[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 8 (Monday, January 13, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1627-1628]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-565]


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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.

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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 [email protected].

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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