State Wildlife Grants (15.634)

Program

15.634 State Wildlife Grants

Federal Agency

Agency: Department of the Interior
Office: Fish and Wildlife Service

Authorization

Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2006, Public Law 109-54; Title I.

Program Number

15.634

Last Known Status

Active

Objectives

This program funds the development and implementation of projects for the benefit of fish and wildlife and their habitats, including species that are not hunted or fished. Priority is placed on projects that benefit species of greatest conservation concern.

Types of Assistance

FORMULA GRANTS; PROJECT GRANTS

Uses and Use Restrictions

Approved activities include those, which develop and implement programs for the benefit of wildlife and their habitat, including species that are not hunted or fished.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicant Eligibility

Agencies from the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealths of Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands, and the territories of Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa with primary responsibility for fish and wildlife conservation may submit grant proposals to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service who have the Service's approved Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Plans.

Beneficiary Eligibility

General Public (While direct participation is limited to fish and wildlife agencies, the public will ultimately benefit from these wildlife conservation measures.).

Credentials/Documentation

The State, District of Columbia, Commonwealth, or territory must have the Service's approved Comprehensive Wildlife Restoration Plan on file to receive grant funds. The Plan must consider the broad range of the State, the District of Columbia, Commonwealth, or territory agencies' wildlife and associated habitats, with appropriate priority placed on those species of greatest conservation need. The State, the District of Columbia, Commonwealth, or territorial fish and wildlife Director must furnish a certification of the number paid hunting-license holders. Allowable costs are determined in accordance with 43 CFR Part 12, Subpart C, "Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments.". OMB Circular No. A-87 applies to this program.

Application and Award Process

Preapplication Coordination

Preapplication coordination is not applicable. Environmental impact information is not required for this program. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.

Application Procedure

OMB Circular No. A-102 applies to this program. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-110. Grantees submit a grant proposal that includes a narrative statement describing the need, objectives, benefits, approach, and estimated cost for the proposed grant along with the standard application forms furnished by the Federal agency and required by the 43 CFR Part 12, Subpart C, "Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments" and the Fish and Wildlife Service Manual. For further instructions and forms go to http://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/subpages/toolkitfiles/toolkit.pdf or www.grants.gov. Grant proposals must clearly indicate how the proposed objectives address the conservation needs identified within the State's, the District of Columbia's, ommonwealth's, or territory's Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Plan.

Award Procedure

The Regional Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or his or her designee approves or disapproves proposed projects. Regional offices are responsible for notification of grant approval to the grantee.

Deadlines

Contact the headquarters or regional office, as appropriate, for application deadlines.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time

Approximately 30 days.

Appeals

Regional Directors will consider differences of opinion concerning the eligibility of proposals. Final determination rests with the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Renewals

Grantees may renew projects on an annual basis if justifiable and if funds are available.

Assistance Considerations

Formula and Matching Requirements

Statutory formulas are not applicable to this program.
Matching Requirements: Revenues collected from the Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Royalties are deposited into the Land and Water Conservation Fund and appropriated annually by Congress based on a formula. The Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill for FY 05, Public Law 108-447, Title I requires that: (1) The Secretary of the Interior shall, after deducting administrative expenses and $6,000,000 for Tribal grants, apportion the remaining amount in the following manner: (A) to the District of Columbia and to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, each a sum equal to not more than one-half of 1 percent thereof: and (B) to the territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, each a sum equal to not more than one-fourth of one percent thereof. (2) The Secretary must apportion the remaining amount in the following manner: (A) one-third of which is based on the ratio to which the land area of such State bears to the total land area of all such States; and (B) two-thirds of which is based on the ratio to which the population of such State bears to the total population of all such States. The amounts apportioned under this paragraph must be adjusted equitably so that no State must be apportioned a sum which is less than 1 percent of the amount available for apportionment under this paragraph for any fiscal year or more than 5 percent of such amount: The Federal share of project costs is not to exceed 75 percent for planning or competitive grants, nor 50 percent for an implementation grant. More discussion is in the matching and cost sharing requirements found in 43 CFR 12.64 and 43 CFR 12.923.
MOE requirements are not applicable to this program.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance

Apportioned funds are available for obligation by the State, the District of Columbia, Commonwealth, or territory for a period of two years. Reimbursements can be requested on a continuing basis as expenditures are verified. Balances remaining unobligated after the period of availability or unspent after the final grant closeout must return to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for reapportionment. See the following for information on how assistance is awarded/released: Information not available.

Post Assistance Requirements

Reports

A Performance Report is required for each grant award annually within 90 days after the anniversary date or end of the grant. Cash reports are not applicable. Progress reports are not applicable. A Federal Financial Report SF 425 is required for each grant award annually within 90 days after the anniversary date or end of the grant. Performance monitoring is not applicable.

Audits

In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133.

Records

Cost records must be maintained separately for each grant. Records, accounts, and supporting documents must be retained for three years after submission of the final Financial Status Report.

Program Accomplishments

Fiscal Year 2009: No Current Data Available Fiscal Year 2010: No Current Data Available Fiscal Year 2011: No Current Data Available

Financial Information

Account Identification

14-5474-0-1-303.

Obligations

(Formula Grants) FY 08 $62,724,000; FY 09 est $69,492,000; FY 10 est $77,000,000

Range and Average of Financial Assistance

Range is $155,000 to $3,104,000; Average $1,109,000.

Regulations, Guidelines and Literature

Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill for FY 04, Public Law 108-108 language on State Wildlife Grants, and 43 CFR Part 12.

Related Programs

15.605 Sport Fish Restoration Program; 15.608 Fish and Wildlife Management Assistance; 15.611 Wildlife Restoration; 15.615 Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund; 15.633 Landowner Incentive Program

Information Contacts

Regional or Local Office

See Regional Agency Offices. See Catalog Appendix IV for addresses of Regional Fish and Wildlife Service Offices.

Headquarters Office

Policy and Programs Director U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program - Policy and Programs, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, WSFR-4020, Arlington, Virginia 22203 Phone: (703)358-2156

Web Site Address

http://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/.

Examples of Funded Projects

Fiscal Year 2009: No Current Data Available Fiscal Year 2010: No Current Data Available Fiscal Year 2011: No Current Data Available

Criteria for Selecting Proposals

The State, the District of Columbia, Commonwealth, or territorial agency having lead responsibility for the management of their wildlife resources must submit the projects. The State, the District of Columbia, Commonwealth, or territorial agency selects those projects submitted for funding under the program. If approved, projects must meet the basic criteria outlined in the regulations and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Manual.