2013-10002. 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 projects.

SUMMARY:

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), announce the fiscal year 2013 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 [phone] (phone) or [e-mail] (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 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 17 projects recommended for funding by AFWA. We have awarded all of them for fiscal year 2013. The list follows:

Multistate Conservation Grant Program FY 2013 Projects

ID	Title	Submitter	PR funding 1	DJ funding 2	Total 2013 grant request
1	Coordination of State Fish and Wildlife Agencies' Authority to Manage Wildlife Resources in Concert With Federal Actions Required by International Treaties and Conventions	AFWA	$93,500	$93,500	$187,000
2	State Fish and Wildlife Agency Director Travel Administration and Coordination	AFWA	64,075	64,075	128,150
3	Management Assistance Team	AFWA	772,064	772,064	1,544,128
4	Building Capabilities within State Fish and Wildlife Agencies to Engage, Recruit, and Retain New Hunters and Shooters	Council to Advance Hunting and Shooting Sports	200,906	0	200,906
5	Coordination of the Industry, Federal and State Agency Coalition	AFWA	101,850	101,850	203,700
6	Coordination of Farm Bill Program Implementation to Optimize Fish and Wildlife Benefits to the States	AFWA	203,280	203,280	406,560
7	Implementation of Strategic Tools to Evaluate, Improve, and Develop Hunter Recruitment and Retention	Wildlife Management Institute	215,600	0	215,600
8	Promoting Strategic Fish Habitat Conservation through Regionally-coordinated Science and Collaboration	AFWA	0	490,617	490,617
9	Compilation of Reservoir Habitat Restoration Best Management Practices and Expansion of Local Partnerships	Arkansas Game and Fish	0	250,000	250,000
10	Expansion and Coordination of State Agencies' Fish and Wildlife-related Recreation Initiation Programs	AFWA	112,500	112,500	225,000
11	Understanding Greater Sage-grouse Response to Wind Energy Development at a Landscape Scale	WAFWA	315,042	0	315,042
12	Explore Bowhunting: National Implementation	ATA	200,000	0	200,00
13	Enhancing Fishing Access Through a National Assessment of Recreational Boating Access	States Organization for Boating Access	0	187,996	187,996
14	Improving the Conservation of Fish and Wildlife Populations and their Habitats During Energy Exploration, Development and Transmission	AFWA	190,020	190,020	380,040
15	Exploring Data Collection and Cost Options for the National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation	ASA	160,500	150,500	321,000
16	2013—Enhancing the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program	Wildlife Management Institute	200,000	200,000	400,000
17	Trailblazer Adventure Program: Involving Youth and Families in Conservation	U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance Foundation	70,000	90,000	160,000
			$2,899,337	$2,916,402	$5,815,739
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.
WAFWA: Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.

Dated: January 14, 2013.

Dan Ashe,

Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.