2992 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 12 / Tuesday, January 20, 1998 / Notices

block grants to States for the purpose of

providing substance abuse prevention

and treatment services. Under the

provisions of the law, States may

receive allotments only after an

application is submitted and approved

by the Secretary, DHHS. For the FY

1999 Substance Abuse Prevention and

Treatment (SAPT) Block Grant cycle,

SAMHSA plans to provide States with

slightly modified application forms and

instructions. These changes affect the

portion of the application that asks for

information related to section 1926

(sales of tobacco to minors). The

application will no longer require a

description of sampling methodologies

and procedures for identifying and

selecting tobacco outlets to be sampled

throughout a State, unless a change to

such methodologies or procedures has

occurred in the previous year. The

application will provide for more

detailed information on the results and

validity of the random unannounced

inspections, and it will request greater

detail on the number and results of

actual enforcement activities that a State

has undertaken. At the request of the

Department, SAMHSA plans to include

an additional tobacco-related question

to Attachment 6 of the application. This

question will require States to briefly

describe collaboration between each

State’s Tobacco and Health Office

(ASTHO representative) and Single

State Authority for Substance Abuse

(NASADAD representative). Because

Federal funds for tobacco prevention

and control efforts are, in most cases,

awarded to different State-level

agencies, it is necessary for the

Department and SAMHSA to verify and

understand interactions at the State

level on youth tobacco prevention and

enforcement. SAMHSA also plans to

modify Attachment 2 to include an

additional question regarding tobacco

use among minors. Finally, SAMHSA

will modify the race/ethnicity categories

in Form 9 to comply with recent

revisions to OMB Directive No. 15.

These modifications are not expected to

increase respondent burden. The annual

burden estimate for the SAPT Block

Grant Application Format is shown

below:

Number of respondents

Responses

per respondent

Hours

per response

Total

hours

11 ................... 1 530 530

59 .................. 1 563 33,217

Total ........... .............. .............. 33,747

1 Red Lake Indian Tribe (exempt from Tobacco Regulation requirements).

Send comments to Deborah Trunzo,

SAMHSA Reports Clearance Officer,

Room 16–105, Parklawn Building, 5600

Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857.

Written comments should be received

within 60 days of this notice.

Dated: January 12, 1998.

Richard Kopanda,

Executive Officer, SAMHSA.

[FR Doc. 98–1202 Filed 1–16–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4162–20–U

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

Substance Abuse and Mental Health

Services Administration

Fiscal Year (FY) 1998 Funding

Opportunities

AGENCY: Substance Abuse and Mental

Health Services Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Notice of Funding Availability.

SUMMARY: The Substance Abuse and

Mental Health Services Administration

(SAMHSA) Center for Mental Health

Services announces the availability of

FY 1998 funds for grants and

cooperative agreements for the

following activities. These activities are

discussed in more detail under Section

4 of this notice. This notice is not a

complete description of the activities;

potential applicants must obtain a copy

of the Guidance for Applicants (GFA)

before preparing an application.

Activity Application

deadline

Estimated

funds available (millions)

Estimated

No. of

awards

Project

period

Circles of Care ........................................................................................................................ 04/03/98 $2.4 6–8 3 yrs.

Consumer-Operated Service Program ................................................................................... 04/09/98 5.0 9 4 yrs.

Note: SAMHSA also published a notice of

available funding opportunities in FY 1998

in the Federal Register (Vol. 63, No. 3) on

Tuesday, January 6, 1998.

The actual amount available for

awards and their allocation may vary,

depending on unanticipated program

requirements and the volume and

quality of applications. Awards are

usually made for grant periods from one

to three years in duration. FY 1998

funds for activities discussed in this

announcement were appropriated by the

Congress under Public Law No. 105–78.

SAMHSA’s policies and procedures for

peer review and Advisory Council

review of grant and cooperative

agreement applications were published

in the Federal Register (Vol. 58, No.

126) on July 2, 1993.

The Public Health Service (PHS) is

committed to achieving the health

promotion and disease prevention

objectives of Healthy People 2000, a

PHS-led national activity for setting

priority areas. The SAMHSA Centers’

substance abuse and mental health

services activities address issues related

to Healthy People 2000 objectives of

Mental Health and Mental Disorders;

Alcohol and Other Drugs; Clinical

Preventive Services; HIV Infection; and

Surveillance and Data Systems.

Potential applicants may obtain a copy

of Healthy People 2000 (Full Report:

Stock No. 017–001–00474–0) or

Summary Report: Stock No. 017–001–

00473–1) through the Superintendent of

Documents, Government Printing

Office, Washington, DC 20402–9325

(Telephone: 202–512–1800).

General Instructions: Applicants must

use application form PHS 5161–1 (Rev.

5/96; OMB No. 0937–0189). The

application kit contains the GFA

(complete programmatic guidance and

instructions for preparing and

submitting applications), the PHS 5161–

1 which includes Standard Form 424

(Face Page), and other documentation

and forms. Application kits may be

obtained from the organization specified

for each activity covered by this notice

(see Section 4).

When requesting an application kit,

the applicant must specify the particular

activity for which detailed information

is desired. This is to ensure receipt of

all necessary forms and information,

including any specific program review

and award criteria.

The PHS 5161–1 application form and

the full text of each of the activities (i.e.,

the GFA) described in Section 4 are

available electronically via SAMHSA’s

World Wide Web Home Page (address:

http://www.samhsa.gov).

Application Submission: Unless

otherwise stated in the GFA,
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 12 / Tuesday, January 20, 1998 / Notices 2993

applications must be submitted to:

SAMHSA Programs, Center for

Scientific Review, National Institutes of

Health, Suite 1040, 6701 Rockledge

Drive MSC–7710, Bethesda, Maryland

20892–7710.*

llllllll

(* Applicants who wish to use express mail

or courier service should change the zip code

to 20817.)

Application Deadlines: The deadlines

for receipt of applications are listed in

the table above. Please note that the

deadlines may differ for the individual

activities.

Competing applications must be

received by the indicated receipt dates

to be accepted for review. An

application received after the deadline

may be acceptable if it carries a legible

proof-of-mailing date assigned by the

carrier and that date is not later than

one week prior to the deadline date.

Private metered postmarks are not

acceptable as proof of timely mailing.

Applications received after the

deadline date and those sent to an

address other than the address specified

above will be returned to the applicant

without review.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Requests for activity-specific technical

information should be directed to the

program contact person identified for

each activity covered by this notice (see

Section 4).

Requests for information concerning

business management issues should be

directed to the grants management

contact person identified for each

activity covered by this notice (see

Section 4).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: To

facilitate the use of this Notice of

Funding Availability, information has

been organized as outlined in the Table

of Contents below. For each activity, the

following information is provided:

• Application Deadline

• Purpose

• Priorities

• Eligible Applicants

• Grants/Cooperative Agreements/

Amounts

• Catalog of Federal Domestic

Assistance Number

• Contacts

• Application Kits

Table of Contents

1. Program Background and Objectives

2. Special Concerns

3. Criteria for Review and Funding

3.1 General Review Criteria

3.2 Funding Criteria for Scored

Applications

4. Special FY 1998 Substance Abuse and

Mental Health Services Activities

4.1 Grants

4.1.1 Circles of Care: Planning, Designing,

and Assessing Mental Health Service

System Models for Native American

Indian and Alaska Native Children and

Their Families

4.2 Cooperative Agreements

4.2.1 Cooperative Agreements to Evaluate

Consumer-Operated Human Service

Programs for Persons with Serious

Mental Illness (Consumer-Operated

Service Program)

5. Public Health System Reporting

Requirements

6. PHS Non-use of Tobacco Policy Statement

7. Executive Order 12372

1. Program Background and Objectives

SAMHSA’s mission within the

Nation’s health system is to improve the

quality and availability of prevention,

early intervention, treatment, and

rehabilitation services for substance

abuse and mental illnesses, including

co-occurring disorders, in order to

improve health and reduce illness,

death, disability, and cost to society.

Reinventing government, with its

emphases on redefining the role of

Federal agencies and on improving

customer service, has provided

SAMHSA with a welcome opportunity

to examine carefully its programs and

activities. As a result of that process,

SAMHSA moved assertively to create a

renewed and strategic emphasis on

using its resources to generate

knowledge about ways to improve the

prevention and treatment of substance

abuse and mental illness and to work

with State and local governments as

well as providers, families, and

consumers to effectively use that

knowledge in everyday practice.

SAMHSA’s FY 1998 Knowledge

Development and Application (KD&A)

agenda is the outcome of a process

whereby providers, services researchers,

consumers, National Advisory Council

members and other interested persons

participated in special meetings or

responded to calls for suggestions and

reactions. From this input, each

SAMHSA Center developed a ‘‘menu’’

of suggested topics. The topics were

discussed jointly and an agency agenda

of critical topics was agreed to. The

selection of topics depended heavily on

policy importance and on the existence

of adequate research and practitioner

experience on which to base studies.

While SAMHSA’s FY 1998 KD&A

programs will sometimes involve the

evaluation of some delivery of services,

they are services studies and application

activities, not merely evaluation, since

they are aimed at answering policyrelevant questions and putting that

knowledge to use.

SAMHSA differs from other agencies

in focusing on needed information at

the services delivery level, and in its

question-focus. Dissemination and

application are integral, major features

of the programs. SAMHSA believes that

it is important to get the information

into the hands of the public, providers,

and systems administrators as

effectively as possible. Technical

assistance, training, preparation of

special materials will be used, in

addition to normal communications

means.

SAMHSA also continues to fund

legislatively-mandated services

programs for which funds are

appropriated.

2. Special Concerns

SAMHSA’s legislatively-mandated

services programs do provide funds for

mental health and/or substance abuse

treatment and prevention services.

However, SAMHSA’s KD&A activities

do not provide funds for mental health

and/or substance abuse treatment and

prevention services except sometimes

for costs required by the particular

activity’s study design. Applicants are

required to propose true knowledge

application or knowledge development

and application projects. Applications

seeking funding for services projects

under a KD&A activity will be

considered nonresponsive.

Applications that are incomplete or

nonresponsive to the GFA will be

returned to the applicant without

further consideration.

3. Criteria for Review and Funding

Consistent with the statutory mandate

for SAMHSA to support activities that

will improve the provision of treatment,

prevention and related services,

including the development of national

mental health and substance abuse goals

and model programs, competing

applications requesting funding under

the specific project activities in Section

4 will be reviewed for technical merit in

accordance with established PHS/

SAMHSA peer review procedures.

3.1 General Review Criteria

As published in the Federal Register

on July 2, 1993 (Vol. 58, No. 126),

SAMHSA’s ‘‘Peer Review and Advisory

Council Review of Grant and

Cooperative Agreement Applications

and Contract Proposals,’’ peer review

groups will take into account, among

other factors as may be specified in the

application guidance materials, the

following general criteria:

• Potential significance of the

proposed project;

• Appropriateness of the applicant’s

proposed objectives to the goals of the

specific program;
2994 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 12 / Tuesday, January 20, 1998 / Notices

• Adequacy and appropriateness of

the proposed approach and activities;

• Adequacy of available resources,

such as facilities and equipment;

• Qualifications and experience of the

applicant organization, the project

director, and other key personnel; and

• Reasonableness of the proposed

budget.

3.2 Funding Criteria for Scored

Applications

Applications will be considered for

funding on the basis of their overall

technical merit as determined through

the peer review group and the

appropriate National Advisory Council

(if applicable) review process.

Other funding criteria will include:

• Availability of funds.

Additional funding criteria specific to

the programmatic activity may be

included in the application guidance

materials.

4. Special FY 1998 Mental Health

Activities

4.1 Grants

4.1.1 Circles of Care: Planning,

Designing, and Assessing Mental Health

Service System Models for Native

American Indian and Alaska Native

Children and Their Families

• Application Deadline: April 3, 1998

• Purpose: Six to eight grants will be

awarded to plan, design, and assess the

feasibility of implementing a culturally

appropriate mental health service model

for American Indian/Alaska Native

children with serious emotional

disturbances and their families. The

purpose of this program is to support

the development of mental health

service delivery models that are

designed by American Indian/Alaska

Native communities to achieve

outcomes for their children that they

choose for themselves. Formulation and

evaluation of programs based directly

on the needs, values, and principles of

the grantee organizations will provide

an information base for other programs

interested in structuring culturally

relevant children’s mental health

service systems.

Grantees will engage in a strategic

planning process, design a service

model, and conduct a feasibility

assessment of the model, including a

cost and funding analysis. Actual

services will not be funded but the

intent of the program is to position

tribal and urban Indian organizations

advantageously for future service system

implementation and development when

opportunities for funding services are

available.

• Priorities: None

• Eligible Applicants: Applications

may be submitted by federally

acknowledged tribes and tribal

organizations. Urban Indian

organizations are eligible to apply if

they are a nonprofit corporate body

situated in an urban center, governed by

a board of directors of whom at least

51% are American Indian/Alaska

Natives, and provide for the

participation of all interested Indian

groups and individuals. The applicant

must be capable of legally cooperating

with other public and private entities

for the purposes of performing the

activities of this program.

The primary intent of the ‘‘Circles of

Care’’ program is to support the

development of mental health service

delivery models that are designed by

American Indian/Alaska Native

communities to achieve outcomes for

their children that they chose for

themselves. Models designed for

American Indian/Alaska Native

communities by people other than

American Indian/Alaska Natives are

already available. This program will

enable community members to develop

models to juxtapose with those not

designed by Indians to find which are

best for meeting their service needs. To

be effective and have the cooperation

and confidence of the community, the

applicant must be representative of the

community, in addition to

demonstrating the ability to fulfill the

technical requirements of the GFA.

• Grants/Amounts: It is estimated that

approximately $2.4 million will be

available to support approximately 6–8

awards in FY 1998. Actual funding

levels for subsequent years will depend

on availability of appropriated funds.

• Catalog of Federal Domestic

Assistance Number: 93.230

• Program Contact: For programmatic

or technical assistance contact: Gary De

Carolis, M.ED., Center for Mental Health

Services, Substance Abuse and Mental

Health Services Administration,

Parklawn Building, Room 18–49, 5600

Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland

20857, (301) 443–1333.

• Grants Management Contact: For

business management assistance,

contact: Stephen J. Hudak, Grants

Management Specialist, Division of

Grants Management, OPS, Substance

Abuse and Mental Health Services

Administration, Parklawn Building,

Room 15C–05, 5600 Fishers Lane,

Rockville, Maryland 20857, (301) 443–

4456.

• Application Kits: Application kits

are available from: National Mental

Health Services, Knowledge Exchange

Network (KEN), P.O. Box 42490,

Washington, D.C. 20015, Voice: (800)

789–2647, TTY: (301) 443–9006.

• CMHS intends to sponsor two

technical assistance workshops for

potential applicants to provide guidance

on completing the grant application.

One workshop will be held in the

eastern part of the country; the other

will be held in the western part of the

country. Letters from CMHS will be

mailed to all 550 federally recognized

tribes and urban Indian organizations to

inform them of the meeting(s). For more

information, potential applicants may

contact: Kathy McGregor, Project

Coordinator, National Indian Child

Welfare Association, 3611 SW Hood

Street, Suite 201, Portland, OR 97201,

(503–222–4044).

4.2 Cooperative Agreements

A major activity for a SAMHSA

cooperative agreement program is

discussed below. Substantive Federal

programmatic involvement is required

in cooperative agreement programs.

Federal involvement will include

planning, guidance, coordination, and

participating in programmatic activities

(e.g., participation in publication of

findings and on steering committees).

Periodic meetings, conferences and/or

communications with the award

recipients may be held to review

mutually agreed-upon goals and

objectives and to assess progress.

Additional details on the degree of

Federal programmatic involvement will

be included in the application guidance

materials.

4.2.1 Cooperative Agreements to

Evaluate Consumer-Operated Human

Service Programs for Persons With

Serious Mental Illness (ConsumerOperated Service Program)

• Application Deadline: April 9,

1998.

• Purpose: This Guidance for

Applicants (GFA) solicits applications

for two types of cooperative

agreements—Study Sites and a

Coordinating Center. The purpose of

this Program is to assess the extent to

which consumer-operated services are

effective in improving rehabilitation and

recovery of individuals with serious

mental illness. It also seeks to determine

to what extent participation in such

services affect costs.

Specific questions to be addressed

are:

1. To what extent does participation

in a consumer-operated service program

affect selected consumer outcomes for

consumers who use traditional service

programs?

The selected outcomes are

empowerment, housing, employment
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 12 / Tuesday, January 20, 1998 / Notices 2995

(such as transition from unemployment

to employment), social inclusion, and

satisfaction with services. This core

question is to be addressed in both the

individual Study Site evaluation and

the multi-site evaluation to be

coordinated by the Coordinating Center.

2. To what extent does participation

in a consumer-operated service program

affect costs for the following: inpatient

hospitalization, crisis intervention, and

emergency room utilization as well as

offsetting costs in housing, criminal

justice, vocational rehabilitation,

physical health care, and income

support?

Examination of patterns of service use

of retrospective or prospective ‘‘claims’’

data on service utilization will be

coordinated by the Coordinating Center.

While individual Study Sites will

provide the necessary information for

the cost-study, the Coordinating Center

will be responsible for developing a

design and method for collecting and

analyzing all information for the coststudy.

A goal of the Program is to create

strong and productive partnerships

among consumers, service providers

and services researchers that

demonstrate to the field that these

groups are capable of complementing

each other’s strengths and that their

joint efforts will yield the most effective

service delivery models possible.

Another goal is to disseminate the

knowledge gained about the

effectiveness of these projects and the

specific components that contributed to

their success.

• Priorities: None.

• Eligible Applicants: Applications to

be a Study Site or a Coordinating Center

may be submitted by public

organizations, such as units of State or

local governments and by domestic

private nonprofit and for-profit

organizations such as community-based

organizations, universities, colleges, and

hospitals, and family and/or consumer

operated organizations. Since CMHS

seeks to study established consumeroperated and traditional programs, both

program entities must have been

operational for a minimum of 2 years at

the time of the submission of the study

site application. Applicants may apply

to be a Study Site or a Coordinating

Center, but not both.

• Cooperative Agreements/Amounts:

It is estimated that approximately $5

million will be available to support

approximately eight (8) Study Site

awards and one (1) Coordinating Center

under this GFA in FY 1998. The average

award to support each Study Site is

expected to range from $400,000 to

$600,000 in total costs (direct+indirect)

per year. The award to support the

Coordinating Center is expected to be in

the range of $700,000 to $900,000 in

total costs (direct+indirect) per year.

Actual funding levels will depend upon

the availability of appropriated funds.

• Catalog of Federal Domestic

Assistance Number: 93.230.

• Program Contact: For programmatic

or technical assistance contact: William

R. McKinnon, Ph.D., Community

Support Programs Branch, Division of

Knowledge Development and Systems

Change, Center for Mental Health

Services, Substance Abuse and Mental

Health Services Administration, 5600

Fishers Lane, Room 11C–22, Rockville,

MD 20857, (301) 443–3655, or Paolo del

Vecchio, Office of External Liaison,

Center for Mental Health Services,

Substance Abuse and Mental Health

Services Administration, 5600 Fishers

Lane, Room 13C–103, Rockville, MD

20857, (301) 443–2619.

• Grants Management Contact: For

business management assistance,

contact: Stephen J. Hudak, Grants

Management Specialist, Division of

Grants Management, OPS, Substance

Abuse and Mental Health Services

Administration, 5600 Fishers Lane,

Room 15C–05, Rockville, Maryland

20857, (301) 443–4456.

• Application Kits: Application kits

are available from: National Mental

Health Services, Knowledge Exchange

Network (KEN), P.O. Box 42490,

Washington, DC 20015, Voice: (800)

789–2647, TTY: (301) 443–9006, FAX:

(301) 984–8796.

5. Public Health System Reporting

Requirements

The Public Health System Impact

Statement (PHSIS) is intended to keep

State and local health officials apprised

of proposed health services grant and

cooperative agreement applications

submitted by community-based

nongovernmental organizations within

their jurisdictions.

Community-based nongovernmental

service providers who are not

transmitting their applications through

the State must submit a PHSIS to the

head(s) of the appropriate State and

local health agencies in the area(s) to be

affected not later than the pertinent

receipt date for applications. This

PHSIS consists of the following

information:

a. A copy of the face page of the

application (Standard form 424).

b. A summary of the project (PHSIS),

not to exceed one page, which provides:

(1) A description of the population to

be served.

(2) A summary of the services to be

provided.

(3) A description of the coordination

planned with the appropriate State or

local health agencies.

State and local governments and

Indian Tribal Authority applicants are

not subject to the Public Health System

Reporting Requirements.

Application guidance materials will

specify if a particular FY 1998 activity

described above is/is not subject to the

Public Health System Reporting

Requirements.

6. PHS Non-use of Tobacco Policy

Statement

The PHS strongly encourages all grant

and contract recipients to provide a

smoke-free workplace and promote the

non-use of all tobacco products. In

addition, Public Law 103–227, the ProChildren Act of 1994, prohibits smoking

in certain facilities (or in some cases,

any portion of a facility) in which

regular or routine education, library,

day care, health care, or early childhood

development services are provided to

children. This is consistent with the

PHS mission to protect and advance the

physical and mental health of the

American people.

7. Executive Order 12372

Applications submitted in response to

all FY 1998 activities listed above are

subject to the intergovernmental review

requirements of Executive Order 12372,

as implemented through DHHS

regulations at 45 CFR Part 100. E.O.

12372 sets up a system for State and

local government review of applications

for Federal financial assistance.

Applicants (other than Federally

recognized Indian tribal governments)

should contact the State’s Single Point

of Contact (SPOC) as early as possible to

alert them to the prospective

application(s) and to receive any

necessary instructions on the State’s

review process. For proposed projects

serving more than one State, the

applicant is advised to contact the SPOC

of each affected State. A current listing

of SPOCs is included in the application

guidance materials. The SPOC should

send any State review process

recommendations directly to: Office of

Extramural Activities Review,

Substance Abuse and Mental Health

Services Administration, Parklawn

Building, Room 17–89, 5600 Fishers

Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857.

The due date for State review process

recommendations is no later than 60

days after the specified deadline date for

the receipt of applications. SAMHSA

does not guarantee to accommodate or

explain SPOC comments that are

received after the 60-day cut-off.
2996 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 12 / Tuesday, January 20, 1998 / Notices

Dated: January 11, 1998.

Richard Kopanda,

Executive Officer, SAMHSA.

[FR Doc. 98–1217 Filed 1–16–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4162–20–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Notice of Intent to Prepare

Comprehensive Conservation Plans

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare

Comprehensive Conservation Plans.

SUMMARY: This notice advises that the

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service)

intends to gather information necessary

to prepare Comprehensive Conservation

Plans (CCP) and associated

environmental documents for the

Tewaukon National Wildlife Refuge

Complex in southeastern North Dakota

and the Waubay National Wildlife

Refuge Complex in northeastern South

Dakota. The Service is furnishing this

notice in compliance with Service CCP

policy to advise other agencies and the

public of its intentions and to obtain

suggestions and information on the

scope of issues to be considered in the

planning process.

DATES: Written comments should be

received by February 19, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Comments and requests for

more information to Allison Banks,

Planning Team Leader, Division of

Realty, P.O. Box 25486, Denver, CO

80225.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Allison Banks, Planning Team Leader,

Division of Realty, P.O. Box 25486,

Denver, CO 80225.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

Service has initiated Comprehensive

Conservation Planning for the

Tewaukon National Wildlife Refuge

Complex and the Waubay National

Wildlife Refuge Complex.

The Tewaukon Complex includes the

Tewaukon National Wildlife Refuge and

the Tewaukon Wetland Management

District (WMD). The Waubay Complex

includes the Waubay National Wildlife

Refuge and the Waubay Wetland

Management District. Each National

Wildlife Refuge has specific purposes

for which it was established and for

which legislation was enacted. Those

purposes are used to develop and

prioritize management goals and

objectives within the National Wildlife

Refuge System mission, and to guide

which public uses occur on the refuge.

The planning process is a way for the

Service and the public to evaluate

management goals and objectives for the

best possible conservation efforts of this

important wildlife habitat, while

providing for wildlife-dependent

recreation opportunities that are

compatible with each national wildlife

refuge’s establishing purposes and the

mission of the National Wildlife Refuge

System.

The Tewaukon National Wildlife

Refuge (approximately 8,500 acres) was

established as ‘‘* * * a refuge and

breeding ground for migratory birds and

other wildlife * * *’’ and ‘‘* * * for

use as an inviolate sanctuary or for any

other management purpose, for

migratory birds’’ (Migratory Bird

Conservation Act), by Executive Order

6910, on November 26, 1934. The

Tewaukon WMD consists of fee

Waterfowl Production Areas (WPA’s)

(approximately 14,000 acres), and

wetland easements (approximately

33,000 acres). The Complex is located in

Richland, Ransom, and Sargent counties

of North Dakota. The Tewaukon

Complex also administers three

easement refuges: Lake Elsie, Storm

Lake, and Wild Rice. The WPA’s are all

open to hunting, fishing, and trapping

in accordance with the Code of Federal

Regulations.

The Tewaukon National Wildlife

Refuge Complex lies within the prairie

pothole and tallgrass/mixed grass

prairie ecosystem in southeastern North

Dakota. High densities of a variety of

shallow, productive wetlands

surrounded by grasslands produce high

quality migration and nesting habitat for

migratory birds. Tewaukon is a mixing

point for migrating birds of both the

Central and Mississippi Flyways. The

name ‘‘Tewaukon’’ is derived from an

ancient tribal name Te Wauk Kon,

roughly translated as Son of Heaven.

The main water source for Tewaukon,

the Wild Rice River, is a tributary of the

Red River which flows through Fargo,

North Dakota. A portion of the refuge

fee title land, several WPA’s, and

wetland easements are located within

the Sisseton-Wahpeton Indian

Reservation boundary.

Waubay National Wildlife Refuge,

located northeastern South Dakota, was

established as ‘‘* * * a refuge and

breeding ground for migratory birds and

other wildlife: * * *.’’ by Executive

Order 7245, dated December 10, 1935.

The word ‘‘Waubary’’ is of Sioux Indian

original meaning ‘‘a nesting place for

birds.’’ The refuge covers 4,740 acres of

grasslands, wetlands, native forests, and

croplands. Present public use includes

wildlife viewing, environmental

education, deer hunting, ice fishing,

hiking, and picnicking.

The Waubay WMD manages 40,000

acres of fee WPA’s, 100,000 acres of

waterfowl management rights easements

and 125,000 waterfowl habitat

protection easements in Clark,

Codington, Day, Grant, Roberts, and

Marshall counties of northeastern South

Dakota.

Three distinct physiographic regions

dominate the Waubay WMD, each with

unique habitat properties. The Coteau

des Prairies, a series of north to south

parallel terminal moraines rising 800

feet or more in elevation above adjacent

lowlands, covers nearly 80 percent of

the WMD. Numerous glacial lakes and

smaller wetland basins dot the Coteau.

To the east and west of the Coteau lies

the Minnesota River and James River

Lowlands, respectively. These lowland

areas contain flat, fertile, agricultural

land that is more intensively cropped

that the hilly Coteau grassland region.

All WPA’s are open to hunting, fishing,

and trapping in accordance with the

Code of Federal Regulations.

The Service will conduct a

comprehensive conservation planning

process that will provide opportunity

for Tribal, State and local governments,

agencies, organizations, and the public

to participate in issue scoping and

public comment. The Service is

requesting input for issues, concerns,

ideas, and suggestions for the future

management of the Tewaukon and

Waubay Complexes. Anyone interested

in providing input is invited to respond

to the following three questions.

(1) What makes the Tewaukon/

Waubay Complexes (or any specific

unit) special or unique for you?

(2) What problems or issues do you

want to see addressed in the

Comprehensive Conservation Plans?

(3) What improvements would you

recommend for the Tewaukon/Waubay

Complexes (or any specific unit)?

The Service has provided the above

questions for your optional use. There is

no requirement to provide information

to the Service. The Planning Team

developed these questions to facilitate

finding out more information about

individual issues and ideas concerning

the Tewaukon/Waubay Complexes.

Comments received by the Planning

Team will be used as part of the

planning process, individual comments

will not be referenced in our reports or

directly respond to.

There will also be an opportunity to

provide input at open houses to be

scheduled for February and/or March

1998 to scope issues and concerns

(schedule can be obtained from the

Planning Team Leader at the above

address). All information provided

voluntarily by mail, phone, or at public

meetings becomes part of the official

public record (e.g., names, addresses,