[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 82 (Monday, April 29, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25093-25094]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-10002]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-HQ-MB-2012-N287; 91400-5110-0000; 91400-9410-0000]


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.

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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 (703) 358-2156 (phone) or [email protected] 
(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:

[[Page 25094]]



                             Multistate Conservation Grant Program FY 2013 Projects
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                                                                                                    Total 2013
    ID                    Title                   Submitter      PR funding \1\  DJ funding \2\   grant request
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.........  Coordination of State Fish and    AFWA.............         $93,500         $93,500         $187,000
             Wildlife Agencies' Authority to
             Manage Wildlife Resources in
             Concert With Federal Actions
             Required by International
             Treaties and Conventions.
2.........  State Fish and Wildlife Agency    AFWA.............          64,075          64,075          128,150
             Director Travel Administration
             and Coordination.
3.........  Management Assistance Team......  AFWA.............         772,064         772,064        1,544,128
4.........  Building Capabilities within      Council to                200,906               0          200,906
             State Fish and Wildlife           Advance Hunting
             Agencies to Engage, Recruit,      and Shooting
             and Retain New Hunters and        Sports.
             Shooters.
5.........  Coordination of the Industry,     AFWA.............         101,850         101,850          203,700
             Federal and State Agency
             Coalition.
6.........  Coordination of Farm Bill         AFWA.............         203,280         203,280          406,560
             Program Implementation to
             Optimize Fish and Wildlife
             Benefits to the States.
7.........  Implementation of Strategic       Wildlife                  215,600               0          215,600
             Tools to Evaluate, Improve, and   Management
             Develop Hunter Recruitment and    Institute.
             Retention.
8.........  Promoting Strategic Fish Habitat  AFWA.............               0         490,617          490,617
             Conservation through Regionally-
             coordinated Science and
             Collaboration.
9.........  Compilation of Reservoir Habitat  Arkansas Game and               0         250,000          250,000
             Restoration Best Management       Fish.
             Practices and Expansion of
             Local Partnerships.
10........  Expansion and Coordination of     AFWA.............         112,500         112,500          225,000
             State Agencies' Fish and
             Wildlife-related Recreation
             Initiation Programs.
11........  Understanding Greater Sage-       WAFWA............         315,042               0          315,042
             grouse Response to Wind Energy
             Development at a Landscape
             Scale.
12........  Explore Bowhunting: National      ATA..............         200,000               0           200,00
             Implementation.
13........  Enhancing Fishing Access Through  States                          0         187,996          187,996
             a National Assessment of          Organization for
             Recreational Boating Access.      Boating Access.
14........  Improving the Conservation of     AFWA.............         190,020         190,020          380,040
             Fish and Wildlife Populations
             and their Habitats During
             Energy Exploration, Development
             and Transmission.
15........  Exploring Data Collection and     ASA..............         160,500         150,500          321,000
             Cost Options for the National
             Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and
             Wildlife-Associated Recreation.
16........  2013--Enhancing the Wildlife and  Wildlife                  200,000         200,000          400,000
             Sport Fish Restoration Program.   Management
                                               Institute.
17........  Trailblazer Adventure Program:    U.S. Sportsmen's           70,000          90,000          160,000
             Involving Youth and Families in   Alliance
             Conservation.                     Foundation.
                                                                ------------------------------------------------
            ................................                         $2,899,337      $2,916,402       $5,815,739
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\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.
[FR Doc. 2013-10002 Filed 4-26-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P