Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration and Associated Grant Programs Program Update September 2004 Including a Special Highlight Section of Region 4

              U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Sport Fish and Wildlife
Restoration and
Associated Grant
Programs
Program Update September 2004
Including a Special Highlight Section of Region 4
Assistant Director, Paul Schmidt’s Comments................................................................................1
Assistant Director, Mitch King’s Comments....................................................................................3
Region 4 Director, Sam Hamilton’s Comments ..............................................................................5
News Sections - Federal Assistance Employee Updates............................................................7
National Meeting .................................................................................................................................9
Staff Directory, Federal Assistance, Washington, D.C. Office ..................................................10
Federal Assistance Program - Overview ......................................................................................11
Focus on Specific Programs and Activities..................................................................................12
Wallop-Breaux Reauthorization Efforts Continue: Changes May Be Needed to
ALAB Consensus Position....................................................................................................12
Customer Service Survey Being Completed ......................................................................13
State Wildlife Grants..............................................................................................................13
Sport Fish Restoration Program Update ..........................................................................14
Wildlife Restoration Program..............................................................................................16
Landowner Incentive Program ..........................................................................................16
State Audit Update ................................................................................................................17
Boating Infrastructure Program Looks Toward the Future..........................................17
Federal Assistance Information Management System (FAIMS) ................................18
National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation..............19
Two New Survey Reports......................................................................................................19
Section 4 and 10: Hunter Education Program ................................................................20
The Financial and Business Management System (FBMS) of the DOI ....................21
National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grants Program Sets Precedent ..............21
Clean Vessel Act Program Funds Released: Major Program Change May Occur ....22
Federal Assistance National Training Program ............................................................25
Public Access Civil Rights Program ..................................................................................25
Multistate Conservation Grant Program..........................................................................26
Special Highlight Section of Region 4 ..........................................................................................28
Table of
Contents
September 2004 1
Comments from
Paul Schmidt
Assistant
Director for
Migratory Birds
and State
Programs
A Look Back
I first became involved with the Federal
Assistance Program in 2001, when the
Federal Assistance Program was
combined with the Migratory Bird
Programs. We have come a long way in
the past three years and the Federal
Assistance Program is not the same
Program that it was in 2001. There have
been many changes, many initiated from
within and many required by outside
stakeholders. With pain came gain. The
Program, its leadership and its dedicated
cadre of professionals have overcome
significant challenges to emerge stronger
and more vital for the Nation’s
conservation mission.
Some of the greatest changes initiated by
outside stakeholders occurred in 2000 as a
result of the Office of Inspector General
and General Accounting Office auditors
identifying the Federal Assistance
Program as having a material weakness.
This finding set in motion several years of
inquiries, audits, and reviews of every
program process and policy in place at
that time. Process Improvement Teams,
established by the Director to identify
corrective actions necessary to eliminate
the material weakness, were composed of
Service employees, as well as
representatives of State Fish and Wildlife
Agencies. These Teams identified 46
corrective actions that fell into 3
operational areas of the Federal
Assistance Program: 1) State audit review
and resolution processes; 2) financial
management; and, 3) grant operations.
The Program responded competently to
these challenges and worked at all levels
of the organization to implement each
corrective action. By 2002, no material
weaknesses were identified within the
Federal Assistance Program during the
annual audit of the Service’s financial
statement. Improvements continued
through 2003 and the results of these
labors were tested by the Service’s FY
2003 Management Control Review of the
entire Program. A thorough review and
evaluation of new internal controls,
policies and procedures was conducted
and no material weaknesses were
identified and no vulnerabilities or
deficiencies revealed. Based on the
Service’s management control review, the
lack of material weaknesses identified by
independent auditors and the timely
documentation of revised policies and
procedures, the Department of Interior
reviewed the Program in the Fall of 2003
and now considers the material weakness
identified in 2000 as resolved and
implemented, removing the stigma of high
risk from the Federal Assistance program.
The implementation of the Wildlife and
Sportfish Restoration Improvement Act of
2000 has had profound affects on the way
we do business in the Federal Assistance
Program. The Program acted promptly to
meet the requirements of this act from
both a fiscal and policy management
perspective. It was no easy feat to
drastically reduce administrative
spending and continue to deliver the
services and products expected by
stakeholders; but it was done. Through
meticulous planning and determined
oversight, we went from a program of 150
FTEs to 104, we launched the Firearm
and Bowhunter Education and Safety
Program, revamped the Multi-state
Conservation Grants Program and
redesigned the audit function of the States
with the help of the Inspector General.
The Federal Assistance Program has
strengthened its working relationships
with its partners and has earned their
respect and trust through making
decisions transparent and through open
communication. During the past two
years, the Joint Policy Task Force was
established whereby leadership from the
Service and State Fish and Wildlife
Agencies identified over a dozen policy
issues that needed immediate resolution.
The Federal Assistance Information
Management System (FAIMS) came into
service in 1998 and with it, recording and
processing of Federal Assistance grants
improved. FAIMS is so highly regarded as
a management tool that other grant
programs within the Service now use
FAIMS. FAIMS, in combination with the
improved management practices of
Federal Assistance grants managers, have
garnered the respect of other Service
grant program managers. They are now
negotiating grant management
agreements with Federal Assistance staff
and relying on the Federal Assistance
Program for many of their grant
management tools and expertise.
We have successfully launched and
managed the new State Wildlife Grants
and Landowner Incentive Programs. The
National Advisory Acceptance Team and
the Development Assistance Teams
are working to make the State
Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation
Plans the best they can be to guide the
future of wildlife conservation in this
country. This is one of the most important
Service responsibilities in the coming
year.
Change is inevitable but the groundwork
has been laid for smooth transitions. With
the selection of Mitch King as the
Assistant Director for Wildlife and Sport
Fish Restoration Programs, the
Migratory Bird Program will separate
from Federal Assistance at the
Washington Office level. The Department
is working hard to implement Bureau-wide
system changes that will replace
FAIMS and other information
management systems in a consolidated
fashion. The Program and its leadership
are well prepared to address the
challenges of tomorrow.
It has been an honor and pleasure to have
served as the Deputy Assistant Director
and Assistant Director of Migratory Birds
and State Programs over the past several
years. This program is a true conservation
success story!
2 September 2004
September 2004 3
Comments from
Mitch King
Assistant
Director for
Wildlife and
Sport Fish
Restoration
Programs
Let me start by saying that it is a great
honor to have been selected by Director
Williams as the first Assistant Director for
Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration
Programs. It is particularly humbling for
me to reflect on the fact that I am leading
one of the most important programs in
our Nation’s conservation history. The
Federal Assistance Program and the laws
that established it, the Wildlife and Sport
Fish Restoration Acts, have resulted in
some of the greatest success stories in the
history of fish and wildlife conservation in
America. In terms of importance for our
mission and for conservation, I place these
two Acts alongside other landmark
conservation events, such as the creation
of the National Fish Hatchery and the
National Wildlife Refuge systems and the
development of the Endangered Species
Act.
Our Federal Assistance Program has been
going through a rather exciting period of
scrutiny, reshaping and reinvention. Over
the last few years, the program has been
put under a microscope and critiqued
from every angle. After considerable
buffeting, the program came out standing
tall, and not by accident. You, the
employees of the Federal Assistance
Program in Washington D.C. and in the
Regional Offices, are the reason, and you
have a lot to be proud of. I am taking the
helm of a program that is “healthy” and
headed in the right direction. Thank you
for that.
I’ve spent my first few weeks on the job
connecting with our State and industry
partners. I’ve talked to them about our
Federal Assistance Program and listened
to their praise, their concerns, and their
recommendations. I’m excited to say that
their praises are abundant, their concerns
are minimal, and their recommendations
are constructive. Everyone speaks of the
improvements to the program over the
last few years.
I also had the great opportunity to
participate in the recent Federal
Assistance National Meeting at NCTC
and it is obvious from that meeting and
talking to you that I still have a lot to
learn. I will be looking to Washington and
Regional staffs and to our State partners
for advice as we work through the next
few months. There are a couple of key
areas that I will be focusing on from the
get-go.
The first area is you, the people who make
the Federal Assistance Program what it
is. You’ve endured a lot over the last few
years, but we’re not going to dwell on the
past. We are going to be looking forward
to what can be, and make it so. For
example, I want you to stand with
everyone else in the Service when it
comes to professional development. I want
to see more Federal Assistance people in
Stepping Up To Leadership Training, the
Advanced Leadership Training, and the
Senior Executive Service Leadership
Development Program. I want to see you
taking advantage of opportunities to
experience other programs within the
Service through details or temporary job
swaps. I’m interested in expanding the
Service’s “Walk a Mile in My Boots”
program to allow you to exchange
positions with State Fish and Wildlife
agency partners so that you can
experience how they spend Federal
Assistance dollars, and so they can
experience some of the challenges you
face in reviewing and approving Federal
Assistance proposals. I view these
investments in you as a legitimate Federal
Assistance activity that we can’t afford not
to make. You deserve it, and I want to
work with you to make it happen.
Secondly, let me say something about our
ongoing efforts relative to the State
Wildlife Grants and the Comprehensive
State Wildlife Conservation Plans. I just
came from the “One-Year-Out Meeting” in
Nebraska City, Nebraska, where I met
with States to discuss their progress in
completing their State Comprehensive
Plans by October 2005. The energy and
enthusiasm were incredible!
I’m convinced that right now, we are
witnessing the creation of another of those
landmark events in the history of
conservation. Ten or twenty years from
now, the establishment of the State
Wildlife Grant Program and the creation
of the Comprehensive State Wildlife
Conservation Plans will be recognized as a
turning point in fish and wildlife
conservation––and you and I will be able
to proudly say we had a part in it. We
weren’t around to witness the birth of the
Fish and Wildlife Service with the
establishment of the first National Fish
Hatchery. We didn’t get to see Teddy
Roosevelt establish Pelican Island
National Wildlife Refuge and kick off the
development of the world’s largest system
of public lands set aside specifically for the
benefit of wildlife. And we weren’t part of
the negotiations between the wildlife
community and Congress as they
hammered out the details of the Wildlife
Restoration Program or the Sport Fish
Restoration Program. But we’re here now,
as this amazing new conservation
initiative is being birthed. This is our
moment in history to exercise vision and
leadership on behalf of our Nation’s fish
and wildlife resources.
The State Wildlife Grants and the
Comprehensive State Wildlife
Conservation Plans will be our top
priority for the coming year. By October
2005, we will have approved or
conditionally approved plans for 50 States
and 6 territories. I left Nebraska City
with no doubt that this will happen. With
your commitment and the commitment of
our State Partners, we can’t fail.
Let me close with a brief statement of my
philosophy as it relates to the Federal
Assistance Program. These dollars were
originally in the pockets of hunters and
anglers. They were given to the Federal
Government for the purpose of supporting
the great things that the State fish and
wildlife agencies do on the ground. The
credit for creating this program rests with
the States. They were instrumental in
getting the legislation passed that
established the Wildlife and Sport Fish
Restoration programs. Likewise, it was
the States who were instrumental in
getting the momentum going to establish
the State Wildlife Grant Program. Moving
the money from Congress to on-the-ground
projects is the work of a
partnership between the Service and the
States. In this partnership, our job is to
make sure that the requirements of the
legislation are satisfied and to help the
States put the money to good use. At the
same time, the partnership (including the
Service and the States) must remain
vigilant to maintain the integrity of the
program. Based on all I have seen, I think
this is precisely where we are, and I will
work to make sure that is where we stay.
Let me close by saying “thanks” in
advance for your support as I step into
this exciting new adventure. Your efforts
are making a difference in fish and wildlife
conservation every single day, and I’m
proud to be working with you.
4 September 2004
I would like to welcome you to the
Southeast Region, where we have a rich
heritage of hunting and fishing. The
Southeast Region covers an area of
more than 430,000 square miles and
encompasses the great states of Alabama,
Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky,
Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina,
South Carolina, Tennessee, as well as the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the
Virgin Islands. Our Regional Office is
located in Atlanta, Georgia, a vibrant and
exciting Southern city. From here, we
oversee 125 national wildlife refuges
totaling a little more than 3.7 million
acres, 19 national fish hatcheries, 4 fishery
assistance offices, 15 ecological services
field offices and 28 law enforcement
offices scattered throughout the
Southeast. Region-wide, the Service has
more than 1,200 employees working
together to help us accomplish our
mission.
Our Federal Assistance program is an
integral part of fish and wildlife
conservation in the Southeast.
Traditionally, it started with two
fundamental programs and has grown to
more than a dozen grant programs. Grant
funding through our two original
programs—the Wildlife Restoration
Program and the Sport Fish Restoration
Program—continues to provide hunters,
shooters, anglers, and boaters with
wonderful outdoor opportunities. In 2004,
Southeast states received more than $41
million through the Wildlife Restoration
Program and more than $50 million
through the Sport Fish Restoration
Program.
Additional grant programs such as the
Wildlife Conservation and Restoration
Program, State Wildlife Grants, and
Landowner Incentive Program are
providing funding for conservation
projects that have lacked funding through
a traditional means of license revenue. We
are actively working with our federally
recognized Tribes to assist them with fish
and wildlife conservation efforts through
the Tribal Wildlife Grants Program and
Tribal Landowner Incentive Grants
Program. These programs have the added
benefit of providing funding for the
protection, restoration, and management
of habitat to benefit threatened and
endangered species, as well as species at
risk, such as the red cockaded
woodpecker, swallow-tailed kite, and
paddlefish.
I believe the success of our grant
programs is built upon the trust and
cooperation between the Federal
Assistance program staff and our State
and Federal partners, who share common
values about our Nation’s fish and wildlife
resources. We have worked together to
develop strategies for solving complex
grant issues using open lines of
communication, fiscal and program
workshops, and comprehensive site visits.
Our collaborative partnerships have
resulted in numerous successful fish and
wildlife restoration, habitat enhancement,
land acquisition, facility development and
research grant projects. Moreover, the
Southeast Region’s pilot programs on
Archery in the Schools and the CD-ROM
component of the Hunter Education
Program initiated the efforts for these
program concepts to be implemented
Nationwide.
I am proud that the Southeast Region has
remained diligent in its efforts to be
accountable to Congress and the
American public. We have developed a
unique, finance-related review that
facilitates monitoring of Federal
Assistance funds provided to our States
and insular territories, promotes
communication, and builds trust. With
internal and external audits measuring
the economy, efficiency, and effectiveness
of programs, these financial reviews help
Federal Assistance and our partners
remain in compliance with federal
regulations, as well as Service policies and
procedures.
As I reflect upon the successes within our
Region’s Federal Assistance Program, I
am reminded of the great leaders who
have contributed their talents and efforts
on behalf of the Service and the Program.
September 2004 5
Welcome and
Comments from
Sam Hamilton
Southeast
Regional Director
There are four individuals in particular
whom I would like to acknowledge on
behalf of the Southeast Region’s Federal
Assistance Program:
I congratulate Mitch King, who is leaving
his position as my esteemed Deputy
Regional Director, to become the Service’s
first Assistant Director for Wildlife and
Sport Fish Restoration Programs. Mitch
will bring to the Washington Office a
wealth of experience in developing and
maintaining effective partnerships.
Emily Jo “EJ” Williams is our new
Assistant Regional Director for Migratory
Birds and State Programs. EJ has an
impressive background in migratory bird
management issues, as well as a
noteworthy history of collaborating with
partners to accomplish conservation goals.
Cleophas “Bob” Cooke, Jr. served as the
Southeast Region’s Federal Assistance
Chief for 17 years until his recent
retirement. His extraordinary abilities
and skills to assimilate and recall
information to reach sound decisions, and
implement the Program with a team-based
approach, helped build strong
working relationships with our State and
territory partners.
Our new Chief of Federal Assistance is
Mike Piccirilli, who served as senior staff
in Federal Assistance prior to his selection
as Chief. Mike is a competent leader in
nurturing relationships and is dedicated to
providing strong customer service to our
Southeast grantees. As an avid fly
fisherman and hunter, Mike has a great
appreciation for the benefits that Federal
Assistance programs contribute to our
fish and wildlife resources.
In the pages that follow, the hard work
and effective partnerships of our Federal
Assistance program will become evident
as we share some of our successes.
Projects such as these help ensure that
the Southeast remains a good place to
fish, hunt and view wildlife.
6 September 2004
Tom Barnes joins the Federal Assistance
Division in Washington, DC as the new
Chief, Branch of Grant Operations and
Policy. Tom is a wildlife biologist who
attended Florida State University and the
University of Michigan. Early in his
career, he worked as a forester for the
U.S. Forest Service’s Southeastern Forest
Experiment Station in Virginia and South
Carolina. After transferring to the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), he
worked on national wildlife refuges in
Florida, Louisiana, and North Carolina
and in the national office of the Refuge
System. Two of his assignments involved
major land acquisitions for the
establishment of new refuges. While
working with the Refuge System, he did a
one-year detail with the U.S. House of
Representatives Interior Appropriations
Subcommittee. He also worked one year
in policy development for the USFWS
Private Lands Program. Before joining
Federal Assistance, he worked for six
years as a grant administrator and in
policy development for the North
American Wetlands Conservation Act
Grants Program.
Jerry Leonard is a new member of the
National Survey staff. He will help plan
the 2006 Survey, coordinate with state
technical committee members, and
prepare survey reports. Jerry got his MS
in applied economics at Montana State
and co-authored Valuing Non-Market
Goods: The Case of Elk Permit Lotteries,
published in the Journal of
Environmental Economics and
Management. He grew up in Kennesaw,
Georgia, and has a strong interest in
outdoor recreation. Before coming to
work on the survey on August 8, he lived
near Orlando, Florida, where he was the
chief economist for a private research
firm.
New Federal Assistance Chiefs
Bob Bryant is the new Chief of the
Division of Federal Assistance for Region
3 in Fort Snelling, Minnesota. Bob was
formerly the Land Acquisition Branch
Chief in Region 3’s Division of Realty. His
experience in Realty involves many of the
processes that are involved in
administration of the Federal Assistance
Program, particularly in the
environmental compliance area. Bob has
29 years of Federal government
experience, with various positions in
Regions 1, 3 and 5. Bob has prior
experience with the Federal Assistance
program having served as Regional
Review Appraiser on a number of Federal
Assistance projects in Regions 1 and 3.
Earlier in his career, Bob worked for the
U.S. Forest Service and understands the
complexities of natural resource
management. He has extensive prior
experience and training in negotiation and
in building complex partnerships. He has
received numerous performance awards
over the past 20 years, including receipt of
an award while in the Forest Service for
superior performance in supervision and
program management. A native of
Massachusetts, Bob is a 1974 graduate of
the University of Massachusetts.
Bob believes strongly in the State-Federal
partnership and looks forward to meeting
the needs of the State partners while
managing the complex grant programs in
Region 3.
Mike Piccirilli has a diverse background
of experience working for land
management and natural resource
agencies that complement his
employment with the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service. Mike began his career as
a Park Ranger with the Corps of
Engineers in the Nashville Tennessee
District. While with the Corps of
Engineers, he developed mitigation plans
to offset negative impacts of mineral
extraction within the watershed and
evaluated and processed special use
permit requests for land and water
development projects related to lakeshore
management issues. In 1988 Mike moved
to Casper, Wyoming to work with the
Bureau of Reclamation as a Natural
Resource Management Specialist. Here
he gained experience working with
partner agencies including county, state,
and federal agencies on land use issues.
Mike administered third party
September 2004 7
News Section
Federal
Assistance
Employee
Updates
Bob Bryant
agreements with partner agencies to
manage all Bureau of Reclamation lands
outside of Hydropower operation areas.
This included approximately 150,000 acres
of land managed for a variety of uses
including grazing, agriculture, irrigation,
wildlife refuges, state and county parks.
In 1991, Mike began his career with the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as an
Assistant Refuge Manager at Erie NWR.
Here Mike was responsible for the daily
operation of refuge activities and
implementation of refuge biological and
habitat programs focused on enhancing
waterfowl nesting and brood habitat.
After a little over 5 years of experience
working directly with habitat
enhancement projects at the refuge Mike
saw an opportunity to combine these
experiences with his skills to partner with
agencies. In 1997, he joined the Division of
Federal Assistance in Atlanta as a Fish
and Wildlife Biologist. After 6 years of
service in two regions he was selected as
the Wildlife Branch Chief in Region 4 of
the Division Federal Assistance. In April
2004, Mike was selected as the Region 4
Chief of Federal Assistance to replace Bob
Cooke who retired.
Mike lives in Lawrenceville, Georgia with
his wife Susan of 19 years and 15-year son
Andy. He has enjoyed fly-fishing for trout,
fly-tying, hunting and the shooting sports
for over 35 years and he has a great
appreciation for the benefits that the
Federal Assistance programs contribute
to our fish and wildlife resources.
8 September 2004
Mike Piccirilli
September 2004 9
During the week of August 9th, Federal
Assistance held its National Meeting at
the National Conservation Training
Center. The Program has gone through
many changes since the last staff-wide
national meeting in 1998. Federal
Assistance administers approximately
$733 million annually as part of 13 grant
programs, with the State Fish and
Wildlife Agencies as the primary
recipients of these grant funds. We have
more accountability requirements within
and outside the Service and in times of
limited resources, we are moving toward
totally electronic grants administration.
With highly experienced staff who are
retiring over the next few years, this
meeting provided an opportunity to
network, introduce newer staff to
program goals and objectives, and
improve grant administration. Working
sessions resulted in significant products
and recommendations to the Federal
Assistance Chiefs. The Fiscal Teams
improved processes, enhanced
cooperation and recommended increased
monitoring. Program Monitoring Team
initiated a new Monitoring Handbook for
Federal Assistance staff that suggests
creative monitoring methods, explores
considerations when writing a monitoring
plan and recommended increased
emphasis on monitoring in most every
grant program. The Lands Team shared
information on land status, explored
considerations in using easements as a
management tool, and recommended a
central repository of lands data for the
program. Other sessions addressed
lessons learned from audits, a comparison
and contrasting of the Aquatic Education
and Hunter Education Programs, and
comparing Regional approaches to assure
compliance in CMS grants. This national
meeting resulted in the production of
several new management tools, new
considerations to address evolving
Departmental and Government-wide
electronic grant and information
management initiatives, and improved
inter-regional consistency and
coordination to meet future challenges.
The Federal Assistance Chiefs have a
myriad of recommendations to consider
for adoption between now and October, all
of which will contribute to increased
program effectiveness and National
consistency priorities over the next few
years.
National Meeting
Kris LaMontagne speaking at the
National Meeting.
Staff Directory
Federal
Assistance
Washington DC
Office
Federal Assistance Main Phone Number
703/358 2156
Web Address
http://federalaid.fws.gov
Mitch King, Assistant Director for Wildlife
and Sport Fish Restoration Programs
Kris E. LaMontagne, Division Chief
Doug Gentile, Civil Rights Coordinator for
Public Access
Jim Greer, Deputy Division Chief -
Operations
Jimmye Kane, Lead Secretary
Pam Matthes, Multistate Conservation
Grant Program Coordinator
Hsia Franklin, Secretary
Branch of Budget and Administration
Tom Jeffrey, Branch Chief - Budget
Development and Execution - Program
Management
Vacant, Administrative Officer
Linda Muhammad, Program Support
Assistant
Tracey Vriens, Program Analyst
Branch of Information Management
Vacant, Branch Chief
Lorinda Bennett, Fiscal Management -
Audit Liaison
Ed Duda, System Developer
Jake 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 Wircenske, Help Desk and Fiscal
Administration Training
Branch of Grants Operations and Policy
Tom Barnes, 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 -
Landowner Incentive Program
Tim Hess, Wildlife Restoration Program -
Landowner Incentive Program -
State Wildlife Grants - Regions 3 & 5,
Genevieve Pullis-LaRouche, State Wildlife
Grants
Joshua Winchell, Regulations - Education
Liaison - Region 6
Branch of Audits
Pat McHugh, Branch Chief - Audits
Ord Bargerstock, Systems Accountant -
Audit Resolution
Branch of Surveys
Sylvia Cabrera, Branch Chief - National
Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-
Associated Recreation
Richard Aiken, Economist - National
Survey
Jerry Leonard, Economist - National
Survey
Branch of Training
Steve Leggans, Branch Chief
Julie Schroyer, Administrative Analyst
Blake Weirich, Assistant Training
Coordinator
Debbie Unbehagen - Fiscal Grants
Management Specialist
Intergovernmental Personnel Act
(IPA) Agreement
Lanny Moore, On IPA between the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service and the
International Association of Fish and
Wildlife Agencies
The IPA allows Lanny to pursue full-time
the Internal Revenue Service (IRS),
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms
(BATF), and Customs Working Group
initiatives. The main goal is to ensure that
States receive all funds due from these
agencies in a timely and accurate manner.
Through displays, workshops, and
seminars, Lanny conducts training for
IRS, BATF, and Customs staff who are
involved in the paying, collecting,
accounting, and transferring of funds.
10 September 2004
The goal of the Federal Assistance
Program 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
Assistance Program is responsible for
administering the following Programs:
nWildlife Restoration
n Sport Fish Restoration
n Clean Vessel Act
n Boating Infrastructure Grant
n National Coastal Wetlands Conservation
Grant
n Multistate Conservation Grant
n State Wildlife Grants
n Landowner Incentive
In addition, Federal Assistance provides
grant management support for
endangered species tradition section 6,
Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) Land
Acquisition, HCP Planning, and Recovery
Land Acquisition Grant Programs.
The following is an update on the
accomplishments of the Federal
Assistance Program and its partners with
these grant programs.
September 2004 11
Federal
Assistance
Program Overview
Wallop-Breaux Reauthorization
Efforts Continue: Changes May Be
Needed to ALAB Consensus Position
The American League of Anglers and
Boaters (ALAB) and other conservation
and recreation groups are continuing
their efforts to gain reauthorization of
several U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
recreation and conservation grant
programs, as well as the U.S. Coast
Guard’s Recreational Boating Safety
Program. To date, ALAB has been
successful with getting their
reauthorization position included in
legislation for the Safe, Accountable,
Flexible and Efficient Transportation Act
(SAFETEA), also known as the
SAFETEA Highway Bill. Action on the
SAFETEA bill by Congress has stalled
and its passage now appears likely to be
postponed until some time in fiscal year
2005.
Some changes in ALAB’s reauthorization
proposal may be needed for Congress to
reauthorize all affected programs. The
changes result from Congress’ concerns
regarding the amount of funds proposed
for administrative uses by the Service.
The current ALAB reauthorization
proposal recommended that the Service
receive 2.1% of the total receipts into the
Aquatic Resources Trust Fund. Congress
has indicated that they prefer that the
Service receive the amounts indicated in
the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration
Improvement Act of 2000. This Act
identified specific funding amounts for the
Service’s administration of the Federal
Aid in Wildlife and Sport Fish
Restoration programs, as well as other
grant programs administered by the
Division of Federal Assistance.
ALAB has responded favorably and
quickly to the changes required by
Congress to the ALAB consensus
position. Specifically, ALAB has worked
cooperatively to adjust its consensus
position so that the various grant
programs receive the funding amounts
projected in the original consensus
position.
For additional questions on this issue
please contact Brian Bohnsack
12 September 2004
Focus on Specific
Programs and
Activities
Customer Service Survey Being
Completed
The Division of Federal Assistance
recently contracted with the Treasury
Department’s Federal Consulting Group
and the University of Michigan to
complete a survey of the division’s
customers. The Division plans to use the
results to gain important feedback on
performance in recent years. The results
of the survey will be used to guide future
management actions of the Division.
The survey began in late July and was
completed by University of Michigan
personnel. The survey was completed by
telephone and is part of the widely used
American Customer Service Index
(ACSI). Many federal agencies rely on the
ACSI to evaluate their customer service
performance and the University of
Michigan releases a report annually
ranking the performance of federal
agencies that participate in the survey.
Approximately 1,300 individuals received
letters notifying them that they may be
interviewed for the survey and
approximately 260 interviews will be
completed for the survey.
A final report on the survey is expected in
the spring of 2005. The Service
appreciates the cooperation of all of it’s
State partners.
For additional information on this issue,
please contact Brian Bohnsack.
State Wildlife Grants
The Department of the Interior and
Related Agencies Appropriations Act,
2004, signed by President Bush into law
on November 10, 2003 included $70 million
in Fiscal Year 2004 for the State and
Tribal Wildlife Grants (STWG) program,
which is available to States and Territories
for obligation until September 30, 2005.
The Service will reapportion any Fiscal
Year 2003 SWG funds unobligated after
September 30, 2004. At the time of
preparation of this Update, it appears that
the amount of funds to be appropriated by
Congress for FY 2005 will be similar to
that of FY 2004.
The STWG program assists 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 activities. 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
Strategy or Plan (CWCS). All States and
Territories have made this commitment,
and have many active STWG projects
being funded.
All States are currently working on their
CWCS. The Service has been providing
assistance to the States when requested,
and otherwise facilitating development of
these important documents. Staff from
the International Association of Fish and
Wildlife Agencies and the Service have
met with the National Park Service, the
Bureau of Land Management, the
Department of Defense, and the USDA,
Natural Resources Conservation Service
during the past several months to share
information about the State Wildlife
Grants program and the CWCS initiative,
and to encourage agency collaboration.
On August 2-4, 2004 a “One-Year-Out”
Conference was hosted by the State of
Nebraska, IAFWA, and the Service
in Nebraska City, Nebraska to create
an environment where States and
Territorial representatives could gather
to discuss their varied approaches to the
development of CWCS’s. This Conference
brought together CWCS coordinators
from the States and Territories, along
with some partner agencies and
organizations, to share ideas, exchange
information and products, and develop
approaches to common challenges. The
CWCS’s are widely seen as an essential
foundation for the future of wildlife
conservation and an opportunity for
the States, federal agencies, and other
conservation partners to strategically
think about their individual and
coordinated roles in conservation efforts
across the nation.
September 2004 13
The members of the National Acceptance Advisory Team.
From left to right, John Christian (Region 3 ARD), Nancy Gloman (Region 2 ARD),
Paul Schmidt (Assistant Director from the Washington Office), Ron Regan (State of
Vermont),Paul Gertler (Region 6 ARD), Noel Holcomb (State of Georgia). Jeff Koenings
(State of Washington), Doug Alcorn (Region 7 ARD), Dean Hildebrand (State of North
Dakota), E. J. Williams (Region 5 ARD),Chris McKay (Region 1 ARD), and Sherry
Morgan (Region 4 ARD).
(ARD = Assistant Regional Director for Migratory Birds and State Programs)
The Director initiated the formation of a
National Acceptance Advisory Team in
early 2004 to ensure that the CWCS’s are
reviewed uniformly and contain the eight
essential elements required by Congress.
The Team consists of a representative
from each of the four regional Fish and
Wildlife Agency Associations and the
Assistant Regional Director for Migratory
Birds and State Programs from each of
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s seven
Regions. The Service’s Assistant Director
for Migratory Birds and State Programs,
Paul Schmidt, serves as the chair of the
Team with a representative of the
International Association of Fish and
Wildlife Agencies, Ron Regan, as the vice-chair.
Specifically, the National Advisory
Acceptance Team’s role is to review and
make recommendations to the Director
for approval, conditional approval or
disapproval of each State and insular
territory’s CWCS by October 1, 2005. The
Team has drafted a Charter, a Review
Reference Guide, and a Review Process,
and is prepared to receive the first CWCS
submission.
For additional questions on this issue,
please contact Tim Hess or Genevieve
Pullis-LaRouche.
Sport Fish Restoration Program
Update
Congressional delays with passing a new
Highway Bill have caused administrative
difficulties for the Sport Fish Restoration
program this fiscal year. Specifically, the
Service had to withhold some funds from
the apportionment total for the Sport Fish
Restoration program to ensure that
sufficient funds were available to fund
other grant programs receiving
temporary reauthorization extensions by
Congress, e.g., Clean Vessel Act, Boating
Infrastructure Grant, U.S. Coast Guard
Recreational Boating Safety grant
programs. Since Congress recently
extended the TEA-21 Highway Bill for
the remainder of this fiscal year, the
Service will make the funds that were
being withheld from apportionments
available in the Fiscal Year 2005
apportionments.
Some of the highlights of the program
include the recent announcement by the
American Fisheries Society Fisheries
Administrators Section of their Sport Fish
Restoration projects of the year.
An issue that remains of continued
concern for the Sport Fish Restoration
program is the status of the states with
spending their motorboat access funds.
The following table on page 15 shows the
status of States and Territories with
obligating boating access funds.
For additional questions on this issue,
please contact Brian Bohnsack.
14 September 2004
The Eight Elements Required for State
Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation
Strategies or Plans.
1. information on the distribution and
abundance of species of wildlife,
including low and declining populations
as the State fish and wildlife agency
deems appropriate, that are indicative
of the diversity and health of the
State’s wildlife;
2. descriptions of locations and relative
condition of key habitats and
community types essential to the
conservation of species identified in (1);
3. descriptions of problems which may
adversely affect species identified in (1)
or their habitats, and priority research
and survey efforts needed to identify
factors which may assist in restoration
and improved conservation of these
species and habitats;
4. descriptions of conservation actions
determined to be necessary to
conserve the identified species and
habitats and priorities for
implementing such actions;
5. proposed plans for monitoring species
identified in (1) and their habitats, for
monitoring the effectiveness of the
conservation actions proposed in (4),
and for adapting these conservation
actions to respond appropriately to
new information or changing
conditions;
6. descriptions of procedures to review
the Strategy-Plan at intervals not to
exceed ten years;
7. plans for coordinating, to the extent
feasible, the development,
implementation, review, and revision of
the Strategy-Plan with Federal, State,
and local agencies and Indian tribes
that manage significant land and water
areas within the State or administer
programs that significantly affect the
conservation of identified species and
habitats; and
8. a description of broad public
participation during the development
and implementation of these
Strategies-Plans.
National Unobligated Boating Access Allocations by Fiscal Year - as of July 30, 2004 (in dollars)
State Unobligated FY-04 FY-03 FY-02 FY-01 FY-00
Alabama 584,123.97 427,309.00 156,814.97 0.00 0.00 0.00
Alaska 1,719,735.39 1,719,735.39 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
American Samoa 437,719.11 130,263.00 132,620.00 146,393.00 28,443.11 0.00
Arizona 45,823.84 45,823.84 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Arkansas 953,926.87 538,718.00 415,208.87 0.00 0.00 0.00
California 3,412,588.91 1,953,952.00 1,458,636.91 0.00 0.00 0.00
Colorado 4,004,397.47 919,552.50 1,015,254.75 1,120,604.10 911,512.95 37,473.17
Connecticut 379,253.30 379,253.30 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Delaware 63,000.00 63,000.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
District of Columbia 266,862.60 0.00 0.00 146,393.40 0.00 120,469.20
Florida 2,559,381.08 1,762,213.00 797,168.08 0.00 0.00 0.00
Georgia 204,784.68 204,784.68 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Guam 417,464.00 130,263.00 94,675.00 75,930.00 116,596.00 0.00
Hawaii 787,173.08 390,791.00 396,382.08 0.00 0.00 0.00
Idaho 770,227.72 651,956.00 118,271.72 0.00 0.00 0.00
Illinois 1,631,687.33 802,346.70 800,499.30 28,841.33 0.00 0.00
Indiana 297,021.38 297,021.38 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Iowa 411,240.66 411,240.66 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Kansas 821,851.04 821,851.04 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Kentucky 236,288.80 236,288.80 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Louisiana 1,031,158.80 600,000.00 431,158.80 0.00 0.00 0.00
Maine 235,198.10 235,198.10 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Maryland 1,299,072.70 390,790.50 397,861.95 439,180.20 71,240.05 0.00
Massachusetts 410,607.36 390,790.50 19,816.86 0.00 0.00 0.00
Michigan 5,936,648.80 1,313,463.30 1,342,043.40 1,427,378.00 1,319,482.53 534,281.57
Minnesota 1,334,787.75 1,334,787.75 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Mississippi 208,500.45 208,500.45 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Missouri 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Montana 1,049,306.14 916,101.75 133,204.39 0.00 0.00 0.00
N. Marianas 15,570.00 15,570.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Nebraska 314,004.36 314,004.36 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Nevada 1,112,430.59 584,326.00 528,104.59 0.00 0.00 0.00
New Hampshire 1,160,138.57 390,790.50 397,861.95 371,486.12 0.00 0.00
New Jersey 1,726,611.20 390,790.50 397,861.95 439,180.20 361,279.35 137,499.20
New Mexico 1,547,352.29 698,201.85 714,348.45 134,981.99 0.00 0.00
New York 1,641,040.81 994,587.00 646,453.81 0.00 0.00 0.00
North Carolina 3,187.50 3,187.50 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
North Dakota 4,400.60 4,400.60 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Ohio 1,692,420.51 902,230.65 790,189.86 0.00 0.00 0.00
Oklahoma 501,745.53 501,745.53 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Oregon 1,321,964.83 956,200.00 365,764.83 0.00 0.00 0.00
Pennsylvania 1,910,396.68 994,203.75 916,192.93 0.00 0.00 0.00
Puerto Rico 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Rhode Island 1,203,610.26 390,790.50 397,861.95 414,957.81 0.00 0.00
South Carolina 1,176,166.55 1,000,000.00 176,166.55 0.00 0.00 0.00
South Dakota 28,648.89 28,648.89 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Tennessee 892,802.13 526,994.00 365,808.13 0.00 0.00 0.00
Texas 6,823,764.93 1,953,952.20 1,989,309.00 2,195,900.85 684,602.88 0.00
Utah 607,862.49 607,862.49 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Vermont 33,999.65 33,999.65 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Virgin Islands 66,277.00 66,277.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Virginia 598,981.07 598,981.07 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Washington 1,029,851.45 871,236.00 158,615.45 0.00 0.00 0.00
West Virginia 716,123.40 390,790.50 325,332.90 0.00 0.00 0.00
Wisconsin 152,893.57 152,893.57 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Wyoming 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Unobligated Balance 57,792,076.19 30,648,659.75 15,879,489.43 6,941,227.00 3,493,156.87 829,723.14
September 2004 15
Wildlife Restoration Program
President Franklin Roosevelt on
September 2, 1937 signed the Federal Aid
in Wildlife Restoration into law. This Act,
popularly known as the Pittman-
Robertson Act (PR Act) after its
cosponsors, has been administered by the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service since July
1, 1938.
Funds are derived from Federal excise
taxes on the manufacture of arms and
ammunition, including handguns, and on
archery equipment. These taxes are
collected by the Department of the
Treasury and apportioned each year to
the 50 States, the Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern
Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin
Islands by the Service on the basis of a
formula set forth in the Act that includes
the area of each State and the number of
paid license holders in each State. In the
early 1970’s States were first authorized
to spend funds on hunter education and
shooting ranges.
Wildlife restoration projects and State
fish and wildlife agencies are reimbursed
by the Program for up to 75 percent of the
total cost of approved projects. Projects
may include, but are not limited to, the
acquisition of areas of land or water for
wildlife; the management, restoration or
improvement of habitat for wildlife;
mammal, bird, and hunter research or
surveys; hunter education; and the
construction and maintenance of shooting
and target ranges.
Over $203 million was available to States
and Territories for use in wildlife
restoration and hunter education
(including shooting ranges) activities in
Fiscal Year 2004, which was a $17 million
increase over the average of the two
previous years. Some of the current
challenges faced by the State fish and
wildlife agencies in the wildlife restoration
program include the prevention and
control of wildlife diseases; the prevention
and control of invasive, habitat-altering
plants and nuisance wildlife; and
sustaining wildlife populations and quality
hunting opportunities in the face of
increased human growth and development
in many areas.
For additional questions on this issue,
please contact Tim Hess.
Landowner Incentive Program
Congress funded the Landowner
Incentive Program (LIP), authorized in
the Department of the Interior and
Related Agencies Appropriations Act,
2004, with $30 million derived from the
Land and Water Conservation Fund. The
Fiscal Year 2004 fund awards were made
based on the 75 program applications
received prior to the October 15, 2003
deadline. This program provides
competitive matching grants to States,
Territories, the District of Columbia, and
Tribes. The Service allocated $2.9 million
to Tribes, $25.8 million to the States and
Territories, and $1.3 million for
Congressional rescissions and
administrative costs in Fiscal Year 2004.
In February 2004, the Director announced
that the State and Territorial allocation
had been awarded to 40 of the 43 States
that had submitted project proposals.
The grants are 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.
LIP projects involve activities such
as the restoration of wetlands and
grasslands, the removal of exotic plants to
restore natural prairies, 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.
The Program features two levels of
funding, Tier-1 and Tier-2. Proposals can
be submitted for either Tier-1or Tier-2
competition (or both), with a maximum
amount awarded to any individual State
not to exceed 5 percent of the total 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
16 September 2004
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. As of this
same date, 24 of the States that received
awards in Fiscal Year 2004 have obligated
funds through one or more grant
agreements.
On July 13, the Service Director sent a
letter to the States requesting feedback
on the current criteria being used to rank
State LIP grant proposals. We are
currently evaluating the comments
received and will publish a notice with
slightly revised criteria in the Federal
Register (and grants.gov), along with a 60-
day Request for Proposals in anticipation
of some Fiscal Year 2005 appropriation for
this Program.
The Service works with the States and
other Federal agencies to streamline the
program. We work with other Federal
programs affecting wildlife conservation
on private lands, such as those supported
by the Farm Bill, to ensure complementary
implementation of wildlife conservation
actions. The Service assisted the States in
Regions 3 and 5 during the past six
months by hosting workshops to share
LIP implementation strategies among
States and to faciliate this Program’s
implementation even further.
For more information on this Program,
contact Kim Galvan or Tim Hess.
State Audit Update
We are continuing in the second cycle of
State audits that are being conducted by
the DOI office of Inspector general. there
are currently thirteen audits in process.
To date, fifteen second cycle audits have
been completed for which we have
received final audit reports. Our
experiences and the feedback from the
audits continue to be very positive. We are
striving to maintain open lines of
communication between the auditors,
grantees, and Federal Assistance offices,
and we welcome all comments and
suggestions on our audit program.
Our audit policies are completed and have
become part of the Service Manual. They
can be found in the Fish and Wildlife
Servcie, Service Manual, chapters 417
FW 1 through 6. The policies outline the
responsibilities for audits, define terms
associated with audits, provide an
overview of the audit process, and
establish procedures for objectives,
planning, conducting, reporting,
resolution, and appeals.
For additional information on this issue,
please contact Patrick McHugh.
Boating Infrastructure Grant Program
Looks Toward the Future
The Boating Infrastructure Grant (BIG)
program remains one of the Service’s
most competitive grant programs. The
program’s popularity is likely to increase
in the future years as demographic and
economic forces combine to result in
increased demand for facilities for large,
transient vessels. In anticipation of the
increased demands for BIG funds, the
Service is making several changes in the
administration of the program designed to
improve its management. Some changes
have already occurred and additional
changes may be implemented in the
future pending the results of an
independent review of the BIG program
that was requested by the Director.
One change the Service has already
implemented is to delay the schedule for
accepting proposals for the fiscal year
2005 grant cycle. The Service is
requesting that proposals be received by
late October, rather than in September, to
allow marinas to concentrate on their
businesses during the peak summer
boating season. In addition, the BIG
program became the Service’s second
national grant program to accept funding
proposals electronically through the
Grants.Gov e-grant initiative.
Additional changes in the BIG program’s
administration may result from a review
of the program conducted by the Sport
Fishing and Boating Partnership Council
(SFBPC). The Director charged the
SFBPC to review the program and to
prepare a report on the group’s findings
and recommendations later this year. As
part of this review, members of the
SFBPC review committee and Service
September 2004 17
personnel met in February to discuss the
administration of the BIG program. The
SFBPC is also seeking input on the
program from both state agency
coordinators of the BIG program, grant
recipients, boating groups, and other
individuals.
Funding for the BIG program is likely to
increase in fiscal year 2005. The program
has received strong support from the
American League of Anglers and Boaters
(ALAB), who have successfully lobbied
Congress for its reauthorization, as well
other programs funded from the Aquatic
Resources Trust Fund. Under ALAB’s
proposal, funding for the BIG program
would increase to approximately $10
million annually, an increase of $2 million.
The BIG program ultimately received full
funding ($8 million) in fiscal year 2004 and
the Service has awarded out these funds.
Authorization for the BIG program
expired at the end of fiscal year 2003.
Because its authorization was included as
part of the Transportation Equity Act
(TEA-21) Highway Bill passed previously
by Congress, the program received
temporary authorizations and funding
enhancements throughout most of fiscal
year 2003. This delayed the
announcement of awards for the Tier-2
portion of the BIG program until late in
the fiscal year. The Service received 32
proposals requesting a total of $17.9
million of federal funding from the Tier-2
portion of the BIG program for Fiscal
Year 2004. In addition, the States
requested $3.07 million in Tier-1 funding
from the program.
For additional information on this
program, contact Brian Bohnsack.
Federal Assistance Information
Management System (FAIMS)
The Federal Assistance Information
Management System (FAIMS) is used by
Fish and Wildlife Service personnel to
manage the complete life cycle of grants
administered by the Service. 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 Assistance, and the Division of
Finance. The checks and balances built
into FAIMS ensure the integrity of
Federal Assistance’s fiscal data as
confirmed by the audit firm KPMG, LLP.
So far in Fiscal Year 2004 emphasis has
been placed on:
n Attaining Certification and
Accreditation. Full Certification and
Accreditation for FAIMS was attained
on July 1, 2004. Various governmental
laws require that Federal Information
Technology (IT) systems be put
through rigorous evaluation processes
to ensure their security. FAIMS was
authorized to operate under Fish and
Wildlife Service procedures in affect at
the time the system was deployed. An
increased emphasis on IT security in
the Federal government resulted in new
compliance requirements. FAIMS
security had to be reevaluated under
new guidance issued by the
Department of Interior.
n Consolidating the FAIMS databases.
Database consolidation was completed
at the end of February, 2004. The
number of servers required to operate
the production FAIMS databases have
been reduced from ten to four. The
reduction has simplified operations and
maintenance, reduced the cost of
operations, and facilitated easier
disaster recovery.
During the remainder of 2004 emphasis
will be placed on:
Activities relating to implementing the
eGrantsPlus module of the Department’s
Financial Business Management System
(FBMS). This includes such activities as
working with Departmental personnel,
Bearingpoint, and its subcontractors to:
1) complete the analysis required to
design and develop specifications for an
interface between the eGrantsPlus
module of FBMS and FAIMS,
2) complete the analysis required to
successfully convert the data contained in
FAIMS into the eGrantsPlus module, and
3) participate in the analysis required to
configure the real property module of the
18 September 2004
core FBMS system so that lands,
buildings, and structures acquired with
Federal Assistance can be stored in the
system.
One additional note: Dale Beaumariage,
Training Specialist, retired July 30, 2004
and Luther Zachary resigned in late
August. The Service appreciates all that
Dale and Luther have done to make
FAIMS such a valuable tool to the Federal
Assistance Programs. They will be
missed.
National Survey of Fishing, Hunting,
and Wildlife-Associated Recreation
The 2006 Survey will be the 11th managed
by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
since 1955. The Service has sponsored the
survey every five years at the request of
State fish and wildlife agencies. It is one of
the Nation’s most important sources of
information on wildlife-related recreation.
The 2006 Survey will be similar in scope
and methodology to those conducted in
1991, 1996, and 2001— so their estimates
will be comparable. The Census Bureau
will contact 90,000 households to identify
samples of 31,500 sportsmen and 24,300
wildlife watchers to collect detailed
information on participation and
expenditures. Census will collect the
information through computer-assisted
telephone and in-person interviews in
April and September 2006, and in January
2007.
The survey is funded by grants from the
Multistate Conservation Grant Programs.
The products will include preliminary
reports, final national and 50 state
reports, CDs with the data base, and
quick facts brochures. All data and
reports also will be available on a website.
The Service is planning the 2006 Survey.
The Service, IAFWA, and Census staff
met with representatives from the 50
state fish and wildlife agencies and with
national non-governmental organizations
to discuss survey content and reporting
needs.
The Service also is analyzing and
producing reports based on 2001 survey
data. Three addenda to the 2001 Survey
produced so far in 2004 include the
following reports: Participation and
Expenditure Patterns of African-
American, Hispanic, and Female
Hunters and Anglers; and Fishing and
Hunting 1991-2001: Avid, Casual, and
Intermediate Participation Trends.
Copies of the survey reports are available
on request or are accessible through the
following website: http://federalaid.fws.
gov. For more information you also may
contact the Service’s survey staff.
For additional information on this issue,
please contact Sylvia Cabrera.
Two New Survey Reports
In July 2004, the Service released two
new survey reports based on the 2001
National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and
Wildlife-Associated Recreation, Report
2001-4, Participation and Expenditure
Patterns of African-American, Hispanic,
and Female Hunters and Anglers; and
Report 2001-5, Fishing and Hunting
1991-2001: Avid, Casual, and
Intermediate Participation Trends.
Participation and Expenditure Patterns
of African-American, Hispanic, and
Female Hunters and Anglers presents
detailed information and comparisons on
participation rates, participation levels
(days and trips), expenditures, usage of
public and private land, types of hunting
and fishing, and species pursued. Also
presented are models that predict the
likelihood of participation in hunting and
fishing. The models explain that
regardless of other socio-demographic
traits African-Americans, Hispanics, and
women are less likely to hunt and fish.
The data can be used to improve
hunting and fishing experiences of low
participation groups. Data on
participation rates, participation levels
and expenditures help pinpoint certain
groups of people more or less likely to
participate in specific outdoor recreational
activities, allowing managers to direct
information toward the appropriate user
groups. For instance, a large proportion of
Hispanic anglers live in the West and fish
for trout. Changes in trout fishing
regulations or trout fish advisories in the
West could have a large impact on this
group. Wildlife professionals could target
information to this group in Spanish and
English and choose the best medium (e.g.,
newspaper, magazines, television, posters)
to disseminate the information.
Expenditure information can provide the
hunting and fishing industry with a better
understanding of their customers. A key
finding is that Hispanic anglers spend
more on average on trips and equipment
than many other groups. Furthermore,
September 2004 19
the number of Hispanic anglers and their
spending has increased significantly over
the last decade.
Fishing and Hunting 1991-2001: Avid,
Casual, and Intermediate Participation
Trends sets forth the 1991-2001 trends in
overall fishing and hunting and
furthermore expands the analysis by
examining important subgroups.
Hunting and fishing are important to
millions of Americans, with nearly one of
five people participating in hunting and
fishing in 2001.
From 1991 to 2001 the number of
Americans who hunted and/or fished in
the U.S. decreased 5 percent, with the
number of anglers decreasing 4 percent
and the number of hunters decreasing 7
percent. These drops occurred primarily
during the second half of the 1990’s.
We can better understand trends in
overall fishing and hunting by examining
the trends of subgroups such as avid and
casual anglers and hunters. Avids, the
10% of all participants who fished or
hunted the most days in a year, accounted
for 40% to 50% of all days afield in 1991,
1996, and 2001. Another subgroup of all
anglers and hunters were the casuals,
those who fished or hunted one or two
days in the year. The trends in casual
angling and hunting have run counter to
the trends in overall angling and
hunting— with drops when overall trends
were level and stability when overall
trends declined.
The intermediate group between avid and
casual anglers was the bulk of total
participants. The intermediate anglers
made up over 75% of all anglers in the
three surveyed years, although they
contributed only slightly more than half
the days. The increase in intermediate
anglers from 1991 to 1996 compensated
for the loss of casual and avid anglers,
maintaining the overall number of
anglers. In 2001 the number of
intermediate anglers dropped, and avid
and casual angling did not increase, so the
number of anglers decreased from 1996
to 2001.
The number of big game and migratory
bird hunters in 2001 was the same as in
1991, while the number of small game and
other animal hunters fell significantly. The
29% drop in small game hunting from
1991 to 2001 was led by the 47% drop in
casual hunters’ pursuit of small game,
although avid and intermediate hunters
also cut back on small game hunting.
The significant drop in casual hunting
from 1991 to 1996 was compensated by
an increase in intermediate hunting,
maintaining the overall numbers of
hunters. The drop in intermediate
hunters from 1996 to 2001 was not
counterbalanced by an increase in avid
or casual hunters.
Section 4 and 10:
Hunter Education Program
Section 4 and 10 of the Wildlife
Restoration Act provide financial support
for state wildlife agencies hunter
education and public recreational shooting
programs. In 2003, states used this source
of funding to support basic hunter
education course delivery, curriculum
development, advanced hunter education
courses, development, maintenance and
operations of public shooting ranges, and
instructor training. Many states used
these funds to develop and support hunter
education efforts that are uniquely suited
to serve the needs of the state’s hunting,
and potential hunting, communities. One
such example is Alaska’s mobile Hunter
Education trailer. The mobile unit consists
of a 36-foot 5th-wheel mobile trailer fully
equipped to conduct a wide variety of
Hunter Education and shooting sports
activities. State Hunter Education staff
travels to events and towns and villages
accessible by road or Alaska Marine
Highway (state ferry) to offer clinics. The
mobile shooting sports trailer is fully
equipped with rifles, shotguns, and
supporting equipment to conduct outdoor
clinics in rifle marksmanship, shotgun
wingshooting skills, muzzleloading skills,
nontoxic shot waterfowl education,
bowhunter education, hunter education,
and both youth and women’s beginning
shooter programs. This is especially
helpful in bringing certification to hunters
in small villages where there are no
certified instructors or limited facilities
and equipment.
Arizona has used Section 10 funds to
develop Hunter Education Program
teaching materials in Spanish for its
residents. Additionally, Arizona has made
provisions to provide a person to sign for
hearing impaired participants. The
hunting communities served by state
20 September 2004
wildlife agencies can vary greatly from
state to state, Section 4 and 10 funds
provide agencies critical funding for
developing hunting and shooting
programs that are custom tailored for
their unique situation and needs.
The State of Kentucky used Section 10
Hunter Education funds to teach archery
shooting and safety skills to 150,000
Kentucky physical education students in
grades 4 through 12. The “Archery in
Schools Program” gives many young
people exposure to the sport. The state
also constructed two unmanned barrel
shooting ranges at Taylorsville Lake and
Green River WMA’s. These shooting
ranges include a 100-yard tube range for
rifles and pistols with four stalls under an
overhanging shelter, a shotgun patterning
area, and a parking lot for visitors. The
ranges have an archery range with
stationary targets and the shotgun range
including target holders for patterning
use and a clays launcher.
For additional questions on this issue,
please contact Joshua Winchell.
The Financial and Business
Management System (FBMS) of the
Department of the Interior
The Department of the Interior is
migrating to a centralized and
comprehensive systems approach. This
new system will manage all business
aspects of the Department and will be
called the Financial and Business
Management System (FBMS). The
Department contracted with BearingPoint
(formerly KPMG Consulting) to align and
integrate all its business processes under
one umbrella management system.
The Department plans to deploy grant
programs administered by the Federal
Assistance Program currently managed
through the Federal Assistance
Information Management System
(FAIMS) on October 1, 2006. Until that
date, current FA grant application and
award processes will continue using
FAIMS. The Service will continue to
provide information, as it is received from
the Department, regarding training
opportunities for States and Territories
and other grant recipients.
For more information on this issue, please
contact Lori Bennett or Pam
Matthes.
National Coastal Wetlands
Conservation Grant Program Sets
Precedent
The National Coastal Wetlands
Conservation Grant program became the
first grant program administered by the
Division of Federal Assistance to use the
Grants.Gov web site and to accept funding
proposals electronically. The Service
posted notice of the request for proposals
to the Grants.Gov web site and also made
required proposal documents available on-line
at this site. Although no electronic
proposal applications were received this
year, the Service anticipates this method
of submission to increase in popularity in
the coming years as knowledge increases
about the site.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
received 38 proposals from 16 states
requesting approximately $28 million of
federal funds from the National Coastal
Wetlands Conservation grant program for
the coming fiscal year (FY 2005). The
Service anticipates that approximately
$15 million will be available for grant
awards in this fiscal year, though the final
amount will not be known until receipts
into the Aquatic Resources Trust Fund
are finalized later this fall.
The Service reviewed the proposals and is
determining the project awards for fiscal
year 2005. The announcement of award
recipients will be made later this fall.
A variety of Service program areas work
to ensure the success of the National
Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant
Program. In particular, the Regional
Federal Assistance Offices are responsible
for financial administration and the
Coastal Program in the Regions and Field
provide technical assistance to the States.
For additional information on this issue,
please contact Brian Bohnsack.
September 2004 21
Clean Vessel Act Program Funds
Released: Major Program Change
May Occur in Future Years
Cooperators in the U.S. Fish and Service’s
Clean Vessel Act (CVA) grant program
may notice a major change in the
regulations of the CVA program in the
coming years. Specifically, the coastal
project scoring preference required by the
original act may be changed to allow
proposals from inland waters to compete
equally for available funding. The change
in direction for the program is supported
by the American League of Anglers and
Boaters (ALAB) and is the result of
ALAB’s and others’ recognition of the
increased demand for sewage pump out
facilities for recreational boaters in inland
waters. ALAB has included this program
change in their consensus position and it
has been incorporated into various
versions of the reauthorization bills being
considered by Congress. The proposed
change remains to be approved by
Congress, though it is included in versions
of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible and
Efficient Transportation Act (SAFETEA)
being considered by Congress, also known
as the SAFETEA Highway Bill.
In addition to this change, the recently
released Oceans Report recommended
that the CVA program be transferred to
the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency. The Department of Interior has
taken an official position against this
proposed transfer of authority. Congress
is likely to take action on the Oceans
Report in the coming fiscal year, though
their intentions for the control of the
program remain unclear at this time.
The proposed changes did not affect the
fiscal year 2004 grant cycle. The U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service recently announced
the fiscal year 2004 funding awards for the
Clean Vessel Act (CVA) grant program.
The announcement was late this year due
to the delays in the determination of the
program’s funding for this fiscal year.
Funding for the CVA program was
affected by Congress’ deliberations on the
Highway Bill. Authorization for the CVA
22 September 2004
Fiscal Year 2004 Clean Vessel Act Awards
State Project Type Final Award Recommendation
Alabama Inland $135,731
Alabama Coastal $82,987
Alaska Inland $256,800
Arizona Inland $134,330
Arkansas Inland $39,800
California Inland $950,000
California Coastal $1,091,548
Connecticut Inland $108,682
Connecticut Coastal $764,652
Florida Inland $915,375
Florida Coastal $1,550,694
Georgia Inland $48,849
Kentucky Inland $51,675
Maine Coastal $261,997
Maryland Coastal $602,000
Massachusetts Coastal $743,350
Michigan Coastal $60,000
Missouri Inland $36,000
New Hampshire Inland $20,170
New Hampshire Coastal $58,830
New York Inland $143,719
New York Coastal $355,916
Ohio Coastal $45,000
Oklahoma Inland $51,045
Oregon Inland $453,912
Oregon Coastal $332,433
Pennsylvania Inland $34,761
Pennsylvania Coastal $55,227
Tennessee Inland $430,000
Texas Coastal $150,000
Washington Inland $175,000
Washington Coastal $725,000
Total $10,865,483
September 2004 23
program expired at the end of fiscal year
2003. Because its authorization was
included as part of the Transportation
Equity Act (TEA-21) Highway Bill passed
previously by Congress, the program
received temporary authorizations and
funding enhancements throughout most of
fiscal year 2003. The CVA program
received its full funding authorization for
fiscal year 2004 in August.
Like other programs funded from the
Aquatic Resources Trust Fund, the CVA
program has received reauthorization
support from the American League of
Anglers and Boaters (ALAB). ALAB has
proposed that funding for the CVA
program be reauthorized for future fiscal
years and receive funding at
approximately its current level of $10
million annually.
The Service received 32 proposals from 24
States requesting $13.6 million of funding
in fiscal year 2004. The projects proposed
for funding were reviewed by Division of
Federal Assistance staff and by an inter-agency
review committee consisting of
representatives from the U.S. Coast
Guard, Environmental Protection Agency,
and National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration. The following is a list of
the states and the activities planned with
the project awards.
For additional questions on this issue,
please contact Brian Bohnsack.
Alabama
Coastal Areas- The state plans to install
three (3) new pump out systems. In
addition, program funds will be used to
continue educational projects.
Inland Areas- The state plans to install
five (5) new pump out systems. In
addition, program funds will be used to
continue educational projects.
Alaska
Program funds will be used to install
pump out stations in Juneau (Aurora
Harbor) and Seward. Rehabilitate
existing pump out station equipment at
five locations. In addition, reprint and
distribute a pamphlet that will increase
boater��s awareness of the need for proper
waste disposal.
Arizona
The program awards will be used as part
of the state’s efforts to ensure that each
major waterway in Arizona has the
appropriate number of pump out facilities
necessary to accommodate boats with on-board
sanitation facilities. This year’s
awards will be used to add new pump-out
facilities at Lake Powell and Lake
Pleasant.
Arkansas
Program funds will be used to continue
boater awareness and educational
programs through the distribution of
marine sewage disposal leaflets and flyers
at all marinas on impounded lakes
statewide, in addition, the distribution of
Marina Environmental Newsletters.
Newsletters will be sent to marinas, to
update owners on current marine sewage
disposal programs and proposed
legislation.
California
Coastal Areas- The programs funds will
be used to increase the number and
availability of sewage pump out and dump
stations into both public and private
boating facilities in coastal areas
throughout the state, and to actively
educate targeted audiences about the
problems associated with vessel wastes.
Inland Areas- The state plans to provide
ten (10) floating restrooms, four (4) pump
out or dump station installations,
upgrades or renovations, and four (4)
pump out barges. The floating restrooms
are anticipated to be public projects and
the pump out/ dump stations will be
privately operated facilities.
Connecticut
Coastal Areas- The grant award will allow
the state to increase the number of pump
out and waste reception facilities
statewide in coastal areas. In addition, the
award will be used enhance existing pump
out facilities. Program funds will also be
used to continue the state’s successful
program to educate boaters about the
importance of proper sewage disposal.
Inland Areas- The state plans to increase
the number of pump out and waste
reception facilities that are available to the
boating public on Candlewood Lake. The
state also plans use the funds to enhance
existing pump out facilities. Program
funds will also be used to continue the
state’s successful program to educate
boaters about the importance of proper
sewage disposal.
Florida
Coastal Areas-Based on available funding
improve water quality and affected
habitats by providing an additional 245
pump out facilities for safe and sanitary
disposal of vessel sewage waste
throughout Florida with continued
emphasis on areas of high demand or
increased sensitivity.
Inland Areas- The states goal is to
improve water quality and affected
habitats by providing an additional 54
pump out facilities for safe and sanitary
disposal of vessel sewage waste
throughout inland areas of Florida with
emphasis in the state’s inland areas of
special sensitivity.
Georgia
Inland Areas- The program funds will
help contribute to a dock and pump out
facilities at the Victoria Landing Marina
on Lake Allatoona.
Kentucky
The state plans to construct new pump out
facilities at Lake Cumberland and Lake
Barkley. These lakes are amongst the
most popular in the state.
Maine
Coastal Areas-The states plan to install or
upgrade ten (10) pump-out stations. In
addition, the state plans to provide
operation and maintenance funds to
marinas in order to ensure continued
access to pump out facilities for the
recreational boating public.
Maryland
Coastal Areas- The programs funds will
be used to construct new pump out
facilities and upgrade existing facilities
throughout coastal areas statewide. In
addition, funds will be used to continue the
state’s educational efforts to inform
boaters about the importance of proper
sewage disposal.
Massachusetts
Coastal Areas-The state plans use the
award for the operation and maintenance
of sixty-two (62) pump out vessels, forty-five
(45) shore side pump out vessels, and
fourteen dump stations. Program funds
will be also be used to purchase one (1)
new boat engine for the Onset Bay Marine
pump out vessel, which will ensure its
continued service in the environmentally
sensitive Onset Bay area. Funds will also
be used to upgrade existing web sites with
pump out locations, and updated links to
other clean boating sites. As well as
providing information and outreach at two
(2) regional Boat Shows with newly
designed promotional materials.
New Hampshire
Coastal Areas-The states plans are to
upgrade an older pump out system that is
nearing shows signs of failure. Install a
new pump-out facility at a public access
site or marina. In addition, introduce a
new mobile pump out boat to the
Hampton Harbor and Rye Harbor areas;
accommodating approximately 300
moored vessels.
Inland Areas- The states plans are to
construct a pump out facility on Lake
Sunapee, which will help to protect the
Town of Sunapee’s water supply. In
addition, the state plans to replace an
existing dump station on Lake
Winnisquam. In addition, the state plans
to construct or update a boat pump out
and/ or dump station facility at a private
marina on Lake Winnipesaukee.
New York
Coastal Areas-As funds allow, the state
plans to increase the number of pump out
and dump stations available on New York
State’s coastal zone waters to the
maximum number identified in the state’s
plan. In areas where visiting recreational
boat traffic is particularly heavy, provide
pump out and dump stations in excess of
the maximum number identified in the
state’s pump out plan.
Inland Areas- Program funds will be used
to help increase the number of pump outs
and dump stations available on New York
State’s inland waterways.
Ohio
Coastal Areas-The state plans to install a
pump out dock at Middle Bass Park, and
to reprint clean vessel practices in the
Ohio Boat Operators Guide and the Ohio
Boating Education Course. In addition,
the state plans to update available
information on the location of pump outs
and dump stations.
Oklahoma
The program funds will help with the
installation of a marine pump out station
at the Pioneer Cove Marina as a
significant environmental improvement to
Kaw Lake.
Oregon
Coastal Areas-Program funds will be used
to construct one (1) pump out station, 1
(one) dump station and two (2) floating
restrooms. In addition, the state will use
the award to operate and maintain
nineteen (19) publicly owned pump out
facilities statewide. This includes fourteen
(14) pump out stations, fourteen (14) dump
stations and five (5) floating restrooms.
The state will also use the award to
continue its successful education program
that informs boaters about the importance
of proper sewage disposal. The program
award will allow the state to continue
providing technical assistance to
public and private operators for their
permit approvals and grants applications
procedures associated with the state’s
CVA program.
Inland Areas- Program funds will be used
to construct one (1) pump out station, two
(2) dump stations and three (3) floating
restrooms. The program award will also
allow the state to operate and maintain 28
publicly owned facilities statewide. This
includes thirteen (13) pump out stations,
eighteen (18) dump stations and eight (8)
floating restrooms. In addition, the grant
award will allow the state to continue its
successful educational program that
informs boaters about the importance of
proper sewage disposal. In addition, the
Oregon Marine Board will be working in
conjunction with marine dealerships to
provide boaters information on proper
vessels waste disposal.
Pennsylvania
Coastal Areas-The state plans to
construct three (3) pump-out facilities and
two (2) dump stations, and upgrade two
existing units.
Inland Areas- Program funds will
construct two (2) new permanent pump-out
stations and two (2) dump stations.
Tennessee
Program funds will be used to maintain a
state grant program that assists local
municipal and private marinas with the
development of sewage pump out
facilities. In addition, the state will use the
24 September 2004
September 2004 25
award to fund its existing educational
program.
Texas
Coastal Areas-Program funds will be used
to construct six (6) pump out facilities,
continue a boater education project
regarding proper waste disposal, and fund
administrative costs to develop strategies
for the future of the CVA program in
Texas.
Washington
Coastal Areas- Program funding will be
used to help continue to expand the
network of boat sewage disposal facilities
throughout the state.
Inland Areas- Program funding will be
used to help continue to expand the
network of boat sewage disposal facilities
throughout the state.
For additional information on this
program, please contact Brian Bohnsack.
Federal Assistance National Training
Program
The National Federal Assistance Training
Program, located at the National
Conservation Training Center in
Shepherdstown, WV, is part of the
Washington Office Division of Federal
Assistance. The training program
develops and delivers grants management
training for Federal Assistance 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
Assistance grants. This training helps to
ensure that Federal Assistance grant
managers consistently apply the laws,
rules, and policies that govern Federal
Assistance Program administration.
Since 1996, more than 1,300 State and
Federal Assistance grant managers and
grantees have received training through
courses developed by, or offered in
cooperation with, the Federal assistance
Training Program. The majority of those
trained have completed Basic Grants
Management (379 graduates) or the
Project Leaders Course (597 graduates).
Additional courses offered include:
Federal Assistance Audit Training for
Auditors, Boating Facilities Grant
Workshop, Audit Training Workshop for
State Federal Assistance Coordinators,
Tribal Grants Management, and Group
Systems Leader (Electronic Meeting
Facilitator) Training.
A Basic Grants Management Course is
offered each year. Interest and demand
for the State specific Federal Assistance
Project Leaders Course continues to
grow. Eight project leaders Courses have
been completed so far in Fiscal Year 2004.
Additional Project Leaders Courses are
being planned for FY 2005.
Several new courses and workshops are
being developed: 1) Fiscal Management of
Federal Assistance Grants and 2)
Compliance Issues for Federal Assistance
Grants, 3) Grants Management for Tribal
Grantees, 4) Comprehensive Management
System Grant Managers Workshop.
Current efforts also include revision of all
courses and materials to incorporate
changes anticipated by the
implementation of the new Financial and
Business Management System (FBMS),
new Director’s Orders, and guidance
document revisions.
Course descriptions, an on-line
application, training materials, and grant
manager’s resources are available on the
Federal Assistance Training Program web
site at: http://training.fws.gov/fedaid/.
For additional information contact Steve
Leggans at the National Conservation
Training Center at 304/876 7927.
Public Access Civil Rights Program
Although not funded with Federal
Assistance funding, the Public Access
Civil Rights Program is located within the
Division of Federal Assistance. This
Program is a vital link to our State agency
partners because of its efforts to ensure
States’ compliance with federal civil rights
requirements.
Liaisons with multicultural community
groups is a key component of Title VI of
the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Public
Access Civil Rights Program. Increased
partnerships among the Service, State
fish and wildlife agencies, and minority
and disability groups provide a pro-active
framework for meeting civil rights
requirements. Active minority liaison
associations and disability liaison
associations, conferring continuously with
State government and Service partners,
can help prevent civil rights complaints,
and help resolve them at an early
intervention stage. Women’s groups
accomplish the same objectives on gender
equity in education programs such as
hunter education and angler education.
Multicultural group liaisons and
partnerships also facilitate conservation
education in an increasing number of
communities, thus enhancing the
conservation mission of the Service and
the State agencies. Including traditionally
excluded or under-represented groups in
State recreational programs translates
into more funding for critical conservation
initiatives due to the increased receipts
from excise taxes on the sale of
recreational equipment. Minority group
partners in particular can be instrumental
in ensuring equal access for public
beneficiaries with limited English
proficiency, and for helping to ensure that
environmental policies and practices do
not have adverse impacts on minority or
low income groups, which is a focus of the
Environmental Justice Program. An
active presence by the Service and State
agencies in diverse communities also
provides greater opportunities to recruit
diverse employees, given workforce
26 September 2004
diversity challenges faced both by the
Service and its State partners. Increased
multicultural group liaisons is a win-win
for all parties, with multiple deliverables;
thus, the Service will be encouraging and
promoting and ever-increasing number of
such liaisons and partnerships in the
months and years to come.
For additional questions on this issue,
please contact Doug Gentile.
Multistate Conservation Grant
Program
The Multistate Conservation Grant
Program, born out of the Wildlife and
Sport Fish Restoration Program
Improvement Act of 2000, has awarded
over 75 grants since 2001 to States,
groups of States, and non-governmental
organizations throughout the United
States. The Multistate Conservation
Grant Program is a cooperative effort
with and has shared responsibilities
between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service and the International Association
of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (IAFWA).
These grants support products that solve
high priority problems affecting States on
a regional or national basis and allow for
efficient use of limited resources to
address the National Conservation Needs
of States established through the IAFWA.
Research that enhances and improves the
ability of States to administer their
agencies is supported, such as the
Mulitstate Conservation Grant funding a
sole source testing to evaluate the
effectiveness of commercially available
pump out equipment. This grant is more
cost-effective than each State conducting
its own independent testing program to
determine which equipment provides the
best performance over the longest period
of time. Many Multistate Conservation
Grants meet the dual demands of
improving the ability of States to
administer their programs and developing
new wildlife management tools, such the
grant that provided increased awareness
and understanding among wildlife
professionals, trappers, and other outdoor
enthusiasts of the available best
management practices in trapping, as well
as providing the public with a better
understanding of trapping and its
effectiveness as a wildlife management
tool. Further, they assist States with
keeping up with new legal, regulatory or
policy changes occurring in one part of the
nation that affects States in other parts of
the country through providing support to
the “Wildlife Law News Quarterly” and
its online services.
Programs are supported that facilitate the
evolution of new tools used by States to
enhance their management capabilities.
The evolution of new State licensing
systems, such as the start of the
Automated Wildlife Data System
Program, developed techniques and
standards to enable agencies to share
and utilize data for administration,
enforcement, improved resource
management, customer service and
marketing functions. Approval of new
aquaculture drugs and chemicals are
supported, such as a new sedative with a
short withdrawal time having applications
for cultured fish species which can
increase survival after handling or for
immersion therapy to treat diseases of
cool and warm water fishes cultured on
public fish facilities.
Partnerships are developed and
encouraged through grants that provide
development assistance, marketing tools
and outreach for State conservation
agencies, manufacturers, distributors,
sporting goods retailers, scout troops,
hunting and shooting clubs and civic
organizations to sponsor hands-on
introductions to hunting and fishing
events, shooting sports and archery.
These projects support recruitment and
participation in hunting, fishing, and other
outdoor recreation by providing funding
to such Programs as Becoming an
Outdoors Woman, Hooked on Fishing––
Not on Drugs, Step Outside, Women in
the Outdoors, National 4-H Sport fishing
Initiative, and the Trailblazer Adventure
Program.
As the Multistate Conservation Grant
Program enters its fifth year of awards,
the good work of the Program needs to be
continued by addressing the highest
priority needs are growing in number
even though resources that are remaining
static. To do so, the Service and the
IAFWA are working cooperatively to
improve project selection criteria and
grant management processes. The
IAFWA improved the foundation for the
solicitation and selection of grant projects
for the 2005 grant cycle. The selection of
National Conservation Needs (NCN)
occurs annually through the IAFWA
committee process. The 2005 NCN
identification and selection process
differed from previous years by requiring
proposed needs to include a clear and
specific statement of need and to
articulate desired outcomes. NCNs should
address IAFWA’s five-year strategic plan
so that the Multistate Conservation Grant
Program contributes to solving critical
issues of the highest priority to the States.
Also, IAFWA and the Service worked
cooperatively in preparing technical
scoring criteria that will be applied to
project proposals that will, in turn,
generate a relative ranking among
proposals for grants to be issued in 2005.
The technical scoring criteria award more
points to proposals that benefit more
States, use sound science, propose
reasonable project costs and measurable
products and/or deliverables, and clearly
state the expected benefits to State Fish
and Wildlife Agencies. The proposals will
be judged on the merits of the proposal,
the proposal’s adherence to formatting
and content requirements, and the
proposal’s relative ranking. Also,
applicants’ prior experience and past
performance on projects similar to
proposed work will be evaluated and have
bearing on the selection of priority
projects. Consistent with previous years,
the Directors of the State Fish and
Wildlife Agencies will approve a new
priority list of grants for 2005, in
consultations with non-governmental
organizations, sportsmen organizations
and industries that support or promote
fishing, hunting, trapping, recreational
shooting, bow hunting or archery. By
October 1, the IAFWA will submit the
priority list to the Service’s new Assistant
Director for Wildlife and Sport Fish
Restoration Programs for award in
January 2005. We look forward to
receiving high quality grant proposals
that will continue the good work of the
Multistate Conservation Grant Program
throughout the Nation.
For additional questions on this issue,
please contact Pam Matthes.
September 2004 27
28 September 2004
Special Highlight
Section of Region 4
September 2004 29
Fiscal Monitoring Program Benefits
Southeast States
The Southeast Region has developed a
unique, finance-related program that
facilitates the monitoring of Federal
Assistance funds provided to each state,
as well as promotes communication and
builds trust with our states and insular
territories. Just as each of us should have
an annual physical checkup, we provide a
fiscal checkup to each of our grantees
every year to ensure their fiscal health.
The fiscal checkup is usually held in the
State Capital at the headquarters of one of
the state’s fish and wildlife agencies.
All state coordinators from each
respective agency and program receiving
Federal Assistance funds are invited to
attend. These meetings are performed in
the Spring, after states have received
their final apportionment of Pittman-
Robinson and Dingle Johnson funding.
Federal Assistance staff in attendance
includes accountants, biologists, grant
specialists, and often times supervisors.
Our accountants conduct the sessions,
while additional federal staff actively
assist.
An array of fiscal topics are discussed
including unobligated balances, estimated
safety margins, and boating access funds.
Other areas discussed are candidates for
reversion, financial status reports, and
freshwater projects versus saltwater
projects.
One overriding goal of these fiscal
checkups is to improve communication;
not only between FWS and the states, but
also among agencies within a state. It has
been discovered that state coordinators
are not always aware that actions of
“sister divisions and/or agencies” can
effect their safety margins and reversions
potential. With busy agendas, many state
coordinators do not get a chance to meet
often. The fiscal checkups provide an
opportunity for wildlife restoration,
hunter education, marine and fresh water
sport fish restoration, aquatic education,
and boating access coordinators to meet
and discuss common issues and concerns.
Regional office developments and national
legislation are often covered, too.
Such in-depth and timely communication
of information provides early indications
of program and grant problems that can
be addressed well before the Federal
financial books are closed on the 30th of
September. Moreover, since 2001 when
these meeting began, agency personnel
have expressed strong support and
appreciation for such get-togethers.
Providing this type of customer service
to our state partners continues to be a
priority in the Southeast Region.
Top Left: Torre Anderson, Tom McCoy, Bill Hetzler, Jerry Vits.
Bottom Left:Kerri Heywood, Marilyn Lawal, Shari Brewer.
Top Left: Bill McDowell, Bob Gasaway, Craig Rooke, John
Stremple. Bottom Left: Nicole Jimenez, EJ Williams,
Mike Piccirilli, Christine Willis.
30 September 2004
Alabama
Wildlife Conservation Restoration Program
(WCRP) Funds Help Produce Valuable
Alabama Wildlife Publication
In July 2002, the Alabama Division of
Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries hosted
The Second Alabama Nongame Wildlife
Conference with a portion of their WCRP
funds. Approximately 140 participants
were involved in the meeting, which
consisted of discussion groups led by
committees of wildlife experts on the
various animal groups. The data compiled
from this symposium resulted in an
impressive four-volume set of books,
entitled Alabama Wildlife.
Volume 1 contains a brief review of the
historical process and key people
associated with the initiation of protection
of the most sensitive taxa within Alabama,
as well as a detailed annotated list of the
aquatic mollusks and all the vertebrate
taxa of the state. Those taxa from each
group designated as Extirpated,
Extirpated/Conservation Action
Underway, Priority 1, or Priority 2 in
Volume 1 were assigned to various experts
for preparation of more in-depth
individual species accounts that are
contained in Volumes 2 and 3. Volume 2
specifically begins to focus on the most
critically imperiled forms by updating the
fishes portion of Vertebrate Animals in
Need of Special Attention (Mount 1986)
and adding an entirely new section on the
imperiled freshwater mussels and snails
of the state. Volume 3 continues the focus
on critically imperiled forms by updating
the amphibian, reptile, bird, and mammal
portions of that text. In Volume 4
(Mirarchi et al. 2004c), conservation and
management recommendations for all of
the imperiled taxa reviewed in volumes 2
and 3 and their habitats are provided.
These volumes will form a basis for
Alabama’s Wildlife Conservation Strategy
for State Wildlife Grant requirements and
also will be used extensively by educators,
researchers, students, recreationalists,
governmental and private conservation
entities, planners, and segments of the
general public who may become involved
in decision making processes that affect
Alabama’s wildlife resources.
Education Funds Used to Support
Outdoor Expo
Alabama’s Wildlife and Freshwater
Fisheries Division will utilize both aquatic
education and hunter education funds to
show citizens of Alabama how much fun
they can have in the great outdoors. The
Alabama Department of Conservation and
Natural Resources will be hosting their
Second Annual Outdoor Alabama Expo on
September 25, 2004, at Oak Mountain
State Park in Pelham, Alabama. Because
of its close proximity to the city of
Birmingham, Oak Mountain State Park is
State Accomplishments
September 2004 31
a great location for attracting an urban
population.
The Expo will consist of several hands-on
activities that offer participants exposure
to fishing, shooting sports, and archery in
a fun, non-threatening atmosphere.
Trained instructors managing each station
will incorporate a strong emphasis on
conservation. Events supported by Sport
Fish Restoration include an aquatic touch
tank, a fishing pond, aquatic educational
activities, and fish art. Wildlife
Restoration activities encompass several
shooting sports such as shotgun, rim fire
rifles, muzzle loading rifles, airgun and
archery. Before enjoying shooting sports,
participants must attend a brief lesson on
firearms safety. Additional activities
include rock climbing, wildlife viewing and
camping.
With a national trend of declining fishing
and hunting license sales, the Alabama
Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries
Division knows it must be innovative in
attracting future shooters, hunters and
anglers to the great outdoors. The Expo
offers a variety of exciting outdoor
activities to challenge each participant’s
interest and create new endeavors for the
future.
National Coastal Wetlands Program Helps
Save Important Wetlands Along Alabama’s
Coast
The Alabama Department of
Conservation and Natural Resources,
State Lands Division, acquired 774 acres
of coastal marsh, wet pine savannah and
maritime forest. This acreage is adjacent
to the 2,734 Grand Bay Savannah Nature
Preserve acquired through Alabama’s
Forever Wild Land Trust in 1996. The 774
acres will serve as an addition to the
nature preserve and be managed to
complement the nearby Grand Bay
National Wildlife Refuge and Grand Bay
National Estuarine Research Reserve.
This acquisition was accomplished
through the partnering of the Forever
Wild Land Trust, the State Lands
Division and The Nature Conservancy of
Alabama. The 3,508 acres managed by the
State Lands Division gives the Marine
Environmental Sciences Consortium and
the Mobile Bay National Estuary
Program an opportunity to host
educational programs unique to this
wetland ecosystem. In the spring of 2004,
the State Lands Division continued its
management and restoration efforts while
conducting a prescribed burn of the Grand
Bay Savannah Nature Preserve. This
prescribed burn included 662 of the
recently acquired 774 acres.
Coastal Grant: $1,000,000
State share: $954,341
Partner share: $5,000
32 September 2004
Arkansas
WCRP Funds Get Arkansas Youth Outdoors
With competing interests, students are
spending less time outdoors. As a result,
they are not learning about the
environment, natural resources or wildlife
that exists outside the classroom.
The Arkansas Game and Fish
Commission is utilizing WCRP funds to
expose their youth to the wonders of the
great outdoors. If children learn the value
of the state’s natural resources through
personal experiences, they will be more
apt to make informed decisions about
wildlife and conservation issues as adults.
The Arkansas Game and Fish
Commission received a WCRP grant
titled Arkansas Wild School Yard Habitat
Development Project, and they put their
funds to good use. The purpose of the
grant is to assist schools with planning
and developing a schoolyard wildlife
habitat, to teach students about wildlife
management techniques, and to involve
students in conservation education
utilizing a hands-on approach to learning
about natural resources. The agency was
progressive in awarding grants to schools,
distributing $80,000 among 25 schools.
The projects selected include several
butterfly gardens, bird sanctuaries,
aquatic study centers and wildlife trails
with access bridges and plant signage.
Arkansas received another WCRP grant
entitled Nature Mapping the Impacts of
the Red Oak Borer Wildlife Habitats, that
not only got students involved in the
outdoors but also helped the agency with
its conservation efforts. In recent years,
the red oak borer activity has dramatically
increased. The insect has infected both the
Ouachita and Ozark Mountains, with
damaging and dying oak trees reaching
epidemic proportions.
Under this WCRP grant, home school
students in grades 5 through 12 were
involved in a one-day per week, 14-week
program in which they actively worked in
the field, learning how to nature map
information related to the red oak borer.
Nature mapping was developed in
Washington State as a tool for students
and citizens to help determine a healthy
future for fish and wildlife through the use
of sound scientific techniques. Participants
monitor natural areas, collect data, map
observations, identify wildlife and then
submit information to a database that will
be used by land managers at both the
state and local levels to make sound
decisions. These Arkansas students can
feel a sense of accomplishment knowing
they’ve helped the Arkansas Game and
Fish Commission learn more about the
Red Oak Borer.
Involving our youth in fish and wildlife
conservation is a wise use of grant funds.
When students get outside the classroom
and actively participate in nature, they
become stewards of the land. Experiences
such as these will hopefully last a lifetime
and create future advocates for natural
resources.
Sport Fish Restoration Dollars Help
Arkansas Produce More Fish
Sport Fish Restoration funds are helping
the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
produce more recreational fish at their
Jim Henkle/Spring River State Fish
Hatchery. The Jim Hinkle/Spring River
State Fish Hatchery is located on a seven-acre
island in the middle of the Spring
River, near Mammoth Spring, Arkansas.
The hatchery is one of the largest state
owned trout producing facilities in the
Southeast and the only coldwater facility
operated by the Arkansas Game and Fish
Commission. The hatchery produces and
stocks rainbow and cutthroat trout for
Arkansas tailwater trout streams, spring
creeks, and provides trout for their
seasonal Urban and Community Trout
Fishing Program as well as the South
Arkansas Winter Trout Stocking
Program.
In order to continue to serve the
community well, repairs to the hatchery
were imperative. The facilities required
upgrades to ensure a safe, efficient and
sanitary operation. Construction included
a new fish production building, silos and
raceways. Renovation of current facilities
consisted of renovating existing silos and
modernizing spillways. A mechanical
vegetation removal system and an
overhead predator control barrier were
installed. In addition, motorization of the
hatchery’s dam gate is underway.
Sport Fish Restoration funding has been
utilized for two purposes at the hatchery-the
design and engineering phase
($594,530); and the construction phase
($3,870,000).
Repairs to the hatchery dam will result in
the drop/tilt gates to return to the vertical
position if they are knocked over after a
flood event and will no longer require
manual resetting by hatchery personnel.
The mechanical vegetation removal
system will remove vegetation as it
accumulates on the hatchery water supply
intake screens during non-flood and
flooding conditions, keeping water flows to
the hatchery, constant. The new overhead
predator netting will safeguard the fish
stocks from great blue heron attacks.
Improvements made possible through
Sport Fish Restoration have resulted in
an increase in fish production from
400,000 pounds to 650,000 pounds
annually. This increase in production will
allow Arkansas to expand both their
Urban and Community Trout Fishing
Program and the South Arkansas Trout
Program.
This project serves the angling
community well through an increase in
fish production that has resulted from
renovations and additions made to the Jim
Hinkle/Spring River State Fish Hatchery.
September 2004 33
Florida
The Ladies are Fishing in Florida
There is one rule in the “Ladies Let’s Go
Fishing” seminars and that is “No
Yelling.” Founder, Betty Bauman felt that
more women would fish if they were
presented the sport in a friendly, non-threatening
atmosphere. Like many
women, Betty wanted to learn more about
fishing but found it frustrating to ask
questions in this male-dominated sport
where some men weren’t so patient.
The weekend seminar begins with a
welcome reception on Friday evening to
begin the conservation message and allow
participants to meet other women who
fish. On Saturday morning, classroom
instruction begins with a very strong
conservation message led by Betty
Bauman, the Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission and reiterated
by local anglers. Lectures continue
throughout the morning and include
topics such as fishing conservation and
regulations, introduction to fishing, how to
choose your gear, casting, and different
types of fishing. In the afternoon, the
ladies get to try their hands at skills
including knot-tying, casting, gaffing
grapefruit, net throwing, and backing up a
trailer. The real fun comes on the second
day of the seminar-that’s when the fishing
takes place. Participants can choose from
several fishing trips offered. The seminar
culminates with a fish fillet class and a
chance for the ladies to share their
experiences as well as some camaraderie
––a lot of fun and instruction packed into
one weekend!
Since its inception in 1997, the program
has experienced huge success, expanding
from several clinics throughout the state
of Florida to areas such as Colorado,
Alaska and Costa Rica. “Ladies Lets Go
Fishing” has been featured on CBS/The
Early Show, USA Today, and NBC’s
Nightly News with Tom Brokaw. Betty
Bauman has gained National recognition
for her program and was named “Woman
of the Year” by the American Sportfishing
Association in 1999 and one of the Top 21
Most Influential Marine Industry Leaders
for the 21st Century by Boating Industry
Magazine. The testimonies from women
who have completed the program are
proof that this “No Yelling School of
Fishing” is providing some valuable
fishing experience as well as memories to
last a lifetime. To witness some of the
participants’ testimonies or to learn more
about the program, visit
www.ladiesletsgofishing.com.
*Ladies Let’s Go Fishing is a component
of Florida’s saltwater aquatic education
grant. Approximately, $21,000 in Federal
funds is dedicated to the program each
year.
Sport Fish Restoration Outreach Grant
Produces Top-Notch SFR Videos
The Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission (FWC) has
completed a series of four videos featuring
Florida’s saltwater Sport Fish
Restoration programs. As a product of
Florida’s Saltwater Angler and Boater
Outreach grant, these videos were
produced and hosted by Mark Sosin, the
award winning outdoor writer and
television producer.
The first video in the series, Maintaining
Florida’s Fisheries, explains to the
angling and boating public how their SFR
and saltwater fishing license dollars are
being put to good use. The second video,
It’s in Your Hands, focuses on how FWC’s
marine fisheries research and
management are utilized to protect and
conserve Florida’s fish and wildlife. The
video also highlights conservation
measures, such as catch-and-release
techniques that anglers can use to protect
and conserve Florida’s fish and wildlife.
These videos have received national and
international awards. Maintaining
Florida’s Fisheries received The
Communicator Crystal Award of
Excellence (2001) and a Telly Award
(2002), and It’s In Your Hands received a
Telly Award (2003).
The third video is entitled Creating
Marine Habitat: The Artificial Reef. This
video features the artificial reef program,
which deploys and monitors artificial reefs
statewide. It focuses on the various
materials used to create artificial reefs,
how locations are selected for deployment,
and the overall importance of artificial
reefs. The newest video, The Science of
Fishing, is designed to help people
understand more about the fish species
they are catching.
These videos are available free of charge
in either DVD or VHS, and can be
ordered by logging on to
http://www.floridamarine.org/products/pro
ducts.asp or calling FWC directly at
727/ 896-8626 ext. 2072.
Participants in a “Ladies, Let’s Go Fishing�� seminar display a dolphin caught during
an offshore fishing trip.
34 September 2004
Florida’s Landowner Incentive Program
The Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission was awarded
Landowner Incentive Program (LIP)
funding in both 2003 and 2004 to provide
financial and technical assistance to
private landowners interested in
improving habitat conditions on their
properties for listed species and species at
risk. Species at risk in Florida include 110
vertebrates, 7 invertabrates and 413 plant
species. Landowner assistance is provided
for projects such as restoration and
enhancement of oak scrub habitats for the
Florida scrub jays; management of native
grasslands for grasshopper sparrows as
well as other grassland species; and
conservation of flatwoods salamander
habitats in commercial forests.
Through their 2003 Tier 1 LIP funding,
FWC constructed and implemented a
GIS-based tool to provide a more
standardized and objective way to score
landowner application. The GIS system is
comprised of several datasets such as
recorded occurrences of listed species,
scores reflecting species vulnerability to
extinction, priority habitats for
conservation, land cover data, and
strategic habitat conservation areas. The
query results have been used thus far to
generate a GIS profile and score for
thirty-one LIP applicants. In addition,
FWC has hired a LIP coordinator to
manage the program and a private
accounting firm to handle application files
and budgeting.
Outreach and education is an integral
component of Florida’s LIP Program. A
LIP website, brochures and field days are
utilized by FWS to promote the program.
The objectives of these outreach efforts
are to inform private landowners about
the program, educate program
participants about wildlife friendly land
management practices and work with
landowners to highlight successful
projects. Program staff works with the
University of Florida, Cooperative
Extension Services within each county to
help plan, deliver and solicit participation
in the program.
The FWC is committed to working with
Florida’s private landowners to educate
and encourage land management actions
that will enable landowners to meet their
personal objectives while maintaining or
enhancing habitat conditions that benefit
the needs of Florida’s imperiled species.
A total of $1,200,000 in LIP funding has
been awarded to FWC thus far.
Endangered species include the Florida
panther and the Florida scrub jay.
September 2004 35
Georgia
Georgia’s Black Bear Research
Prior to the eighteenth century, black
bears were common in Georgia. However
unrestricted hunting and degradation of
habitat loss due to human development
contributed to a serious population
decline. Thanks to sound management
practices of the Georgia Department of
Natural Resources (DNR), populations
have recovered to approximately 2,200
statewide. Black bears are typically found
in three distinct regions of the state-the
North Georgia Mountains, along the
Ocmulgee River drainage system in
Central Georgia and the Okefenokee
Swamp in the southeast. In order to keep
populations at healthy numbers, ongoing
research is necessary. In 2002, Georgia
DNR launched a study to learn more
about the Central Georgia black bear
population
Wildlife Restoration funds are being used
to determine the population density,
productivity and distribution of black
bears in central Georgia. A 1985 study
(Grahl) into the basic ecology of central
Georgia’s Ocmulgee drainage bear
population estimated a population density
of 66 bears on Oaky Woods and Ocmulgee
Wildlife management Areas. This
estimate is specific to a “core” area of
suitable habitat, and it is likely that the
densities have decreased significantly as
the distance from large unfragmented
forested areas has increased
Knowledge of the current Central
population status is limited to sightings
and nuisance reports from the public,
reported road kills, and documented
illegal kills. Currently, legal hunting is
limited to one day annually on the
Ocmulgee Wildlife management Area and
there is public interest in an increased
bear hunting season. This research is
helping Georgia DNR learn more about
Central Georgia’s black bear population so
that management decisions such as an
increased hunting season can be
implemented.
Home range and habitat use and
preference is being determined by
capturing, radio collaring and tracking
bears in the Central Georgia population.
Mark-recapture techniques are being
utilized to estimate population size and to
develop vital statistical methods for
monitoring the population. Field counts of
bear litters and examination of available
female reproductive tracts are being used
to determine productivity of the
population. Age structure, productivity,
survival, and mortality data observed by
researches will be used to make bear
hunting decisions.
The number of black bears observed in
Central Georgia was higher than
anticipated. Georgia DNR captured 16
black bears between April 1 through June
30, 2003. Only one marked bear was
recaptured. Fourteen bears (11 males and
3 females) were fitted with radio collars
that were monitored twice per week. All
bears captured and released were located
within Oaky Woods and Ocmulgee wildlife
Management Areas, with no mortalities
reported.
Wildlife Restoration funds are enabling
Georgia DNR to make future
management decisions that are responsive
to public interest as well as the ecological
needs of the Central Georgia bear
population.
Aquatic Conservation Initiative Benefits
Rare Mussels
The Georgia Department of Natural
Resources (DNR) is utilizing Section 6
Endangered Species grant funding to
develop and implement a candidate
conservation agreement for imperiled
aquatic species of the Altamaha River. The
Altamaha River drainage is one of the
largest watersheds east of the Mississippi
River and is the largest watershed located
completely within Georgia’s boundaries.
The Altamaha habitat area supports
several endemic unionid mollusk species,
two of which are likely to become
candidates for federal listing-the
Altamaha spinymussel and the Altamaha
arcmussel.
In order to determine the status,
condition, and threats of the Altamaha’s
endemic mussel species and robust
redhorse populations, DNR is working in
partnership with The Nature
Conservancy and the University of
Georgia, Institute of Technology. A GIS
database has been compiled to gather
important information on the distribution
of Altamaha’s aquatic species, land cover,
36 September 2004
land use and land ownership along the
river’s corridor. This database will also be
used to conduct a threat assessment,
which will lead to a formal management
plan for the watershed.
DNR and The Nature Conservancy have
been quite progressive in getting the
public involved in conservation efforts of
the Altamaha. The Nature Conservancy
has been hosting several hands-on
workshops in which the public learns how
to identify rare mussels and other
freshwater species that inhabit the
Altamaha River and why they are so
important to the health of the river
system. In addition, private partners are
actively assisting with the mussel surveys.
This Endangered Species grant is
assisting DNR with their efforts to ensure
the long-term protection of the
Altamaha’s endemic mussel species and
redhorse population. In addition, DNR
has applied for federal funding to acquire
land along the Altamaha in order to
protect this fragile habitat. Hopefully,
these efforts will keep Altamaha’s rare
mussels off the endangered species list.
September 2004 37
Kentucky
Kentucky’s Archery in the Schools Program
Gives Boost to the Shooting Sports
It all began in 1998 with one
schoolteacher’s dream to implement an
archery program at her school. Jennie
Richardson, who was competing, and
winning, on the national tour as a
professional archer convinced her school
board to give this declining shooting sport
a try. The results were remarkable. The
first year, there were 25 students enrolled
in the program. By the 2001-2002 school
year, 232 students were enrolled.
Encouraged by the initial success of the
program, the Kentucky Department of
Education and the Kentucky Department
of Fish and Wildlife formed a partnership
to implement the program statewide. The
program exploded and currently, there
are approximately 200 Kentucky schools
enrolled, reaching around 150,000 youth.
The 2-week program is taught to physical
education students in grades 4 through 12.
Consistent with the Hunter Education
Chapter of the Federal Assistance
Handbook, the course teaches students
how to accurately and safely shoot bows
and arrows; how to maintain archery
equipment in a safe working order; how to
practice and improve shooting accuracy;
and how to retrieve arrows safely from a
practice target. Before presenting the
course, educators must undergo a 12-hour
National Archery Association Level I
archery training program.
The archery fever has spread to other
states. Several Southeast states including
Alabama, Arkansas and Georgia now have
a program and personnel from several
other state agencies have participated in a
workshop to implement the program
within their respective states. As each
additional state joins the ranks, our
hunter education program is further
enhanced. New shooters are created,
support for the shooting sports is
increased, and demand for future hunter
education courses will rise as these
students seek to purchase equipment and
employ their newfound skills.
That ambitious teacher who ignited the
Archery in the Schools Program is now
the Archery Coordinator for the Kentucky
Department of Fish and Wildlife. For
information on implementing the National
Archery in the Schools Program within
your state, contact Roy Grimes at
roy.grimes@ky.gov.
Where are the Crappie?
It is crucial for the Kentucky Department
of Fish and Wildlife Resources to know
where the fish are. Angling is big business
in Kentucky. In 2003, anglers spent
$ 544,660,000 fishing in Kentucky. A
popular spot for anglers hungry to get a
bite is Kentucky Lake. Nearly 670,000
anglers visit the lake annually, catching
more than 3.5 million fish, and spending
that same amount enjoying their sport.
So naturally, when anglers’ catch rate of
the number one fishery in Kentucky-black
crappie-declined, the agency wanted to
know why. What perplexed Kentucky’s
fisheries biologists was the fact that
angers were not catching black crappie
during the 2002 season but were
successful in 2003. To add to the mystery,
the average size of black crappie caught
during 2003 was in the 1 to 2 pound range,
meaning these fish were at least five years
old. So why were black crappie that were
being caught in 2003 able to allure anglers
in 2002?
Sport Fish Restoration funds were used
to help answer this question. As part of
Kentucky’s statewide fisheries
investigation grant, a study into the
behavioral patterns of black and white
crappie and their potential impacts on
sport fisheries at Kentucky Lake was
added. Among many other discoveries,
the study revealed that black crappie shift
into shallow water much sooner than
white crappie, and stay in shallow water
much longer than commonly believed.
The results of this study have helped
Kentucky Department of Fish and
Wildlife Resources direct anglers to
where and when they should fish for black
crappie.
This project was featured in the Spring
2004 issue of the agency’s publication,
Kentucky Afield. If this project has
piqued your interest, visit fw.ky.gov and go
to the fishing link to learn the complete
results of the study; and perhaps you will
be the lucky angler to be catching black
crappie the next time you visit Kentucky.
Transient Boaters Served Well at
Kenlake Marina
Thanks to the Boating Infrastructure
Grants Program, Kenlake Marina has
constructed five 40' x 17' boat slips.
Kenlake Marina is strategically located in
the center of Kentucky Lake on the
Tennessee River system. This complex of
navigable waters serves a large number of
transient boaters traveling from the
Midwest United States to the Gulf of
Mexico.
Kenlake M