1.1 What is the purpose of this chapter? This chapter describes the information that the Service must have to approve projects to help State fish and wildlife agencies coordinate grants and subgrants that the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration (WSFR) Program administers.
1.2 To which grant programs does this chapter apply?
A. This chapter applies to all grant programs that WSFR administers.
B. If WSFR shares responsibility with another entity for administration of a grant program, the chapter applies only to those grants that WSFR administers.
C. Table 1–1 lists the grant programs that WSFR administers in whole or in part and their Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) numbers:
Table 1-1: Grant Programs and Subprograms
| Mandatory Programs and Subprograms | |||
| CFDA | Program/Subprogram | CFDA | Program/Subprogram |
| 15.605 | Sport Fish Restoration program | 15.611 | Wildlife Restoration—Basic Hunter Education and Safety subprogram |
| 15.605 | Sport Fish Restoration—Recreational Boating Access subprogram | 15.625 | Wildlife Conservation and Restoration program |
| 15.605 | Sport Fish Restoration—Aquatic Resource Education subprogram | 15.626 | Enhanced Hunter Education and Safety program |
| 15.605 | Sport Fish Restoration—Outreach and Communications subprogram | 15.634 | State Wildlife Grants—Mandatory subprogram |
| 15.611 | Wildlife Restoration program | ||
| Discretionary (Competitive) Programs and Subprograms | |||
| CFDA | Program/Subprogram | CFDA | Program/Subprogram |
| 15.614 | Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection, and Restoration Act program (National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant program) | 15.638 | Tribal Landowner Incentive program |
| 15.615 | Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund—Traditional subprogram | 15.639 | Tribal Wildlife Grants program |
| 15.615 | Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund—Nontraditional subprogram | 15.649 | Service Training and Technical Assistance (Generic Training) program |
| 15.616 | Clean Vessel Act program | 15.650 | Research Grants (Generic) program |
| 15.622 | Sportfishing and Boating Safety Act (Boating Infrastructure Grants)—Basic subprogram | 15.664 | Fish and Wildlife Coordination and Assistance |
| 15.622 | Sportfishing and Boating Safety Act (Boating Infrastructure Grants)—Competitive subprogram | — | Highlands Conservation program |
| 15.628 | Multistate Conservation Grants program | — | Everglades Restoration program |
| 15.633 | Landowner Incentive—Tier 1 subprogram | — | Fisheries Restoration and Irrigation Mitigation Act program |
| 15.633 | Landowner Incentive —Tier 2 subprogram | — | Partnerships for Wildlife program |
| 15.634 | State Wildlife Grants—Competitive subprogram | ||
1.3 What are the authorities for coordination projects?
A. Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 669a(8)).
B. Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 777a(1)).
C. State and Tribal Grants as authorized by the Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2002 (Public Law 107-63) and reauthorized by annual Appropriations Acts after 2002.
1.4 Who is responsible for coordination projects?
A. The Director approves or declines to approve policy for our Federal assistance programs.
B. The Assistant Director – WSFR Program:
(1) Oversees the WSFR Program nationally,
(2) Ensures that the Chief, Division of Policy and Programs, develops policy for WSFR-administered grant programs, and
(3) Ensures the consistent application of laws, regulations, and policies on WSFR-administered grant programs.
C. The Regional Directors oversee the administration of grant programs in their Regions.
D. The Regional Chiefs – WSFR Program:
(1) Award grants for coordination projects, and
(2) Apply laws, regulations, and policies consistently to program and subprogram grants.
1.5 What are coordination projects? Coordination projects:
A. Provide funds for State fish and wildlife agencies to assign staff to manage activities for WSFR-administered and other related Federal grant programs to carry out fish and wildlife restoration, conservation, management, and associated recreational goals. This helps ensure that grantees:
(1) Administer grants effectively and efficiently across grant programs and State organizational units, and
(2) Meet Federal assistance rules and requirements.
B. Are not mandatory for grantees, but are an option when the grantee proposes to assign a State employee(s) as a primary representative of the fish and wildlife agency and subgrantee interests on one or more WSFR-administered programs.
1.6 What information does the Service need to approve an award that includes a coordination project? To approve an award that includes a coordination project, we need an application that includes a project statement addressing the information in Table 1–2.
Table 1-2: What Project Statements Must Address
| Sections | Examples (if applicable) |
| (1) Need: the reasons for the project | · Ensure communication between the Service and the State fish and wildlife agency on issues related to WSFR-administered grant programs. · Ensure the grantee follows applicable laws, regulations, policies, and standards in carrying out projects funded through WSFR-administered grant programs. · Ensure the State remains eligible to receive the benefits of the Wildlife Restoration (WR), Sport Fish Restoration (SFR), State Wildlife Grants (SWG), and other WSFR-administered grant programs. · Assemble materials and information for administrators as a result of a monitoring recommendation. · Ensure that reports are adequate to meet Federal standards. · Review, monitor, and provide documentation related to Corrective Action Plans. · Train State employees on the requirements of laws, regulations, policies, or standards affecting WSFR-administered grants. · Seek funding opportunities and work with partners to achieve fish, wildlife, and related recreational goals. |
| (2) Objectives: the planned accomplishments | · Ensure adequate and knowledgeable oversight and administrative support of WSFR-administered grant programs to meet State agency mandates and the objectives of fish and wildlife restoration, conservation, and management. · Develop an electronic database of real property records. · Publish an online handbook for State employees on the requirements of applicable laws, regulations, policies, and standards that affect grants. · Attend meetings to present information on WSFR grant opportunities and represent State interests in grant-administration discussions. |
| (3) Results or benefits expected: how the outcomes of the project will contribute to the stated need | · No violations of applicable laws or regulations, and no deviations from Federal or State policies and standards. · No diversions of revenue from license fees paid by hunters and anglers, or diversions of property acquired with this revenue. · No enactment of State statutes and no publication of State regulations that would cause the State to be ineligible for the benefits of the WR, SFR, SWG, and other WSFR-administered grant programs. · The State fish and wildlife agency is accountable and efficient in meeting Federal regulatory requirements. · The State fish and wildlife agency continues to accomplish fish and wildlife conservation, restoration, management and recreational goals using Federal funds. |
(4) Approach: The plan for meeting the needs and objectives, including:
| |
| (5) Location: Includes the work address, work telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail address of the designated coordinator(s). | |
| (6) Costs by project and subaccount: Includes the estimated costs for the proposed project activities. The estimated costs must be detailed enough to show the project will yield benefits that address the need and are commensurate with the estimated project costs. | |
| (7) Allocation method for multipurpose projects: Describes how the State agency will allocate funds and includes a narrative that demonstrates it is justified. | |
| (8) Timeline: Shows a schedule of work that includes major events, such as project leader training. | |
1.7 What are the special conditions that the Service requires of coordination projects?
A. Special conditions vary with the circumstances of the project.
B. We must always require the grantee to submit a letter to add, modify, or rescind the delegation by the State agency director for the person who will represent the agency and sign grant documents on behalf of the grantee. This letter must:
(1) Be signed by the director of the State agency, and
(2) Include:
(a) The name, organizational title, and a sample signature of the designated individual and a list of grant programs for which the individual has authority if adding delegation authority; or
(b) A statement that an individual is no longer authorized to sign on behalf of the agency, if rescinding or modifying delegation authority on grant programs.
1.8 For what activities does the Service allow State coordinators to charge to a coordination project? Exhibit 1 shows the types of activities State coordinators may and may not charge to a coordination project.
1.9 What funding sources can the Service approve for a coordination project to benefit all or most WSFR-administered grant programs? We may approve the use of funding from the WR, SFR, or SWG programs for a coordination project, and only under the following conditions:
A. The project must dedicate at least 90 percent of the coordination activities and expenses to the WR, SFR, or SWG programs, and
B. The State fish and wildlife agency prorates the coordinator’s time and expenses as appropriate between the WR, SFR, and SWG programs.
1.10 Why is it permissible to approve the use of WR, SFR and SWG funds to support a coordination project that would benefit other grant programs? We may allow the use of these funds for coordination projects because:
A. The WR, SFR, and SWG programs have one or more purposes or outcomes in common with the other WSFR-administered grant programs. Examples of these purposes or outcomes may include:
(1) Restoration, conservation, or management of fish, wildlife, or their habitat; and
(2) Management of the eligible public uses of fish, wildlife, or their habitat.
B. It benefits the States and the success of the projects to support coordination projects.
C. The majority of the project (90 percent or more) is dedicated to work that helps the grantee achieve the purposes of the WSFR-administered portion and an incidental amount (10 percent or less) is dedicated to work that helps the related Federal program.
1.11 Can the Service approve a coordination project that uses funds from only one WSFR-administered mandatory program or subprogram? Yes. We may approve the use of funds from only one program or subprogram if:
A. The project dedicates at least 90 percent of the coordination activities and expenses to the program or subprogram, and
B. The other WSFR-administered programs that benefit from the project but do not provide funds have at least one purpose or outcome in common with the one providing the funds.
1.12 Can the Service approve the use of funds for coordination projects from WSFR-administered competitive grant programs? We may approve the use of funds for coordination projects from competitive WSFR-administered grant programs if the:
A. Grantee requests it, and
B. The project statement demonstrates that the estimated costs of coordinating the competitive programs:
(1) Are necessary and reasonable for the effective coordination of grants in those program,
(2) Will yield benefits for the competitive grants commensurate with the funding provided, and
(3) Meet requirements in sections 1.6 – 1.9 of this chapter.