[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 31 (Wednesday, February 16, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7959-7961]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-2929]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Fiscal Year 2005 Landowner Incentive Program (Non-Tribal Portion) 
for States, Territories, and the District of Columbia

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION:  Notice of request for proposals.

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SUMMARY: The Service is requesting proposals at this time under the 
Landowner Incentive Program (LIP) for conservation grants to States, 
the District of Columbia, and the territories of Puerto Rico, Guam, the 
United States Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, and 
American Samoa (all hereafter referred to collectively as States), and 
Tribes. The Service will address will address the Tribal component of 
LIP under a separate Federal Register notice.

DATES: The Service must receive your grant proposal no later than April 
18, 2005.

ADDRESSES: All parts of the grant proposal must be received prior to 
the deadline. We will not accept facsimile grant proposals. States are 
required to submit their proposals in two formats: electronic (e.g., 
Word, Word Perfect or PDF files) and hard copy. Electronic files must 
be sent to Kim Galvan at [email protected]. In addition, hard copy 
grant proposals must be hand-delivered, couriered, or mailed to the 
Service's Division of Federal Assistance at one of the addresses listed 
in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kim Galvan or Genevieve Pullis 
LaRouche, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Federal 
Assistance, 4401 North Fairfax Drive--Mailstop MBSP 4020, Arlington, VA 
22203-1610; telephone, 703-358-2420; e-mail, [email protected] or 
Genevieve [email protected]. Alternatively, you may contact any of the 
individuals identified under the Regional Office

[[Page 7960]]

Addresses in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Service will award grants on a 
competitive basis to State fish and wildlife agency programs that 
enhance, protect, or restore habitats that benefit federally listed, 
proposed, or candidate species, or other at-risk species on private 
lands. A copy of the FY 2005 LIP Guidelines can be obtained at http://federalaid.fws.gov/lip/lipguidelines.html or from the Regional Offices 
listed in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section.
    The Service will distribute any LIP funds made available in the FY 
2005 budget in the same manner as that described in this notice. The 
Service requests that the States number the pages in their proposals 
and limit each proposal to no more than 50 pages, inclusive of 
attachments.
    Background Information: Earlier this year, we invited comments from 
the States regarding proposal ranking criteria the Service uses in 
evaluating Tier-2 grants for LIP. Based on these comments and our 
experience operating this program for 3 years, we made some changes to 
Grant Proposal National Review Team Subcriteria Guidance. It is our 
hope that these changes will provide greater clarity to the selection 
criteria and improve the overall fairness of the approval process. The 
following is a copy of the new Guidance.

Grant Proposal Review Team Ranking Criteria Guidance

Tier-2 Grant Proposals

Review and Scoring Based on Criteria
    (a) Proposal provides clear and sufficient detail to describe the 
program. States are encouraged to describe any projects that are part 
of a broader scale conservation effort at the State or regional level 
(10 points total).
     Proposal is easy to understand and contains all elements 
described in 522 FW 1.3C (0-2 pts).
     The objectives are clearly stated and have quantifiable 
outcomes (0-2 pts).
     Proposal clearly describes the types of conservation 
projects and/or activities eligible for funding (0-2 pts).
     Proposal clearly describes how conservation project and/or 
activities will implement portions of conservation plans on a local, 
State, regional, or national scale (0-2 pts).
     Proposal describes how species and habitats will be 
monitored and evaluated to determine effectiveness of LIP-sponsored 
activities (0-2 pts).
    (b) Proposal describes adequate management systems for fiscal, 
contractual, and performance accountability, including annual 
monitoring and evaluation of progress toward desired program objectives 
and performance measures and goals identified in the ``expected results 
or benefits'' section of the grant application (7 points total).
     Fiscal accountability process are clearly described (0-2 
pts).
     Contractual accountability standards and processes are 
clearly described (0-2 pts).
     Monitoring process that will ensure accurate and timely 
evaluation of program performance are clearly described (0-3 pts).
    (c) Proposal describes the State's fair and equitable system for 
fund distribution (10 points total).
     System described is inherently fair and free from bias (0-
3) pts.
     Proposal describes State's ranking criteria and process of 
selecting projects (0-3 pts).
     States' ranking criteria are adequate to prioritize 
projects based on conservation priorities identified in proposal (0-2 
pts).
     Project proposals will be (or were) subject to an 
objective ranking procedure (diverse ranking panel, computerized 
ranking model, etc.) (0-2 pts).
    (d) Proposal describes outreach efforts to effect broad public 
awareness, support, and participation (2 points total). LIP outreach 
efforts funded with Tier-1 grants or other funding sources can be 
described.
    (e) Proposal describes by name the species-at-risk to benefit from 
the proposal and how the described activities would benefit each 
species (10 points total).

0 points if no species are identified,
5 points if 1-5 species are identified,
6 points for 6 species,
7 points for 7 species,
8 points for 8 species,
9 points for 9 species, or
10 points for 10 or more species.


    Note: Assign fewer points if a proposal merely has a long list 
attached versus one that talks about what will be done for each 
species and its habitat on private lands if the proposal is funded.)


    (f) Proposal describes the percentage of the State's total LIP 
Tier-2 program funds identified for use on private lands as opposed to 
staff and related administrative support (4 points total).

0 points if this is not addressed or admin is >35%,
1 point if admin is 25 to 35%,
2 points if admin is 15 to 25%,
3 points if admin is 5 to 15%,
4 points if admin is 0 to 5%.

    ``Use on private lands'' includes all costs directly related to 
implementing on-the-ground projects with LIP funds. Activities 
considered project use include technical guidance to landowner 
applicants; habitat restoration, enhancement, or management; purchase 
of conservation easements (including costs for appraisals, land survey, 
legal review, etc.); biological monitoring of Tier-2 project sites; and 
performance monitoring of Tier-2 projects. Staffing costs should be 
included in this category only when the staff-time will directly relate 
to implementation of a Tier-2 project. Standard Indirect rates 
negotiated between the State and Federal Government should also be 
included under Project Use.
    ``Staff and related administrative support'' includes all costs 
related to administration of LIP. Activities considered administrative 
included outreach (presentations, development, or printing of 
brochures, etc.); planning; research; administrative staff support; 
staff supervision; and overhead charged by subgrantees (unless the rate 
is an approved negotiated rate for Federal grants.)
    (g) Proposal identifies the percentage of nonfederal cost sharing 
(3 points total).
    (Note: I.T. = Insular Territories)

0 points if nonfederal cost share is 25%,
1 point if nonfederal cost share is >25% to 50% (>0 to 25% I.T.),
2 points if nonfederal cost share is >50% to 75% (>25 to 50% I.T.), or
3 points if nonfederal cost share is >75% nonfed share (>50% I.T.).

    (h) Proposal demonstrates the urgency of the conservation actions, 
and the short- and long-term benefits to be gained (10 points total).
     Proposal shows no, low, medium, or high urgency of need 
for identified at-risk species (0-3 pts).
     Proposal shows no or some short-term benefits to be 
achieved (0-1 pt).
     Proposal shows no or some long-term benefits to be 
achieved (0-1 pt).
     Proposal describes discrete, obtainable, and quantifiable 
performance measures to be accomplished (for example, the number of 
acres of wetlands or stream miles to be restored, or number of at-risk 
species whose status within the State will be improved) (0-2 pts).
     Proposal, taken as a whole, demonstrates that the State 
can implement a LIP that has a high likelihood for success in 
conserving at-risk species on private lands (0-3 pts).
    (i) Has applicant received Tier-2 grant funds previously? (5 points 
total)
    (1) 0 points, if State has received Tier 2-funds previously, or

[[Page 7961]]

    (2) If State has not received Tier-2 funds previously:

1 point if State has not applied for Tier-2 funds previously,
3 points if State has applied one of two previous years,
5 points if State has applied both previous years.
Total Score Possible = 61 points
Total Score ------

    Regional Office Addresses: Hard copy grant proposals must be hand-
delivered, couriered, or mailed to the Service's Division of Federal 
Assistance at the following locations:
Region 1. California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, 
American Samoa, Guam, and Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
    Regional Director, Division of Federal Assistance, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, 911 NE., 11th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97232-4181. 
LIP Contact: Verlyn Ebert, (503) 231-6128; [email protected].
Region 2. Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas
    Regional Director, Division of Federal Assistance, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, 500 Gold Avenue SW, Suite 9019, PO Box 1306, 
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87103-1306, LIP Contact: Bob Anderson, (505) 
248-7459; [email protected].
Region 3. Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, 
and Wisconsin
    Regional Director, Division of Federal Assistance, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, One Federal 
Drive, Fort Snelling, Minnesota 55111-4056. LIP Contact: Lucinda 
Corcoran, (612) 713-5135; [email protected].
Region 4. Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, 
Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Puerto Rico, 
and the U.S. Virgin Islands
    Regional Director, Division of Federal Assistance, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, 1875 Century Boulevard, Suite 200, Atlanta, Georgia 
30345. LIP Contact: Christine Willis, (404) 679-4154; [email protected].
Region 5. Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, 
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode 
Island, Vermont, Virgina, and West Virginia
    Regional Director, Division of Federal Assistance, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, 300 Westgate Center Drive, Hadley MA 01035-9589. LIP 
Contact: Colleen Sculley, (413) 253-8509; [email protected].
Region 6. Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South 
Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming
    Regional Director, Division of Federal Assistance, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 25486, Denver Federal Center, Denver, 
Colorado 80225-0486. LIP Contact: Otto Jose, (303) 236-8156 ext. 236; 
[email protected].
Region 7. Alaska
    Regional Director, Division of Federal Assistance, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, 1011 East Tudor Road, Anchorage, Alaska 99503-6199. 
LIP Contact: Nancy Tankersley, (907) 786-3545; [email protected].

    Dated: February 4, 2005.
Kris LaMontagne,
Acting Assistant Director.
[FR Doc. 05-2929 Filed 2-15-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-SS-M