```

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 4 (Thursday, January 6, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 793-794]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-53]

=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R9-MB-2010-N242; 91400-5110-0000-7B; 91400-9410-0000-7B]

Multistate Conservation Grant Program; Priority List for 
Conservation Projects

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Notice of receipt of priority list and approval of the 
projects.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), announce the FY 
2011 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 will award the grants from the list.

ADDRESSES: John C. Stremple, Multistate Conservation Grants Program 
Coordinator, Division of Federal Assistance, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Mail Stop MBSP-4020, Arlington, VA 
22203.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John C. Stremple, (703) 358-2156 
(phone) or [email protected] (e-mail).

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

[[Page 794]]

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. We may 
award grants from a list of priority projects recommended to us by 
AFWA. 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 are announced annually by AFWA 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 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.
    This year, we received a list of 12 recommended projects. We 
recommend them for funding in 2011. AFWA's recommended list follows:

                                      MSCGP 2011 Cycle Recommended Projects
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                    Total 2011
           ID                   Title             Submitter        WR request      SFR request    grant request
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11-014.................  Coordination of     AFWA..............      $82,962.00      $82,962.00      $165,924.00
                          Farm Bill Program
                          Implementation to
                          Optimize Fish &
                          Wildlife Benefits
                          to the States.
11-058.................  State Fish and      AFWA..............       83,325.00       83,325.00       166,650.00
                          Wildlife Agency
                          Director Travel
                          Coordination and
                          Administration.
11-060.................  Assessing Agency    Cornell University       90,042.00       90,042.00       180,085.00
                          Capacities to
                          Manage Fish and
                          Wildlife Health.
11-063.................  National Fish       AFWA..............               0      240,000.00       240,000.00
                          Habitat Board
                          Action Plan
                          Implementation.
11-026.................  Coordination of     AFWA..............       90,600.00       90,600.00       181,200.00
                          the Industry,
                          Federal and State
                          Agency Coalition.
11-001.................  Review and          AFWA..............       46,200.00       46,200.00        92,400.00
                          Assessment of
                          Bioenergy
                          Provisions in the
                          2008 Farm Bill.
11-071.................  Management          AFWA..............      487,923.00      487,923.00       975,846.00
                          Assistance Team.
11-015.................  Economic and other  AFWA..............       85,525.00       85,525.00       171,050.00
                          Benefits of State
                          Public Access
                          Programs and
                          Implementation of
                          the Voluntary
                          Public Access and
                          Habitat Incentive
                          Program.
11-069.................  Operation of the    Arkansas Game &                  0      296,000.00       296,000.00
                          Reservoir           Fish.
                          Fisheries Habitat
                          Partnership.
11-023.................  Trailblazer         U.S. Sportsman....      160,000.00               0       160,000.00
                          Adventure          Alliance
                          Program:            Foundation.
                          Involving Youth
                          and Families in
                          Conservation.
11-009.................  Expanding Western   Pheasants Forever       180,000.00       20,000.00       200,000.00
                          Farm Bill           & Quail Forever.
                          Conservation
                          Program Delivery
                          through Biologist
                          Partnerships.
11-025.................  Conservation        WMI...............      261,000.00               0       261,000.00
                          Leaders for
                          Tomorrow
                          Professional
                          Development
                          Project.
������������������������
    Total..............  ..................  ..................    1,522,577.00    1,567,577.00     3,090,154.00
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Dated: October 28, 2010.
Rowan W. Gould,
Acting Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-53 Filed 1-5-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P
```