2011-53. Multistate Conservation Grant Program; Priority List 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 FY 2011 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 will award the grants from the list.

ADDRESSES:

John C. Stremple, Multistate Conservation Grants Program Coordinator, Division of Federal Assistance, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Mail Stop MBSP-4020, Arlington, VA 22203.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

John C. Stremple, [phone] (phone) or [e-mail] (e-mail).

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. We may award grants from a list of priority projects recommended to us by AFWA. 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 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 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.

This year, we received a list of 12 recommended projects. We recommend them for funding in 2011. AFWA's recommended list follows:

MSCGP 2011 Cycle Recommended Projects

ID	Title	Submitter	WR request	SFR request	Total 2011 grant request
11-014	Coordination of Farm Bill Program Implementation to Optimize Fish & Wildlife Benefits to the States	AFWA	$82,962.00	$82,962.00	$165,924.00
11-058	State Fish and Wildlife Agency Director Travel Coordination and Administration	AFWA	83,325.00	83,325.00	166,650.00
11-060	Assessing Agency Capacities to Manage Fish and Wildlife Health	Cornell University	90,042.00	90,042.00	180,085.00
11-063	National Fish Habitat Board Action Plan Implementation	AFWA	0	240,000.00	240,000.00
11-026	Coordination of the Industry, Federal and State Agency Coalition	AFWA	90,600.00	90,600.00	181,200.00
11-001	Review and Assessment of Bioenergy Provisions in the 2008 Farm Bill	AFWA	46,200.00	46,200.00	92,400.00
11-071	Management Assistance Team	AFWA	487,923.00	487,923.00	975,846.00
11-015	Economic and other Benefits of State Public Access Programs and Implementation of the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program	AFWA	85,525.00	85,525.00	171,050.00
11-069	Operation of the Reservoir Fisheries Habitat Partnership	Arkansas Game & Fish	0	296,000.00	296,000.00
11-023	Trailblazer Adventure Program: Involving Youth and Families in Conservation	U.S. Sportsman Alliance Foundation	160,000.00	0	160,000.00
11-009	Expanding Western Farm Bill Conservation Program Delivery through Biologist Partnerships	Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever	180,000.00	20,000.00	200,000.00
11-025	Conservation Leaders for Tomorrow Professional Development Project	WMI	261,000.00	0	261,000.00
Total			1,522,577.00	1,567,577.00	3,090,154.00

Dated: October 28, 2010.

Rowan W. Gould,

Acting Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.