[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 65 (Wednesday, April 4, 2012)] [Notices] [Pages 20408-20409] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 2012-7998] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service [FWS-R9-MB-2011-N215; 91400-5110-0000-7B; 91400-9410-0000-7B] Multistate Conservation Grant Program; Priority List and Approval for Conservation Projects AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior. ACTION: Notice of receipt of priority list and approval of the projects. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), announce the fiscal year 2012, priority list of wildlife and sport fish conservation projects from the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA). As required by the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Programs Improvement Act of 2000, AFWA submits a list of projects to us each year to consider for funding under the Multistate Conservation Grant program. We have reviewed the list and have awarded the grants from the list. ADDRESSES: John C. Stremple, Multistate Conservation Grants Program Coordinator, Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Mail Stop MBSP-4020, Arlington, VA 22203. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John C. Stremple, at the above address, or at (703) 358-2156 (phone) or John_Stremple@fws.gov (email). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Programs Improvement Act of 2000 (Improvement Act, Pub. L. 106-408) amended the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 669 et seq.) and the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 777 et seq.) and established the Multistate Conservation Grant Program. The Improvement Act authorizes us to award grants of up to $3 million annually from funds available under each of the Restoration Acts, for a total of up to $6 million annually. Projects can be funded from both funds depending on the project activities. We may award grants to projects from a list of priority projects recommended to us by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. The FWS Director, exercising the authority of the Secretary of the Interior, need not fund all projects on the list, but all projects funded must be on the list. Grantees under this program may use funds for sport fisheries and wildlife management and research projects, boating access development, hunter safety and education, aquatic education, fish and wildlife habitat improvements, and other purposes consistent with the enabling legislation. To be eligible for funding, a project must benefit fish and/or wildlife conservation in at least 26 States, or in a majority of the States in any one FWS Region, or it must benefit a regional association of State fish and wildlife agencies. We may award grants to a State, a group of States, or one or more nongovernmental organizations. For the purpose of carrying out the National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, we may award grants to the FWS, if requested by AFWA, or to a State or a group of States. Also, AFWA requires all project proposals to address its National [[Page 20409]] Conservation Needs, which are announced annually by AFWA at the same time as its request for proposals. Further, applicants must provide certification that no activities conducted under a Multistate Conservation grant will promote or encourage opposition to regulated hunting or trapping of wildlife or to regulated angling or taking of fish. Eligible project proposals are reviewed and ranked by AFWA Committees and interested nongovernmental organizations that represent conservation organizations, sportsmen's and women's organizations, and industries that support or promote fishing, hunting, trapping, recreational shooting, bowhunting, or archery. AFWA's Committee on National Grants recommends a final list of priority projects to the directors of State fish and wildlife agencies for their approval by majority vote. By statute, AFWA then must transmit the final approved list to the FWS for funding under the Multistate Conservation Grant program by October 1 of the fiscal year. This year, we received a list of 12 recommended projects from AFWA. We recommend all of them for funding in fiscal year 2012. The list follows: Multistate Conservation Grant Program--FY 2012 Cycle Recommended Projects ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total 2012 ID Title Submitter PR funding \1\ DJ funding \2\ grant request ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12-034........ Multistate Conservation AFWA................ $145,260.00 $145,260.00 $290,520.00 Grant Program Coordination. 12-001........ Coordination of Farm Bill AFWA................ 156,600.00 52,200.00 208,800.00 Program Implementation to Optimize Fish and Wildlife Benefits to the States. 12-008........ Coordination of the AFWA................ 152,775.00 50,925.00 203,700.00 Industry, Federal and State Agency Coalition. 12-028........ State Fish and Wildlife AFWA................ 299,359.80 299,359.80 598,719.60 Agency Coordination and Administration. 12-029........ State Fish and Wildlife AFWA................ 64,075.00 64,075.00 128,150.00 Agency Director Travel Coordination and Administration. 12-010........ 2011 Economic Impacts of American 0.0 82,503.00 82,503.00 Sportfishing. Sportfishing Association. 12-022........ The Wildlife and Sport Wildlife Management 50,000.00 50,000.00 100,000.00 Fish Restoration Program Institute. 75th Anniversary. 12-011........ Investigating Factors American 92,886.15 92,886.15 185,772.30 Related to Hunting and Sportfishing Fishing License Sales Association. Increases. 12-017........ Longitudinal Evaluation of National Wild Turkey 173,172.38 173,172.38 346,344.76 Hunting, Fishing, and Federation. Shooting Recruitment/ Retention Programs. 12-033........ Organizational Development National Fish 0 100,000.00 100,000.00 Training for Fish Habitat Habitat Action Plan Partnerships to Increase Board. Capacity. 12-021........ Trailblazer Adventure U.S. Sportsman 40,000.00 40,000.00 80,000.00 Program. Alliance Foundation. 12-030........ Conserving Fish Habitat Atlantic States 0 261,440.38 261,440.38 from Whitewater to Marine Fisheries Bluewater. Commission. ----------------------------------------------- 1,174,128.33 1,411,821.71 2,585,950.04 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\ PR Funding: Pitman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration funds. \2\ DJ Funding: Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration funds. Dated: December 28, 2011. Rowan W. Gould, Acting Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. [FR Doc. 2012-7998 Filed 4-3-12; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310-55-P