Grants and cooperative agreements; availability, etc.: Mutistate Conservation Program; priority list,

[Federal Register: January 13, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 8)]

[Notices]

[Page 1627-1628]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr13ja03-66]

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Multistate Conservation Grant Program; Priority List for Conservation Projects.

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of receipt of priority list.

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, are publishing, in this document, the priority list submitted by the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies for the Multistate Conservation Grant Program. This notice is required by the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Programs Improvement Act of 2000. Grants may be made from this priority list.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chris McKay, National Grants Manager, Division of Federal Aid, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Mail Stop MBSP-4020, Arlington, Virginia 22203; phone (703) 358-2156; or e-mail chris_mckay@fws.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Programs Improvement Act of 2000 (Pub. L. 106-408) (Improvement Act) established a Multistate Conservation Grant Program within the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 669-669k) and Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 777-777m) (Restoration Acts). The Improvement Act authorizes 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. Grants may be made from a priority list of projects submitted by the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (IAFWA), which represent the State fish and wildlife agencies. The Service Director, exercising the authority of the Secretary, need not fund all recommended projects, but may not fund projects that are not recommended.

To be eligible for consideration by the IAFWA, a project must benefit fish and/or wildlife conservation in at least 26 States, a majority of the States in a Fish and Wildlife Service Region, or a regional association of State fish and wildlife agencies. Grants may be made to a State or group of States, to non-governmental organizations, and, for the purpose of carrying out the National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The priority list of projects submitted by the IAFWA follows:

Wildlife Sport fish Project title

Applicant funds (in funds (in dollars) dollars)

Wildlife Values in the West.. Western

223,961 223,961 Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA). Step Outside................. National

92,600 92,600 Shooting Sports Foundation. Becoming an Outdoors Woman... University of

93,050 93,050 Wisconsin--Ste vens Point. Women in the Outdoors........ National Wild

77,500 77,500 Turkey Federation. The Trailblazer Adventure U.S.

80,000 80,000 Program.

Sportsmen's Alliance Foundation. Automated Wildlife Data

IAFWA Automated 81,840 81,840 Systems Program Coordination. Wildlife Data Systems Task Force. Provide Adaptive Equipment to Paralyzed

44,000 State Fish & Game

Veterans of Departments to Assist

America. Physically Challenged Individuals in Traditional Outdoor Activities. Measuring Public Opinion of Northeast

175,000 175,000 Fish and Wildlife Agencies Conservation in 13 Northeast States.

Information & Education Association. Continued Support for State Future

51,500 ``Hooked on Fishing--Not on Fisherman Drugs'' Programs.

Foundation.

[[Page 1628]]

``The Northern Bobwhite

Tennessee

225,000 Conservation Initiative: Wildlife Moving the Plan Forward''. Resources Agency. Chronic Wasting Disease

IAFWA Wildlife 357,500 Prevention and Management Health Task Planning.

Force. Fish & Wildlife Reference KRA Corporation 249,779 249,779 Service: Managing and Providing Information to State Wildlife and Natural Resources Agencies. * Evaluation of the Fish and Virginia

20,356 20,356 Wildlife Reference Service. Polytechnic Institute & State University. Data Management Support for Virginia

92,154 the Chronic Wasting Disease Polytechnic Initiative.

Institute & State University. Unwanted Aquatic Species: A IAFWA Fisheries

391,840 Two-Year Project to Address & Water State, Regional and National Resources Aquatic Invasive Species Policy Issues.

Committee. Conservation Communication IAFWA

114,000 114,000 Team.

Education, Outreach & Diversity Committee and Point to Point Communications. National 4-H Sportfishing National 4-H

150,623 Initiative.

Sportfishing Committee of the Texas 4-H Youth Development Foundation. Creating Master Naturalist Texas Parks &

97,325 97,325 programs.

Wildlife Department. National Housing Incident International

66,800 Clearinghouse.

Hunter Education Association. Wildlife Law News Weekly Center for

40,500 40,500 Alert and Online Services. Wildlife Law at the University of New Mexico Institute of Public Law. Management Assistance Team... IAFWA.......... 408,272 408,272 Sage Grouse Data Management: WAFWA Sage

27,800 Making States' Data

Grouse and Available to Conservation Columbian Planning Teams.

Sharp-tailed Grouse Technical Committee. Bird Conservation for the IAFWA Bird

214,520 Nation: Support for State Conservation All-Bird Conservation

Committee. Efforts. Assessing Ownership, Use and IAFWA Furbearer 118,800 Modifications of Trapping Resources Task Systems, and Familiarity of Force; Trapping BMPs by Trappers in Education, the United States.

Outreach & Diversity Committee; and Wildlife Resources Policy Committee. Development of a Detailed IAFWA National 125,000 125,000 National Conservation Need Grants for a National Fishing,

Committee. Hunting, and Wildlife- Associated Recreation Survey.

* Denotes project submitted pending a final decision of the IAFWA Executive Committee, which is expected December 13, 2002.

The total cost of the proposed Wildlife Restoration projects is more than the amount allocated by Congress for this program. If we were to fund all of these projects, funds allocated, but not spent, from Fiscal Year (FY) 2002 would be used to make up the difference for FY 2003. The rest of the funding would come from FY 2004 and FY 2005 allocations because six of these projects are multi-year projects.

We expect to decide by January 10, 2003, which of the listed projects will be awarded a FY 2003 Multistate Conservation Grant. We will also publish the list of the awards in the Federal Register immediately afterwards.

Dated: November 27, 2002. Steve Williams, Director.

[FR Doc. 03-565 Filed 1-10-03; 8:45 am]

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