[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 173 (Wednesday, September 8, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54590-54591]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-22243]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Marketing Service
[Doc. No. AMS-NOP-10-0066; NOP-10-07]
Notice of 2010 National Organic Certification Cost-Share Program
AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of Funds Availability. Inviting Applications for the
National Organic Certification Cost-Share Program.
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SUMMARY: This Notice invites all States of the United States of
America, its territories, the District of Columbia, and the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, (collectively hereinafter called States)
to submit an Application for Federal Assistance (Standard Form 424),
and to enter into a cooperative agreement with the Agricultural
Marketing Service (AMS) for the allocation of National Organic
Certification Cost-Share Funds. The AMS has allocated $22.0 million for
this organic certification cost-share program commencing in Fiscal Year
2008, and these funds will be annually allocated to States through
cooperative agreements until exhausted. Funds are available under this
program to States interested in providing cost-share assistance to
organic producers and handlers certified under the National Organic
Program (NOP). States interested in obtaining cost-share funds must
submit an Application for Federal Assistance and enter into a
cooperative agreement with AMS for allocation of funds.
DATES: Completed applications for Federal assistance along with signed
cooperative agreements must be received by September 24, 2010.
ADDRESSES: Applications for Federal assistance and cooperative
agreements shall be submitted to: Betsy Rakola, Grants Management
Specialist, National Organic Program, USDA/AMS/NOP, Room 2640-South, Ag
Stop 0268, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-0268;
Telephone: (202) 720-3252. Additional information can be found under
``Organic Cost Share Program'' on the National Organic Program's
homepage at http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop.
[[Page 54591]]
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Betsy Rakola, Grants Management
Specialist, National Organic Program, USDA/AMS/NOP, Room 2646-South, Ag
Stop 0268, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-0268;
Telephone: (202) 720-3252.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This National Organic Certification Cost-
Share Program is authorized under 7 U.S.C. 6523, as amended by section
10301 of the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 (Act). The Act
authorizes the Department to provide certification cost-share
assistance to producers and handlers of organic agricultural products
in all States. Beginning in Fiscal Year 2008, the AMS has allocated $22
million for this program to be distributed through cooperative
agreements to interested States, until such funding has been exhausted.
The Program provides financial assistance to organic producers and
handlers certified to the NOP. The NOP is authorized under the Organic
Foods Production Act of 1990, as amended (7 U.S.C. 6501 et seq.).
To participate in the program, interested States, through their
State Department of Agriculture, must complete an Application for
Federal Assistance (Standard Form 424) and enter into a written
cooperative agreement with AMS. State Department of Agriculture refers
to agencies, commissions, or departments of State government
responsible for implementing regulation, policy or programs on
agriculture within their State. The program will provide cost-share
assistance, through participating States, to organic producers and
handlers receiving certification or continuation of certification by a
USDA accredited certifying agent commencing October 1, 2010, through
September 30, 2011. Under the Act, cost-share assistance payments are
limited to 75 percent of an individual producer's or handler's
certification costs up to a maximum of $750.00 per year.
To receive cost-share assistance, organic producers and handlers
must submit an application to the representative Agency of the State in
which their farm/operation is located. This application must include:
(1) Proof of NOP certification issued or continued within the cost-
share qualifying period, October 1, 2010, through September 30, 2011,
and; (2) an itemized invoice demonstrating costs incurred for NOP
certification. Costs incurred for non-certification activities, such
as, membership associations or farm/operation inputs are not eligible
for assistance through this program.
However, for producers in the states of Connecticut, Delaware,
Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New
Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, West
Virginia, and Wyoming cost-share funding is available to these states,
through their State Department of Agriculture, under the Agricultural
Management Assistance (AMA) Organic Certification Cost-Share Program
authorized under Section 1524 of the Federal Crop Insurance Act, as
amended (7 U.S.C. 1501-1524). As provided in a notice of Funds
Availability published in the Federal Register completed applications
for the AMA Federal assistance program, along with signed cooperative
agreements must be received by close of business, September 24, 2010.
Information on the AMA program can be found under ``Organic Cost Share
Program'' on the NOP's homepage at http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop.
How to Submit Applications: To receive fund allocations to provide
cost-share assistance, a State Department of Agriculture must complete
an Application for Federal Assistance (Standard Form 424), and enter
into a written cooperative agreement with AMS. AMS encourages
interested States to submit the Application for Federal Assistance
(Standard Form 424), electronically via Grants.gov, the Federal grants
Web site, http://www.grants.gov. Applications submitted electronically
via Grants.gov must be filed by September 24, 2010. A hardcopy of
Standard Form 424 bearing an original signature is not required when
applying through http://www.grants.gov. However, the cooperative
agreement must have the original signature of the official who has
authority to apply for Federal assistance. The signed cooperative
agreement must be sent by express mail or courier service and received
at the above address by September 24, 2010. States considering
submitting electronic application forms should become familiar with the
Grants.gov Web site and begin the application process well in advance
of the application deadline. For information on how to apply
electronically, please consult http://www.grants.gov/GetRegistered.
State Agencies submitting hard copy applications should submit a
signed copy of Standard Form 424 and a signed copy of the cooperative
agreement the application package to AMS at the address listed above.
The Standard Form 424 and the cooperative agreement must have the
original signature of the official who has authority to apply for
Federal assistance. Hard copy applications should be sent only via
express mail or courier service and must be received at the above
address by September 24, 2010.
The National Organic Certification Cost-share Program is listed in
the ``Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance'' under number 10.163 and
subject agencies must adhere to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of
1964, which bars discrimination in all Federally-assisted programs.
Additional information on the National Organic Certification Cost-share
Program can be found under ``Organic Cost Share Program'' on the NOP's
homepage at http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 6523.
Dated: September 1, 2010.
Rayne Pegg,
Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-22243 Filed 9-7-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P