Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 79 / Tuesday, April 24, 2001 / Notices 20679

migratory birds at the State level, and

foster partnerships at all levels.

8. Multistate Planning Efforts To

Address Conservation Needs of Species

at Risk

Assistance is needed for facilitating

multi-state and more localized planning

efforts to develop conservation

agreements for species of concern that

address the species life needs and

habitat requirements prior to their

designation as candidate species or

subsequent listing under the Federal

Endangered Species Act.

K. Project Proposal Review and

Selection Process

1. Project proposals will be evaluated

for eligibility as defined in Section F

and ranked by appropriate committees

of the IAFWA at their annual September

meeting. The National Grants

Committee appointed by the President

of the IAFWA will review the

Committees’ evaluations and rankings

and prepare a recommended priority list

of project proposals for submission to

the IAFWA’s Annual Business Meeting.

2. The Directors of the State fish and

wildlife agencies will approve a priority

list of project proposals for funding at

the IAFWA’s Annual Business Meeting.

3. In preparing this list, the IAFWA

will consult with nongovernmental

organizations that represent

conservation organizations, sportsmen’s

organizations, and industries that

support or promote sport fishing,

hunting, trapping, recreational shooting,

bow hunting, or archery.

4. The IAFWA will submit the

priority list of projects to the Services’

Assistant Director for Migratory Birds

and State Programs by October 1, 2001.

5. The Service will publish the

priority list in the Federal Register.

6. The Service Director will make the

final decision on projects to be awarded

grants. The Director will award grants

only to projects included in the priority

list submitted by the IAFWA.

L. Grant Awards and Funding

1. The Service will prepare and sign

the formal grant agreements. The formal

grant agreements will be forwarded to

the grantees for signature and must be

signed by a Service representative and

an authorized grantee official before

they become valid agreements. This

process may require up to 60 days to

complete. The Service is not responsible

for costs incurred prior to the effective

date of a signed agreement; therefore,

the starting date for all projects should

be planned accordingly.

2. The entire amount of funds

required for a project must be obligated

in the fiscal year the grant is approved

(as per guidance in 50 CFR part 80.8).

3. Nonprofit, commercial and

institutions of higher education grantees

must maintain a financial management

system in accordance with the Office of

Management and Budget Circular A–110

and 43 CFR part 12, subpart F. State and

local governments must maintain a

financial management system in

accordance with OMB Circular A–102

and 43 CFR part 12, subpart C.

M. Project Administration

Proposals awarded funding will be

assigned to a Project Officer. Project

Officers provide assistance that

includes:

1. Serving as the Service’s point of

contact after the award agreement is

signed;

2. Receiving and approving invoices;

and

3. Monitoring project performance

and assuring that the award recipient

adheres to the award agreement.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS—APPENDIX A

Target Date Event

April 16 ............. Service publishes FEDERAL REGISTER Notice announcing availability of Multistate Conservation Grant Program funds and National Conservation Needs for grant applications.

June 15 ............. Grant application materials must be received by the IAFWA.

September ........ The Directors of the State fish and wildlife agencies will approve a priority list of project proposals for funding at the IAFWA’s

Annual Business Meeting.

October 1 .......... The IAFWA submits a priority list of projects to the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Services’ Assistant Director for Migratory Birds and

State Programs.

November 15 .... Service publishes FEDERAL REGISTER Notice of priority list of projects submitted by the IAFWA.

January 30 ........ Service awards grants.

Dated: April 7, 2001.

Marshall P. Jones, Jr.,

Acting Director.

[FR Doc. 01–10145 Filed 4–23–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Publishing the Priority List, and

Projects Approved, With Qualifiers,

Under the Multistate Conservation

Grant Program Submitted to the

Secretary by the International

Association of Fish and Wildlife

Agencies

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice—Multistate Conservation

Grant Program.

SUMMARY: The Service is publishing the

priority lists for the Multistate

Conservation Grant Program submitted

to the Secretary of the Interior by the

International Association of Fish and

Wildlife Agencies. This notice is

required by the Wildlife and Sport Fish

Restoration Programs Improvement Act

of 2000. Grants will be made from this

list.

DATES: This notice is effective April 24,

2001.

ADDRESSES: Copies of proposals may be

viewed at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service offices at 4401 North Fairfax

Drive, Suite 140, Arlington, Virginia

22203 daily until May 24, 2001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kris

E. LaMontagne, Chief, Division of

Federal Aid, U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Suite

140, Arlington, Virginia 22203, (703)

358–2156.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration

Programs Improvement Act of 2000

(Pub. L. 106–408) established a MultiState Conservation Grant Program

within the Federal Aid in Wildlife

Restoration and Federal Aid in Sport

Fish Restoration Acts, commonly

known as the Pittman-Robertson and

Dingell-Johnson/Wallop-Breaux Acts,

respectively. The program authorizes

grants of up to $3 million annually from

funds available under each Act, for a

total of up to $6 million annually. The

grants are to be made from a list of

20680 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 79 / Tuesday, April 24, 2001 / Notices

recommendations submitted by the

International Association of Fish and

Wildlife Agencies, representing the

State fish and wildlife agencies. The

Director, exercising the authority of the

Secretary, need not fund recommended

projects, but may not fund projects

which are not recommended. The

Acting Director of the Fish and Wildlife

Service approved the list, with

qualifiers, on January 31, 2001.

To be eligible for consideration, a

project must benefit fish and/or wildlife

conservation in at least 26 States, a

majority of the States in a Fish and

Wildlife Service Region, or a regional

association of State fish and wildlife

agencies. Grants may by made to a State

or group of States, to non-governmental

organizations, and, solely for carrying

out the National Survey of Fishing,

Hunting and Wildlife-Associated

Recreation, to the Fish and Wildlife

Service.

The priority lists of projects submitted

by the IAFWA:

FEDERAL AID IN WILDLIFE

RESTORATION ACT PROPOSALS

[FY–2001]

1. National Survey of Hunting

Fishing and Wildlife-Associated Recreation ..................... $1,395,348

2. Management Assistance

Team for State Fish and

Wildlife Agencies ................... 251,248

3. The Fish and Wildlife Reference Service ...................... 157,500

4. Outreach Project: Improving

National Wildlife Capture

Programs and Implementing

Best Management Practices 327,376

5. Workshops on Integrated Migratory Bird Management ..... 298,350

6. Wildlife Law News Quarterly 5,000

7. Automated Wildlife Data

Systems Project Coordination 96,525

8. Factors Relating to Hunting

and Fishing Initiation, Participation, and Retention Among

the Nation’s Youth ................ 168,360

9. Assisting States in Reaching

Underrepresented Groups,

Specifically Ethnic Minorities

and Women with Disabilities

through the Becoming an

Outdoors-Woman Program ... 139,730

10. Science and Civics: Sustaining Wildlife, Involving

High School Students and

Addressing Wildlife Needs .... 27,358

11. Step Outside ....................... 89,950

2,956,745

FEDERAL AID IN SPORT FISH

RESTORATION ACT PROPOSALS

[FY–2001]

1. National Survey of Hunting

Fishing and Wildlife-Associated Recreation ..................... $1,395,348

2. Management Assistance to

State Fish and Wildlife Agencies ........................................ 251,248

3. The Fish and Wildlife Reference Service ...................... 157,500

4. The Collection of Pivotal

Field Efficacy Data to Support a New Animal Drug Approval for the Use of

Florfenicol (AquaflorTM) to

Control Mortality Caused by

Bacterial Pathogens in Cultured Fish .............................. 216,775

5. Analytical Support of Pivotal

Efficacy Trials for Florfenicol

Use in Public Fisheries ......... 36,689

6. Strengthen and Expand the

National ‘‘Hooked on FishingNot on Drugs’’ Program ........ 150,125

7. Wildlife Law News Quarterly 5,000

8. Automated Wildlife Data

Systems Project Coordination 96,525

9. Factors Relating to Hunting

and Fishing Initiation, Participation, and Retention Among

the Nation’s Youth ................ 168,360

10. Assisting States in Reaching Underrepresented

Groups, Specifically Ethnic

Minorities and Women with

Disabilities through the Becoming an Outdoors-Woman

Program ................................ 139,730

11. Science and Civics: Sustaining Wildlife, Involving

High School Students and

Addressing Wildlife Needs .... 27,358

12. Step Outside ....................... 89,950

2,734,608

Dated: February 5, 2001.

Marshall P. Jones, Jr.,

Acting Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service.

[FR Doc. 01–10048 Filed 4–23–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–M

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Creating the Coldwater River National

Wildlife Refuge, Mississippi

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The Director of the U.S. Fish

and Wildlife Service approved creating

the Coldwater River National Wildlife

Refuge (NWR) from the existing Black

Bayou Unit of the Tallahatchie National

Wildlife Refuge in Grenada, Quitman,

and Tallahatchie Counties, Mississippi,

to eliminate public confusion and to

assist in the Service’s administration

and management activities. No other

changes are proposed.

DATES: This action was effective on

January 30, 2001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Steve Thompson, Regional Chief,

National Wildlife Refuge System, in

Atlanta, Georgia, 404–679–7152.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On

January 30, 2001, the Director of the

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approved

creating the Coldwater River NWR from

the existing Black Bayou Unit of the

Tallahatchie National Wildlife Refuge in

Grenada, Quitman and Tallahatchie

Counties, Mississippi, to eliminate

public confusion and to assist in the

Service’s administration and

management activities.

The Tallahatchie National Wildlife

Refuge was established in 1991 with the

acquisition of two separate units—the

Bear Lake Unit and the Black Bayou

Unit. The two units are located in a

rural area about 30 miles apart, with a

total work area that spreads across

approximately 126 miles.

Previously we jointly administered

these units, even though they had

different public use programs,

geographic work areas, and habitat

management needs that resulted in

significantly different goals and

objectives for each unit. Joint

administration made our biological

assessments, public use reviews and the

comprehensive conservation planning

process more difficult and complex.

For example, because it is surrounded

by lands owned or leased for waterfowl

hunting, the Coldwater River NWR

(formerly the Black Bayou Unit of the

Tallahatchie NWR) is intensively

managed and is closed to public access.

The Bear Lake Unit is larger and is open

for public hunting. However, the

similarity of names and closeness in

proximity of the two units often resulted

in confusion to the public.

Establishing the Coldwater River

NWR from the existing Black Bayou

Unit of the Tallahatchie NWR

eliminates these problems. This action

will allow the lands and programs of

both the Tallahatchie NWR (Bear Lake

Unit) and the Coldwater River NWR to

be managed and administered more

efficiently, will identify the two units by

their major geographical features (the

Tallahatchie River and the Coldwater

River), and should eliminate confusion

when we inform the public of our

management activities on each refuge.