[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 80 (Friday, April 25, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23009-23011]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-09416]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
FWS-HQ-MB-2014-N269; 91400-5110-0000; 91400-9410-0000]
Multistate Conservation Grant Program; Priority List and Approval
for Conservation Projects
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of receipt of priority list and approval of projects.
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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), announce the
fiscal year 2014 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 all 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 WSFR-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
[[Page 23010]]
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, 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 Conservation
Needs, which AFWA announces annually 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 15 projects recommended for
funding by AFWA. We have awarded all of them for fiscal year 2014. The
list follows:
Multistate Conservation Grant Program
(FY 2014 projects)
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Total 2014
ID Title Submitter PR funding \1\ DJ funding \2\ grant request
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1................... Enhancing the Wildlife and Sport Fish Wildlife Management Institute...... AFWA $100,000 $200,000
Restoration Program and Industry
Relations.
2................... State Fish and Wildlife Agency Technical AFWA............................... 45,600 45,600 91,200
Workgroup for the 2016 National Survey.
3................... Coordination of the Industry, Federal and AFWA............................... 92,850 92,850 185,700
State Agency Coalition.
4................... State Fish and Wildlife Agency Director AFWA............................... 64,075 64,075 128,150
Travel Administration and Coordination.
5................... State Fish and Wildlife Agency AFWA............................... 146,880 146,880 293,760
Administration and Coordination.
6................... To Enhance State Wildlife Agencies' AFWA............................... 23,584 23,584 47,168
Authority to Manage Wildlife Resources
through Increased Understanding of
International Treaties and Conventions.
7................... Building Capacity to Assist the State Fish AFWA............................... 94,887.97 94,887.96 189,775.93
and Wildlife Agencies in Developing the
Association's 2013 Legal Strategic Plan.
8................... Increase Fishing License Buyers and Excise ASA................................ 0 243,800 243,800
Tax Receipts through State-Industry
Cooperative Research Into Churn Rates and
First Time License Buyers.
9................... Increase Hunting License Buyers and Excise NSSF............................... 508,600 0 508,600
Tax Receipts Through State-Industry
Cooperative Recruitment and Retention
Research and Testing.
10.................. Maintaining State Agency Leadership in the AFWA............................... 209,070 209,070 418,140
Management of Fish and Wildlife through
Revision/Implementation of State Wildlife
Action Plans.
11.................. National Fish Habitat Action Plan AFWA............................... 0 544,500 544,500
Implementation and Promoting Strategic
Fish Habitat Conservation through
Regionally Coordinated Science and
Collaboration.
12.................. Recruiting and Retaining Nontraditional Georgia Department of Natural 138,500 138,500 277,000
Adult Participants into Fishing and Resources/SEAFWA.
Hunting through Targeted Marketing,
Instruction, Mentoring and Social
Reinforcement.
13.................. Development and Registration of Toxicants Texas Parks and Wildlife Department 414,972 46,108 461,080
and Delivery Strategies for Controlling
Wild Hogs.
14.................. Research for and Coordination for the 2016 U.S. FWS........................... 425,391 425,391 850,782
National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and
Wildlife-Associated Recreation.
15.................. Planning and Coordination of the 2016 NSSF............................... 49,228.38 49,228.39 98,456.77
National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and
Wildlife-Associated Recreation.
2,313,638.35 2,224,474.35 4,538,112.70
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\1\ PR Funding: Pitman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration funds.
\2\ DJ Funding: Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration funds.
ASA: American Sport Fishing Association.
ATA: Archery Trade Association.
SEAFWA: Southeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.
NSSF: National Shooting Sports Foundation.
[[Page 23011]]
Dated: February 4, 2014.
Rowan W. Gould,
Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-09416 Filed 4-24-14; 8:45 am]
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