Multistate Conservation Grant Program; Fiscal Year 2015 Priority List and Approval for Conservation Projects, 14156-14158 [2015-06097]

Download as PDF 14156 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 52 / Wednesday, March 18, 2015 / Notices performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate of the burden of the collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology; and (e) estimates of capital or start-up costs and costs of operation, maintenance, and purchase of services to provide information. Burden means the total time, effort, or financial resources expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, disclose or provide information to or for a Federal agency. This includes the time needed to review instructions; to develop, acquire, install and utilize technology and systems for the purpose of collecting, validating and verifying information, processing and maintaining information, and disclosing and providing information; to train personnel and to be able to respond to a collection of information, to search data sources, to complete and review the collection of information; and to transmit or otherwise disclose the information. All written comments will be available for public inspection by appointment with the Federal Consulting Group at the contact information given in the ADDRESSES section. The comments, with names and addresses, will be available for public view during regular business hours. If you wish us to withhold your personal information, you must prominently state at the beginning of your comment what personal information you want us to withhold. We will honor your request to the extent allowable by law. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget control number. Dated: March 12, 2015. Jessica Reed, Director, Federal Consulting Group. [FR Doc. 2015–06240 Filed 3–17–15; 8:45 am] mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES BILLING CODE 4334–12–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service [FWS–HQ–MB–2015–N228; 91400–5110– 0000; 91400–9410–0000] Multistate Conservation Grant Program; Fiscal Year 2015 Priority List and Approval for Conservation Projects Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice of receipt of priority list and approval of projects. AGENCY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 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 have awarded all the grants from the list. ADDRESSES: John C. Stremple, Multistate Conservation Grants Program Coordinator, Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 5275 Leesburg Pike, MS: WSFR, Falls Church, VA 22041– 3808. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John C. Stremple, (703) 358–2156 (phone) or John_Stremple@fws.gov (email). 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 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. Projects can be funded from both funds depending on the project activities. We may award grants to projects from a list of priority projects recommended to us by the Association of Fish and Wildlife SUMMARY: Agencies. The Service 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 for at least 26 States, for a majority of the States in any one Service Region, or for one of the regional associations 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 Service, 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 AFWA announces annually at the same time it requests 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. AFWA committees and interested nongovernmental organizations that represent conservation organizations, sportsmen’s and women’s organizations, and industries that support or promote fishing, hunting, trapping, recreational shooting, bowhunting, or archery review and rank eligible project proposals. AFWA’s Committee on National Grants recommends a final list of priority projects to the directors of the State fish and wildlife agencies for their approval by majority vote. By statute, AFWA then transmits the final approved list to the Service for funding under the Multistate Conservation Grant program by October 1 of the fiscal year. This year, AFWA sent us a list of 17 projects that they recommended for funding. We have awarded all of the recommended projects for FY 2015. The list follows: MULTISTATE CONSERVATION GRANT PROGRAM [FY 2015 Projects] ID Title Submitter 1 .. Multistate Conservation Grant Program Coordination. AFWA ............................ VerDate Sep<11>2014 19:00 Mar 17, 2015 Jkt 235001 PO 00000 Frm 00087 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 PR Funding 1 DJ Funding 2 $43,560 $43,560 E:\FR\FM\18MRN1.SGM 18MRN1 Total 2015 grant $87,120 14157 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 52 / Wednesday, March 18, 2015 / Notices MULTISTATE CONSERVATION GRANT PROGRAM—Continued [FY 2015 Projects] PR Funding 1 DJ Funding 2 AFWA ............................ 149,160 149,160 AFWA ............................ 64,075 64,075 128,150 AFWA ............................ 124,500 83,000 207,500 AFWA ............................ 108,480 108,480 216,960 MAFWA & WAFWA ...... 226,933.50 226,933.50 453,867 AFWA ............................ 100,000 100,000 200,000 ID Title Submitter 2 .. State Fish and Wildlife Agency Administration and Coordination. State Fish and Wildlife Agency Director Travel Administration and Coordination. Coordination of Farm Bill Program Implementation to Optimize Fish and Wildlife Benefits to States. Coordination of the Industry, Federal and State Agency Coalition. Understanding the Trends in Public Values toward Wildlife as a Key to Meeting Current and Future Wildlife Management Challenges. Educating Lawyers, Law Students, students of all ages the judiciary and the general public on state fish and wildlife management: Implementing AFWA’s 2013–2015 Strategic Plan Goal 2. Hunting, Fishing, and Sport Shooting Recruitment and Retention: A Practitioner’s Guide. National Survey of Ownership and Use of Traps by Trappers in the United States and evaluation of the use and implementation of BMPs by state fish and wildlife agencies. Promoting Strategic Fish Habitat Conservation through Regionally-coordinated Science and Collaboration. Development and Implementation of a National Initiative for Hunter and Shooting Sports Recruitment, Retention, and Reactivation. Improving the Conservation of Fish and Wildlife Populations and Habitats During Energy Exploration, Development and Transmission Through Enhanced Industry/Agency Coordination. Boosting Fishing Participation by Boat Owners ... Professional Development Workshops for effective communication and outreach regarding regulated trapping, established Best Management Practices, and furbearer management. Coordination of the 2016 National Survey Efforts (part A). 50 State Surveys Related to Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation (part B). National-Level Results for the 2016 Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation (part A). ............................................................................... ....................................... 3 .. 4 .. 5 .. 6 .. 7 .. 8 .. 9 .. 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 NSSF ............................ 69,865.05 69,865.05 0 145,500 NFHB ............................ 0 521,600 521,600 WMI and CAHSS .......... 207,900 0 207,900 AFWA ............................ 58,125 58,125 116,250 ASA ............................... Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation. 0 116,150 60,000 0 60,000 116,150 FWS .............................. 123,437 123,437 246,874 Rockville Institute (Westat). FWS/U.S. Census Bureau. 279,822 279,822 559,644 407,903 407,903 815,806 2,225,410.55 2,295,960.55 4,521,371.10 Funding: Pitman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration funds. Funding: Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration funds. AFWA: Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. ASA: American Sportfishing Association. CAHSS: Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports. NFHB: National Fish Habitat Board. NSSF: National Shooting Sports Foundation. MAFWA: Midwest Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. WAFWA: Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. WMI: Wildlife Management Institute. mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Dated: December 15, 2014. Stephen Guertin, Deputy Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. [FR Doc. 2015–06097 Filed 3–17–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–55–P Jkt 235001 PO 00000 139,730.10 145,500 2 DJ 20:31 Mar 17, 2015 298,320.50 AFWA ............................ 1 PR VerDate Sep<11>2014 Total 2015 grant Frm 00088 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 9990 E:\FR\FM\18MRN1.SGM 18MRN1 14158 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 52 / Wednesday, March 18, 2015 / Notices DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Office of the Secretary [156D0102DM DLSN00000.000000 DS61200000 DX61201] Proposed Renewal of Information Collection: OMB Control Number 1090–0011, DOI Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery Department of the Interior. Notice and request for comments. AGENCY: ACTION: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of the Secretary, Department of the Interior announces the proposed extension of a Generic Information Collection Request (Generic ICR): ‘‘DOI Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery’’ and seeks public comments on the provisions thereof. DATES: Consideration will be given to all comments received by May 18, 2015. ADDRESSES: Mail or hand carry comments to the Department of the Interior; Office of Policy Analysis; Attention: Don Bieniewicz; Mail Stop 3530; 1849 C Street NW., Washington, DC 20240. If you wish to email comments, the email address is: Donald_Bieniewicz@ios.doi.gov. Reference ‘‘DOI Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery, OMB Control Number: 1090–0011’’ in your email subject line. Include your name and return address in your email message and mark your message for return receipt. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request a copy of the information collection request, any explanatory information and related forms, see the contact information provided in the ADDRESSES section above. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: I. Abstract This notice is for renewal of information collection. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations at 5 CFR part 1320, which implement the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq., require that interested members of the public and affected agencies have an opportunity to comment on information collection and recordkeeping activities (see 5 CFR 1320.8 (d)). The information collection activity will garner qualitative customer and VerDate Sep<11>2014 20:31 Mar 17, 2015 Jkt 235001 stakeholder feedback in an efficient, timely manner, in accordance with the Administration’s commitment to improving service delivery. By qualitative feedback we mean information that provides useful insights on perceptions and opinions, but are not statistical surveys that yield quantitative results that can be generalized to the population of study. This feedback will provide insights into customer or stakeholder perceptions, experiences and expectations, provide an early warning of issues with service, or focus attention on areas where communication, training or changes in operations might improve delivery of products or services. These collections will allow for ongoing, collaborative and actionable communications between the Agency and its customers and stakeholders. It will also allow feedback to contribute directly to the improvement of program management. Feedback collected under this generic clearance will provide useful information, but it will not yield data that can be generalized to the overall population. This generic clearance for qualitative information will not be used for quantitative information collections that are designed to yield reliably actionable results, such as monitoring trends over time or documenting program performance. Such data uses require more rigorous designs that address: the target population to which generalizations will be made, the sampling frame, the sample design (including stratification and clustering), the precision requirements or power calculations that justify the proposed sample size, the expected response rate, methods for assessing potential nonresponse bias, the protocols for data collection, and any testing procedures that were or will be undertaken prior to fielding the study. II. Data (1) Title: DOI Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery. OMB Control Number: 1090–0011. Current Expiration Date: June 30, 2015. Type of Review: Information Collection Renewal. Affected Entities: Individuals and Households, Businesses and Organizations, State, Local or Tribal Government. Expected Annual Number of Activities: 20. Estimated annual number of respondents: 11,000 for surveys, 6,000 PO 00000 Frm 00089 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 for comment cards, 500 for focus groups. Frequency of responses: Once per request. (2) Annual reporting and recordkeeping burden: Average time per response: 15 minutes for surveys, 2 minutes for comment cards, 2 hours for focus groups. Estimated total annual burden hours: 3,950 hours. (3) Description of the need and use of the information: The information collection activity will garner qualitative customer and stakeholder feedback in an efficient, timely manner, in accordance with the Administration’s commitment to improving service delivery. This feedback will provide insights into customer or stakeholder perceptions, experiences and expectations, provide an early warning of issues with service, or focus attention on areas where communication, training or changes in operations might improve delivery of products or services. These collections will allow for ongoing, collaborative and actionable communications between the Agency and its customers and stakeholders. III. Request for Comments The Department invites comments on: (a) Whether the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agencies, including whether the information will have practical utility; (b) The accuracy of the agency’s estimate of the burden of the collection of information and the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (c) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) Ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other collection techniques or other forms of information technology. ‘‘Burden’’ means the total time, effort, and financial resources expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, disclose, or provide information to or for a Federal agency. This includes the time needed to review instructions; to develop, acquire, install, and use technology and systems for the purposes of collecting, validating, and verifying information, processing and maintaining information, and disclosing and providing information; to train E:\FR\FM\18MRN1.SGM 18MRN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 52 (Wednesday, March 18, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14156-14158]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-06097]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-HQ-MB-2015-N228; 91400-5110-0000; 91400-9410-0000]


Multistate Conservation Grant Program; Fiscal Year 2015 Priority 
List and Approval for Conservation Projects

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

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

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

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the 
Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 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 have awarded all the 
grants from the list.

ADDRESSES: John C. Stremple, Multistate Conservation Grants Program 
Coordinator, Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, 5275 Leesburg Pike, MS: WSFR, Falls Church, VA 22041-
3808.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John C. Stremple, (703) 358-2156 
(phone) or John_Stremple@fws.gov (email).

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 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. Projects can be funded from both 
funds depending on the project activities. We may award grants to 
projects from a list of priority projects recommended to us by the 
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. The Service 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 for at least 26 States, for a majority of the 
States in any one Service Region, or for one of the regional 
associations 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 Service, 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 AFWA announces annually at the same 
time it requests 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.
    AFWA committees and interested nongovernmental organizations that 
represent conservation organizations, sportsmen's and women's 
organizations, and industries that support or promote fishing, hunting, 
trapping, recreational shooting, bowhunting, or archery review and rank 
eligible project proposals. AFWA's Committee on National Grants 
recommends a final list of priority projects to the directors of the 
State fish and wildlife agencies for their approval by majority vote. 
By statute, AFWA then transmits the final approved list to the Service 
for funding under the Multistate Conservation Grant program by October 
1 of the fiscal year. This year, AFWA sent us a list of 17 projects 
that they recommended for funding. We have awarded all of the 
recommended projects for FY 2015. The list follows:

                                      Multistate Conservation Grant Program
                                               [FY 2015 Projects]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   ID               Title                Submitter         PR Funding \1\     DJ Funding \2\    Total 2015 grant
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.......  Multistate Conservation   AFWA...............         $43,560            $43,560            $87,120
           Grant Program
           Coordination.

[[Page 14157]]

 
2.......  State Fish and Wildlife   AFWA...............         149,160            149,160            298,320.50
           Agency Administration
           and Coordination.
3.......  State Fish and Wildlife   AFWA...............          64,075             64,075            128,150
           Agency Director Travel
           Administration and
           Coordination.
4.......  Coordination of Farm      AFWA...............         124,500             83,000            207,500
           Bill Program
           Implementation to
           Optimize Fish and
           Wildlife Benefits to
           States.
5.......  Coordination of the       AFWA...............         108,480            108,480            216,960
           Industry, Federal and
           State Agency Coalition.
6.......  Understanding the Trends  MAFWA & WAFWA......         226,933.50         226,933.50         453,867
           in Public Values toward
           Wildlife as a Key to
           Meeting Current and
           Future Wildlife
           Management Challenges.
7.......  Educating Lawyers, Law    AFWA...............         100,000            100,000            200,000
           Students, students of
           all ages the judiciary
           and the general public
           on state fish and
           wildlife management:
           Implementing AFWA's
           2013-2015 Strategic
           Plan Goal 2.
8.......  Hunting, Fishing, and     NSSF...............          69,865.05          69,865.05         139,730.10
           Sport Shooting
           Recruitment and
           Retention: A
           Practitioner's Guide.
9.......  National Survey of        AFWA...............         145,500                  0            145,500
           Ownership and Use of
           Traps by Trappers in
           the United States and
           evaluation of the use
           and implementation of
           BMPs by state fish and
           wildlife agencies.
10......  Promoting Strategic Fish  NFHB...............               0            521,600            521,600
           Habitat Conservation
           through Regionally-
           coordinated Science and
           Collaboration.
11......  Development and           WMI and CAHSS......         207,900                  0            207,900
           Implementation of a
           National Initiative for
           Hunter and Shooting
           Sports Recruitment,
           Retention, and
           Reactivation.
12......  Improving the             AFWA...............          58,125             58,125            116,250
           Conservation of Fish
           and Wildlife
           Populations and
           Habitats During Energy
           Exploration,
           Development and
           Transmission Through
           Enhanced Industry/
           Agency Coordination.
13......  Boosting Fishing          ASA................               0             60,000             60,000
           Participation by Boat
           Owners.
14......  Professional Development  Max McGraw Wildlife         116,150                  0            116,150
           Workshops for effective   Foundation.
           communication and
           outreach regarding
           regulated trapping,
           established Best
           Management Practices,
           and furbearer
           management.
15......  Coordination of the 2016  FWS................         123,437            123,437            246,874
           National Survey Efforts
           (part A).
16......  50 State Surveys Related  Rockville Institute         279,822            279,822            559,644
           to Fishing, Hunting,      (Westat).
           and Wildlife-Associated
           Recreation (part B).
17......  National-Level Results    FWS/U.S. Census             407,903            407,903            815,806
           for the 2016 Survey of    Bureau.
           Fishing, Hunting and
           Wildlife-Associated
           Recreation (part A).
                                                        --------------------------------------------------------
          ........................  ...................       2,225,410.55       2,295,960.55       4,521,371.10
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ PR Funding: Pitman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration funds.
\2\ DJ Funding: Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration funds.
AFWA: Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.
ASA: American Sportfishing Association.
CAHSS: Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports.
NFHB: National Fish Habitat Board.
NSSF: National Shooting Sports Foundation.
MAFWA: Midwest Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.
WAFWA: Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.
WMI: Wildlife Management Institute.


     Dated: December 15, 2014.
Stephen Guertin,
Deputy Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-06097 Filed 3-17-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-55-P
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