" CG TimesMartha's Vineyard" CG Times, " CG TimesMass." CG Times - Interior Secretary Gale Norton today announced that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has awarded a $247,500 Tribal Wildlife Grant to the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head for a three-year program to restore bay scallops to Menemsha Pond in Martha's Vineyard, Mass. The grant will be matched by $171,500 in cash and in-kind contributions from the Tribe, the towns of Aquinnah and Chilmark, Marine Biological Laboratory at Wood's Hole, and the Martha's Vineyard Shellfish Group.
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CG TimesThe grant is one of 28 awarded nationally to federally recognized Tribes totaling $6 million as part of the Service's Tribal Wildlife Grant Program. The Service awarded an additional $3 million to help fund projects under the Tribal Landowner Incentive Program. The two programs, initiated by the Bush Administration in 2003, are similar to other Interior Department cost-share programs to assist states, local communities, private landowners and other partners in undertaking wildlife conservation projects.
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"For most of known history, Indian cultures, religious beliefs and customs have centered on their relationship with fish and wildlife resources," Secretary Norton said today. "Im very pleased to build stronger conservation partnerships with the tribes by providing funding to help them undertake innovative conservation projects designed to conserve our shared wildlife heritage."
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"The number of grant requests coming from Indian Country was truly gratifying, far exceeding available funding," said Fish and Wildlife Service Director Steve Williams. "Still, for the first time, we are gaining a solid understanding of tribal wildlife management priorities and we hope this will make us better partners for tribes of all sizes that want to build capacity for wildlife management."
The announcement followed the signing of an executive order by President Bush highlighting federal agencies? efforts to work in partnership with states, tribes, local communities, conservation organizations, private citizens and others to accomplish the nation's conservation goals." CG Times
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CG TimesFor additional information on the Service's tribal grants programs, visit: http://www.grants.fws.gov.
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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 544 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resources offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign and Native American tribal governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies. " CG TimesPlease visit our website at: /www.fws.gov.
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