Title 50—Wildlife and Fisheries--Volume 1
PART 82—ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES FOR GRANTS-IN-AID (MARINE MAMMAL PROTECTION ACT OF 1972)
§ 82.1   Scope of regulations.
The regulations in this part are issued, pursuant to the authority of the Secretary in section 1380 of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, 16 U.S.C. 1361-1407 (Supp. II 1972), to provide procedures for the submission and review of applications and the award and administration of research grants, or other forms of financial assistance, to Federal or state agencies, public or private institutions, or other persons including any foreign governments for research relevant to the protection and conservation of marine mammals.
§ 82.2   Purpose of regulations.
The Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 (Pub. L. 92-552) authorizes appropriations, and confers authority upon the Secretary, subject to such terms and conditions as he deems necessary, and after review by the Marine Mammal Commission, to make grants, or provide other forms of financial assistance, for the purpose of undertaking research relevant to the protection and conservation of marine mammals. Research initiated pursuant to this authorization is to be directed toward increasing the available knowledge of the ecology and population dynamics of marine mammals and of the factors which bear upon their ability to reproduce themselves successfully, which information may be used for the purposes of increasing and maintaining the number of animals within species and populations of marine mammals at the optimum carrying capacity of their habitat.
§ 82.3   Supplementary information and procedures.
The regulations in this part are intended to provide for the maximum flexiblity and simplicity in the application and award of grants or other financial assistance and the minimum amount of Federal control in the conduct of the research and supervision of Federal funds, consistent with the anticipated level of appropriated funds and demand for such funds. With respect to grants to state or local governments these regulations are intended to implement and be read as consistent with Federal Management Circular 74-7, “Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants-in-Aid to State and Local Governments,” (FMC 74-7) 34 CFR part 256, 39 FR 35787-35796, October 4, 1974, unless specifically noted otherwise. The standards and procedures set forth therein, and other referenced Federal management circulars, will, to the extent practical, govern other forms of financial assistance to state and local governments, public and private institutions and persons as well as grants to such institutions and persons. Other Federal regulations and sources of guidance potential applicants may find worthwhile to consult for information which may be helpful in applying and implementing research grants or other financial assistance under these regulations include: 34 CFR part 211, Cost Sharing on Federal Research (FMC 73-3); 34 CFR part 251, Audit of Federal Operations and Programs by Executive Branch Agencies, superseding OMB Circular No. A-73, dated August 4, 1965; 34 CFR part 252, Coordinating Indirect Cost Rates and Audit at Educational Institutions, (FMC 73-6); 34 CFR part 253, Administration of College and University Grants (FMC 73-7); 34 CFR part 254, Cost Principles for Educational Institutions (FMC 73-8); FMC 74-4, Cost Principles under Grants to State and Local Governments.
§ 82.4   Authority.
The Secretary of the Interior has delegated to the Director, Fish and Wildlife Service, his authority under the Marine Mammal Protection Act to enter into grants or other forms of financial assistance for research relevant to the protection and conservation of marine mammals covered by the Act excluding the order Cetacea and members, other than walruses, of the order Pinnipedia.
§ 82.5   Definitions.
As used in this part, terms shall have the meanings ascribed in this section.
(a) Act means the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, 16 U.S.C. 1361-1407.
(b) Cooperative Agreement means the properly signed documentation, including the Application for Federal Assistance, which describes the project goals, the time schedule for achieving them, the estimated expenses to be incurred and the terms and conditions under which the research will be conducted, the totality of which constitutes the legally binding instrument between the Secretary and the grantee.
(c) Grantee means (1) any private person or entity, or (2) any officer, employee, agent, department, or instrumentality of the Federal Government, or any state or political subdivision thereof or any foreign government, participating in a cooperative agreement with the Secretary.
(d) Marine Mammal means any specimen of the following species, whether alive or dead, or any part thereof, including but not limited to, any raw, dressed, or dyed fur or skin:
Note: Common names given may be at variance with local usage; they are not required to be provided by the Act, and they have no legal significance.
(e) Non-Federal interest means any organization, association, institution, business, school, individual or group of individuals, state agency, municipality, or others outside the Federal Government which desires to participate within the terms of the Act.
(f) Project means any program for which an Application for Federal Assistance and a cooperative agreement have been approved and which provides for research in subjects which are relevant to the protection and conservation of marine mammals.
(g) Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior or his delegated representative.
(h) State means the several states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Canal Zone, the possessions of the United States, and the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands.
(i) State agency means any department(s), commission(s), or officials(s), of a state empowered under its laws to administer the state program for marine mammals.
§ 82.6   Submission of proposals.
(a) Preapplication forms may be submitted by any potential grantee in order to (1) establish communication between the Fish and Wildlife Service and the applicant; (2) to determine the applicant's eligibility; (3) determine how well the project can compete with applications from others; and (4) eliminate any proposals which have little or no chance for Federal funding before the applicant incurs significant expenditures for preparing an application. A notice of review action will be sent to the applicant within 45 days of the receipt of the preapplication form informing the applicant of the results of the review of the preapplication form. If the review cannot be completed within 45 days, the applicant will be informed by letter as to when the review will be completed.
(b) An Application for Federal Assistance for non-construction shall be submitted by all applicants for grants, however, an Application for Federal Assistance—Short Form may be utilized for single purpose and one-time grant applications for less than $10,000 not requiring clearing house approval, an environmental impact statement, or the relocation of persons, businesses, or farms.
(c) Copies of the applications described in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section may be obtained from the Federal Aid Coordinator, State Fish and Game Agency, and the Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife (Attention: Division of Cooperative Research), Washington, DC 20240. An original and two copies of the appropriate application forms should be submitted to the Director at this address. In order to allow sufficient time for processing, the Federal Assistance Application must be submitted by September 1 of the year preceding the fiscal year in which the research is contemplated. Any requests by grantees for changes, continuations, and supplements to approved grants must be submitted on the same form as the original application.
§ 82.7   Coordination with States.
If the proposed project is to be conducted within the territorial limits of a state, the Secretary shall not enter into an agreement with a non-Federal interest other than a State without first consulting with the State agency.
§ 82.8   Prosecution of work.
(a) The grantee shall pursue the agreed-upon objectives expeditiously, adhering to the procedures set forth in the Cooperative Agreement. Failure to do so or failure to provide timely and adequate reports shall be cause for the Secretary to withhold further reimbursements to the grantee until project commitments are satisfactorily met. All further disbursement of funds under the cooperative agreement may be terminated upon determination by the Secretary that satisfactory progress has not been maintained.
(b) All work shall be performed in accordance with applicable Federal, state, and local laws, including safety, health and sanitation laws, except that when state and local laws are in conflict with Federal laws or regulations, such Federal laws or regulations shall prevail.
§ 82.9   General information for the Secretary.
Before any Federal funds may be obligated for any project the grantee shall furnish to the Director such information regarding the authority of the grantee to participate in the benefits of the Act, such information of the type described in FMC 74-7 Attachment G, concerning the system to be used by the grantee for the financial management of grant funds, the state laws affecting marine mammals, and such other information as the Director may request.
(a) Document signature. The Application for Federal Assistance and the Cooperative Agreement must bear the signature of an official who is legally authorized to commit the prospective grantee to expediture of funds. The Secretary may, from time to time, request, and grantee shall furnish, information relating to the administration and maintenance of any project established under the Act.
(b) [Reserved]
§ 82.10   Payments to grantee.
Payments may be requested by the grantee at intervals of not less than 30 days as work described in the cooperative agreement progresses.
§ 82.11   Forms of vouchers.
Vouchers, on forms provided by the Secretary, showing amounts expended on each project, and the Federal portion claimed to be due on account thereof, shall be certified and submitted to the Director by the grantee.
§ 82.12   Permit requirements.
No work shall commence on a proposal funded under the provisions of 16 U.S.C. 1380 until all appropriate State and Federal permits have been applied for and issued.
§ 82.13   Ownership of property.
When property is acquired pursuant to the provisions of the Act, title to such property or interests therein shall be vested in the grantee as long as the property is used for the authorized purpose. When the property is no longer needed for such purpose, the Director and the grantee shall mutually agree regarding the assignment of title and any compensations consistent with the terms of Federal Management Circular 74-7 or other appropriate referenced Federal Management Circulars cited in § 82.3 of this part.
§ 82.14   Inspection and audit.
(a) Supervision of each project shall be as specified in the initial cooperative agreement and shall include adequate and continuous inspection by the grantee. The project will be subject at all reasonable times to Federal inspection. The Director and the Comptroller General of the United States, or their duly authorized representatives, shall be given access by the grantee during regular business hours to any books, documents, papers, and records of the grantee which are pertinent to the project for the purposes of making audit, examination, excerpts, and transcripts.
(b) The State is required to conduct an audit at least every two years in accordance with the provisions of Attachment P of OMB Circular A-102. Failure to conduct audits as required may result in withholding of grant payments of such other sanctions as the Secretary may deem appropriate.
§ 82.15   Record retention.
All records of accounts, and reports, with supporting documentation thereto, will be maintained by the grantee for a period of three years after submission of the final expenditure report, with the qualifications stated in FMC 74-7, Attachment C, paragraph 1.
§ 82.16   Reporting.
Performance reports and other specified reports shall be submitted to the Secretary by the grantee in accordance with requirements prescribed by FMC 74-7 or other appropriate referenced Federal Management Circulars cited in § 82.3 of this part.
§ 82.17   Procurement.
Grantees may use their own procurement regulations which reflect applicable State and local laws, rules, and regulations, provided that procurements made with funds under the Act adhere to the standards set forth in FMC 74-7 or other appropriate referenced Federal Management Circulars cited in § 82.3 of this part.
§ 82.18   Officials not to benefit.
No member of, or delegate to, Congress, or Resident Commissioner, shall be admitted to any share or any part of an agreement, or to any benefit that may arise therefrom; but this provision shall not be construed to extend to an agreement made with a corporation for its general benefit.
§ 82.19   Patents and inventions.
Determination of the patent rights in any inventions or discoveries resulting from work under cooperative agreements entered into pursuant to the Act shall be governed by the “Government Patent Policy,” President's Memorandum for Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies, August 23, 1971, and statement of government patent policy as printed in 36 FR 16889.
§ 82.20   Civil rights.
Each cooperative agreement shall be supported by a statement of assurance executed by the grantee providing that the project will be carried out in accordance with title VI, non-discrimination in federally assisted programs, of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. 2000d-2000d-4, and with the Secretary's regulations promulgated thereunder, 43 CFR part 17.
§ 82.21   Copyrights.
Where research conducted under a grant issued pursuant to this part results in a book or other copyrightable material, the author or grantee, subject to the terms of the Cooperative Agreement, is encouraged to publish the work, but the Department of the Interior reserves a royalty free, nonexclusive and irrevocable license to reproduce, publish, or otherwise use, and to authorize others to use the work for Government purposes. Any publication by the grantee must bear in an appropriate place an acknowledgment of grant support under the Marine Mammal Act from the Department of the Interior. In addition, any publication must include a statement that the findings, conclusions, etc., do not necessarily represent the views of the Department of the Interior. At least two copies of any printed publications must be furnished to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.