[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 173 (Wednesday, September 8, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54591-54592]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-22244]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Marketing Service
[Doc. No. AMS-NOP-10-0065; NOP-10-06]
Notice of Agricultural Management Assistance Organic
Certification Cost-Share Program
AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of Funds Availability. Inviting Applications for the
Agricultural Management Assistance Organic Certification Cost-Share
Program.
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SUMMARY: This Notice invites the following eligible States:
Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada,
New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah,
Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming, 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 Organic Certification Cost-Share Funds. The AMS has
allocated $1.495 million for this organic certification cost-share
program in Fiscal Year 2010. Funds are available under this program to
16 designated States to provide cost-share assistance to organic crop
and livestock producers certified under the National Organic Program
(NOP). Eligible States interested in obtaining cost-share funds for
their organic producers will have to submit an Application for Federal
[[Page 54592]]
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 close of business, 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/TMP/NOP, Room 2640-
South, Ag Stop 0268, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC
20250-0264; 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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Betsy Rakola, Grants Management
Specialist, National Organic Program, USDA/AMS/TM/NOP, Room 2640-South,
Ag Stop 0268, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-0268;
Telephone: (202) 720-3252.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This Organic Certification Cost-Share
Program is part of the Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) Program
authorized under the Federal Crop Insurance Act (FCIA), as amended, (7
U.S.C. 1524). Under the applicable FCIA provisions, the Department is
authorized to provide cost-share assistance to organic 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.
The AMS has allocated $1.495 million for this organic certification
cost-share program in Fiscal Year 2010. This organic certification
cost-share program provides financial assistance to organic producers
certified to the NOP authorized under the Organic Foods Production Act
of 1990, as amended (7 U.S.C. 6501 et seq.). This program is in
addition to and separate from the National Organic Certification Cost-
Share Program which is also administered by AMS and is open to all
States and U.S. Territories.
To participate in the program, eligible 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 crop and livestock producers receiving
certification or continuation of certification by a USDA accredited
certifying agent commencing October 1, 2010, through September 30,
2011. The Department has determined that payments will be limited to 75
percent of an individual producer's certification costs up to a maximum
of $750.00.
To receive cost-share assistance, organic producers 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. Assistance provided to eligible producers under
this cost-share program is included under the Agricultural Management
Assistance (AMA) Program. Total amount of cost-share payments provided
to any eligible producer under all AMA programs cannot exceed $50,000.
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 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 AMA 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 AMA 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. 1524.
Dated: September 1, 2010.
Rayne Pegg,
Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-22244 Filed 9-7-10; 8:45 am]
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