[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 226 (Wednesday, November 23, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Page 84581]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-28316]


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GULF COAST ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION COUNCIL


Notice of Proposed Subaward Under a Council-Selected Restoration 
Component Award

AGENCY: Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (Council) 
publishes notice of a proposed subaward from the Texas Commission on 
Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to the Nature Conservancy (TNC), a 
nonprofit organization, for the purpose of acquiring three properties 
in the Bahia Grande Coastal Corridor in accordance with the Bahia 
Grande Coastal Corridor Implementation Award as approved in the Initial 
Funded Priority List.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please send questions by email to 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 1321(t)(2)(E)(ii)(III) of the 
RESTORE Act (33 U.S.C. 1321(t)(2)(E)(ii)(III)) and Treasury's 
implementing regulation at 31 CFR 34.401(b) require that, for purposes 
of awards made under the Council-Selected Restoration Component, a 
State or Federal award recipient may make a grant or subaward to or 
enter into a cooperative agreement with a nongovernmental entity that 
equals or exceeds 10 percent of the total amount of the award provided 
to the State or Federal award recipient only if certain notice 
requirements are met. Specifically, at least 30 days before the State 
or Federal award recipient enters into such an agreement, the Council 
must publish in the Federal Register and deliver to specified 
Congressional Committees the name of the recipient and subrecipient; a 
brief description of the activity, including its purpose; and the 
amount of the award. This notice accomplishes the Federal Register 
requirement.

Description of Proposed Action

    As specified in the Initial Funded Priority List, which is 
available on the Council's Web site at https://www.restorethegulf.gov/council-selected-restoration-component/funded-priorities-list, RESTORE 
Act funds will support the Bahia Grande Coastal Corridor Implementation 
Award (Bahia Grande Award) to TCEQ. Through this Award of $4,378,500, 
approximately 1,852 acres of land will be conserved through fee title 
acquisition from willing sellers and added to a 105,000 acre corridor 
of conservation lands that includes the Laguna Atascosa National 
Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Boca Chica State Park, and the Lower Rio Grande 
Valley NWR. Property acquisitions under the Bahia Grande Award will be 
accomplished through a subaward in the amount of $4,363,391 from TCEQ 
to TNC. Through the subaward, TNC will acquire three properties in the 
Bahia Grande Coastal Corridor, which are expected to ultimately become 
part of the Laguna Atascosa NWR. These properties will connect Laguna 
Atascosa NWR, Lower Rio Grande Valley NWR, and Boca Chica State Park, 
as well as over 2 million acres of intact habitat on private ranchland 
with the 1.3 million acre Rio Bravo Protected Area. The connection 
provided by these properties will provide additional protection for, 
and could prevent future listing of State-threatened species like the 
reddish egret, Botteri's sparrow, white-tailed hawk, white-faced ibis, 
Texas tortoise, Texas indigo snake and Texas horned lizard. Conserving 
additional portions of the Bahia Grande wetland system and portions of 
its watershed will secure valuable freshwater inflows and allow 
partners to complete hydrological restoration needed to increase tidal 
flows and divert freshwater inflows needed to fully restore this 
system.

Will D. Spoon,
Program Analyst, Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council.
[FR Doc. 2016-28316 Filed 11-22-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-58-P