 points) (34 CFR 75.210(f)(2)(vi))

(e) Quality of the management plan (13 points).

The Secretary considers the quality of the management plan for the proposed project. In determining the quality of the management plan for the proposed project, the Secretary considers:

(1) The adequacy of the management plan to achieve the objectives of the proposed project on time and within budget, including clearly defined responsibilities, timelines, and milestones for accomplishing project tasks. (8 points) (34 CFR 75.210(g)(2)(i))

(2) The extent to which the time commitments of the project director and principal investigator and other key project personnel are appropriate and adequate to meet the objectives of the proposed project. (5 points) (34 CFR 75.210(g)(2)(iv))

2. Review and Selection Process: We remind potential applicants that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition, the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past performance of the applicant in carrying out a previous award, such as the applicant's use of funds, achievement of project objectives, and compliance with grant conditions. The Secretary may also consider whether the applicant failed to submit a timely performance report or submitted a report of unacceptable quality.

In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary requires various assurances, including those applicable to Federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).

3. Risk Assessment and Specific Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR 200.206, before awarding grants under this program, the Department conducts a review of the risks posed by applicants. Under 2 CFR 200.208, the Secretary may impose specific conditions and, under 2 CFR 3474.10, in appropriate circumstances, high-risk conditions on a grant if the applicant or grantee is not financially stable; has a history of unsatisfactory performance; has a financial or other management system that does not meet the standards in 2 CFR part 200, subpart D; has not fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not responsible.

4. Integrity and Performance System: If you are selected under this competition to receive an award that over the course of the project period may exceed the simplified acquisition threshold (currently $250,000), under 2 CFR 200.206(a)(2) we must make a judgment about your integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal awards—that is, the risk posed by you as an applicant—before we make an award. In doing so, we must consider any information about you that is in the integrity and performance system (currently referred to as the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS)), accessible through the System for Award Management (SAM). You may review and comment on any information about yourself that a Federal agency previously entered and that is currently in FAPIIS.

Please note that, if the total value of your currently active grants, cooperative agreements, and procurement contracts from the Federal Government exceeds $10,000,000, the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 200, Appendix XII, require you to report certain integrity information to FAPIIS semiannually. Please review the requirements in 2 CFR part 200, Appendix XII, if this grant plus all the other Federal funds you receive exceed $10,000,000.

5. In General: In accordance with the Office of Management and Budget's guidance located at 2 CFR part 200, all applicable Federal laws, and relevant Executive guidance, the Department will review and consider applications for funding pursuant to this notice inviting applications in accordance with:

(a) Selecting recipients most likely to be successful in delivering results based on the program objectives through an objective process of evaluating Federal award applications (2 CFR 200.205);

(b) Prohibiting the purchase of certain telecommunication and video surveillance services or equipment in alignment with section 889 of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2019 (Pub. L. 115-232) (2 CFR 200.216);

(c) Providing a preference, to the extent permitted by law, to maximize use of goods, products, and materials produced in the United States (2 CFR 200.322); and

(d) Terminating agreements in whole or in part to the greatest extent authorized by law if an award no longer effectuates the program goals or agency priorities (2 CFR 200.340).

1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award Notification (GAN); or we may send you an email containing a link to access an electronic version of your GAN. We may notify you informally, also.

If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, we will notify you.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify administrative and national policy requirements in the application package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.

We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also incorporates your approved application as part of your binding commitments under the grant.

3. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under this competition, you must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and systems to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170 should you receive funding under the competition. This does not apply if you have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b).

(b) At the end of your project period, you must submit a final performance report, including financial information, as directed by the Secretary. If you receive a multiyear award, you must submit an annual performance report that provides the most current performance and financial expenditure information as directed by the Secretary under 34 CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent performance reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting, please go to www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.

(c) Under 34 CFR 75.250(b), the Secretary may provide a grantee with additional funding for data collection analysis and reporting. In this case the Secretary establishes a data collection period.

4. Performance Measures: For the purpose of Department reporting under 34 CFR 75.110, we have established the following performance measures for the NAL@ED program:

(a) The number and percentage of students who attain proficiency in a Native language as determined by each grantee through pre- and post-assessments of Native language proficiency;

(b) The number and percentage of participating students who make progress in learning a Native language, as determined by each grantee, through pre- and post-assessments of Native language proficiency;

(c) The number and percentage of participating students who show an improvement in academic outcomes, as measured by academic assessments or other indicators; and

(d) The difference between the average daily attendance of participating students and the average daily attendance of all students in the comparison group ( e.g., school, LEA, Tribe, or other).

These measures constitute the Department's indicators of success for this program. Consequently, we advise an applicant for a grant under this program to carefully consider these measures in conceptualizing the approach to, and evaluation for, its proposed project. Each grantee will be required to provide, in its annual performance and final reports, data about its progress in meeting these measures.

5. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award under 34 CFR 75.253, the Secretary considers, among other things, whether a grantee has made substantial progress in achieving the goals and objectives of the project; whether the grantee has expended funds in a manner that is consistent with its approved application and budget; and, if the Secretary has established performance measurement requirements, whether the grantee has made substantial progress in achieving the performance targets in the grantee's approved application.

In making a continuation award, the Secretary also considers whether the grantee is operating in compliance with the assurances in its approved application, including those applicable to Federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).

Accessible Format: On request to the program contact person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT , individuals with disabilities can obtain this document and a copy of the application package in an accessible format. The Department will provide the requestor with an accessible format that may include Rich Text Format (RTF) or text format (txt), a thumb drive, an MP3 file, braille, large print, audiotape, or compact disc, or other accessible format.

Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this document is the document published in the Federal Register . You may access the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations at www.govinfo.gov. At this site you can view this document, as well as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal Register , in text or Portable Document Format (PDF). To use PDF, you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at the site.

You may also access documents of the Department published in the Federal Register by using the article search feature at www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published by the Department.

The Department is especially interested in public comment addressing the following issues: (1) is this collection necessary to the proper functions of the Department; (2) will this information be processed and used in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate of burden accurate; (4) how might the Department enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (5) how might the Department minimize the burden of this collection on the respondents, including through the use of information technology. Please note that written comments received in response to this notice will be considered public records.

Title of Collection: 2020/25 Beginning Postsecondary Students (BPS:20/25) Field Test.

OMB Control Number: 1850-0631.

Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved ICR.

Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals or households.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 6,927.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 1,279.

Abstract: The 2020/25 Beginning Postsecondary Students Full-Scale (BPS:20/25) is conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics, part of the Institute of Education Sciences, within the Department of Education, and is part of the Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study data collection program at https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/bps/. BPS is designed to follow a cohort of students who enroll in postsecondary education for the first time during the same academic year, irrespective of the date of high school completion. The study collects data on students' persistence in and completion of postsecondary education programs; their transition to employment; demographic characteristics; and changes over time in their goals, marital status, income, and debt, among other indicators. Data from BPS are used to help researchers and policymakers better understand how financial aid influences persistence and completion, what percentages of students complete various degree programs, what are the early employment and wage outcomes for certificate and degree attainers, and why students leave school.

The BPS:20/25 field test will include approximately 3,280 students who first began in the 2018-19 academic year. BPS:20/25 will be a nationally-representative sample of approximately 34,240 students who were first-time beginning students during the 2019-20 academic year. These students will be asked to complete a survey and administrative data will also be collected for them. Administrative data matching will be conducted with sources including the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS), containing Federal loan and grant files; the Central Processing System (CPS), which houses and processes data contained in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) forms; the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) which provides enrollment and degree verification; vendors of national undergraduate, graduate, and professional student admission tests; and possible other administrative data sources such as the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA). These data will be obtained through file matching/downloading.

This submission is designed to adequately justify the need for and overall practical utility of the full study, presenting the overarching plan for all phases of the data collection and providing as much detail about the measures to be used as is available at the time of this submission. As part of this submission, NCES will publish a notice in the Federal Register allowing first a 60- and then a 30-day public comment period. Field test materials, procedures, and results will inform the full-scale study. After completion of the field test, NCES will publish a notice in the Federal Register allowing an additional 30-day public comment period on the final details and materials of the BPS:20/25 full-scale study.

The Department, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), provides the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed, revised, and continuing collections of information. This helps the Department assess the impact of its information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. It also helps the public understand the Department's information collection requirements and provide the requested data in the desired format. The Department is soliciting comments on the proposed information collection request (ICR) that is described below. The Department is especially interested in public comment addressing the following issues: (1) is this collection necessary to the proper functions of the Department; (2) will this information be processed and used in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate of burden accurate; (4) how might the Department enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (5) how might the Department minimize the burden of this collection on the respondents, including through the use of information technology. Please note that written comments received in response to this notice will be considered public records.

Title of Collection: Privacy Act Request Form.

OMB Control Number: 1894-NEW.

Type of Review: New ICR.

Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals or households.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 130.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 65.

Abstract: The collection is necessary under 5 U.S.C. 552a(b) to collect information from individuals requesting information under the Privacy Act (PA). The Department will use the information to provide documents that are responsive to a Privacy Act or FOIA/Privacy Act request under the Freedom of Information Act.

Purpose of the Board: The purpose of the Board is to provide advice and recommendations concerning the following EM site-specific issues: clean-up activities and environmental restoration; waste and nuclear materials management and disposition; excess facilities; future land use and long-term stewardship. The Board may also be asked to provide advice and recommendations on any EM program components.

Tentative Agenda:

Public Participation: The meeting is open to the public. The EM SSAB, Portsmouth, welcomes the attendance of the public at its advisory committee meetings and will make every effort to accommodate persons with physical disabilities or special needs. If you require special accommodations due to a disability, please contact Greg Simonton as soon as possible in advance of the meeting at the telephone number listed above. Written statements may be filed with the Board either before or after the meeting. Comments received by no later than 5 p.m. EST on Friday, December 29, 2023, will be read aloud during the meeting. Comments will also be accepted after the meeting, by no later than 5 p.m. EST on Friday, January 12, 2024. Please submit comments to Greg Simonton at the aforementioned email address. Please put “Public Comment” in the subject line. Individuals who wish to make oral statements pertaining to agenda items should contact Greg Simonton at the telephone number listed above. Requests must be received as soon as possible prior to the meeting and reasonable provision will be made to include the presentation in the agenda. The Deputy Designated Federal Officer is empowered to conduct the meeting in a fashion that will facilitate the orderly conduct of business. Individuals wishing to make public comments will be provided a maximum of five minutes to present their comments. The EM SSAB, Portsmouth, will hear public comments pertaining to its scope (clean-up standards and environmental restoration; waste management and disposition; stabilization and disposition of non-stockpile nuclear materials; excess facilities; future land use and long-term stewardship; risk assessment and management; and clean-up science and technology activities). Comments outside of the scope may be submitted via written statement as directed above.

Minutes: Minutes will be available by writing or calling Greg Simonton, Federal Coordinator, U.S. Department of Energy, Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office, P.O. Box 700, Piketon, OH 45661, Email: greg.simonton@pppo.gov or by Phone: (740) 897-3737, Minutes will also be available at the following website: https://www.energy.gov/pppo/ports-ssab/listings/meeting-materials.

I. General Information A. Does this action apply to me?

You may be potentially affected by this action if you are an agricultural producer, food manufacturer, or pesticide manufacturer. The following list of North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) codes is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather provides a guide to help readers determine whether this document applies to them. Potentially affected entities may include:

• Crop production (NAICS code 111).

• Animal production (NAICS code 112).

• Food manufacturing (NAICS code 311).

1. Submitting CBI. Do not submit this information to EPA through regulations.gov or email. Clearly mark the part or all of the information that you claim to be CBI. For CBI information in a disk or CD-ROM that you mail to EPA, mark the outside of the disk or CD-ROM as CBI and then identify electronically within the disk or CD-ROM the specific information that is claimed as CBI. In addition to one complete version of the comment that includes information claimed as CBI, a copy of the comment that does not contain the information claimed as CBI must be submitted for inclusion in the public docket. Information so marked will not be disclosed except in accordance with procedures set forth in 40 CFR part 2.

2. Tips for preparing your comments. When preparing and submitting your comments, see the commenting tips at https://www.epa.gov/dockets/commenting-epa-dockets.

EPA has received applications to register new uses for pesticide products containing currently registered active ingredients. Pursuant to the provisions of FIFRA section 3(c)(4) (7 U.S.C. 136a(c)(4)), EPA is hereby providing notice of receipt and opportunity to comment on these applications. Notice of receipt of these applications does not imply a decision by the Agency on these applications.

1. EPA Registration Numbers: 241-245 and 241-418. Docket ID number: EPA-HQ-OPP-2023-0308. Applicant: BASF Corporation, 26 Davis Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709. Active ingredient: Pendimethalin. Product type: Herbicide. Proposed use: Fresh and dried fig. Contact: RD.

2. File Symbols: 70506-AGN and 70506-AGR. Docket ID number: EPA-HQ-OPP-2023-0459. Applicant: UPL NA, Inc., 630 Freedom Business Center, Suite 402, King of Prussia, PA 19406. Product names: UPL Glufosinate-P-ammonium Technical and KFD-581-01 Herbicide Product. Active ingredient: Herbicide—L-Glufosinate Ammonium at 92.46% (UPL Glufosinate-P-ammonium Technical) and 23.86% (KFD-581-01 Herbicide Product) Proposed uses: Almond, hulls; beet, sugar, molasses; beet, sugar, roots; bushberry subgroup 13B; canola, meal; canola, seed; cattle, fat; cattle, meat; cattle, meat byproducts; corn, field forage; corn, field, grain; corn, field, stover; corn, sweet, forage; corn, sweet, kernels plus cob with husks removed; corn, sweet, stover; cotton, gin byproducts; cotton, undelinted seed; egg; citrus fruit, crop group 10-10; pome fruit, crop group 11-10; stone fruit, crop group 12-12; goat, fat; goat, meat; goat, meat byproducts; grain aspirated fractions; grape; hog, fat; hog, meat; hog, meat byproducts; horse, fat; horse, meat; horse, meat byproducts; milk; tree nut, crop group 14-12; olive; potato; potato, chips; potato granules/flakes; poultry, fat; poultry, meat; poultry, meat byproducts; sheep, fat; sheep, meat; sheep, meat byproducts; soybean; soybean, hulls. Contact: RD.

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 136 et seq.

Background: The EFAB is an EPA advisory committee chartered under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), 5 U.S.C., app. 2, to provide advice and recommendations to EPA on innovative approaches to financing environmental programs, projects, and activities. The Board was established in 1989 to provide advice and recommendations to EPA. Since inception, the Board has advised the EPA on a wide-ranging set of issues including but not limited to the following:

• Creating incentives to increase private investment in the provision of environmental services and removing or reducing constraints on private involvement wherever possible;

• Developing new and innovative environmental financing approaches and supporting and encouraging the use of cost-effective existing approaches;

• Identifying approaches specifically targeted to small community financing;

• Assessing government strategies for implementing public-private partnerships, including privatization, operations and maintenance issues, and other alternative financing mechanisms;

• Improving governmental principles of accounting and disclosure standards to help improve the sustainability of environmental programs;

• Increasing the capacity of state and local governments to carry out their respective environmental programs under current Federal laws;

• Increasing the total investment in environmental protection and stewardship of public and private environmental resources to help ease the environmental financing challenge facing our nation; and

• Developing innovative investment models and market-based approaches that increase the long-term resiliency of infrastructure.

The Board's recent work has included:

• Options for the development of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund authorized under the Inflation Reduction Act; and

• Recommendations for catalyzing pollution prevention finance, enhancing the agency's approach to encourage increased Opportunity Zone funds investment alongside existing EPA funding tools, and improving the availability of public and private sources of funding for stormwater infrastructure.

The Board meets either in-person or virtually two times each calendar year (two days per meeting) at different locations within the continental United States. In addition to the bi-annual meetings, additional virtual meetings may be held during the year to ensure timely completion of the Board's work. Board members typically contribute approximately 3 to 8 hours per month to the activities of the Board. This includes participation on one or more of the Board's active workgroups. Members serve on the Board without compensation; however, Board members may receive travel and per diem allowances where appropriate and in accordance with Federal travel regulations.

Members are appointed to represent the perspective of specific organizations, associations, or groups of persons (Representative members), or to provide their individual expertise (Special Government Employee, or SGE, members). Candidates invited to serve as SGE members will be asked to submit the “Confidential Financial Disclosure Form for Special Government Employees Serving on Federal Advisory Committees at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency” (EPA Form 3110-48). This confidential form allows EPA to determine whether there is a statutory conflict between that person's public responsibilities as an SGE member and private interests and activities, or the appearance of a loss of impartiality as defined by Federal regulation. The form may be viewed at https://www.epa.gov/waterfinancecenter/efab, but this form should not be submitted as part of a nomination.

Experience and Expertise Sought for the EFAB: The Board seeks to maintain diverse representation across all workforce sectors (state/local/tribal government, business (industry and finance), and nonprofit organizations) and geographic regions of the United States. Nominees should demonstrate experience in environmental finance and/or reducing the cost of financing environmental protection in various environmental media ( e.g., air, energy, land, and water). Experience and expertise sought include, but are not limited to, the following areas: commercial banking; environmental and financial resiliency; environmental financing including sector-specific experience; environmental justice; environmental, social, and corporate governance; environmental equity financing; Federal investments in environmental financing; green banking; infrastructure financing; insurance markets; local utility management and finance; public-public and public-private partnerships; regulators; resource conservation; sustainable community partnerships; and sustainable economies.

In accordance with Executive Order 14035 (June 25, 2021) and consistent with law, EPA values and welcomes opportunities to increase diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility on its Federal advisory committees. EPA's Federal advisory committees strive to have a workforce that reflects the diversity of the American people. Nominee qualifications will be assessed under the mandates of the FACA, which requires that committees be balanced in terms of the points of view represented and the functions to be performed; for the Board, this balance includes diversity across a broad range of constituencies, sectors, and groups. In addition to this notice, other sources may be utilized in the solicitation of nominees.

How to Submit Nominations: Any interested person or organization may nominate qualified person(s) to be considered for appointment to the EFAB. Individuals may self-nominate. Nominations should be submitted via email to efab@epa.gov. Nominations should include the following information: Contact information for the person making the nomination; contact information for the nominee (if different), including full name and title, business mailing address, telephone, and email address; the specific areas of experience or expertise of the nominee; the nominee's curriculum vitae or resume; and a biographical sketch of the nominee indicating current position and recent service on other Federal advisory committees or national professional organizations. A supporting letter of endorsement is encouraged, but not required.

Evaluation Criteria: The following criteria will be used to evaluate nominees: Residence in the United States; professional knowledge of, and experience with, environmental financing activities; senior-level experience that fills a gap in Board representation or brings a new and relevant dimension to its deliberations; demonstrated ability to work in a consensus-building process with a wide range of representatives from diverse constituencies; and willingness to serve a two or three-year term as an active and contributing member, with possible reappointment to a second term.

This section is organized as follows:

You may be affected by this action if you apply pesticides under the use patterns in section III.B of this document that result in a discharge to waters of the United States in one of the geographic areas identified in section III.A of this document. Potentially affected entities, as categorized in the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), may include, but are not limited to:

You may be potentially affected by this action if you are an agricultural producer, food manufacturer, or pesticide manufacturer. The following list of North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) codes is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather provides a guide to help readers determine whether this document applies to them. Potentially affected entities may include:

• Crop production (NAICS code 111).

• Animal production (NAICS code 112).

• Food manufacturing (NAICS code 311).

1. Submitting CBI. Do not submit this information to EPA through regulations.gov or email. Clearly mark the part or all of the information that you claim to be CBI. For CBI information in a disk or CD-ROM that you mail to EPA, mark the outside of the disk or CD-ROM as CBI and then identify electronically within the disk or CD-ROM the specific information that is claimed as CBI. In addition to one complete version of the comment that includes information claimed as CBI, a copy of the comment that does not contain the information claimed as CBI must be submitted for inclusion in the public docket. Information so marked will not be disclosed except in accordance with procedures set forth in 40 CFR part 2.

2. Tips for preparing your comments. When preparing and submitting your comments, see the commenting tips at https://www.epa.gov/dockets/commenting-epa-dockets.

EPA has received applications to register pesticide products containing active ingredients not included in any currently registered pesticide products. Pursuant to the provisions of FIFRA section 3(c)(4) (7 U.S.C. 136a(c)(4)), EPA is hereby providing notice of receipt and opportunity to comment on these applications. Notice of receipt of these applications does not imply a decision by the Agency on these applications. For actions being evaluated under EPA's public participation process for registration actions, there will be an additional opportunity for public comment on the proposed decisions. Please see EPA's public participation website for additional information on this process ( https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/public-participation-process-registration-actions ).

File Symbols: 70506-AGN and 70506-AGR. Docket ID number: EPA-HQ-OPP-2023-0459. Applicant: UPL NA, Inc., 630 Freedom Business Center, Suite 402, King of Prussia, PA 19406. Product names: UPL Glufosinate-P-ammonium Technical and KFD-581-01 Herbicide Product. Active ingredient: Herbicide—L-Glufosinate Ammonium at 92.46% (UPL Glufosinate-P-ammonium Technical) and 23.86% (KFD-581-01 Herbicide Product). Proposed uses: Almond, hulls; beet, sugar, molasses; beet, sugar, roots; bushberry subgroup 13B; canola, meal; canola, seed; cattle, fat; cattle, meat; cattle, meat byproducts; corn, field forage; corn, field, grain; corn, field, stover; corn, sweet, forage; corn, sweet, kernels plus cob with husks removed; corn, sweet, stover; cotton, gin byproducts; cotton, undelinted seed; egg; citrus fruit, crop group 10-10; pome fruit, crop group 11-10; stone fruit, crop group 12-12; goat, fat; goat, meat; goat, meat byproducts; grain aspirated fractions; grape; hog, fat; hog, meat; hog, meat byproducts; horse, fat; horse, meat; horse, meat byproducts; milk; tree nut, crop group 14-12; olive; potato; potato, chips; potato granules/flakes; poultry, fat; poultry, meat; poultry, meat byproducts; sheep, fat; sheep, meat; sheep, meat byproducts; soybean; soybean, hulls. Contact: RD.

File Symbols: 7969-UOI, 7969-UOO, and 7969-LNN. Docket ID number: EPA-HQ-OPP-2020-0250. Applicant: BASF Corporation Agricultural Solutions, 26 Davis Drive; P.O. Box 13528, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709. Product names: L-Glufosinate-ammonium Technical Product, L-Glufosinate-ammonium Manufacturing-Use Product and BASF L-Glufosinate-ammonium 211. Active ingredient: Herbicide—L-Glufosinate-ammonium at 89.6% L-Glufosinate-ammonium Technical Product); 50% (L-Glufosinate-ammonium Manufacturing-Use Product); and 18.7% (BASF L-Glufosinate-ammonium 211). Proposed uses: Canola; corn, field; corn, sweet; cotton; and soybean. Contact: RD.

File Symbol: 92643-R. Docket ID number: EPA-HQ-OPP-2023-0542. Applicant: Verily Life Sciences, LLC. 269 East Grand Avenue, South San Francisco, CA 94080. Product name: DAB Males. Active ingredient: Wolbachia pipientis w AlbB strain contained in live adult Aedes aegypti males. Proposed use: Microbial Insecticide. Contact: BPPD.

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 136 et seq.

This is a request for approval of a new collection. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

This notice allows 60 days for public comments. Supporting documents, which explain in detail the information that the EPA will be collecting, are available in the public docket for this ICR. The docket can be viewed online at www.regulations.gov or in person at the EPA Docket Center, WJC West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC. The telephone number for the Docket Center is 202-566-1744. For additional information about EPA's public docket, visit http://www.epa.gov/dockets.

Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq), EPA is soliciting comments and information to enable it to: (i) evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility; (ii) evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (iii) enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (iv) minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses. EPA will consider the comments received and amend the ICR as appropriate. The final ICR package will then be submitted to OMB for review and approval. At that time, EPA will issue another Federal Register notice to announce the submission of the ICR to OMB and the opportunity to submit additional comments to OMB.

Abstract: Under the Clean Water Act (CWA), the EPA develops effluent limitations guidelines (ELGs) to limit pollutants discharged from industrial point source categories. The EPA initially promulgated the Textiles Mills ELGs in 1974 (39 FR 24736, July 5, 1974) and amended the regulations in 1977 (42 FR 26979, May 26, 1977) and 1982 (47 FR 38810, September 2, 1982). Textiles mills receive and prepare fibers, transforming these materials into yarn, thread or webbing. Other mills convert yarns and webbing into fabric or related products and finish these materials. Many textile mills produce a final consumer product such as thread, yarn, fabric, hosiery, sheets, towels, and carpet. The current regulation covers wastewater discharges from textile mills which perform one or more of the following operations and discharge process wastewater directly to surface waters or indirectly to surface waters through publicly owned treatment works (POTWs): wool scouring, wool finishing, yarn and unfinished fabric manufacturing, woven fabric finishing, knit fabric finishing, carpet finishing, and nonwoven textile products of wool, cotton, synthetics, or blends of such fabrics.

In the Preliminary Study of the Textiles Industry (July 1996), the EPA presented an industry profile of establishments engaged in the manufacture of textile products. Approximately 35 to 50 percent were engaged in wet processing (dyeing, finishing, printing and coating), and at least 90 percent of these facilities discharge their process wastewater to POTWs. When compared with 1980 data, the industry in 1993 averaged 22 percent less water per pound of fiber processed as a result of water conservation programs implemented by textile facilities.

In the Preliminary Effluent Guidelines Program Plan 15 (86 FR 51155, September 2021), based on information and data the EPA collected for the Preliminary Multi-Industry Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Study, the EPA determined that PFAS have been and continue to be used by textile and carpet manufacturers, a subset of facilities regulated under the Textile Mills ELGs. The EPA's review of PFAS use and discharge by the textile mills point source category is largely based on publicly available information and literature. Based on a small number of sample results, EPA determined that PFAS, including legacy long-chain PFAS, are present in wastewater discharges from some textile mills to POTWs. Most textile mills are not monitoring for PFAS, nor are they required to do so. Therefore, the EPA expects that textile mills may be discharging PFAS to POTWs or surface waters even when the textile mill no longer uses PFAS in their process.

As announced in the Effluent Guidelines Program Plan 15 (88 FR 6258, January 31, 2023), the EPA is continuing to evaluate the available data on types and concentrations of PFAS in wastewater discharged from textile mills. As indicated above there is limited publicly available data on textile mills, including potential use and discharge of PFAS, fluoropolymers, and fluorotelomers. The EPA has also reviewed information on textile mills from Environmental Compliance History Online (ECHO), the Integrated Compliance Information System (ICIS), as well as data collected from several state environmental agencies. However, very few of these data sources include PFAS monitoring data. None of these data sources define a complete population of textile mills in the United States, nor do they provide detailed information on specific facility operations including any recent phase out of PFAS usage.

Therefore, a questionnaire for the textile mills industry is necessary for the EPA to determine if the current regulations remain appropriate and, if warranted, to develop and propose new regulations. If new regulations are deemed to be warranted, the questionnaire is essential for the EPA to complete the detailed technical analysis necessary for the rulemaking. The EPA has identified and compiled mailing addresses for approximately 2,200 textile manufacturing facilities in the United States. A subsequent wastewater sampling program will require a subset of approximately 20 textile manufacturing facilities that completed the questionnaire to also collect wastewater samples and submit them to an EPA-contracted laboratory. Wastewater sampling data are critical for characterizing the wastewater generated and discharged by textile manufacturing facilities, as well as evaluating the effectiveness of pollution control practices and technologies to reduce or eliminate PFAS in discharges. The EPA will use these characterization data to estimate current pollutant mass loads and achievable load reductions for available technologies for the industry and to determine if the ELGs warrant revision. Additional objectives of the questionnaire and sampling will be to confirm the current population of textile mills, confirm which mills still use PFAS in their processes, as well as gather facility-specific information and data relevant to generation and discharge of PFAS-containing wastewater by the industry.

Confidential Business Information (CBI) may be collected. In accordance with 40 CFR part 2, subpart B, section 2.203, the survey informs respondents of their right to claim information as confidential. Each survey provides instructions for claiming confidentiality and informs respondents of the terms and rules governing the protection of CBI under the Clean Water Act and 40 CFR 2.203(b). Survey respondents are requested to mark any claimed confidential responses as CBI. EPA and its contractors will follow EAD's existing procedures to protect data labeled as CBI.

Form Numbers: None.

Respondents/affected entities: Up to 2,200 textile mills in the U.S. will receive the questionnaire and no more than 20 facilities will be asked to conduct specific wastewater sampling.

Respondent's obligation to respond: Mandatory (Clean Water Act Section 308) (citing authority).

Estimated number of respondents: Up to 2,200 (total).

Frequency of response: One-time data collection.

Total estimated respondent burden: 30,008 hours. Burden is defined at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).

Total estimated respondent cost: $1,339,982 one-time cost.