AGENCY:
Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION:
Notice.
SUMMARY:
We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce receipt of the priority lists of wildlife and sport fish conservation projects from the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (Association) for Federal fiscal years (FYs) 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022. The Association is required by law to annually submit a list of priority projects to the Service for funding consideration under the Service's Multistate Conservation Grant Program (MSCGP), which funds projects that address regional or national priorities of State fish and wildlife agencies. The Assistant Director for the Service's Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration program recommends projects on the list to the Service Director for approval. Once projects are awarded, we must publish each priority list in the Federal Register . The FY 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 projects have been awarded.
ADDRESSES:
Lori Bennett, Multistate Conservation Grants Program, Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 5275 Leesburg Pike; MS: WSFR; Falls Church, VA 22041-3808.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Lori Bennett, via phone at 703-358-2033, or via email at Lori_Bennett@fws.gov. Individuals in the United States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay services. Individuals outside the United States should use the relay services offered within their country to make international calls to the point-of-contact in the United States.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Fish and Wildlife Programs Improvement and National Wildlife Refuge System Centennial Act of 2000 (Improvement Act; Pub. L. 106-408, Nov. 1, 2020) amended the Wildlife Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 669 et seq. ) and the Sport Fish Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 777 et seq. ) and established the Multistate Conservation Grant Program (now known as the Traditional MSCGP, or T-MSCGP). The Improvement Act authorizes us to award grants of up to $3 million annually from funds available under each of the Acts, for a total of up to $6 million annually. Projects are selected through a competitive process developed collaboratively by State fish and wildlife agency directors, conservation and sportsmen and sportswomen organizations, and industries that support or promote hunting, trapping, and recreational shooting. Projects can be funded under Wildlife Restoration, Sport Fish Restoration, or both, depending on the project activities. The projects to which we award grants must be on a list of priority projects recommended to us by the Association. The Service Director, exercising the authority of the Secretary of the Interior, need not fund all projects on the list, but all projects funded must be on the Association's recommended list. The Improvement Act provides that funding for MSCGP grants is available in the fiscal year it is appropriated and for the following fiscal year, with any funds remaining after two years apportioned among the States in the manner and for the uses specified under the Wildlife Restoration and Sport Fish Restoration Acts.
In addition to the Traditional MSCGP found in the Acts, the President signed the Modernizing the Pittman-Robertson Fund for Tomorrow's Needs Act (Pub. L. 116-94) into law on December 20, 2019. This law, among other measures, created a new Modern Multistate Conservation Grant Program, which makes available up to an additional $5 million for projects designed to support recruitment, retention, and reactivation (“R3”) activities. The Service will cite this as the “Modern Multistate Conservation Grant Program” (R3-MSCGP).
The Association and the Service work cooperatively to manage the T-MSCGP and the R3-MSCGP. The Association sets project criteria, reviews grant applications, and provides project oversight, coordination, and guidance. Applicants must provide certification that no activities conducted under either a T-MSCGP or an R3-MSCGP award will promote or encourage opposition to regulated hunting or trapping of wildlife, or to regulated angling or taking of fish. Eligible project proposals are reviewed and ranked by the Association's committees, who consult with interested nongovernmental organizations that represent conservation organizations, sportsmen and sportswomen organizations, and industries that support or promote fishing, hunting, trapping, recreational shooting, bowhunting, or archery. Their selections become the priority list that is submitted to the Service.
The Association's National Grants Committee recommends the final list of priority projects for both programs to the directors of the State fish and wildlife agencies for their approval by majority vote. By statute, the Association then transmits the final approved list to the Service for funding under the Multistate Conservation Grant Program by October 1 of each FY. The Service then provides an additional review process in accordance with grant regulations within 2 CFR part 200 and awards and administers the financial assistance grants.
Funding Eligibility
Traditional Multistate Conservation Grant Program Funding Eligibility
Recipients awarded under the T-MSCGP may use funds for sport fish or wildlife management and research projects, boating access development, hunter safety and education, aquatic education, fish and wildlife habitat improvements, and other purposes consistent with the enabling legislation.
To be eligible for funding, a project must benefit fish and/or wildlife conservation for at least 26 States, for a majority of the States in any one Service Region, or for one of the regional associations of State fish and wildlife agencies. Grants are awarded to one or more States, a group of States, or one or more nongovernmental organizations. For the purpose of carrying out the National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, we may award grants to the Service, if requested by the Association, or to a State or a group of States. The Association also requires that all project proposals address the Association's selected national strategic priorities for both MSCGPs, which are announced annually at the same time requests for proposals are sent out.
Modern Multistate Conservation Grant Program Funding Eligibility
The Modern Multistate Conservation Grant Program (R3-MSCGP) is a new program, which began awarding grants in FY 2020. The program specifically targets projects that address hunter recruitment and recreational shooter recruitment and that promote a national hunting and shooting sport recruitment program, including related communication and outreach activities.
Fiscal Year Tables
The following sections of this notice set forth the award funding and project priorities by fiscal year for the years FY 2019 through FY 2022. The list below provides abbreviations used in the tables:
Abbreviations Used in Tables
WR Funding Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration funds
SFR Funding Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration funds
CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
ABC American Bird Conservancy
AFS American Fisheries Society
AFWA Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
ASA American Sportfishing Association
ATA Archery Trade Association
BCC Boone and Crockett Club
BCHA Back Country Hunters and Anglers
CAHSS Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports
CSU Colorado State University
CU Cornell University
CWA California Waterfowl Association
CWD Chronic Wasting Disease
DWF Delta Waterfowl Foundation
FAF Future Angler Foundation
GWF Georgia Wildlife Federation
IDNR Iowa Department of Natural Resources
IFC Instream Flow Council, Inc.
IHEA International Hunter Education Association—USA
MAFWA Midwest Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
MDNR Michigan Department of National Resources
MMWF Max McGraw Wildlife Federation
MSU Michigan State University
NAA National Archery Association of the United States
NCLEEF National Conservation Law Enforcement Education Foundation
NCSU North Carolina State University
NEAFWA Northeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
NMDGF New Mexico Department of Game and Fish
NMWF New Mexico Wildlife Federation
NORC National Opinion Research Center
NS National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation
NSSF National Shooting Sports Foundation
NWF National Wildlife Federation
NWTF National Wild Turkey Federation
OSCF Outdoor Stewards of Conservation Foundation, Inc.
PF Pheasants Forever
PSMFC Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission
RBFF Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation
SAF Sportsmen's Alliance Foundation
SCIF Safari Club International Foundation
SCWDS Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study
SEAFWA Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
SSSF Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation
TRCP Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership
TU Trout Unlimited
UDWR Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
UGA University of Georgia
USFWS United States Fish and Wildlife Service
UWM University of Wisconsin—Madison
WAFWA Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
WEI Wildlife Ecology Institute
WHISPers Wildlife Health Information Sharing Partnership
WMI Wildlife Management Institute
WVDNR West Virginia Department of Natural Resources
Fiscal Year 2019 Awards; Fund Availability and Priority List
The Service's Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program (WSFR) had a total of $6,406,590.66 for awards in FY19 from funds carried over from FY 2018, as well as funding that had previously been sequestered; the total request for projects was $5,817,835.55, leaving a balance of $588,755.11. The Association provided the Service with a priority list of 39 projects, which included the 3 approved components of the 2016-2021 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation project. The FY 2019 priority list is in table 1. The projects in this list have been awarded.
Table 1—FY 2019 Traditional Multistate Conservation Grant Program Priority List
| ID | Title | Recipient | WR* funding | SFR funding | Total FY 2019 grant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Multistate Conservation Grant Program Coordination | AFWA | $57,900 | $57,900 | $115,800 |
| 2 | Coordination of Farm Bill Program Implementation to Optimize Fish and Wildlife Benefits to the States | AFWA | 82,872 | 55,248 | 138,120 |
| 3 | Coordination of State Fish and Wildlife Agencies' Authority to Manage Resources in Concert with Federal Actions Required by CITES | AFWA | 40,800 | 40,800 | 81,600 |
| 4 | State Fish & Wildlife Agency Technical Workgroup for the 2021 National Survey | AFWA | 52,285.80 | 52,285.80 | 104,571.60 |
| 5 | Coordinating and Planning National-Scale Conservation Initiatives through Communications | AFWA | 20,000 | 20,000 | 40,000 |
| 6 | Implementation and Evaluation of the National Conservation Outreach Strategy | AFWA | 61,500 | 61,500 | 123,000 |
| 7 | State Fish & Wildlife Agency Director Travel | AFWA | 50,000 | 50,000 | 100,000 |
| 8 | Susceptibility of Common North American Game Birds to West Nile Virus | SCWDS | 81,902 | 0 | 81,902 |
| 9 | Management Assistance Team and National Conservation Leadership Institute | AFWA | 299,326.20 | 299,326.20 | 598,652.40 |
| 10 | Conserving Fish Habitat Collaboratively in the United States Through the National Fish Habitat Partnership | AFWA | 0 | 250,680 | 250,680 |
| 11 | Supporting Undergraduate and Legal Education and Occupational Experience in Natural Resource Administration | AFWA | 28,500 | 28,500 | 57,000 |
| 12 | Development and Testing of an Improved System for Gathering Harvest Information Data | WMI | 149,500 | 0 | 149,500 |
| 13 | Evaluating the Promise of Potential Impacts of R3 Efforts Targeting College Students (Year 2) | NCSU | 78,563 | 29,058 | 107,621 |
| 14 | Continued Delivery of Trapping Matters Workshops and Updating a Survey of Conservation Professionals | MMWF | 97,500 | 0 | 97,500 |
| 15 | Coordination of the Industry, Federal and State Agency Coalition | AFWA | 47,784 | 47,784 | 95,568 |
| 16 | Ensuring State Management Authority of Furbearers through a Multi-Agency, Multi-Organization Approach | WEI | 98,395 | 0 | 98,395 |
| 17 | Increasing Awareness and Understanding of State Fish and Wildlife Management: Implementing AFWA Strategic Plan Goal 2 | AFWA | 50,000 | 50,000 | 100,000 |
| 18 | Assessing Trends in Americans' Attitudes Toward Hunting, Sport Shooting, Fishing and Trapping | NSSF | 20,025.18 | 20,025.18 | 40,050.36 |
| 19 | Update and Further Development of Standard Sampling Protocols for Inland Fisheries | AFS | 0 | 77,602 | 77,602 |
| 20 | Survey and Gap Analysis of North American Grassland Habitat Conservation Efforts | ABC | 130,272 | 0 | 130,272 |
| 21 | National Fish Habitat Partnership Tracking Database (Maintenance, Support, and Enhancement) | PSMFC | 0 | 20,000 | 20,000 |
| 22 | Accelerating Development of Effective Leaders in State Fish and Wildlife Agencies | WMI | 63,250 | 63,250 | 126,500 |
| 23 | America's Conservation and Hunting Heritage, A National Education Initiative | SCIF | 180,000 | 0 | 180,000 |
| 24 | Quantify and Communicate the Benefits from WSFR Excise Tax Payments to Strengthen State-Federal-Industry Relations | NSSF | 86,687.50 | 86,687.50 | 173,375 |
| 25 | Creating Millennial-Conservationists: Informing and Engaging the Next Generation | WMI | 74,539.50 | 74,539.50 | 149,079 |
| 26 | The Missing Link in R3: Making Mentorship Work | WMI | 162,388 | 0 | 162,388 |
| 27 | Ensuring the Viability of the American System of Conservation Funding: Improving the Understanding of Excise-Tax-Based Funding for Conservation | WMI | 74,500 | 74,500 | 149,000 |
| 28 | Planning for the Future of Conservation Law Enforcement in the United States | NCLEEF | 228,297.79 | 228,297.79 | 456,595.58 |
| 29 | Developing Angler Personas to Improve R3 Marketing | ASA | 0 | 99,800 | 99,800 |
| 30 | Facilitation and Updating of the National Hunting and Shooting Sports Action Plan | CAHSS | 170,100 | 18,900 | 189,000 |
| 31 | An Internal Look at Outdoor Recreation: Agency, Industry, and Nongovernmental Organization Attitudes Toward Fishing, Hunting, Sport Shooting, and Boating | ASA | 74,865.60 | 74,865.60 | 149,731.20 |
| 32 | Locavore R3 Workshops, Teaching States How to Attract and Train Locavores to Become Anglers and Hunters | UDWR | 12,000 | 12,000 | 24,000 |
| 33 | Recruiting and Retaining Youth Shooting Sports Participants Through Targeted Marketing, Education, and Peer Networking of Volunteer Coaches | SSSF | 147,673.41 | 0 | 147,673.41 |
| 34 | Gettin' Families Fishin': A National Education Initiative | FAF | 0 | 240,000 | 240,000 |
| 35 | Improve National Coordination and Conservation Partnerships Through the Development of a Fisheries Gray Literature Database | AFS | 0 | 63,667 | 63,667 |
| 36 | Engaging Landowners and Partners in Implementing Farm Bill Programs that Benefit Fish and Wildlife in Riparian Areas | TU | 0 | 30,000 | 30,000 |
| 37-NS | Method to Deriving State-Level Estimates from the 2016 NS | U.S Census | 174,333.50 | 174,333.50 | 348,667 |
| 38-NS | 2016 Fifty-State Survey Reports | Rockville Institute | 133,786 | 133,786 | 267,572 |
| 39-NS | 2021 Coordination of the 2021 NS | USFWS | 126,476.50 | 126,476.50 | 252,953 |
| Totals | 3,156,022.98 | 2,661,812.57 | 5,817,835.55 | ||
| * Acronyms and initialisms for all tables are spelled out in the Abbreviations Used in Tables section. |
Fiscal Year 2020 Awards; Fund Availability and Priority Lists
Traditional Multistate Conservation Grant Program Fund Availability and Priority List
The Service's WSFR program had $6,939,510.06 available for T-MSCGP awards in FY 2020, after adjusting for sequestered, recovery, and carryover amounts from FY 2019. The total request for projects was $6,928,632.57, leaving a balance of $10,877.49. The Association provided the Service with a priority list of 40 projects, which included the 2 approved components of the 2022 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation project. Please note that the Association's Management Assistance Team proposal requesting $598,799.12 of Multistate funds (Project #25) was provided an additional $150,000 in Federal funds from the Service's National Conservation Training Center. This funding addition was the result of a signed memorandum of agreement between the Service and the Association. The list is in table 2. The projects in this list have been awarded.
Table 2—FY 2020 Traditional Multistate Conservation Grant Program Priority List
| ID | Title | Recipient | WR* funding | SFR funding | Total FY 2020 grant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coordination of Farm Bill Program Implementation to Optimize On-the-Ground Fish and Wildlife Benefits to the States | AFWA | $82,872 | $55,248 | $138,120 |
| 2 | Coordinating and Planning National-Scale Conservation Initiatives by State Fish and Wildlife Agencies | AFWA | 60,000 | 60,000 | 120,000 |
| 3 | The North American Conservation Education Strategy—update and align toolkit to work for today's conservation educators who offer fish and wildlife-based programs | AFWA | 27,500 | 27,500 | 55,000 |
| 4 | Introductory Implementation and Evaluation of the National Conservation Outreach Strategy—Part 2 | AFWA | 69,000 | 69,000 | 138,000 |
| 5 | Advancing K-12 conservation education through improved tools for educators exploring the public trust doctrine, North American Model, and related examples of wildlife management | MMWF | 31,680 | 7,920 | 39,600 |
| 6 | Words Matter: Determining How to Engage the American Public Through the Language of Conservation | WMI | 61,551.69 | 61,551.69 | 123,103.38 |
| 7 | Coordinating and Planning National-Scale Conservation Initiatives Through Effective Communications | AFWA | 20,000 | 20,000 | 40,000 |
| 8 | Updating the AFS Blue Book: Standard Methods for Aquatic Pathogen Identification and Fish Health Management | AFS | 0 | 83,406 | 83,406 |
| 9 | Characterizing and Mapping Chronic Wasting Disease Prion Strains Across the United States | CSU | 60,138 | 0 | 60,138 |
| 10 | Pilot of the WHISPers wildlife mortality event data system | IDNR | 15,240 | 0 | 15,240 |
| 11 | Exploring the potential for in utero transmission of CWD prions in white-tailed deer | SCWDS | 99,741 | 0 | 99,741 |
| 12 | National Coordination and Technical Assistance for the Prevention, Surveillance, and Management of CWD | WMI | 99,225 | 0 | 99,225 |
| 13 | A Novel Genetic Resource To Inform Management of CWD | MDNR | 138,696.59 | 0 | 138,696.59 |
| 14 | Coordination of the Industry, Federal and State Agency Coalition | AFWA | 41,727 | 41,727 | 83,454 |
| 15 | Angler R3 Program Funding Needs Assessment | RBFF | 0 | 100,929.60 | 100,929.60 |
| 16 | Tracking Participation Through Expanded Regional & National License Sales Dashboards | ASA | 109,830 | 109,830 | 219,660 |
| 17 | Digital Marketing Techniques to Increase Angler Participation | RBFF | 0 | 340,000 | 340,000 |
| 18 | Ensuring the Viability of the American System of Conservation Funding: Improving the Understanding of Excise-tax-based Funding for Conservation | WMI | 64,579.50 | 64,579.50 | 129,159 |
| 19 | Increasing Participation and License Sales from Hunter Education Graduates | SAF | 141,350 | 0 | 141,350 |
| 20 | Fishing in Schools: A Grassroots Approach to Increasing Angler Participation | ASA | 0 | 266,500 | 266,500 |
| 21 | Expansion of R3 and Engagement of the National R3 Implementation Workgroup | CAHSS | 189,600 | 47,400 | 237,000 |
| 22 | Sportfishing's 2019 State-Level, Congressional District and Species-Level Economic Impacts | ASA | 0 | 88,400 | 88,400 |
| 23 | Coordination of State Fish and Wildlife Agencies' Authority to Manage Wildlife Resources in Concert with Federal Actions Required by International Treaties, Conventions, Partnerships, and Initiatives | AFWA | 47,700 | 47,700 | 95,400 |
| 24 | Combating Trafficking and Illegal Commercialization by Strengthening Communication and Coordination among State and National Conservation Agencies' Law Enforcement Investigations and Intelligence Sections | NCLEEF | 125,000 | 125,000 | 250,000 |
| 25 | Management Assistance Team and National Conservation Leadership Institute | AFWA | 299,399.56 | 299,399.56 | 598,799.12 |
| 26 | Increasing Awareness and Understanding of State Fish and Wildlife Management: Implementing AFWA Strategic Plan Goal 2 | AFWA | 50,000 | 50,000 | 100,000 |
| 27 | Supporting Law, Graduate, and Undergraduate Students' Study of Legal Principles and Professional Experience in Conservation Law and Policy Through a Center of Conservation Excellence | NWTF | 70,500 | 70,500 | 141,000 |
| 28 | A Collaborative Network-Based Tool for Improved CWD Management in North America | MDNR | 99,000 | 0 | 99,000 |
| 29 | Multistate Conservation Grant Program Coordination | AFWA | 60,900 | 60,900 | 121,800 |
| 30 | Examining Societal Acceptance of Hunting and Other Consumptive Uses of Wildlife, in Order to Create and Test Agency Communication Strategies That Promote Public Acceptance and Advance Conservation | MMWF | 105,730.65 | 18,658.35 | 124,389 |
| 31 | State Fish and Wildlife Agency Technical Workgroup for the 2021 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation (National Survey) | AFWA | 40,250 | 40,250 | 80,500 |
| 32 | Capacity Building, Training, and Pilot Testing of the Fish and Wildlife Relevancy Roadmap | WMI | 87,887.50 | 87,887.50 | 175,775 |
| 33 | Preparing for the Future of Fish and Wildlife Management | CSU | 69,785.44 | 69,785.44 | 139,570.88 |
| 34 | Update and Further Development of Standard Sampling Protocols for Inland Fisheries (Phase 2 of 2) | AFS | 0 | 97,399 | 97,399 |
| 35 | Fisheries Research Tracking and Information Exchange Tool | AFS | 0 | 84,373 | 84,373 |
| 36 | National Fish Habitat Partnership Project Tracking Database (Maintenance, Support, and Enhancement) | PSMFC | 0 | 20,000 | 20,000 |
| 37 | Development of YY Male Broodstocks for Eradication of Invasive Common Carp Populations | WAFWA | 0 | 75,704 | 75,704 |
| 38 | Assessing the State of Fisheries Research Agendas in the United States and Outlining Best Practices for Development of Agendas | AFS | 0 | 90,872 | 90,872 |
| 39-NS | Coordination Component for the 2022 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation for Year 2020 | USFWS | 130,853.50 | 130,853.50 | 261,707 |
| 40-NS | 2022 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation (5 years) | NORC | 807,810 | 807,811 | 1,615,621 |
| Totals | 3,307,547.43 | 3,621,085.14 | 6,928,632.57 | ||
| * Acronyms and initialisms for all tables are spelled out in the Abbreviations Used in Tables section. |
FY 2020 Modern Multistate Conservation Grant Program Fund Availability and Priority List
FY 2020 was the first year that Modern Multistate Conservation Grant Program (R3-MSCGP) funds became available for award. The Service's WSFR program had $4,705,000 available for R3-MSCGP awards after sequestering $295,000; the total request for projects was the full available amount, leaving a balance of $0. The Service worked with the Association to make these funds available quickly for eligible projects. The Association provided the Service a priority list of 25 projects; the Service was able to award all projects by early December 2020. The list is in table 3.
Table 3—FY 2020 Modern Multistate Conservation Grant Program Priority List
| ID | Title | Recipient | Total 2020 R3 award |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MAFWA * Regional Small Game Diversity and Inclusion Marketing Toolkit | MAFWA | $179,200 |
| 2 | Exploring the R3 Needs and Opportunities of Female Hunters, Shooters, and Archers | CWA | 245,004.50 |
| 3 | Helping State Agencies Effectively Recruit and Retain the New Locavore Audience | WMI | 154,000 |
| 4 | Strengthening State Agency R3 of Diverse Hunters and Recreational Shooters | TRCP | 35,500 |
| 5 | Activating and Converting Target Archers into Hunting and Shooting Sports | NAA | 78,295 |
| 6 | Building Community to Retain Women Hunters | NWF | 221,071 |
| 7 | Scaling a College-Focused R3 Model | GWF | 175,300 |
| 8 | Increase Industry and Agency Relations and Communications by Expanding Partner-with-a-Payer Initiative | NSSF | 146,112.75 |
| 9 | Effectively Targeting New Adult Hunters | WMI | 175,825 |
| 10 | Increasing Hunting Mentor and Mentee Numbers and Effectiveness | WMI | 203,821 |
| 11 | Effective R3 Marketing Strategies | WMI | 297,500 |
| 12 | Leveraging Influencers & Content Marketing to Recruit Bowhunters | ATA | 230,000 |
| 13 | Email Marketing Best Practices for State Agencies | WMI | 272,305 |
| 14 | What is the public really saying about hunting and hunters (and what can we do about it?) | NMDGF | 120,000 |
| 15 | Message Testing: National Ad Campaign to Promote Support of and Participation in Hunting and Recreational Shooting | NWTF | 230,658 |
| 16 | Advancing R3 Forward | CAHSS | 450,000 |
| 17 | Hunting for Conservation Online: A Tool from CLfT to Engage in College R3 Efforts | MMWF | 74,750 |
| 18 | Combining States and Industry Resources to Increase R3 Success | NSSF | 278,900 |
| 19 | Hunters Connect State Content Delivery System and Database | IHEA | 174,550 |
| 20 | Trapping Matters—Communication Message Training Public Harvest of Wildlife | MMWF | 52,250 |
| 21 | Frameworks and Standards for R3 Effort and Strategy Evaluation | WMI | 116,149 |
| 22 | Development of a Real-time License Data Dashboard | ASA | 239,450 |
| 23 | Development of a Hunter Avidity Model to Assess & Improve R3 Participation | SAF | 207,055 |
| 24 | Assessing the Quality and Availability of Hunting and Shooting Access in the United States | NSSF | 224,967.75 |
| 25 | Hunting and Recreational Shooting Recruitment, Retention, and Reactivation Among American Military Members | SAF | 122,336 |
| Total | 4,705,000 | ||
| * Acronyms and initialisms for all tables are spelled out in the Abbreviations Used in Tables section. |
FY 2021 Awards; Fund Availability and Priority List
After adjusting for sequestered, recovery, and carryover amounts from FY 2020, the T-MSCGP had $6,515,283 available for award, and the R3-MSCGP had $5,010,000 available. The total request for T-MSCGP projects was $6,488,271.53, leaving a balance of $27,011.47. The total request for R3-MSCGP projects was $3,066,603.90, leaving a balance of $1,943,396.10. Please note that the Association's Management Assistance Team proposal requesting $555,277.37 of Multistate funds (Project #10) also was provided an additional $150,000 in Federal funds from the National Conservation Training Center. This funding addition was the result of a signed Memorandum of Agreement between the Service and the Association. The Association provided the Service with a single Priority List of 39 proposals, consisting of 22 T-MSCGP projects (including 2 approved components of the 2022-2027 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation project) and 17 R3-MSCGP projects. The list is in table 4. The projects in this list have been awarded.
Table 4—FY 2021 Traditional Multistate Conservation Grant Program and Modern Multistate Conservation Grant Program Priority List
| ID | Title | Recipient | WR* funding | SFR funding | R3 funding | Total 2021 grant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Communicating the Effects of Climate Change on Fish and Fisheries | AFS | $0 | $111,870 | $0 | $111,870 |
| 2 | Surveillance Optimization Project for CWD Dashboard: A Web Application for Disease Visualization and Data-Driven Decisions | CU | 244,946 | 0 | 0 | 244,946 |
| 3 | Online Platform for CWD Data Sharing Management in North America | WVDNR | 225,000 | 0 | 0 | 225,000 |
| 4 | Fisheries Gray Literature Database State Agency Expansion and Support | AFS | 0 | 105,191 | 0 | 105,191 |
| 5 | Preventing the Spread of Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease (RHDV2) in the United States by Engaging Key Stakeholders in Collaborative Management Solutions | UGA Research Foundation | 149,797 | 0 | 0 | 149,797 |
| 6 | Wildlife Viewer Survey: Enhancing Relevancy and Engaging Support from a Broader Constituency | AFWA | 65,300 | 65,300 | 0 | 130,600 |
| 7 | An Agency Path Forward: Designing Effective Engagement and Building Capacity for Relevancy | WMI | 149,721.50 | 149,721.50 | 0 | 299,443 |
| 8 | State- and Congressional District-Level Economic Impacts for Hunting and Target Shooting | SAF | 100,308 | 0 | 0 | 100,308 |
| 9 | Ensuring the Viability of the American System of Conservation Funding: Improving the Understanding of Excise-Tax-Based Funding for Conservation | WMI | 85,932.50 | 85,932.50 | 0 | 171,865 |
| 10 | Management Assistance Team and the National Conservation Institute—Leadership Development for AFWA Members and the Conservation Community | AFWA | 277,638.69 | 277,638.68 | 0 | 555,277.37 |
| 11 | Instream Flow and Water-Level Conservation Training and Research Center | IFC | 0 | 119,325 | 0 | 119,325 |
| 12 | Maintaining Relevancy of the AFWA North American Trapper Education Program for State Fish and Wildlife Agencies | AFWA | 100,000 | 0 | 0 | 100,000 |
| 13 | Coordination of Farm Bill Program Implementation to Optimize On-the-Ground Fish and Wildlife Benefits to the States | AFWA | 84,819.60 | 56,546.40 | 0 | 141,366 |
| 14 | Coordination of State Fish and Wildlife Agencies' Authority to Manage Wildlife Resources in Concert with Federal Actions Required by International Treaties, Conventions, Partnerships, and Initiatives | AFWA | 64,800 | 64,800 | 0 | 129,600 |
| 15 | Supporting Effective Coordination of Regional & National Conservation Efforts Through State Fish & Wildlife Agencies | AFWA | 80,869.80 | 80,869.80 | 0 | 161,739.60 |
| 16 | Coordination of the Industry, Federal and State Agency Coalition | AFWA | 30,927 | 30,927 | 0 | 61,854 |
| 17 | Expanding the Community of Support for Fish Habitat Partnership Conservation Efforts | AFWA/National Fish Habitat Partnership | 0 | 176,240 | 0 | 176,240 |
| 18 | Strengthening Awareness of State Fish and Wildlife Management: Support for Legal Strategy and Conservation Law Education Under MSCGP Strategic Priority 4 | AFWA | 60,800 | 60,800 | 0 | 121,600 |
| 19 | Supporting Law, Graduate and Undergraduate Students' Study of Legal Principles and Professional Experience in Conservation Law and Policy and Providing Opportunity for Practicing Lawyers and Judges' Continuing Legal Education on Conservation Law Under MSCGP Strategic Priority 4 | NWTF | 87,033 | 87,033 | 0 | 174,066 |
| 20 | Multistate Conservation Grant Program Coordination | AFWA | 45,049.20 | 45,049.20 | 38,613.60 | 128,712 |
| 21 | Measuring the Efficacy of State Recruitment, Retention, and Reactivation (R3) Efforts: A Quantitative Approach | WMI | 0 | 0 | 137,530 | 137,530 |
| 22 | R3 Specific Evaluation and Social Science Training and Resources for the Modern R3 Practitioner | MAFWA | 0 | 0 | 127,573 | 127,573 |
| 23 | Meet Demand by Building Shooting Ranges with Excise Taxes | NSSF | 0 | 0 | 102,500 | 102,500 |
| 24 | Effective R3 Marketing Strategies | WMI for the Association of Conservation Information | 0 | 0 | 297,500 | 297,500 |
| 25 | Testing and Implementation of the Hunter Avidity Model to Assess & Improve R3 Participation | SAF | 0 | 0 | 112,340 | 112,340 |
| 26 | Winning at the Point of Contact: Boosting R3 Response Rates Through Professional Communications | WMI for NEAFWA | 0 | 0 | 135,000 | 135,000 |
| 27 | Utilizing Data Driven Marketing Strategies to Enhance New Audience Engagement, R3 Curriculum Development and Program Efficacy | BCHA | 0 | 0 | 156,000 | 156,000 |
| 28 | Creating a Hunting Mentor Communication Toolkit | PF for MAFWA | 0 | 0 | 139,865 | 139,865 |
| 29 | Modernizing Trapping Matters Professional Development Workshops and Wild Fur Schools Delivery Through Updated Messaging and the Creation of Distance Learning Modules | MMWF | 0 | 0 | 100,000 | 100,000 |
| 30 | Converting 2020's Surge of New Firearm and Hunting License Owners into Active Hunters and Target Shooters | NSSF | 0 | 0 | 136,500 | 136,500 |
| 31 | Retaining 2020's Surge of Licensed Anglers | AFS | 0 | 188,712 | 0 | 188,712 |
| 32 | Asset Creation: National Ad Campaign to Promote Support for and Participation in Hunting and Shooting | NWTF | 0 | 0 | 350,000 | 350,000 |
| 33 | Tracking Participation Through Expanded, Faster License Data Dashboards | ASA | 0 | 160,562.16 | 121,125.84 | 281,688 |
| 34 | Facilitation of National R3 Strategies | CAHSS | 0 | 0 | 652,850 | 652,850 |
| 35 | Effectiveness of Hunter Education Delivery: Finding the Missing Data | IHEA | 0 | 0 | 143,794 | 143,794 |
| 36 | Archers USA Varsity Archery Next Step Program Taking Recruitment into Retention, Transitioning the National Archery in the Schools Program Participants into Bowhunters | ATA | 0 | 0 | 175,000 | 175,000 |
| 37 | Hunter Education in a Post-COVID-19 World | IHEA | 0 | 0 | 140,412.46 | 140,412.46 |
| 38-NS | Coordination Component for the 2022 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation for Year 2020 | USFWS | 132,777.50 | 132,777.50 | 0 | 265,555 |
| 39-NS | 2022 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation (5 years) | NORC | 1,251,628 | 1,251,628 | 0 | 2,503,256 |
| Totals | 3,237,347.79 | 3,250,923.74 | 3,066,603.90 | 9,554,875.43 | ||
| * Acronyms and initialisms for all tables are spelled out in the Abbreviations Used in Tables section. |
FY 2022 Awards; Fund Availability and Priority List
After adjusting for sequestered, recovery, and carryover amounts from FY 2021, the T-MSCGP had $6,598,154.68 available for award. The total request for T-MSCGP projects was $6,571,005.97, leaving a balance of $27,148.71. After adjusting for sequestered, recovery, and carryover amounts from FY 2021, the R3-MSCGP had $7,045,896.10 available. The total request for R3-MSCGP projects was $5,318,864.91, leaving a balance of $1,727,031.19. Please note that the Association's Management Assistance Team proposal requesting $560,000 of Multistate funds (Project #18) was provided an additional $150,000 in Federal funds from the National Conservation Training Center. This funding addition is the result of a signed memorandum of agreement between the Service and the Association. The Association provided the Service with a Priority List of 44 proposals, consisting of 20 T-MSCGP projects (including 2 approved components of the 2022-2027 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation project) and 24 R3-MSCGP projects. The list is in table 5. The projects in this list have been awarded.
Table 5—FY 2022 Traditional Multistate Conservation Grant Program and Modern Multistate Conservation Grant Program Priority List
| ID | Title | Recipient | WR* funding | SFR funding | R3 funding | Total 2022 grant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Modernizing Fish Hatchery Management (aka the `Piper Manual' or `Black Book'), the How-to Manual for Practicing Fish Culturists | AFS | $0 | $123,554.60 | $0 | $123,554.60 |
| 2 | Utilizing a Novel Genetic Resource to Inform Management of CWD | MDNR | 199,061 | 0 | 0 | 199,061 |
| 3 | Improve PKD Diagnostics and Assess the Impact of Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae Infection on North American Salmonids | MSU | 0 | 145,844.37 | 0 | 145,844.37 |
| 4 | Contaminant Loads in Waterfowl of the NE Atlantic Flyway: New Threats and Outdated Advisories | CU | 280,959 | 0 | 0 | 280,959 |
| 5 | Burial Disposal of CWD-Infected Carcasses: Migration and Decontamination of Prions in Model Landfill Substrates | UWM | 193,581 | 0 | 0 | 193,581 |
| 6 | Advancing Implementation of the Fish and Wildlife Relevancy Roadmap | WMI | 79,425 | 79,425 | 79,425 | 238,275 |
| 7 | Ensuring the Viability of the American System of Conservation Funding: Improving the Understanding of Excise-Tax-Based Funding for Conservation | WMI | 75,191 | 65,190 | 0 | 140,381 |
| 8 | Social Listening for Relevancy | WMI | 66,187.50 | 66,187.50 | 0 | 132,375 |
| 9 | Modernize the Organization, Authority, and Programs of State Fish and Wildlife Agencies Report | WMI | 103,450 | 58,756 | 0 | 162,206 |
| 10 | Best Practices for Cultivating Diverse Fish and Wildlife Agency Workforces | CSU | 71,574 | 71,574 | 0 | 143,148 |
| 11 | Developing Your Why: An Assessment of WAFWA Member States' DEI Journey | WAFWA | 37,293 | 37,293 | 0 | 74,586 |
| 12 | New Mexico Wildlife Federation: Mi Tierra Salvaje | NMWF | 95,400 | 75,000 | 75,000 | 245,400 |
| 13 | Development of Consistent Policy and Law to Prevent Translocation of Feral Swine | WMI | 93,555 | 0 | 0 | 93,555 |
| 14 | Coordination of Farm Bill Program Implementation to Optimize On-the-Ground Fish and Wildlife Benefits to the States | AFWA | 78,120 | 52,080 | 0 | 130,200 |
| 15 | Exploring the motivations and deterrents of wildlife poachers, the true conservation costs of wildlife crime, and developing an approach to ensure restitution, fines, and penalties fit the crimes | BCC | 205,272 | 0 | 0 | 205,272 |
| 16 | Strengthening Awareness of State Fish and Wildlife Management: Support for Legal Strategy and Conservation Law Education Under MSCGP Strategic Priority 4 | AFWA | 14,240 | 14,240 | 0 | 28,480 |
| 17 | Supporting Undergraduate/Graduate/Law Students' & Post-Graduates' Education & Professional Experience in Conservation Law & Policy | NWTF | 75,452.50 | 75,452.50 | 0 | 150,905 |
| 18 | Increasing Conservation Management Capacity Through Skills, Leadership, and Knowledge Development | AFWA | 280,000 | 280,000 | 0 | 560,000 |
| 19 | Multistate Conservation Grant Program Management | AFWA | 58,680 | 58,680 | 58,680 | 176,040 |
| 20 | Coordination of State Fish and Wildlife Agencies' Authority to Manage Wildlife Resources in Concert with Federal Actions Required by International Treaties, Conventions, Partnerships, and Initiatives | AFWA | 64,800 | 64,800 | 0 | 129,600 |
| 21 | Coordination of National-Scale Conservation Efforts by State Fish & Wildlife Agencies: Travel, Industry, Agency and Communications | AFWA | 101,870 | 101,870 | 0 | 203,740 |
| 22 | Realtime License Data Dashboard Improvement and Expansion | ASA | 0 | 117,352 | 117,352 | 234,704 |
| 23 | The New Future of Hunting and Fishing | WMI | 0 | 0 | 145,030 | 145,030 |
| 24 | A National Campaign to Connect Millennials and Generation Z with Hunting, Shooting, and the Outdoors | WMI | 0 | 0 | 470,538 | 470,538 |
| 25 | Discovering Family Bowfishing—National Education Initiative | ATA | 0 | 54,600 | 127,400 | 182,000 |
| 26 | Phase 3—Launch and Education: National Ad Campaign to Promote Support for and Participation in Hunting and Shooting | NWTF | 0 | 0 | 100,000 | 100,000 |
| 27 | Effectively Targeting New Adult Hunters | WMI | 0 | 0 | 158,430 | 158,430 |
| 28 | Expanding Relevancy to Include More Diverse Audiences | ATA | 0 | 0 | 71,000 | 71,000 |
| 29 | Firearms Fundamentals Course Promotion Through SEAFWA States | SEAFWA | 0 | 0 | 275,000 | 275,000 |
| 30 | Social Influencers to Drive R3 in SEAFWA | SEAFWA | 0 | 0 | 300,000 | 300,000 |
| 31 | R3 Through Marketing via Pilot States | WMI | 0 | 0 | 292,500 | 292,500 |
| 32 | The Hunter's Network National Version | IHEA | 0 | 0 | 248,275 | 248,275 |
| 33 | Identifying When to Use In-Person vs Virtual R3 Events | SAF | 0 | 58,219 | 58,219 | 116,438 |
| 34 | Development and Implementation of a Learn to Hunt Upland Game Digital Course to Strengthen Strategic R3 Efforts of Diverse Hunters | PF | 0 | 0 | 236,578 | 236,578 |
| 35 | Native American Participation Research and Outreach | OSCF | 0 | 0 | 116,000 | 116,000 |
| 36 | Delta Waterfowl's University Hunting Program | DWF | 0 | 0 | 284,614 | 284,614 |
| 37 | Black Hunters: Reclaiming the Tradition | WMI | 0 | 0 | 263,329 | 263,329 |
| 38 | Connecting Different Cultures to Hunting and Fishing Through Food | WMI | 0 | 24,000 | 48,500 | 72,500 |
| 39 | Extending Academics Afield to Advance Equity in College R3 Programming | GWF | 0 | 0 | 360,458 | 360,458 |
| 40 | Hunters Connect Audience Expansion | IHEA | 0 | 0 | 178,530 | 178,530 |
| 41 | MAFWA Small Game Diversity and Inclusion Outreach Toolkit: Phase 2 | MAFWA | 0 | 0 | 220,000 | 220,000 |
| 42 | 2022-2024 Facilitation of National R3 Strategies | CAHSS | 0 | 0 | 1,034,006.91 | 1,034,006.91 |
| 43-NS | 2022 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation (5 years) | NORC | 1,251,628 | 1,251,628 | 0 | 2,503,256 |
| 44-NS | 2022 National Survey Coordination | USFWS | 134,760.50 | 134,760.50 | 0 | 269,521 |
| Totals | 3,560,499.50 | 3,010,506.47 | 5,318,864.91 | 11,889,870.88 | ||
| * Acronyms and initialisms for all tables are spelled out in the Abbreviations Used in Tables section. |
Martha Williams,
Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-15214 Filed 7-15-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P