10622
Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 43 / Friday, March 5, 1999 / Notices
ADDRESSES: Please send your requests
for consideration to U.S.-China
Residential Building Council, U.S.
Department of Commerce, Room 4039,
14th and Constitution Ave., NW,
Washington, D.C. 20230. You may fax
your request to (202) 482–0382.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Robert Reiley, Director, Office of Metals
Materials, and Chemicals, U.S.
Department of Commerce, Room 4039,
14th and Constitution Ave., NW,
Washington, D.C. 20230, (202) 482–0575
telephone, (202) 482–0382 fax.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Members
will serve on the Council for a two-year
term at the discretion of the Secretaries.
Members are expected to participate
fully in defining the agenda for the
Initiative and in implementing its work
programs. It is expected that individuals
chosen for the Council will attend at
least 75 percent of Council meetings
which will be held in the United States
and China.
Members are fully responsible for
travel, accommodation, and personal
expenses associated with their
participation in the Residential Building
Council. The members will serve in a
representative capacity presenting the
views and interests of the particular
business or housing sector in which
they operate.
The U.S.-China Residential Building
Council encourages the development of
a housing industry in China and
increased bilateral trade and investment
including, but not limited to, the
following:
• Implementing trade/business
development and promotion programs
including trade missions, technical
assistance, conferences, exhibits,
seminars and other events; and
• Adopting sectoral or project
oriented approaches to support China’s
residential housing reform efforts.
• Implementing housing finance,
planning, design, and building
technology seminars and technical
exchange to support reform efforts.
Selection
There are twelve available positions
on the U.S. side of the Residential
Business Council. This notice is seeking
individuals to fill all twelve positions.
The number of Council positions may
be expanded, should the need arise.
Eligibility requirements. Applicants
must:
• Be a U.S. citizen residing in the
United States or a permanent United
States resident;
• Be a CEO or other senior
management employee of a U.S.
company or association involved in the
residential housing construction,
supply, finance, or community planning
sectors;
• Not be a registered foreign agent
under the Foreign Agents Registration
Act of 1938.
In reviewing eligible applicants, the
Commerce Department, in consultation
with HUD, will consider:
• The applicant’s expertise in either
construction building materials or
housing policy and development;
• Readiness to initiate and be
responsible for the activities the Council
proposes to take on;
• An ability to contribute in light of
overall Council composition;
• Diversity of company size, type,
location, and demographics.
To be considered for membership,
please provide the following: name and
title of the individual requesting
consideration; name and address of the
company or association that the
individual will represent; the specific
product or service line; size of the
company; and export expertise and
major markets. Please also provide a
brief statement on why each candidate
should be considered for membership
on the Council; the particular segment
of the business community each
candidate would represent; a personal
resume; and a statement that the
applicant is not a registered foreign
agent under the Foreign Agents
Registration Act.
Authority: 15 U.S.C. 1512.
Dated: February 23, 1999.
Robert Reiley,
Director, Office of Metals, Materials and
Chemicals.
[FR Doc. 99–5507 Filed 3–4–99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–DR–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Office of Insular Affairs
[Docket No. 980716178–8234–02]
RIN 0625–AA53
Allocation of Duty-Exemptions for
Calendar Year 1999 Among Watch
Producers Located in the Virgin
Islands
AGENCY: Import Administration,
International Trade Administration,
Department of Commerce; Office of
Insular Affairs, Department of the
Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
SUMMARY: This action allocates 1999
duty-exemptions for watch producers
located in the Virgin Islands pursuant to
Pub. L. 97–446, as amended by Pub. L.
103–465 (‘‘the Act’’).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Faye
Robinson, (202) 482–3526.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant
to the Act, the Departments of the
Interior and Commerce (the
Departments) share responsibility for
the allocation of duty exemptions
among watch assembly firms in the
United States insular possessions and
the Northern Mariana Islands. In
accordance with Section 303.3(a) of the
regulations (15 CFR Part 303), this
action establishes the total quantity of
duty-free insular watches and watch
movements for 1999 at 3,740,000 units
and divides this amount among the
three insular possessions of the United
States and the Northern Mariana
Islands. Of this amount, 2,240,000 units
may be allocated to Virgin Islands
producers, 500,000 to Guam producers,
500,000 to American Samoa producers
and 500,000 to Northern Mariana
Islands producers (63 FR 49666).
The criteria for the calculation of the
1999 duty-exemption allocations among
insular producers are set forth in
Section 303.14 of the regulations.
The Departments have verified and
adjusted the data submitted on
application form ITA–334P by Virgin
Islands producers and inspected their
current operations in accordance with
Section 303.5 of the regulations.
In calendar year 1998 the Virgin
Islands watch assembly firms shipped
805,890 watches and watch movements
into the customs territory of the United
States under the Act. The dollar amount
of creditable corporate income taxes
paid by Virgin Islands producers during
calendar year 1998 plus the creditable
wages paid by the industry during
calendar year 1998 to residents of the
territory was $3,310,945.
There are no producers in Guam,
American Samoa or the Northern
Mariana Islands.
The calendar year 1999 Virgin Islands
annual allocations, based on the data
verified by the Departments, are as
follows:
Name of firm
Annual
allocation
Belair Quartz, Inc. .....................
500,000
Hampden Watch Co., Inc. ........
200,000
Progress Watch Co., Inc. .........
400,000
Unitime Industries, Inc. .............
500,000
Tropex, Inc. ...............................
300,000
10623
Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 43 / Friday, March 5, 1999 / Notices
Robert S. LaRussa,
Assistant Secretary for Import
Administration, Department of Commerce.
Allen Stayman,
Director, Office of Insular Affairs, Department
of the Interior.
[FR Doc. 99–5505 Filed 3–4–99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P and 4310–93–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[Docket No. 990125028–9028–01]
RIN 0648–ZA54
Aquatic Nuisance Species Research
and Outreach and Improved Methods
for Ballast Water Treatment and
Management: Request for Proposals
for FY 1999
AGENCY: National Sea Grant College
Program, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration,
Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of request for proposals.
SUMMARY: The purpose of this notice is
to advise the public that the National
Sea Grant College Program (Sea Grant)
is entertaining preliminary proposals
and subsequently full proposals for
innovative research, outreach, and
demonstration projects that address the
problems of Aquatic Nuisance Species
in U.S. coastal waters. In FY 1999 and
2000, Sea Grant expects to make
available about $2,300,000 per year to
support projects to prevent and/or
control nonindigenous species
invasions in all U.S. marine waters, the
Great Lakes, and Lake Champlain;
matching funds equivalent to a
minimum of 50% of the Federal request
must be provided. In FY 1999 only, Sea
Grant also expects to make available
about $1,000,000 to support
demonstration projects to improve
ballast water treatment and management
in Chesapeake Bay and the Great Lakes,
matching funds may also be included
for these projects, but are not required.
Successful projects will be selected
through national competitions.
DATES: Preliminary proposals must be
submitted before 5 pm (local time) on
April 5, 1999 to the nearest state Sea
Grant College Program or the National
Sea Grant Office (NSGO). After
evaluation at the NSGO, some proposers
will be encouraged to prepare full
proposals, which must be submitted
before 5 pm (local time) on May 27,
1999 to the nearest state Sea Grant
College Program or NSGO.
ADDRESSES: Investigators located in
states with Sea Grant Programs must
submit their preliminary proposals and
full proposals through those programs.
The addresses of the Sea Grant College
Program directors may be found on Sea
Grant’s home page (http://
www.mdsg.umd.edu/NSGO/index.html)
or may also be obtained by contacting
the Program Manager at the National
Sea Grant Office (see below).
Investigators from non-Sea Grant states
applying for the ‘‘Ballast Water
Treatment and Management Program,’’
only, may submit their preliminary
proposals and proposals directly to the
National Sea Grant Office at: National
Sea Grant College Program, R/SG, Attn:
Aquatic Nuisance Species Competition,
Room 11841, NOAA, 1315 East-West
Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Leon M. Cammen, Aquatic Nuisance
Species Coordinator, National Sea Grant
College Program, R/SG, NOAA, 1315
East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD
20910, or Mary Robinson, Secretary,
National Sea Grant Office, 301–713–
2435; facsimile 301–713–0799.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Program Authority
Authority: 33 U.S.C. 1121–1131.
Catalog of Federal Assistance Number:
11.417, Sea Grant Support.
II. Program Description
Background
Nonindigenous species introductions
are increasing in frequency and causing
substantial damage to the Nation’s
environment and economy. Although
the most prominent of these has been
the zebra mussel, many other
nonindigenous species have been
introduced and have truly become a
nationwide problem that threatens
many aquatic ecosystems. While some
intentional introductions may have had
beneficial effects, there are many other
nonindigenous species already present
in U.S. waters, or with the potential to
invade, that may cause significant
damage to coastal resources and the
economies that depend upon them. In
response, the Nonindigenous Aquatic
Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of
1990 (16 U.S.C. 4701 et seq.) established
a framework for the Nation to address
the problems of aquatic nuisance
species invasions of coastal and Great
Lakes ecosystems.
Although problems such as the zebra
mussel and the sea lamprey within the
Great Lakes have received the most
attention, invasions of nonindigenous
species in coastal marine environments
are an increasing and serious threat. The
National Invasive Species Act of 1996
(16 U.S.C. 4711–4714) recognized this
by calling for Federal funding to support
aquatic nuisance species prevention and
control along the Nation’s marine coast.
In addition, the Act recognized the
serious threat posed by ballast water
discharge in causing new invasions and
called for ballast water management
demonstration programs. A 1996
National Research Council study of the
ballast water problem, ‘‘Stemming the
Tide,’’ concluded that with the growth
of global shipping, and the changes in
modern shipping practices,
introductions of nonindegenous species
through ballast water discharge were
likely to remain a serious problem. The
study called for the development of
improved technology for the
management of ballast water to
eliminate this threat to the Nation’s
ecosystems. A demonstration project
testing filtration of ballast water as a
method of reducing introductions is
currently underway in the Great Lakes,
but it is acknowledged that there is
unlikely to be a single solution that is
acceptable for all modes of shipping
operations and classes of vessels.
Funding Availability and Priorities
The National Sea Grant College
Program encourages proposals that
address one of the following two
program areas:
(1) Research and Outreach to Prevent
and Control Aquatic Nuisance Species
Invasions
An interagency Ad Hoc Committee on
Exotic Species in the Great Lakes has
prepared a report entitled, ‘‘Coordinated
Program of Research for Exotic Species
in the Great Lakes.’’ Although targeted
for the Great Lakes, the report provides
a useful framework for research and
outreach on any nonindigenous species
problems and is therefore being used to
structure this more general request for
proposals covering U.S. marine waters,
the Great Lakes, and Lake Champlain.
Research and outreach proposals are
requested that address one or more of
the following program areas:
(a) Biology and Life History: Basic
biological research into population
dynamics, genetics, physiology,
behavior, and parasites and diseases of
nonindigenous species with the
potential to lead to the development of
ecologically safe, effective, and
inexpensive control. Research on the
ecological and environmental tolerances
of nonindigenous species with the
potential for prediction of eventual
geographic and ecological impacts.
(b) Effects on Ecosystems: Research on
the impacts of nonindigenous species at