Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program Update March 2003

              U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Sport Fish and Wildlife
Restoration
Program Update March 2003
Sport Fish
Restoration Program
Table of
Contents
FWS photo
Assistant Director’s Comments / 1
Staff Directory, Federal Aid, Washington Office / 3
Federal Aid Program—Overview / 4
Focus on Specific Programs and Activities / 7
Joint Federal/State Task Force on Federal Aid Policy and Joint Federal/
State Task Force on the Next Federal Audit Cycle / 7
Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration / 9
State Audits / 9
Boating Infrastructure Grant Program Tier-Two Grants / 10
Federal Aid Information Management System (FAIMS) / 13
National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife Associated Recreation / 14
Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Programs Improvement Act of 2000 / 15
Multistate Conservation Grant Program / 15
National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program / 18
Clean Vessel Act Pumpout Grant Program / 22
State Wildlife Grants / 23
Landowner Incentive Program / 24
Federal Aid National Training Program / 25
Appendix / 26
Timber Policy Resolution Memos / 27
1 March 2003
Assistant
Director’s
Comments
Paul R.
Schmidt
Truly exciting times are upon
the Federal Assistance Program by
any historical measure. The first
half of Fiscal Year 2003 began with
a move of the Washington Office
headquarters to a new home. In
addition to moving to new office
space, the Program is also moving
to new leadership. The Wildlife and
Sport Fish Restoration Programs
Improvement Act of 2000 provided
for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
to create the position of the Assistant
Director-Wildlife and Sport Fish
Restoration. This action by the
Service sends a clear signal that the
Service is further emphasizing the
importance of strengthening its
relationship with States by providing
additional recognition to the Sport
Fish Restoration and Wildlife
Restoration Programs. As part of the
change in leadership, Tom Melius
(who has been a strong advocate of
the Program as Assistant Director-
Migratory Birds and State Programs)
will be resuming his former role as
Assistant Director-External Affairs.
I have left my former position of
Deputy Assistant Director for
Migratory Birds and State Programs
and have been named as the new
Assistant Director- Migratory Birds.
I will also cover the duties of the new
Assistant Director-Wildlife and Sport
Fish Restoration until the position
can be permanently filled.
New collaborative efforts with the
States designed to strengthen the
Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration
Programs have been initiated with
the formation of two new joint
Federal/State task forces. The Joint
Federal/State Task Force on Federal
Aid Policy (composed of Service
and State fish and wildlife agency
personnel) was formed to provide a
process for the Service and State fish
and wildlife agencies to cooperatively
identify program issues of national
significance and to jointly develop
recommendations concerning those
issues. With the most recent round
of State audits coming to a close, the
Joint Federal/State Task Force on the
Next Federal Aid Audit Cycle was
formed to solicit input from the States
and foster cooperation between the
States and the Service in order to
improve the effectiveness of the
next audit cycle by providing clearer
guidelines or “rules of the road”
for audits.
Also during the past six months,
two important new grant programs
administered by Federal Aid have
come to fruition. First, a significant
amount of the $77.6 million
apportioned to the States through the
State Wildlife Grants Program “hit
the ground” during this period with
numerous grant documents being
signed in the Regions. This Program,
designed to provide funding to
States for the development and
March 2003 2
implementation of programs that
benefit wildlife and their habitat,
including species that are not
hunted or fished, requires
participants to submit or commit
to develop a Comprehensive
Wildlife Conservation Plan by
October 1, 2005. As of December 2,
2002, all States and territories
had made this commitment.
The Landowner Incentive Program
was created in 2002 to provide grants
to establish or supplement landowner
incentive programs that provide
technical and financial assistance to
private landowners for projects that
protect and restore habitats of listed
species or species determined to be
at risk. The $40 million appropriation
“hit the ground” as well. On February
25, 2003, the Director announced
$34.8 million had been awarded
to 42 of the 47 States that had
submitted project proposals for the
competitive Tier-2 LIP grants for
Fiscal Year 2002.
With reauthorization of the Sport
Fish Restoration Program upon us,
we are working closely with the
American League of Anglers and
Boaters (ALAB) in supporting
their consensus position for
reauthorization. ALAB, as in the
past, provides the unique forum
for the Service, States, and non-governmental
organizations to
work together to foster a stronger
base of support for the Sport Fish
Restoration Program.
The “2001 National Survey of
Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-
Associated Recreation” documents
the ongoing importance of outdoor
activities to Americans. The Survey
reports that 39 percent of all
U.S. residents 16 years old and
older participated in activities
such as hunting, fishing, and
birdwatching. The Survey reported
that 34 million Americans fished
and 13 million hunted.
The Sport Fish and Wildlife
Restoration Programs collect excise
taxes on select fishing and hunting
equipment from these outdoor
enthusiasts that provides critical
revenue to the States for sport fish
and wildlife restoration efforts.
We are all very excited about the
opportunities being afforded the
Federal Assistance Program through
new leadership and new programs.
We look forward to working with
the States and other partners to
continue forging stronger working
relationships and improved lines of
communication that will ultimately
benefit those that provide the
funding for these Programs,
the American sportsmen.
FWS photo
3 March 2003
Ed Duda, System Developer
Jason Goodall, System Developer
Jeffrey Graves, Server Support,
Web Site Support
Pete Hitchcock, Network Engineer,
Security Officer
C. J. Huang, Database Administrator
Sandie Lehberger, Administrative
Technician
David Washington, ADP Systems
Support, ADP Acquisition Support
Debbie Wircenski, Help Desk and
Fiscal Administration Training
Luther Zachary, FAIMS Team Leader
Branch of Grants Operations
and Policy
Gary Reinitz, Branch Chief,
National Issue Management
Brian Bohnsack, Sport Fish
Restoration Program, Coastal
Wetlands, Clean Vessel Program,
Boating Infrastructure Grant
Program , Regions 1 & 2
Kim Galvan, Regulations,
U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Manual Chapters, Section 6 Grants,
Regions 4 & 7
Tim Hess, Wildlife Restoration
Program, Landowner Incentive
Program, State Wildlife Grants,
Regions 3 & 5
Vacant, Regulations, Education
Liaison, Region 6
Branch of Audits and Cash
Management
Vacant, Branch Chief, Audits,
Cash Management
Ord Bargerstock, Systems Accountant,
Regions 4 & 5, Audit Resolution
Kate Gilliam, Systems Accountant,
Regions 1 & 2, Lessons Learned,
Future Audit Plans
Pat McHugh, Systems Accountant,
Regions 3, 6, & 7, Audit Program
Oversight
Branch of Surveys
Sylvia Cabrera, Branch Chief,
National Survey of Fishing, Hunting
and Wildlife-Associated Recreation
Richard Aiken, Economist,
National Survey
Genevieve Pullis, Economist,
National Survey
Branch of Training
Steve Leggans, Branch Chief
Julie Schroyer, Administrative Analyst
Blake Weirich, Assistant Training
Coordinator
Intergovernmental Personnel
Act (IPA) Agreement
Lanny Moore, On IPA assignment
from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service to the International
Association of Fish and Wildlife
Agencies
This one-year IPA will allow Lanny
to pursue full-time the Internal
Revenue Service (IRS), Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms
(BATF), and U.S. Customs Working
Group initiatives. The main goal of
the group is to ensure that the States
receive all funds they are due from
these agencies in a timely and
accurate manner. Through displays,
workshops, and seminars, Lanny will
conduct training for all IRS, BATF,
and Customs staff who are involved
in the paying, collecting, accounting,
and transferring of funds.
Staff Directory
Federal Aid
Washington
Office
Federal Aid Main Phone Number
703/358 2156
Web Address
http://federalaid.fws.gov
Kris E. LaMontagne, Division Chief
Jimmye Kane, Lead Secretary
Chris McKay, Special Assistant
to Division Chief
Vacant, Deputy Division Chief,
Operations
Vacant, Secretary
Branch of Budget and
Administration
Tom Jeffrey, Branch Chief, Budget
Development and Execution,
Program Management
Mary Jones, Administrative Officer
Linda Muhammad, Program Support
Assistant
Tracy Vriens, Program Analyst
Branch of Information Management
Bill Conlin, Branch Chief, Information
Management, ADP Support, FAIMS
Dale Beaumariage, FAIMS Help Desk,
Grant Administration Training
Lorinda Bennett, Fiscal Management,
Audit Liaison
March 2003 4
Federal Aid
Program
Overview
The goal of the Federal Aid Program
via effective grant administration,
is to work with States to conserve,
protect, and enhance fish, wildlife,
their habitats and the hunting,
sport fishing, and recreational
boating opportunities they provide.
The Federal Aid Program is
responsible for administering
the following Programs:
nWildlife Restoration
n Sport Fish Restoration
n Clean Vessel Pumpouts
n Boating Infrastructure Grants
n National Coastal Wetlands
Conservation Grants
n Multistate Conservation Grants
n State Wildlife Grants
n Landowner Incentive
In addition, Federal Aid provides
grant management support for
endangered species traditional
section 6, Habitat Conservation
Plan (HCP) Land Acquisition,
HCP Planning, and Recovery
Land Acquisition Grant Programs.
Congress approved the Federal Aid
in Wildlife Restoration Act on
September 2, 1937, and it began
functioning on July 1, 1938. The
purpose of this Act is to provide
funding for the restoration,
rehabilitation, and improvement of
wildlife habitat, wildlife management,
and research, and the distribution of
information produced by the projects.
Congress amended the Act on
October 23, 1970, to include funding
for hunter training programs and
the development, operation, and
maintenance of public target ranges.
The Program is funded by an 11
percent Federal excise tax on sporting
arms, ammunition, and archery
equipment, and a 10 percent tax on
handguns. Additional funds are also
collected from a 12.4 percent tax on
archery equipment. The Department
of the Interior apportions these
funds each year to the States and
Territories (except Washington, D.C.)
based on formulas set forth in the Act.
Congress passed the Federal Aid in
Sport Fish Restoration Act, also
referred to as the Dingell-Johnson
Act on August 9, 1950. It was modeled
after the Federal Aid in Wildlife
Restoration Act to create a parallel
program for fish management,
conservation, and restoration. To
participate in this Program, States
must pass legislation that ensures
that the State fish and wildlife agency
retains license revenues for use in
managing their agency. The Program
is funded by a 10 percent Federal
excise tax on fishing rods, reels,
creels, lures, flies and artificial baits,
and a 3 percent tax on electronic
fishing motors and sonar fish finders.
Additional funding sources are
import duties and excise taxes on
motorboat and small engine fuels.
FWS photo
5 March 2003
The Department of the Interior also
apportions these funds each year to
the States and Territories under a
formula based on each State’s land
and water area and number of
licensed anglers.
Congress passed the Clean Vessel Act
(CVA) in 1992 to help reduce pollution
from vessel sewage discharges. The
Act established a Federal grant
program to the States, administered
by the Service and funded at $10
million annually by the Sport Fish
Restoration Account of the Aquatic
Resources Trust Fund. Federal
funds can reimburse up to 75 percent
of all approved project costs with
the remaining funds provided by
the States or marinas. Grants
are available to the States on a
competitive basis for the construction
and/or renovation, operation, and
maintenance of pumpout and portable
toilet dump stations. After States
submit grant proposals to the Service
for review, the Division convenes a
panel including representatives from
the Division’s Washington Office, the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, the Environmental
Protection Agency, and the U.S. Coast
Guard to evaluate and to rank the
proposals. The Service then awards
grants shortly afterward. The
Transportation Equity Act for the
21st Century (TEA21) reauthorized
CVA through Fiscal Year 2003.
The Boating Infrastructure Grant
(BIG) Program provides $32 million
over four years (2000–2003) for
grants to the States and Territories.
The purpose of the grants is to
encourage States, in cooperation
with local and private interests, to
construct, renovate, and maintain
tie-up facilities for non-trailerable
recreational boats (26 feet or more
in length). The Sport Fishing and
Boating Partnership Council and
Service panels annually recommend
grants for funding to the Service.
The Coastal Wetlands Planning,
Protection and Restoration Act
authorizes the distribution to Coastal
Wetlands Programs 18 percent of the
Sport Fish Restoration receipts
collected in the previous year or
100 percent of the excise tax on small
engine fuel (whichever is greater).
The National Coastal Wetlands
Conservation Grant Program
receives 15 percent of these funds
(not to exceed $15 million). Program
grants are awarded to States and
Territories for coastal wetlands
acquisition, restoration, and
enhancement. Congress reauthorized
the Coastal Wetlands Planning,
Protection and Restoration Act in
November 2000 through Fiscal
Year 2009.
Federal Aid Program Overview
FWS photo
March 2003 6
Congress authorized the Multistate
Conservation Grant Program
under the Wildlife and Sport Fish
Restoration Programs Improvement
Act of 2000. It can award up to
$6 million annually, with half the
funds coming from each of the
Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration
Programs. These grants must benefit
at least half of the States, most of
the States in a Service Region, or
a regional association of State fish
and wildlife agencies. In Fiscal
Years 2001, 2002, and 2003 the Service
issued the full amount of funds
allowed for grants.
Section 6 of the Endangered
Species Act of 1973 established a
grant program available to any
State agency or agencies, or other
government entities, with authority to
conserve resident species of fish and
wildlife or plants deemed threatened
or endangered. Prerequisites
for participation in grants under
section 6 are that a State establishes
and maintains an adequate and active
program for the conservation of
endangered and threatened species
and has entered into a cooperative
agreement with the Secretary of the
Interior. The State must also meet
the requirements for an adequate
and active program described in
50 CFR 81 and the Service Manual,
chapter 521 FW 4.
For Fiscal Year 2003, the traditional
section 6 grant program was funded
at $7.52 million (President’s Budget).
Funds are distributed among the
Service’s Regions based on the
number of “counted” species found
within the States in the Region and
then to the States within a Region
based on a Regional competition.
Additional section 6 programs
are funded as follows for Fiscal
Year 2003: HCP Land Acquisition,
$54.4 million; HCP Planning,
$6.65 million; Recovery Land
Acquisition, $17.8 million; and
$2.6 million for administration.
For traditional section 6 grants, the
Federal share is 75 percent, but can
go up to 90 percent when two or more
States cooperate on an eligible grant.
The State Wildlife Grants Program
(SWG) and Landowner Incentive
Program (LIP) were initiated
through the Department of the
Interior and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act, 2002. This Act
included $85 million for SWG and
$40 million for LIP for State agencies
and Tribes in FY 2002. The SWG
Program is formula-based and is
intended to fund a wide range of
projects to benefit wildlife species
with the greatest conservation need.
Grants for the Tribal portion of the
SWG Program are competitively
awarded. Similarly, LIP awards
grants to States and Tribes on a
competitive basis. The funds go
to provide technical and financial
assistance to landowners for the
protection and management of habitat
to benefit Federally listed, proposed,
or candidate species or other at-risk
species on private lands. States have
received implementation guidelines
for the SWG Program and
implementation guidelines for LIP
have been published in the Federal
Register. The Service’s External
Affairs Program will implement the
Tribal portion of these Programs
with Federal Aid providing fiscal
administration. For Fiscal Year
2003, the Congress appropriated
$65 million for SWG and no new
funds for LIP. The FY 2002 $40
million in LIP will be used in FY 2003.
FWS photo
7 March 2003
Joint Federal/State Task
Force on Federal Aid Policy
and Joint Federal/State Task
Force on the Next Federal
Aid Audit Cycle
The Service and State fish and
wildlife agencies have a strong
common interest in the efficient
and effective administration
of the Sport Fish and Wildlife
Restoration Programs. To further
this relationship, the Joint
Federal/State Task Force on Federal
Aid Policy (Policy Task Force) has
been formed. The Policy Task Force
(composed of seven Service and
seven State fish and wildlife agency
personnel) provides the forum to
cooperatively identify Program issues
of national significance and to develop
jointly recommendations concerning
those issues.
Almost one-half billion dollars
annually is apportioned to the States
for sport fish and wildlife restoration
through these two Programs. These
Programs represent a cooperative
effort not only between the Service
and State fish and wildlife agencies,
but are also supported and funded
by a wide variety of hunters, anglers,
and boaters through dedicated taxes
paid by these users. Although the
Programs serve as a model for
cooperative efforts, events of the last
few years underscore the need for
renewed efforts to provide clear
direction and to streamline and
improve management of the
Programs. Recommendations from
review teams and the recent audits
of State fish and wildlife agencies
indicate the need for the development
of clear policy to reduce confusion,
prevent wasted time and resources,
eliminate inconsistencies in program
implementation, and reduce
controversy sometimes associated
with administration and execution of
the Programs. The Policy Task Force
will strive to attain these objectives.
The Service (either on its behalf or on
the behalf of other partners) and any
State fish and wildlife agency may
submit an issue to the Policy Task
Force for consideration. The Policy
Task Force will review all issues
submitted to it. If there are more
issues than may be immediately
addressed, the Policy Task Force will
focus on issues of highest priority,
determined by such factors as the
number of States affected by an
issue, the probability an issue
will result in audit finding if left
unresolved, the significance of the
financial implication, the impact on
natural resources if the issue is left
unresolved, etc. Policy Task Force
recommendations may include
changes to existing law, regulation,
or policy. Any recommended changes
to regulation will require that the
proposal be subject to the federal
rule-making process. Recommended
policy (new or modified) will be
subject to an appropriate process
Focus on Specific Programs and Activities
Focus on
Specific
Programs and
Activities
FWS photo
March 2003 8
that may provide opportunity for
comment by interested parties before
adoption by the Service. It shall be
the goal of the Service and of the
State fish and wildlife agencies that
potential Program issues be brought
before the Policy Task Force prior to
any Federal or State decision-making
process, so that eventual proposals
developed in response to these
issues reflect the cooperative work
of the Service and the States. Policy
clarification and problem resolution
will be implemented in a rapid
manner, and the Policy Task Force
may provide recommendations
concerning this goal. Within any
applicable legal requirements, it shall
also be the goal that retroactive
application of new or policy
clarification entailing adverse
consequences for State fish and
wildlife agencies will be avoided
where prior administrative direction
has been ambiguous or non-existent.
In August 2002, the Service and
State fish and wildlife agencies
formed a Joint Federal/State Task
Force on the Next Federal Aid
Audit Cycle (Audit Task Force)
to review the current procedures
for auditing the Sport Fish and
Wildlife Restoration Programs
and to cooperatively develop
recommendations for improving the
effectiveness of the next audit cycle.
The Audit Task Force was composed
of eight members from the Service,
ten from State fish and wildlife
agencies, and three from the
Department of the Interior’s
Office of the Inspector General.
The objectives of the Audit Task
Group were as follows:
n Define the audit objectives for the
next cycle of Federal Aid audits.
n Clarify if the audit objectives should
address the distinction between
questions concerning whether funds
are appropriately used and accounted
for, versus natural resource
management questions concerning
professional biological judgement.
n Define the protocol for the next
cycle of Federal Aid audits.
n Review and recommend training
and guidance for the auditors, the
Service, and the States to include
an explanation of the unique nature
of these programs, the flexibility
available to the States to use
apportioned funds to meet State
determined priorities for eligible
activities, etc.
n Provide final reports,
recommendations and briefings by
January 1, 2003.
The audit function of the Federal
Aid Program is mandated by law
and is vital to safeguarding the
Program’s assets and integrity. After
an extensive review of the current
audit process and building upon
experiences gained from the last audit
cycle, the Audit Task Force submitted
on December 30, 2003, a 17-page
report that provides guidelines or
“rules of the road” for improving the
audit process. Upon filing this report,
the Audit Task Force was disbanded
as planned. The Service has endorsed
the recommendations contained in
the report and prepared a report
as of January 17, 2003, describing
implementation actions taken
regarding the report of the Audit
Task Force to that point.
FWS photo
9 March 2003
Federal Aid in Sport
Fish Restoration
The total apportionment for Fiscal
Year 2003 for the Sport Fish
Restoration Program is $265,241,214.
State and Territory apportionments
ranged from $884,137 to $13,262,060
this fiscal year. The total
apportionment is down from
last year’s all-time high largely
because of reduced interest earned
on investments. Major Program
highlights this past fiscal year include:
the awarding of the Sport Fish
Restoration Project of the Year by
the Fisheries Administrators Section
of the American Fisheries Society
to the Missouri Department of
Conservation’s Lost Valley Hatchery
for their Visitor Center and Kids
Fishing Pond, and to the Florida
Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission and Florida Marine
Research Institute for their Health
Monitoring of Florida’s Marine
Sport Fish project. Other Program
highlights included 279,048 students
receiving training in aquatic
education courses/events, stocking
107,870,000 fish, developing 124 new
boating access sites, and managing
1,512 boating access sites.
A major funding component of
this Program is scheduled for
reauthorization during FY 2003. The
reauthorization may affect the
distribution of motorboat fuel taxes.
Taxes from these sources currently
provide almost 40 percent of the total
funds available for apportionment
from this Program. The American
League of Anglers and Boaters
(ALAB), the International
Association of Fish and Wildlife
Agencies, and other conservation
groups are leading efforts to get
the Program reauthorized. ALAB
reached a consensus position at its
January meeting and have begun
working with Congressional and
government leaders on the Program’s
reauthorization. The Service acted
as a technical advisor to ALAB
throughout this group’s consensus
reaching process.
The consensus position reached
by ALAB at its January meeting
recommended that the Sport Fish
Restoration Program receive 47
percent of the total funds deposited
into the Sport Fish Restoration
Account for apportionment to States
and Territories for their regular
sport fish management programs
and 8.3 percent of the total funds
deposited into the Account for
States and Territories boating
access activities. The latter
percentage maintains boating access
at its current overall program funding
level (15 percent). These percentages
could change as Congress considers
the reauthorization of this portion of
the Program.
State Audits
The Service published six audit
chapters in the Federal Register
for comment in December 2001.
Modifications were incorporated into
the Chapters in November 2002 as
recommended by the Director’s
Federal Aid Audit Policy Task Force.
Upon the completion of the surname
process, the revised chapters will
become part of the Service’s Manual.
The chapters establish policy and
responsibilities for grantee audits,
define terms associated with audits,
and provide an overview of the audit
process. In addition, they establish
policies and procedures for audit
objectives, planning, conducting,
reporting, resolution, and appeals.
The establishment of these policies
and procedures will enhance the
ongoing audit process.
Chapter 1 provides terms associated
with the audit and an overview of the
audit process. Chapter 2 identifies
the programmatic and financial
elements of audits. Chapter 3
provides procedures for conducting
and reporting on audits of Federal
Aid Program grantees. Chapter 4
establishes policy and procedures for
resolving findings and implementing
recommendations. Included in this
chapter are timelines of the audit
resolution process. Chapter 5
establishes policy and procedures
for appealing Service determinations
or corrective actions. Chapter 6
establishes Service policy for
resolving findings and implementing
recommendations from audits of
Federal Aid Program grantees
under the Single Audit Act. The
audit chapters will enhance the
Service’s ability to complete audits
in a timely manner.
Focus on Specific Programs and Activities
March 2003 10
Boating Infrastructure
Grant Program
Fiscal Year 2003 is pivotal to the
future of the Boating Infrastructure
Grant (BIG) Program. This fiscal
year is the last year of the initial
authorization for the Program. The
BIG Program was authorized by the
Sportfishing and Boat Safety Act
of 1998 to encourage States and
Territories , in cooperation with local
governments and private boating
interests, to construct, renovate,
and maintain tie-up facilities for
non-trailerable recreational boats
(26 feet or more in length). Since the
inception of the Program, interest
and support for the BIG Program
has continued to increase.
Funding for this Program in future
years in dependent upon its
reauthorization by Congress. The
ALAB consensus proposal does
support reauthorization of this
Program.
Thirty four States and five Territories
submitted Tier-1 BIG (see Table 1)
requests this fiscal year that totaled
$3.6 million. The Service received
a record number of proposals (60)
for the Tier-2 portion of the BIG
Program this fiscal year. The Tier-2
proposals requested $28.7 million
in Federal funding. Nine Tier-2
projects in six States were funded
this fiscal year (see Table 2). These
projects will receive approximately
$3.9 million in Tier-2 funding and will
be supplemented by $13 million from
State and private partners. The
States of New York and New Jersey
received Tier-2 funding this year for
the first time. A brief description of
the projects follows.
South Carolina
Charleston Maritime Center This
project is sponsored by the City of
Charleston and will enhance the local
marina facilities for transient boaters
by installing a 175-foot floating dock,
wave attenuators, gangways, and
replacing an existing fuel dock.
The Maritime Center hosts fishing
tournaments, sailing regattas, and
other events/festivals throughout the
year. BIG funding (Federal share)
$323,750, State/local funding $323,750.
Harborwalk Marina This project in
Georgetown will enhance the existing
marina by removing an existing pier
and installing new docks and/or
fixed piers that can accommodate
up to 13 slips. In addition to
providing transient boaters with
easy access to Georgetown’s historic
district, it will also serve as a safe
harbor for boaters. BIG funding
(Federal share $328,488), State/
local funding $323,070.
Virginia
Bay Creek Marina This project is
sponsored by Bay Creek Marina
near Cape Charles. This project will
construct 49 transient boat slips with
utility hookups. The marina provides
convenient access to many attractions
including the National Maritime
Center along Virginia’s eastern shore
in Virginia Beach and the General
Douglas MacArthur Memorial. BIG
funding (Federal share) $250,000,
local funding $1,760,000.
Louisiana
Bucktown Harbor Marina This project
is sponsored by Jefferson Parish
and will create a tie-up pier that
will be able to accommodate up to
25 large cruising and off-shore
boats. Bucktown Harbor Marina,
located on the south shore of Lake
Pontchartrain, provides transient
boaters easy access to New Orleans.
BIG funding (Federal share) $186,886,
State/local funding $194,514.
New Jersey
Belmar Municipal Marina This project is
sponsored by the Borough of Belmar
and several cooperators. The project
will create up to 58 new slips with
utility hookups for transient boats.
The marina provides convenient
access to several local attractions
including the Gateway National
Recreation Area. BIG funding
(Federal share) $1,500,000, local
funding $3,067,000.
New York
Nyack Marina This project is
sponsored by the Village of Nyack
and will construct 10 new slips and
provide 40 new mooring sites for
transient boaters. Nyack Marina is
located on the lower Hudson River
and provides convenient access
to New York City. BIG funding
(Federal share) $247,000, State/
local funding $771,000.
11 March 2003
Colonial Beach Yacht Center This project
is sponsored by the Colonial Beach
Yacht Center and several cooperators
in Colonial Beach and will construct a
fuel dock and 723 feet of docking
space for transient boats. The docking
spaces will be equipped with utility
hookups. In addition to providing a
safe harbor for transient boaters
during storms, the area is also a way
point destination for boaters traveling
along the Potomac River. BIG funding
(Federal funding $138,304, State/local
funding $256,201.
Washington Sailing Marina This project
is sponsored by the Washington
Sailing Marina in Alexandria. The
project will construct a floating wave
attenuator that will serve as a docking
platform for up to 8 transient boats.
The marina provides convenient
access to Alexandria and the
Washington, DC area attractions.
BIG funding (Federal share) $42,427,
local/State funding $42,427.
Focus on Specific Programs and Activities
Table 1. Tier-1 Boating Infrastructure Grants for Fiscal Year 2000 through 2003.
State/Territory Fiscal Years Fiscal Year Fiscal Year Total
2000, 2001 2002 2003
Alabama $200,000 $100,000 $100,000 $400,000
Alaska $200,000 $100,000 $100,000 $400,000
American Samoa $0 $0 $100,000 $100,000
Arizona $0 $0 $0 $0
Arkansas $200,000 $100,000 $100,000 $400,000
California $200,000 $94,260 $100,000 $394,260
Colorado $0 $0 $0 $0
Connecticut $173,295 $60,446 $16,450 $250,191
Delaware $200,000 $0 $100,000 $300,000
District Of Columbia $178,415 $0 $0 $178,415
Florida $200,000 $100,000 $39,882 $339,882
Georgia $0 $0 $0 $0
Guam $0 $0 $100,000 $100,000
Hawaii $200,000 $100,000 $0 $300,000
Idaho $200,000 $75,000 $100,000 $375,000
Illinois $200,000 $100,000 $50,000 $350,000
Indiana $129,375 $75,000 $100,000 $304,375
Iowa $200,000 $100,000 $0 $300,000
Kansas $0 $0 $0 $0
Kentucky $200,000 $100,000 $100,000 $400,000
Louisiana $72,774 $99,975 $99,843 $272,592
Maine $200,000 $100,000 $100,000 $400,000
Maryland $200,000 $100,000 $100,000 $400,000
Washington
Port of Bremerton Marina This project
sponsored by the Port of Bremerton
and several cooperators will construct
a new 1,200-foot breakwater that
includes moorage for transient
boaters. The breakwater will be
outfitted with utility hook-ups to
serve transient boaters. Part of the
project plans include re-positioning
the decommissioned destroyer, the
USS Turner Joy, to better protect
the marina from waves. BIG
funding (Federal share) $955,000,
local share $6,339,122.
March 2003 12
State/Territory Fiscal Years Fiscal Year Fiscal Year Total
2000, 2001 2002 2003
Massachusetts $200,000 $89,791 $91,082 $380,873
Michigan $200,000 $100,000 $0 $300,000
Minnesota $200,000 $100,000 $0 $300,000
Mississippi $200,000 $0 $100,000 $300,000
Missouri $200,000 $86,700 $99,000 $385,700
Montana $0 $0 $0 $0
Nebraska $0 $0 $100,000 $100,000
Nevada $0 $0 $0 $0
New Hampshire $0 $0 $0 $0
New Jersey $0 $99,945 $100,000 $199,945
New Mexico $0 $0 $0 $0
New York $200,000 $100,000 $100,000 $400,000
North Carolina $0 $100,000 $75,300 $175,300
North Dakota $164,625 $94,500 $0 $259,125
Northern Mariana $0 $100,000 $100,000 $200,000
Ohio $200,000 $100,000 $100,000 $400,000
Oklahoma $200,000 $100,000 $100,000 $400,000
Oregon $200,000 $100,000 $100,000 $400,000
Pennsylvania $200,000 $100,000 $100,000 $400,000
Puerto Rico $0 $0 $0 $0
Rhode Island $157,219 $98,750 $41,250 $297,219
South Carolina $159,000 $60,500 $100,000 $319,500
South Dakota $0 $0 $0 $0
Tennessee $200,000 $100,000 $100,000 $400,000
Texas $200,000 $100,000 $100,000 $400,000
Utah $0 $0 $0 $0
Vermont $200,000 $100,000 $100,000 $400,000
Virgin Islands $0 $0 $100,000 $100,000
Virginia $126,525 $99,891 $99,891 $326,307
Washington $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $300,000
West Virginia $0 $100,000 $100,000 $200,000
Wisconsin $200,000 $100,000 $100,000 $400,000
Wyoming $0 $0 $0 $0
Total $6,661,228 $3,534,759 $3,512,698 $13,708,686
13 March 2003
Focus on Specific Programs and Activities
Federal Aid Information
Management System (FAIMS)
FAIMS is critical to the reconciliation
of grant related fiscal information
that exists in systems operated by the
Department of Health and Human
Services, the Division of Federal Aid,
and the Division of Finance. The
checks and balances built into FAIMS
ensure the integrity of Federal Aid’s
fiscal data as confirmed by the audit
firm KPMG.
Table 2. Tier-2 Boating Infrastructure Grants for Fiscal Year 2000 through 2003.
State/Territory Fiscal Years Fiscal Year Fiscal Year Total
2000, 2001 2002 2003
California $834,125 $834,125
Florida $845,365 $250,000 $1,095,365
Illinois $1,397,968 $1,397,968
Iowa $1,156,428 $1,156,428
Louisiana $693,000 $607,000 $186,886 $1,486,886
Maine $240,086 $240,086
Mississippi $224,000 $224,000
New Jersey $1,500,000 $1,500,000
New York $247,000 $247,000
Ohio $956,293 $861,383 $1,817,676
Oregon $1,475,625 $354,750 $1,830,375
South Carolina $928,125 $1,198,000 $652,238 $2,778,363
Virginia $606,306 $600,000 $430,731 $1,637,037
Washington $299,982 $955,000 $1,254,982
Total $9,133,321 $4,395,115 $3,971,855 $17,500,291
In Fiscal Year 2003 Federal Aid
Program emphasis for FAIMS is
being placed on:
n Improving the timeliness and
quality of grant objectives and
accomplishment information in
FAIMS. FAIMS is frequently used
to provide not only an accounting of
fiscal information, but also objectives
and resource benefits accomplished.
n Implementing a web site that will
provide Internet access to FAIMS
information. The FAIMS team has
developed the capability to make
various reports and other information
available through the Internet.
Grantees will be able to use the site
to monitor the status of documents,
including but not limited to proposals,
grant agreements, amendments to
grant agreements, fiscal transactions,
and accomplishments.
n Implementing electronic submission
of annual license holder certifications.
This feature of the FAIMS web site
will permit recipients of funds under
the Sport Fish Restoration and
Wildlife Restoration Programs to fill
out, sign, and submit license holder
certifications electronically.
n Modernizing the architecture of
FAIMS through an application
upgrade which will convert the
application from being client/server
based to web-browser based. This will
lay the ground work for eventual
consolidation of the FAIMS databases
into a single centrally located and
managed site.
March 2003 14
National Survey of Fishing,
Hunting and Wildlife-
Associated Recreation
The recently completed 2001 Survey
is the 10th sponsored by the Service
since 1955. The Service has conducted
the Survey every five years at the
request of State fish and wildlife
agencies, and it has become one
of the Nation’s most important
sources of information on wildlife-related
recreation.
In March 1999, the Survey
Grants-in-Aid Subcommittee of the
International Association of Fish
and Wildlife Agencies (IAFWA)
recommended that the Service
conduct a survey in 200l. In June
1999, the Service signed an
agreement with the Bureau of
Census (Census) to collect the
information and produce the reports.
Service staff met with State technical
committee members and non-governmental
organizations to
determine survey content. Federal
agencies and other major survey
users also provided input.
In April and May 2001, Census
conducted the screening interviews.
Census collected information
through computer-assisted interviews
conducted primarily by telephone.
Census completed screening
interviews of over 52,000 households.
These interviews identified samples
of 30,000 sportsmen (anglers and
hunters) and 15,000 wildlife watchers
(wildlife feeders, observers, and
photographers) for the Survey’s
detailed interview phase.
Census asked respondents about
their 2001 activities and expenditures
in three detailed interview waves
beginning in April and September
2001 and in January 2002.
Interviewers completed data
collection on February 28, 2002. The
response rate for the detailed data
collection phase was about 90 percent.
Some important results include
the fact that in 2001, 82 million
U.S. residents, 39 percent of the
population 16 years and older,
participated in some type of wildlife-related
recreation. Five million more
participated in 2001 than in 1996, the
last time the survey was conducted.
Anglers, hunters, and wildlife
watchers spent $108 billion pursuing
their activities. These expenditures
accounted for 1.1 percent of the
Nation’s total gross domestic product.
Of the sportsmen, 34 million fished
and 13 million hunted. Sixty-six
million wildlife enthusiasts observed,
fed or photographed wildlife around
their homes or on trips in 2001.
A comparison of 2001 and 1996
estimates shows a mixed picture.
While total participation in all
wildlife-related recreation increased,
participation in fishing declined by
3 percent and hunting by 7 percent.
The decrease in hunting was due
to a decline in small game hunting
and other animal hunting (raccoon,
groundhog, etc.). Big game hunting
and migratory bird hunting held
steady. Wildlife watching increased
by 5 percent from 1996 to 2001.
The Service began releasing
preliminary information in May 2002.
The final National Report and Quick
Facts brochure were issued in early
October 2002, and the State Reports
were issued on a flow basis beginning
in January 2003. A CD-ROM with
all the survey data is available on
request. Copies of the reports are
available on request or are accessible
through the following web site:
http://federalaid.fws.gov/.
State fish and
wildlife agencies
are developing
hunter and
angler retention
programs in an
effort to increase
participation.
The Kansas
Department of
Wildlife and
Parks’ “Pass It
On” program is
an example of
these efforts.
Photo courtesy
of Kansas
Department of
Wildlife and
Parks.
15 March 2003
Wildlife and Sport Fish
Restoration Programs
Improvement Act of 2000
As required by Section 133(a)
of the Wildlife and Sport Fish
Restoration Programs Improvement
Act of 2000, the Service prepared
an implementation report for
Congress in August 2001. It may be
found on the Federal Aid Home Page
at http://federalaid.fws.gov/. This
report details actions taken by the
Division to implement the Act and,
as required by Section 133(a),
recommends several revisions to the
Act the Service believes would assist
in administering the Programs.
A key component of the Act is
the reduction of funding for
administering the Wildlife and
Sport Fish Restoration Programs.
The Division of Federal Aid has
implemented these reductions and
will continue to seek ways to improve
the efficiency of its operation. The
Division saved money by changing
its staffing and expenditures. It also
identified unspent administrative
funds from prior years that it
apportioned to the States. Through
these two efforts, Federal Aid
has accumulated and apportioned
$10.2 million in administrative
savings to the States.
At the same time it was finding
ways to save money, the Division
implemented new management
controls and procedures to ensure
continued compliance with the Act
and it developed and implemented
new grant programs established
by the Act. These grant programs
include the Multistate Grant
Programs in both Wildlife and
Sport Fish Restoration and the
Firearm and Bow Hunter
Education and Safety Program in
Wildlife Restoration.
Multistate Conservation
Grant Program
The Wildlife and Sport Fish
Restoration Programs Improvement
Act of 2000 established a Multistate
Conservation Grant Program
within the Sport Fish and Wildlife
Restoration Programs. The
Improvement Act authorizes grants
of up to $3 million annually from
funds available under each of
the Programs, for a total of up to
$6 million annually. Grants may be
made from a priority list of projects
submitted by the International
Association of Fish and Wildlife
Agencies (IAFWA), representing
the State fish and wildlife agencies.
To be eligible for consideration by the
IAFWA, 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 be
made to a State or group of States, to
non-governmental organizations, and,
for the purpose of carrying out the
National Survey of Fishing, Hunting
and Wildlife-Associated Recreation.
The priority list of projects submitted
by the IAFWA for funding this
fiscal year includes these 25 projects
(see Table 3) from which the Division
expects to make grant awards early
in 2003.
Focus on Specific Programs and Activities
FWS photos
March 2003 16
Table 3. Multistate Conservation Grants Proposals Submitted for Fiscal Year 2003 Funding
Project Title Applicant Wildlife Funds Sport Fish Funds
(in dollars) (in dollars)
Wildlife Values in the West Western Association of Fish & Wildlife 223,961 223,961
Agencies (WAFWA)
Step Outside National Shooting Sports Foundation 92,600 92,600
Becoming an Outdoors Woman University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point 93,050 93,050
Women in the Outdoors National Wild Turkey Federation 77,500 77,500
The Trailblazer Adventure Program U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation 80,000 80,000
Automated Wildlife Data Systems IAFWA Automated Wildlife Data 81,840 81,840
Program Coordination Systems Task Force
Provide Adaptive Equipment to Paralyzed Veterans of America 44,000 ..........
State Fish & Game Departments to
Assist Physically Challenged Individuals
in Traditional Outdoor Activities
Measuring Public Opinion of Fish and Northeast Conservation Information 175,000 175,000
Wildlife Agencies in 13 Northeast States & Education Association
Continued Support for State Future Fisherman Foundation .......... 51,500
“Hooked on Fishing–Not on Drugs”
Programs
The Northern Bobwhite Conservation Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency 225,000 ..........
Initiative: Moving the Plan Forward
Chronic Wasting Disease Prevention IAFWA Wildlife Health Task Force 357,500 ..........
and Management Planning
Fish & Wildlife Reference Service: KRA Corporation 249,779 249,779
Managing and Providing Information
to State Wildlife and Natural
Resources Agencies
Evaluation of the Fish and Wildlife Virginia Polytechnic Institute 20,356 20,356
Reference Service & State University
Data Management Support for the Virginia Polytechnic Institute 92,154 ..........
Chronic Wasting Disease Initiative & State University
Unwanted Aquatic Species: A Two-Year IAFWA Fisheries & Water Resources .......... 391,840
Project to Address State, Regional Policy Committee
and National Aquatic Invasive
Species Issues
Conservation Communication Team AFWA Education, Outreach & Diversity 114,000 114,000
Committee and Point to Point
Communications
Continued on page 15
17 March 2003
Table 3. Multistate Conservation Grants Proposals Submitted for Fiscal Year 2003 Funding (continued)
Project Title Applicant Wildlife Funds Sport Fish Funds
(in dollars) (in dollars)
National 4-H Sportfishing Initiative National 4-H Sportfishing Committee of the .......... 150,623
Texas 4-H Youth Development Foundation
Creating Master Naturalist Programs Texas Parks & Wildlife Department 97,325 97,325
National Hunting Incident International Hunter Education Association 66,800 ..........
Clearinghouse
Wildlife Law News Weekly Alert Center for Wildlife Law at the University 40,500 40,500
and Online Services of New Mexico Institute of Public Law
Management Assistance Team IAFWA 408,272 408,272
Sage Grouse Data Management: WAFWA Sage Grouse and Columbian 27,800 ..........
Making States’ Data Available to Sharp-tailed Grouse Technical Committee
Conservation Planning Teams
Bird Conservation for the Nation: IAFWA Bird Conservation Committee 214,520 ..........
Support for State All-Bird
Conservation Efforts
Assessing Ownership, Use and IAFWA Furbearer Resources Task Force; 118,800 ..........
Modifications of Trapping Systems, Education, Outreach & Diversity Committee;
and Familiarity of Trapping BMPs by and Wildlife Resources Policy Committee
Trappers in the United States
Development of a Detailed National IAFWA National Grants Committee 125,000 125,000
Conservation Need for a National
Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-
Associated Recreation Survey
Totals 3,025,757 2,473,146
Focus on Specific Programs and Activities
March 2003 18
National Coastal Wetlands
Conservation Grant Program
In Fiscal Year 2003, the Service
awarded more than $17 million in
grants to 15 States to conserve,
restore, and protect coastal wetlands.
States awarded grants for Fiscal
Year 2003 under the National
Coastal Wetlands Conservation
Grant Program are Alabama, Alaska,
California, Connecticut, Florida,
Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts,
New Jersey, New York, Ohio,
Oregon, Texas, Virginia, and
Washington State. The grants, which
will help fund 23 projects, will be
supplemented by $33 million from
State and private partners.
Partners in this year’s Coastal
Wetlands Conservation Grants
projects include State fish and wildlife
agencies, land trusts, universities,
several timber companies, private
landowners, and conservation groups,
such as Ducks Unlimited and The
Nature Conservancy.
To date, the Service has awarded
more than $120 million in grants to
25 States and one U.S. territory
under the National Coastal Wetlands
Conservation Grant Program. When
the 2003 projects are complete, they
will have protected and/or restored
more than 17,000 acres; nearly
150,000 acres will have been protected
or restored since the program began
in 1990.
National Coastal Wetlands
Conservation grants are awarded
through a competitive process. The
Program is one of three conservation
efforts funded by the 1990 Coastal
Wetlands Planning, Protection and
Restoration Act. Funding for the
Program is generated from excise
taxes on fishing equipment and
motorboat and small engine fuels.
These taxes are deposited into the
Sport Fish Restoration Account of
the Aquatic Resources Trust Fund.
For more information about the
National Coastal Wetlands
Conservation Grants Program
contact the National Coastal
Wetlands Conservation Grant
Program, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive,
Room 840, Arlington, VA 22203 or
Division of Federal Aid, U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, Mail Stop
MBSP-4020, 4401 North Fairfax
Drive, Arlington, VA 22203;
or check the Program’s web site
at http://www.fws.gov/cep/
cwgcover.html.
A descriptions of the 2003 National
Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant
projects follows:
Alabama
Mobile-Tensaw Delta Wetlands
Alabama’s Department of
Conservation and Natural Resources,
with assistance from several other
State agencies, including the State
Lands Division and the Department
of Environmental Management,
will acquire 3,160 acres in Mobile
County. This acquisition will
preserve a variety of coastal habitats
including maritime forest, salt marsh,
shrub scrub, bay forests, and wet
pine savanna.
Partners: Mobile Bay National
Estuary Program, The Coastal Land
Trust, The Nature Conservancy of
Alabama, Dauphin Island Sea Lab,
Auburn University and Forever
Wild Land Trust.
Coastal grant: $ 1,000,000, State
share: $ 2,549,000, Partner share:
$ 17,000
Total cost: $ 3,566,000
FWS photo
19 March 2003
Alaska
Afognak Coastal Protection
Alaska’s Department of Natural
Resources will acquire 5,000 acres on
the north coast of Afognak Island in
Perenoa Bay, linking protected lands
to form a 100-mile stretch of publicly
owned coastal habitat.
Partners: National Fish and Wildlife
Foundation, Paul Allen Foundation,
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation,
American Land Conservancy, and
Kodiak Brown Bear Trust.
Coastal grant: $ 1,000,000, State
share: $ 10,000, Partner share:
$ 6,200,000
Total cost: $ 7,210,000
Gustavus Land Legacy: Phase One
Alaska’s Department of Fish and
Game will acquire 1,072 acres on
the Gustavus Flats near the Dude
Creek Habitat Area and Glacier
Bay National Park, permanently
protecting spawning and rearing
habitat for coho, chum, and pink
salmon and providing for continued
hunting, fishing, and recreational use.
Partners: The Nature Conservancy,
Gustavus Land Legacy, and Ducks
Unlimited.
Coastal grant: $ 957,600, Partner
share: $ 319,200
Total cost: $ 1,276,800
Herbert River Wetlands Protection Project
Alaska’s Department of Natural
Resources will purchase 148 acres of
land adjacent to the Herbert River,
30 miles north of Juneau. Protection
of this coastal wetland complex
will benefit numerous fish species,
migratory and coastal birds,
and the threatened Steller sea lion.
Partners: City and Borough of
Juneau, Southeast Land Trust,
Discovery Southeast, and Juneau
Audubon.
Coastal grant: $ 553,000, State share:
$ 20,000, Partner share: $ 277,000
Total cost: $ 850,000
Palmer Hay Flats/Cope-Benson Acquisition
The Alaska Department of Fish
and Game will acquire 240 acres
for the Palmer Hay Flats State
Game Refuge. Acquisition of these
in-holdings will protect sensitive
coastal wetlands and fish streams,
as well as facilitating public access
to these lands.
Partners: The Great Land Trust,
The Nature Conservancy and Ducks
Unlimited.
Coastal grant: $ 75,000, State share:
$ 15,000, Partner share: $ 60,000
Total cost: $ 150,000
California
Stornetta Brothers Coastal Ranch
The California State Coastal
Conservancy, working with the
Wildlife Conservation Board and the
California Department of Fish and
Game, will protect about 1,800 acres
near Point Arena in Mendocino
County through a combination
of acquisitions and conservation
easements. The protected area will
include 2 2 miles of Pacific Ocean
coastline, a seven-acre offshore island,
a two-mile stretch of the Garcia River,
a seabird rookery, and several rare
coastal habitats.
Partners: The City of Point Arena,
the National Fish and Wildlife
Foundation, Redwood Coast Land
Conservancy, Audubon Society,
Cal Trout, Trout Unlimited, and State
Parks Foundation.
Coastal grant: $ 1,000,000, State
share: $ 6,400,000, Partner share:
$ 499,500
Total cost: $ 7,899,500
Focus on Specific Programs and Activities
FWS photo
March 2003 20
Connecticut
Lynde Point Marsh Restoration
The Department of Environmental
Protection will restore 10 acres of
tidal wetlands on a coastal barrier
in the lower Connecticut River,
which is designated under the
Ramsar Convention as wetlands of
international importance. Restoration
will include removal of invasive plants.
Partners: Lynde Point Land Trust,
Borough of Fenwich, and the
Service’s Partners for Fish and
Wildlife Program.
Coastal grant: $ 80,000, State share:
$ 60,606, Partner share: $ 80,394
Total cost: $ 221,000
Florida
McIlvane Marsh Acquisition
Florida’s Department of
Environmental Protection, in
cooperation with the Florida Division
of State Lands, will purchase 1,000
acres around McIlvane Marsh in
Collier County to be included in the
Rookery Bay National Estuarine
Reserve. The project will benefit a
variety of wading birds, important
recreational fisheries, and several
federally listed species, including
the largest population of the
American crocodile.
Partners: The Forever Florida
Program, the National Oceanographic
and Atmospheric Administration, and
the Friends of Rookery Bay.
Coastal grant: $ 1,000,000, State
share: $ 450,000
Total cost: $ 1,450,000
Hawaii
Waihe’e Coastal Dunes and
Wetlands Preserve Acquisition
Hawaii’s Department of Natural
Resources will acquire 249 acres in
Maui County, protecting coastal and
spring-fed wetlands, dunes, riparian
habitat, and 1 2 miles of marine
shoreline. In recent years at least
6 endangered species (the Hawaiian
stilt, the Hawaiian coot, two
endangered plants, and two
endangered insects) have been
reported on-site.
Partners: Maui County, the
Maui Coastal Land Trust and the
Service’s Endangered Species
Section 6 Recovery Land Acquisition
Grant Program.
Coastal grant: $ 1,000,000,
Partner share: $ 3,630,500
Total cost: $ 4,630,500
Maryland
Nanticoke River and Marshyhope
Creek Wetlands
Maryland’s Department of Natural
Resources will acquire a perpetual
conservation easement on 1,351 acres
at the confluence of the Nanticoke
River and Marshyhope Creek in
Dorchester County. This easement
will protect 3 2 miles of river
shoreline, several active bald eagle
nests, and spawning areas for
a number of fish species.
Partner: The Nature Conservancy.
Coastal grant: $ 660,000, State share:
$ 154,000, Partner share: $ 155,000
Total cost: $ 969,000
Massachusetts
Storey Property, Acquisition of
Conservation Easements
The Massachusetts Department of
Environmental Management will
purchase a conservation easement on
a 126-acre parcel in Essex County.
These lands provide valuable habitat
for 33 species identified by the Fish
and Wildlife Service’s Gulf of Maine
Coastal Program as declining
nationally or regionally.
Partner: Essex County Greenbelt.
Coastal grant: $ 250,000, State share:
$ 400,000, Partner share: $ 3,000
Total cost: $ 653,000
New Jersey
Cape May Peninsula
The State of New Jersey Department
of Environmental Protection will
purchase 112 acres in the lower
Cape May peninsula, one of the most
important migratory bird stopover
areas in the world. Geese, herons,
and egrets are among the dozens
of species that use the area
during migration.
Partners: The Service’s Coastal
Habitat Conservation Program and
Ducks Unlimited.
Coastal grant: $ 292,750, State share:
$ 878,250, Partner share: $ 10,000
Total cost: $ 1,181,000
21 March 2003
New York
Peconic Estuary Critical Wetlands
Acquisition, Pipes Cove
New York State’s Department of
Environmental Conservation will
acquire approximately 40 acres in the
Pipes Cove Focus Area in Suffolk
County. This acquisition will protect
maritime forest and habitat for a
variety of fish, neotropical migratory
songbirds, and endangered or
threatened species, including the
piping plover. It is part of a larger
landscape protection effort for the
Peconic Estuary. The Town of
Southold will also acquire 100 acres
as part of this protection effort.
Partners: The Nature Conservancy,
the Town of Southold and the Town
of Southhampton.
Coastal grant: $ 1,000,000, Partner
share: $ 5,508,500
Total cost: $ 6,508,500
Ohio
Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area
Wetland Acquisition and Restoration
Ohio’s Department of Natural
Resources will acquire and restore
approximately 280 acres of Lake
Erie’s coastal wetlands in Sandusky
County. This is an important area for
migrating songbirds and the most
important staging area for black
ducks in North America.
Coastal grant: $ 1,000,000,
State share: $ 660,000
Total cost: $ 1,660,000
Oregon
Circle Creek Wetlands Acquisition
The Oregon Watershed Enhancement
Board will acquire 350 acres on Circle
Creek along the Necanium River in
Clatsop County. This acquisition will
expand the existing block of protected
habitats to include key portions of the
lower river floodplain, creating a
linked network of conservation lands.
It will also protect one of the largest
remaining coastal spruce swamps
on the Oregon coast, and provide
improved habitat for coho and other
at-risk salmon species, as well as
red-legged frogs and numerous
migratory and at-risk bird species.
Partners: The City of Seaside, the
North Coast Land Conservancy and
a private landowner.
Coastal grant: $ 750,000, State share:
$ 175,000, Partner share: $ 175,000
Total cost: $ 1,100,000
Yaquina Bay Estuarine Marsh Acquisition
The Oregon Watershed Enhancement
Board will acquire and protect 624
acres of estuarine marsh in Yaquina
Bay in Lincoln County. These
acquisitions will provide important
habitat for endangered and
threatened species such as coho
salmon, brown pelicans, bald eagles
and marbled murrelets, and for
candidate species, sea-run cutthroat
and steelhead trout. They will also
provide habitat for State-designated
sensitive species such as chum salmon
and pacific lamprey. The marshes in
Yaquina Bay support abundant
waterfowl populations.
Partners: MidCoast Watershed
Council, Central Coast Land
Conservancy, the Wetlands
Conservancy, Lincoln Soil and Water
Conservation District, FishAmerica
Foundation, the Timber Company and
the Simpson Timber Company.
Coastal grant: $ 952,214, State share:
$ 317,404, Partner share: $ 134,250
Total cost: $ 1,403,868
Texas
Guadalupe Delta Wildlife Management Area
Texas Parks and Wildlife will
acquire 1,000 acres of coastal marsh
and prairie habitat adjacent to
the Guadalupe Delta Wildlife
Management Area in Refugio County.
The acquisition will benefit the
existing wildlife area and provide
public use opportunities as well.
Partner: The Service’s Coastal
Habitat Conservation Program.
Coastal grant: $ 288,000, State share:
$ 192,000, Partner share: $ 35,000
Total cost: $ 480,000
Virginia
Protection of Mutton Hunk Fen
Conservation Site
Virginia’s Department of
Conservation and Recreation will
purchase 377 acres and obtain
conservation easements on 352
acres along Mutton Hunk Branch,
Whites Creek and Gargathy Bay
on Virginia’s eastern shore in
Accomack County. A globally rare
plant community, a sea level fen,
will be protected.
Partners: The Nature Conservancy
and several private landowners.
Coastal grant: $ 953,444, State share:
$ 887,500, Partner share: $ 700,000
Total cost: $ 2,540,944
Focus on Specific Programs and Activities
March 2003 22
Washington
Dungeness-Meadowbrook Coastal
Wetlands and Estuary Habitat
The Washington Department of Fish
and Wildlife, in cooperation with the
Salmon Recovery Funding Board, will
protect, through a combination of
acquisitions and easements, 140 acres
in the Dungeness and Meadowbrook
Creek Estuary. A variety of salmon
species will benefit from this project.
Partners: Audubon/Rainshadow
Natural Science Foundation, the
Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, the
North Olympic Land Trust and the
North Olympic Salmon Coalition.
Coastal grant: $ 977,243, State share:
$ 344,090, Partner share: $ 83,300
Total cost: $ 1,424,633
English Boom, League Island
Acquisition and Restoration
The Department of Fish and Wildlife,
in cooperation with Washington
State’s Salmon Recovery Fund, will
purchase and restore the tidal habitat
on about 150 acres of diked tidal
slough, salt marsh and freshwater
wetlands. The project would be in the
Stillaguamish River Estuary and
Skagit Bay in Island County, an area
that supports large concentrations of
migratory and wintering raptores,
waterfowl, shorebirds, and songbirds.
Partners: Stillaguamish Tribe, Island
County, Camano Island Salmon Work
Group, Friends of Camano Island
State Park, Island County Beach
Watcher Program, and the Stilli-
Snohomish Fisheries Enhancement
Task Force.
Coastal grant: $ 977,000, State share:
$ 444,500, Partner share $ 15,400
Total cost: $ 1,436,900
Leadbetter Point Conservation Project
The Washington State Parks and
Recreation Commission will acquire
and restore 137 acres in Pacific
County, linking a network of more
than 300 acres of conservation
lands in Willapa Bay and providing
enhanced habitat for threatened
and endangered species.
Partners: Columbia Land Trust,
the Trumpeter Swan Society, the
Washington Native Plants Society
and the Service’s North American
Wetlands Conservation Act
Grant Program.
Coastal grant: $ 994,000,State share:
$ 775,860, Partner share: $ 133,500
Total cost: $ 1,903,360
Clean Vessel Act Pumpout
Grant Program
The Service is
presently in the final
review process for
Clean Vessel grant
proposals submitted
for Fiscal Year 2003 and awards will
be announced in the near future. This
competitive grant program provides
grants to States for the construction
and/or renovation, operation, and
maintenance of pumpout and portable
toilet dump stations, and for
education programs that teach
recreational boaters the importance
of proper disposal of their sewage.
Funding proposals are reviewed
and ranked by Federal Aid staff and
are reviewed by a panel including
representatives from the Divisions’
Washington Office, the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, the Environmental
Protection Agency, and the U.S.
Coast Guard. The panel presents a
non- binding recommendation to the
Service’s Director regarding their
ranking of project proposals. Funding
for this program was authorized for
$10 million for Fiscal Year 2003. The
Service received 38 proposals from
27 States requesting $15.9 million in
program funds this fiscal year.
Since this program’s initial awards in
Fiscal Year 1993, 49 States, all of the
Territories, and the District of
Columbia have participated in the
program. This program has awarded
over $90 million to States (see Table 4
for awards for last four fiscal years).
The program highlights in Fiscal Year
2002 include the development of 74
pumpout facilities in coastal waters
and 69 in inland waters.
Funding for this program in future
years is dependent upon its
reauthorization by Congress for
Fiscal Year 2004 and beyond.
The Nevada
Division of
Wildlife and the
National Park
Service installed
this floating
restroom in Lake
Mead to provide
recreational
boaters restroom
facilities in
remote locations
on this large
western
reservoir. Photo
courtesy of
Jerry Novotny,
USFWS.
23 March 2003
State Wildlife Grants
President Bush signed the
Department of the Interior and
Related Agencies Appropriations Act,
2002, into law on November 5, 2001.
This bill included $80 million for
wildlife conservation grants to States
and Territories, and $5 million to
Tribes under the State Wildlife
Grants Program. The Act directed the
apportionment of funds on a formula
basis to the States based on land
area and population. The Service
competitively awards grants for the
Tribal portion of the State Wildlife
Grants Program. The Fiscal Year
2002 State Wildlife Grants funds will
be available for obligation by the
States until September 30, 2003,
after which we will reapportion any
remaining unobligated funds.
The Service designed the State
Wildlife Grants Program to assist
States by providing Federal funds for
the development and implementation
of Programs that benefit wildlife and
their habitat, including species that
are not hunted or fished. It permits
both planning and implementation
of programs. The Federal share for
planning grants may not exceed
75 percent and may not exceed 50
percent for other types of grants. To
establish eligibility for these funds,
the States and Territories first had
to submit or commit to develop by
October 1, 2005, a Comprehensive
Wildlife Conservation Plan.
All States and Territories made this
commitment by December 2, 2002.
Once a State had done this, it
could then submit grant proposals,
grant agreements, and associated
documents to the appropriate
Regional Federal Aid Office for
review and approval. A majority of
the States now have active projects
being funded.
Table 4. Clean Vessel Grant Program Awards for Fiscal Year 1999–2002
State FY2002 FY2001 FY2000 FY1999
Award Award Award Award
Alabama Coastal $130,000 $172,280 $108,000
Alabama Inland $142,073 $188,160 $123,037 $83,000
Alaska $97,500
Arizona $30,750
Arkansas $59,651 $39,600 $40,000
California Coastal $1,010,324 $1,000,000 $1,060,000 $784,000
California Inland $737,484 $598,437 $155,803 $325,000
Colorado $32,000
Connecticut Coastal $207,000 $692,000 $627,044 $463,000
Connecticut Inland
Delaware Coastal $75,000
Florida Coastal $1,010,324 $1,000,000 $1,060,000 $784,000
Florida Inland $737,484 $553,048 $108,733 $290,000
Georgia Coastal
Georgia Inland
Hawaii
Idaho $42,000 $50,000 $42,000
Illinois Coastal $14,000
Illinois Inland $50,000 $50,000 $42,000
Indiana Coastal $29,281 $53,000
Indiana Inland $180,934 $55,097 $42,000
Iowa
Kansas $31,875
Kentucky $32,550 $69,000 $50,000 $42,000
Louisiana Coastal $387,000
Louisiana Inland $87,000
Maine Coastal $233,451 $217,000 $217,882 $183,000
Maine Inland $19,301
Maryland Coastal $618,000 $579,600 $504,000
Massachusetts Coastal $526,000 $875,000 $1,006,236 $784,000
Massachusetts Inland
Michigan Coastal $60,000 $67,500 $90,000
Minnesota Coastal
Minnesota Inland
Mississippi Coastal $79,000
Mississippi Inland $127,000
Missouri $30,000 $33,000 $45,720 $42,000
Montana
Nebraska $42,000
Nevada $50,000 $42,000
New Hampshire Coastal $50,300 $42,000 $26,950 $40,000
Focus on Specific Programs and Activities
March 2003 24
The Service and IAFWA will be
co-sponsoring six Regional workshops
this spring with the objective of
sharing information and approaches
to wildlife conservation planning
and fostering collaboration and
partnership in the development and
implementation of the plans.
Landowner Incentive Program
Congress funded the Landowner
Incentive Program, authorized in
the Department of the Interior and
Related Agencies Appropriations Act,
2002, with $40 million derived from
the Land and Water Conservation
Fund. It provides competitive
matching grants to States,
Territories, the District of Columbia,
and Tribes. The Service will allocate
$4 million to Tribes, $34.8 million to
the States and Territories, and
$1.2 million will be for administrative
costs. The grants will establish or
supplement landowner incentive
programs that provide technical
and financial assistance to private
landowners for projects that protect
and restore habitats of listed species
or species determined to be at-risk.
Landowner Incentive Program
projects will likely involve activities
such as the restoration of marginal
farmlands to wetlands, the removal
of exotic plants to restore natural
prairies, a change in grazing practices
and fencing to enhance important
riparian habitats, instream structural
improvements to benefit aquatic
species, road closures to protect
habitats and reduce harassment
of wildlife, and conservation
easements. The Service requires a
minimum 25 percent non-Federal
share of project costs.
State FY2002 FY2001 FY2000 FY1999
Award Award Award Award
New Hampshire Inland $20,300 $58,000 $50,000 $42,000
New Jersey Coastal $780,750 $494,100 $506,000
New Jersey Inland
New Mexico
New York Coastal $245,000 $446,000 $316,950 $318,000
New York Inland $114,138 $170,195 $106,607 $98,000
North Carolina Coastal $111,000 $50,000
North Carolina Inland $76,500 $42,000
North Dakota
Ohio Coastal $264,975 $263,100 $417,204 $175,000
Ohio Inland $92,250 $85,125 $50,000 $37,000
Oklahoma $73,500 $137,228 $29,000
Oregon Coastal $385,237 $254,564 $419,625 $344,000
Oregon Inland $659,362 $425,905 $406,410 $278,000
Pennsylvania Coastal $49,875 $50,000
Pennsylvania Inland $49,875
Rhode Island Coastal $168,000 $146,000 $87,000
Rhode Island Inland
South Carolina Coastal $75,000 $674,960 $301,000
South Carolina Inland $50,000 $313,492 $139,085 $186,000
South Dakota $12,000 $22,687
Tennessee $440,156 $388,198 $249,090 $184,000
Texas Coastal $30,000 $148,481
Texas Inland $289,000 $69,629
Utah $50,000 $84,000
Vermont
Virginia Coastal $644,175 $519,000
Virginia Inland $104,685 $38,000
Washington Coastal $725,000 $725,000 $80,500 $646,000
Washington Inland $175,000 $118,335 $67,000
West Virginia
Wisconsin Coastal $49,020 $115,000
Wisconsin Inland $25,000 $14,000
Wyoming
Washington, DC
Guam
American Samoa
Virgin Islands $50,000 $83,000
Northern Mariana $60,000
Puerto Rico $112,500 $80,000
Total $10,103,243 $9,933,934 $10,600,000 $9,400,000
25 March 2003
On October 1, 2002, the Service
published the final notice in the
Federal Register with implementation
guidelines and a Request for
Proposals. States and Territories
were given 60 days to submit grant
proposals to the Service for funding
consideration. Proposals could
be submitted for either Tier-1 or
Tier-2 competition (or both), with
a maximum amount awarded to
any individual State not to exceed
$1.74 million (5 percent of the funds
available). Tier-1 grants (capped at
$180,000 per State and $75,000 for
D.C. and the Territories) are intended
to provide a base for States to fund
staff and associated costs necessary
to develop a new or enhance an
existing landowner incentive
program. Tier-2 grants are intended
to ‘implement’ State landowner
incentive programs by providing
technical or financial assistance
to private landowners through a
variety of means to support
on-the-ground projects.
The Service received a total of 84
Tier-1 and Tier-2 project proposals
totaling $60.6 million from 47 States
by the December 2 deadline. On
February 25, 2003, the Director
announced $34.8 million had been
awarded to 42 of the 47 States that
had submitted project proposals for
the competitive Tier-2 LIP grants for
Fiscal Year 2002. The FY 2003
Omnibus Bill rescinded $40,000,000
from the FY 2002 Landowner
Incentive Program, and provided the
same amount in FY 2003. The FY
2003 fund awards will be made based
on existing program applications.
The 84 grant proposals included a
wide variety of implementation
approaches. Some State fish and
wildlife agencies intend to solicit
project proposals from private
landowners and select the best for
funding, while others have targeted
habitat types in certain areas of
the State and plan to contact the
landowners in these areas to pursue
cooperative projects. Some States
envision considerable use of
conservation easements to effect long
term habitat improvement on private
lands, while others are focused on
cost-shared habitat management
actions in relation to the Safe Harbor
Agreement Program of the Service.
It is clear that nearly all States
intend to pursue funding and agency
involvement under the Landowner
Incentive Program. The Service
is committed to help States meet
Federal grant requirements for
this Program as well as to provide
feedback to the States to improve
future grant proposal rankings and
program effectiveness in Fiscal Year
2004 and beyond.
Federal Aid National
Training Program
The National Federal Aid Training
Program functions as part of the
Washington Office of Federal Aid.
The training program develops and
delivers grants management training
for Federal Aid staff and State
fish and wildlife agency grantees.
These training courses increase the
knowledge, skills and abilities of
State and Federal personnel who
manage Federal Aid grants. This
training helps to ensure that Federal
Aid grant managers consistently
apply the laws, rules, and policies
that govern Federal Aid Program
administration.
Over 700 State and Federal Aid staff
have received grants training specific
to Federal Aid’s Programs through
courses developed by or offered in
cooperation with the Federal Aid
Training Program. That number
includes 315 Basic Grants
Management Course graduates,
227 Project Leaders Course
graduates, 29 Federal Aid Audit
Training for Auditors Course
graduates, and 54 participants in a
boating grant writing workshop. An
April 2002 needs assessment showed
a continuing need for basic training
in grants management, fiscal grants
management, project leaders courses,
and other specialized grant program
training. Currently, Basic Grants
Management courses are scheduled
once each year. Since the Project
Leaders Course pilot in March 2000,
interest and demand for the State
specific Federal Aid Project Leaders
Course has grown. Six Project
March 2003 26
Leaders Courses were completed
in Fiscal Year 2002 and nine Project
Leaders Courses are planned for
Fiscal Year 2003. Federal Aid Audit
Training Workshops for State
grantees will be conducted during the
Regional Federal Aid Coordinators’
meetings during this fiscal year.
Two additional courses are currently
under development (Fiscal
Management of Federal Aid Grants
and Compliance Issues Course.)
The Federal Aid Training Program
also provides training tools,
resources, instructors, and
assistance in developing other
grant management training. To
date, this assistance has focused on
grant writing skills for the Boating
Infrastructure Grant Program,
Clean Vessel grants, and boating
access grants.
Course descriptions, an on-line
application, training materials,
and grant manager’s resources
are available on Federal Aid’s
Training Program web site at:
http://training.fws.gov/fedaid/.
Appendix
Timber Policy Resolution Memos
(These are included in this year’s
Program Update because they were
not included in last year’s version.)
All information and tables previously
found in the appendices in earlier
Program Updates are now on the
Federal Aid homepage at:
http://federalaid.fws.gov/.
See following pages. FWS photo
27 March 2003
March 2003 28
29 March 2003
U.S. Department of the Interior
U.S. Fish &Wildlife Service
Division of Federal Aid
http://www.fws.gov