50 CFR § 84.1 - 84.50 - Financial Assistance-Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program - National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program

653 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Serv., Interior Pt. 84 to conduct audits as required may re sult in withholding of grant payments of such other sanctions as the Sec retary may deem appropriate. [40 FR 23281, May 29, 1975, as amended at 49 FR 30074, July 26, 1984] § 82.15 Record retention. All records of accounts, and reports, with supporting documentation there to, will be maintained by the grantee for a period of three years after sub mission of the final expenditure report, with the qualifications stated in FMC 74–7, Attachment C, paragraph 1. § 82.16 Reporting. Performance reports and other speci fied reports shall be submitted to the Secretary by the grantee in accordance with requirements prescribed by FMC 74–7 or other appropriate referenced Federal Management Circulars cited in § 82.3 of this part. § 82.17 Procurement. Grantees may use their own procure ment regulations which reflect applica ble State and local laws, rules, and reg ulations, provided that procurements made with funds under the Act adhere to the standards set forth in FMC 74–7 or other appropriate referenced Federal Management Circulars cited in § 82.3 of this part. § 82.18 Officials not to benefit. No member of, or delegate to, Con gress, or Resident Commissioner, shall be admitted to any share or any part of an agreement, or to any benefit that may arise therefrom; but this provision shall not be construed to extend to an agreement made with a corporation for its general benefit. § 82.19 Patents and inventions. Determination of the patent rights in any inventions or discoveries resulting from work under cooperative agree ments entered into pursuant to the Act shall be governed by the ‘‘Government Patent Policy,’’ President’s Memo randum for Heads of Executive Depart ments and Agencies, August 23, 1971, and statement of government patent policy as printed in 36 FR 16889. § 82.20 Civil rights. Each cooperative agreement shall be supported by a statement of assurance executed by the grantee providing that the project will be carried out in ac cordance with title VI, non-discrimina tion in federally assisted programs, of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. 2000d–2000d–4, and with the Secretary’s regulations promulgated thereunder, 43 CFR part 17. § 82.21 Copyrights. Where research conducted under a grant issued pursuant to this part re sults in a book or other copyrightable material, the author or grantee, sub ject to the terms of the Cooperative Agreement, is encouraged to publish the work, but the Department of the Interior reserves a royalty free, non exclusive and irrevocable license to re produce, publish, or otherwise use, and to authorize others to use the work for Government purposes. Any publication by the grantee must bear in an appro priate place an acknowledgment of grant support under the Marine Mam mal Act from the Department of the Interior. In addition, any publication must include a statement that the findings, conclusions, etc., do not nec essarily represent the views of the De partment of the Interior. At least two copies of any printed publications must be furnished to the U.S. Fish and Wild life Service. PART 83 [RESERVED] PART 84—NATIONAL COASTAL WETLANDS CONSERVATION GRANT PROGRAM Subpart A—General Background Sec. 84.10 What is the purpose and scope of this rule? 84.11 How does the Service define the terms used in this rule? 84.12 What are the information collection, record keeping, and reporting require ments? Subpart B—Applying for Grants 84.20 What are the grant eligibility require ments? VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:11 Jun 01, 2023 Jkt 256244 PO 00000 Frm 00663 Fmt 8010 Sfmt 8010 Y:\SGML\256244.XXX 256244pp ar ke r on D S K 6V X H R 33 P R O D w ith C F R 654 50 CFR Ch. I (10–1–22 Edition) § 84.10 84.21 How do I apply for a National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant? 84.22 What needs to be included in grant proposals? Subpart C—Project Selection 84.30 How are projects selected for grants? 84.31 An overview of the ranking criteria. 84.32 What are the ranking criteria? Subpart D—Conditions on Acceptance/ Use of Federal Money 84.40 What conditions must I follow to ac cept Federal grant money? 84.41 Who prepares a grant agreement? What needs to be included? 84.42 What if a grant agreement is not signed? 84.43 How do States get the grant monies? 84.44 What is the timetable for the use of grant money? 84.45 How do I amend a proposal? 84.46 What are the cost-sharing require ments? 84.47 What are allowable costs? 84.48 What are the procedures for acquiring, maintaining, and disposing of real prop erty? 84.49 What if the project costs more or less than originally expected? 84.50 How does a State certify compliance with Federal laws, regulations, and poli cies? AUTHORITY: 16 U.S.C. 3951–3956. SOURCE: 67 FR 49267, July 30, 2002, unless otherwise noted. Subpart A—General Background § 84.10 What is the purpose and scope of this rule? The regulations in this part establish the requirements for coastal State par ticipation in the National Coastal Wet lands Conservation Grant Program au thorized by Section 305 of the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (Pub L. 101–646, title III; 16 U.S.C. 3954). The primary goal of the National Coastal Wetlands Con servation Grant Program is the long term conservation of coastal wetlands ecosystems. It accomplishes this by helping States protect, restore, and en hance their coastal habitats through a competitive grants program. Results are measured in acres protected, re stored, and enhanced. § 84.11 How does the Service define the terms used in this rule? Terms used have the following mean ing in this part: Coastal barrier. A depositional geo logic feature that is subject to wave, tidal, and wind energies; protects land ward aquatic habitats from direct wave attack; and includes all associated aquatic habitats such as adjacent wet lands, marshes, estuaries, inlets, and nearshore waters. These can include is lands; spits of land connected to a mainland at one end; sand bars that connect two headlands and enclose aquatic habitat; broad, sandy, dune beaches; or fringing mangroves. Coast al barriers are found on coastlines in cluding major embayments and the Great Lakes of the United States and its territories. Coastal Barrier Resources System. A de fined set of undeveloped coastal areas, designated by the Coastal Barrier Re sources Act of 1982 (Pub. L. 97–348) and the Coastal Barrier Improvement Act of 1990 (Pub. L. 101–591). Within these defined units of the System, Federal expenditures are restricted to discour age development of coastal barriers. Coastal States. States bordering the Great Lakes (Illinois, Indiana, Michi gan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Penn sylvania, and Wisconsin); States bor dering the Atlantic, Gulf (except Lou isiana), and Pacific coasts (Alabama, Alaska, California, Connecticut, Dela ware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Vir ginia, and Washington); and American Samoa, Commonwealth of the North ern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. (Lou isiana is not included because it has its own wetlands conservation program authorized by the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act and implemented by the Corps of Engineers with assistance from the State of Louisiana, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Depart ments of the Interior, Agriculture, and Commerce.) VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:11 Jun 01, 2023 Jkt 256244 PO 00000 Frm 00664 Fmt 8010 Sfmt 8010 Y:\SGML\256244.XXX 256244pp ar ke r on D S K 6V X H R 33 P R O D w ith C F R 655 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Serv., Interior § 84.11 Coastal wetland ecosystems. Eco systems that consist of multiple, inter related coastal land features. They in clude wetlands in drainage basins of es tuaries or coastal waters that contain saline, brackish, and nearshore waters; coastlines and adjacent lands; adjacent freshwater and intermediate wetlands that interact as an ecological unit; and river mouths and those portions of major river systems affected by tidal influence—all of which interact as an integrated ecological unit. Shorelands, dunes, nearshore islands, barrier is lands and associated headlands, and freshwater wetlands within estuarine drainages are included in the definition since these interrelated features are critical to coastal fish, wildlife, and their habitats. The definition of a coastal wetland ecosystem also applies to the Great Lakes and their watersheds, where freshwater plays a similar hydrologic role. The Great Lakes coastal wetland ecosystem is made up of multiple interrelated coastal landscape features along the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes coastal wetland ecosystem in cludes wetlands located adjacent to any of the Great Lakes including Lake St. Clair and connecting waters, and mouths of river or stream systems draining directly into the Great Lakes. Shorelands, dunes, offshore islands, and barrier islands and associated headlands are included in the defini tion since these interrelated features are critical to Great Lakes fish, wild life, and their habitats. Coastal Wetlands Act or Act. The Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act of 1990 (16 U.S.C. 3951–3956). Eligible applicant. Any agency or agencies of a coastal State designated by the Governor. It is usually a State natural resource or fish and wildlife agency. Enhancement. The manipulation of the physical, chemical, or biological characteristics of a wetland (undis turbed or degraded) site to heighten, intensify, or improve specific func tion(s) or to change the growth stage or composition of the vegetation present. Fund. A fund established and used by a coastal State for acquiring coastal wetlands, other natural areas, or open spaces. The fund can be a trust fund from which the principal is not spent, or a fund derived from a dedicated re curring source of monies including, but not limited to, real estate transfer fees or taxes, cigarette taxes, tax checkoffs, or motor vehicle license plate fees. Grant. An award of financial assist ance by the Federal Government to an eligible applicant. Long-term conservation. Protecting and restoring terrestrial and aquatic environments for at least 20 years. This includes the hydrology, water quality, and fish and wildlife that depend on these environments. Maintenance. (These activities are in eligible under the program; the defini tion is included to distinguish these ac tivities from acquisition, restoration, enhancement, and management.) Main tenance includes those activities nec essary for upkeep of a facility or habi tat. These activities include routine, recurring custodial maintenance such as housekeeping and minor repairs as well as the supplies, materials, and tools necessary to carry out the work. Also included is nonroutine cyclical maintenance to keep facilities or habi tat improvements fully functional. Cy clical maintenance is major mainte nance or renovation activities con ducted at intervals normally greater than 1 year. Management. (Includes habitat man agement only.) Habitat management includes vegetation manipulation and restoration of habitat to support fish and wildlife populations. Creation of wetlands where they did not previously exist is not included in the definition of management. Maritime forest. Maritime forests are defined, for the purposes of this regula tion, as broad-leaved forests that occur on barrier islands and along the main land coast from Delaware to Texas. Ex amples are primarily characterized by a closed canopy of various combina tions of live oak (Quercus virginiana), upland laurel oak (Quercus hemisphaerica), pignut hickory (Carya glabra), southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), sugarberry (Celtis laevigata), and cabbage palm (Sabal pal metto). Shrubs and smaller trees typical VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:11 Jun 01, 2023 Jkt 256244 PO 00000 Frm 00665 Fmt 8010 Sfmt 8010 Y:\SGML\256244.XXX 256244pp ar ke r on D S K 6V X H R 33 P R O D w ith C F R 656 50 CFR Ch. I (10–1–22 Edition) § 84.12 of the understory include live oak, up land laurel oak, pignut hickory, red mulberry (Morus rubra), wild olive (Osmanthus americanus), American holly (Ilex opaca), yaupon (Ilex vomitoria), beautyberry (Callicarpa americana), bumelia (Sideraxylon spp.), and small-flowered pawpaw (Asimina parviflora). The herb layer is generally rich and diverse, typically including partridgeberry (Mitchella repens), coralbean (Erythrina herbacea), small leaved milk pea (Galactia microphylla), tick trefoils (Desmodium spp.), and spikegrass (Chasmanthium sessiliflorum). Vines are represented by muscadine grape (Vitis rotundifolia), Virginia creeper (Parrhenocissus quinquefolia), and various briers (Smilax spp.). This natural community type be comes established on old coastal dunes that have been stabilized long enough to sustain forests. In time, the accumu lation of humus contributes to mois ture retention of soils, while the can opy minimizes temperature fluctua tions by reducing soil warming during the day and heat loss at night. Because of the underlying deep sands, maritime forests are generally well-drained. Maritime forests have become prime resort and residential property because of their relatively protected locations along the coast. Although this commu nity type originally occurred in vir tually continuous strips along the At lantic and Gulf Coasts, residential de velopments and infrastructure en croachments have severely fragmented most occurrences. National Wetlands Inventory. A Serv ice program that produces information on the characteristics, extent, and sta tus of the Nation’s wetlands and deep water habitat. The program’s strongest mandates come from the Emergency Wetlands Resources Act of 1986 (16 U.S.C. 3901), which directs the Service to map wetlands, conduct wetlands sta tus and trends studies, and disseminate the information produced. National Wetlands Priority Conserva tion Plan. A plan developed by the Service for the U.S. Department of the Interior at the direction of Congress through the Emergency Wetlands Re sources Act of 1986 (16 U.S.C. 3901). The plan provides the criteria and guidance for identifying wetlands that warrant attention for Federal and State acqui sition using Land and Water Conserva tion Fund appropriations. Operations. (These activities are in eligible under the program; the defini tion is included to distinguish these ac tivities from acquisition, restoration, enhancement, and management.) Oper ations include activities necessary for the functioning of a facility or habitat to produce desired results. These in clude public use management and facil ity management. Program. The National Coastal Wet lands Conservation Grant Program. A program administered by the Service that awards Federal grants through a competitive process to State agencies for projects to acquire, restore, man age, or enhance coastal wetlands. Project. One or more related activi ties necessary to fulfill a stated objec tive to provide for the long-term con servation of coastal wetlands including the lands and waters, hydrology, water quality, and wetland-dependent wild life. These activities can include acqui sition, restoration, enhancement, or management of coastal wetlands. Restoration. The manipulation of the physical, chemical, or biological char acteristics of a site with the goal of re turning natural/historic functions to a former or degraded wetland. § 84.12 What are the information col lection, record keeping, and report ing requirements? (a) Information collection require ments include: (1) An Application for Federal Assist ance (Standard Form 424); (2) A proposal, following the guidance of OMB Circular A–102 and the Federal Aid Grant Application Booklet (OMB Control Number 1018–0109), that in cludes statements of need and objec tive(s); a description of expected re sults or benefits; the approach to be used, such as procedures, schedules, key personnel and cooperators, loca tion of the proposed action, and esti mated costs to accomplish the objec tive(s); identification of any other ac tions that may relate to the grant; and a description of public involvement and interagency coordination; VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:11 Jun 01, 2023 Jkt 256244 PO 00000 Frm 00666 Fmt 8010 Sfmt 8010 Y:\SGML\256244.XXX 256244pp ar ke r on D S K 6V X H R 33 P R O D w ith C F R 657 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Serv., Interior § 84.21 (3) Discussion of ranking criteria, in cluding a completed summary informa tion form (USFWS Form 3–2179); (4) Assurances of compliance with all applicable Federal laws, regulations, and policies (SF 424B or SF 424D); and (5) Documents, as appropriate, sup porting the proposal; for example, envi ronmental assessments (including the NEPA compliance checklist, USFWS Form 3–2185) and evaluations of effects on threatened and endangered species. (6) A grant agreement form if the proposal is selected for an award (USFWS Form 3–1552); and (7) A grant amendment form if the agreement is modified (USFWS Form 3–1591). (b) Record-keeping requirements in clude the tracking of costs and accom plishments related to the grant as re quired by 43 CFR 12.60, monitoring and reporting program performance (43 CFR 12.80), and financial reporting (43 CFR 12.81). The project report should include information about the acres conserved, with a breakdown by con servation method (for example, ac quired, restored, or both) and type of habitat (list habitat types and include the acreage of each). Are the results of the project being monitored? Is there evidence that the resources targeted in the proposal (for example, anadromous fish, threatened and endangered spe cies, and migratory birds) have bene fited? (c) Reporting requirements include retention and access requirements as specified in 43 CFR 12.82 and authorized by OMB through the Federal Aid Grant Application Booklet (OMB Control Number 1018–0109). Subpart B—Applying for Grants § 84.20 What are the grant eligibility requirements? (a) Eligible grant activities include: (1) Acquisition of a real property in terest in coastal lands or waters from willing sellers or partners (coastal wet lands ecosystems), providing that the terms and conditions will ensure the real property will be administered for long-term conservation. (2) The restoration, enhancement, or management of coastal wetlands eco systems, providing restoration, en hancement, or management will be ad ministered for long-term conservation. (b) Ineligible activities include but are not limited to: (1) Projects that primarily benefit navigation, irrigation, flood control, or mariculture; (2) Acquisition, restoration, enhance ment, or management of lands to miti gate recent or pending habitat losses resulting from the actions of agencies, organizations, companies, or individ uals; (3) Creation of wetlands by humans where wetlands did not previously exist; (4) Enforcement of fish and wildlife laws and regulations, except when nec essary for the accomplishment of ap proved project purposes; (5) Research; (6) Planning as a primary project focus (planning is allowable as a mini mal component of project plan develop ment); (7) Operations and maintenance; (8) Acquiring and/or restoring upper portions of watersheds where benefits to the coastal wetlands ecosystem are not significant and direct; and (9) Projects providing less than 20 years of conservation benefits. § 84.21 How do I apply for a National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant? (a) Eligible applicants should submit their proposals to the appropriate Re gional Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Proposals must be complete upon submission, and must include the information outlined in § 84.22 to be complete. (1) Service Regional Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Offices’ respon sibilities for administration of this grant program include: Notifying the States of the program, its require ments, and any changes that occur; de termining the State agencies des ignated by the Governor as eligible ap plicants; ensuring that only eligible ap plicants apply for grants; coordinating with various Service programs to en sure that sound and consistent guid ance is communicated to the States; determining proposal eligibility and substantiality; and determining 75 per cent match eligibility and notifying VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:11 Jun 01, 2023 Jkt 256244 PO 00000 Frm 00667 Fmt 8010 Sfmt 8010 Y:\SGML\256244.XXX 256244pp ar ke r on D S K 6V X H R 33 P R O D w ith C F R 658 50 CFR Ch. I (10–1–22 Edition) § 84.22 the States of approved and disapproved proposals. (2) Service Divisions of Ecological Services in the regions and field and Fisheries and Habitat Conservation in the national office provide technical assistance and work with Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration to encourage State participation in this process. (3) Send your proposal to ‘‘Regional Director (Attention: Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration)’’ at the address of the appropriate regional office, as pro vided at 50 CFR 2.2. (b) The Program operates on an an nual cycle. Regional Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Offices request pro posals from the States in early April. Proposals must be received by the Re gional Director on or before a due date set in early June in order to be consid ered for funding in the following fiscal year. Check with your Regional Office each year for the exact due dates. Re gions review proposals for eligibility and substantiality. Regions may rank eligible and substantial proposals and submit them to the national office of the Service in Washington, DC, by a date set in late June. A Review Panel coordinated by the Service’s National Office of Fisheries and Habitat Con servation reviews and ranks proposals in early August using the criteria es tablished in this rule. The Director se lects the proposals and announces the grant recipients at the beginning of the new fiscal year (October 1). (c) More than one agency in a State may submit proposals to the Service if the Governor determines that more than one agency has responsibility for coastal wetlands. (d) A project proposal that includes several separate and distinct phases may be submitted in phases, but any succeeding phases must compete against other proposals in the year submitted. Obtaining money for one phase of a project will not be contin gent upon acquiring money for another phase of that same project. (e) The Federal (Program) share will not exceed $1 million per project. (f) The percentage of non-Federal match (cash or in-kind) must not be less than 25 percent of the total costs if the State has a designated fund or not less than 50 percent without a fund. [67 FR 49267, July 30, 2002, as amended at 78 FR 35152, June 12, 2013] § 84.22 What needs to be included in grant proposals? Proposals must include the following: (a) Application for Federal Assist ance (Standard Form 424); (b) A Statement of Assurances of compliance with applicable Federal laws, regulations, and policies (either Standard Form 424B or 424D); and (c) A project statement that identi fies and describes: (1) The need within the purposes of the Act; (2) Discrete, quantifiable, and verifiable objective(s) to be accom plished during a specified time period; (3) Expected results or benefits, in terms of coastal lands and waters, the hydrology, water quality, or fish and wildlife dependent on the wetlands; (4) The approach to be used in meet ing the objectives, including specific procedures, schedules, key personnel, and cooperators; (5) A project location, including two maps: A map of the State showing the general location of the proposal, and a map of the project site; (6) Estimated costs to attain the ob jective(s) (the various activities or components of each project should be broken down by cost and by coop erator); (7) If the request is more than $100,000 (Federal share), the applicant must submit a Form DI–2010, certifying that the grant money will not be used for lobbying activities; (8) A concise statement, with docu mentation, of how the proposal ad dresses each of the 13 numeric criteria including a summary using FWS Form No. 3–2179 (see § 84.32); (9) A description of the State trust fund that supports a request for a 75 percent Federal share in sufficient de tail for the Service to make an eligi bility determination, or a statement that eligibility has been previously ap proved and no change has occurred in the fund; (10) A list of other current coastal ac quisition, restoration, enhancement, and management actions; agency(ies) VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:11 Jun 01, 2023 Jkt 256244 PO 00000 Frm 00668 Fmt 8010 Sfmt 8010 Y:\SGML\256244.XXX 256244pp ar ke r on D S K 6V X H R 33 P R O D w ith C F R 659 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Serv., Interior § 84.31 1 The Service’s Annual Performance Plan can be found on the Service’s homepage at http://www./.fws.gov/r9gpra. For more infor mation you might also contact the Budget Office at 202–208–4596 or the Planning and Evaluation Staff at 202–208–2549. involved; relationship to the proposed grant; and how the proposal fits into comprehensive natural resource plans for the area, if any; and (11) Public involvement or inter agency coordination on coastal wet lands conservation projects that has occurred or is planned that relates to this proposal (Specify the organiza tions or agencies involved and dates of involvement.). Subpart C—Project Selection § 84.30 How are projects selected for grants? Project selection is a three-step proc ess: proposal acceptance, proposal ranking, and proposal selection. (a) Proposal acceptance. (1) The Re gional Wildlife and Sport Fish Restora tion Offices decide whether a proposal should be accepted for consideration by determining if the proposal is com plete, substantial, and contains activi ties that are eligible. Proposals that do not qualify are immediately returned to the State. Revision and resubmis sion of returned proposals is allowable during this period, which is in June (check with your Regional Office for the exact dates each year). If any of the factors of completeness, substan tiality, or eligibility are not met, the Regions should not forward the pro posal to Headquarters. (2) To be considered for acceptance, the proposal must be substantial in character and design. A substantial proposal is one that: (i) Identifies and describes a need within the purposes of the Act; (ii) Identifies the objective to be ac complished based on the stated need; (iii) Uses accepted principles, sound design, and appropriate procedures; (iv) Provides public conservation benefits that are cost effective and long-term, i.e., at least 20 years; and (v) Identifies obtainable, quantified performance measures (acres enhanced, restored, or protected) that help achieve the management goals and ob jectives of the National Coastal Wet lands Conservation Grant Program. Through this program, the States’ ef forts and leadership will help the Serv ice meet its Long-Term and Annual Performance Goals as expressed in the Service’s Annual Performance Plan. 1 (3) The grant limit is $1 million. Pro posals requesting Program awards that exceed $1 million will be returned to the appropriate State. Similarly, indi vidual projects that have clearly been divided into multiple proposals for sub mission in one grant cycle to avoid this limit will be returned to the appro priate State. The State can revise and resubmit the proposal so that the re quest does not exceed the $1 million limit. (b) Proposal ranking. Once a proposal is accepted by the Region, the Regional Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Of fice sends the proposal to the National Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Of fice, which works with the National Of fice of the Fish and Wildlife Manage ment and Habitat Restoration Program for distribution to a Review Panel. The Review Panel includes representation from our coastal Regions and from other Service Programs, for example, the Endangered Species Program. The Fisheries and Habitat Conservation Program is responsible for coordi nating the review and ranking of pro posals according to the established cri teria, a process that usually involves a national meeting. (c) Proposal selection. The Review Panel’s recommendations are for warded to the Director of the Service for a final review and project selection. The Director announces the selection by October 1. [67 FR 49267, July 30, 2002, as amended at 78 FR 35152, June 12, 2013] § 84.31 An overview of the ranking cri teria. (a) The primary objective of the pro posal will be to acquire, restore, en hance, or manage coastal wetlands to benefit coastal wetlands and the hy drology, water quality, and fish and wildlife dependent upon them. The Pro gram will not provide grants, for exam ple, for construction or repair of boat VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:11 Jun 01, 2023 Jkt 256244 PO 00000 Frm 00669 Fmt 8010 Sfmt 8010 Y:\SGML\256244.XXX 256244pp ar ke r on D S K 6V X H R 33 P R O D w ith C F R 660 50 CFR Ch. I (10–1–22 Edition) § 84.32 2 These designations are based on the Na tional Wetlands Priority Conservation Plan. For more information about the plan, or to receive a copy of the document, refer to the contact information provided in § 84.21. ramps or docks for recreational pur poses and construction or support of research facilities or activities. The purpose of the ranking criteria is to provide a means for selecting the best projects—those that produce the max imum benefits to coastal wetlands and the fish and wildlife that depend on them. (b) Proposal ranking factors—(1) Rank ing criteria. As explained in § 84.32, we will evaluate proposals according to 13 ranking criteria. These criteria have varying point values. Proposals must address each of these 13 criteria. (2) Additional considerations. Even though the criteria provide the pri mary evaluation of proposals, we may factor additional considerations into the ranking decision at the national level. In case of a tie, we will use these additional considerations to rank pro posals having identical scores. (c) The criteria in § 84.32 are not list ed in priority order. (d) Points are assigned on the basis of a completed project, rather than cur rent conditions, e.g., count 50 acres of estuarine emergent wetlands if 50 acres of that habitat type will be restored when the project is completed. (e) A range of points rather than a set point value allows the reviewer to distinguish between, for example, a proposal that provides some foraging habitat for a threatened species versus one that provides critical nesting habi tat of several endangered species. Scor ing guidance is included with the indi vidual criteria. (f) A total of 64 points is possible under the scoring system. (g) If a grant proposal is not selected, the State may resubmit it for reconsid eration in subsequent fiscal years. Re submission of a grant proposal is the responsibility of the applicant. § 84.32 What are the ranking criteria? (a) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will rank proposals using the 13 cri teria listed below. In the following list, a description of each criterion is fol lowed by examples and the points they would receive for that criterion. (1) Wetlands conservation. Will the project reverse coastal wetland loss or habitat degradation in decreasing or stable coastal wetland types? Will it conserve wetlands to prevent losses of decreasing or stable wetland types? (Maximum: 7 points) (i) The majority of the project area (over 50 percent) is nationally decreas ing coastal wetland types, 2 or the ma jority is regionally decreasing wetlands types in which the case for regionally decreasing is well-documented (Up to 7 points). The nationally decreasing types are estuarine intertidal emer gent; estuarine intertidal forested; es tuarine intertidal scrub-shrub; marine intertidal; palustrine emergent; palus trine forested; and palustrine scrub shrub. Describe the wetlands using terms listed above. Include a break down showing the percentage of the proposal’s total and wetland acreage in decreasing types. Provide National Wetlands Inventory codes/information if available. Information about these can be found on the National Wetland Inventory’s web site at http://wet lands.fws.gov. (ii) The majority of the project area (over 50 percent) is nationally stable coastal wetlands types 2 (Up to 5 points). The nationally stable types are estuarine intertidal non-vegetated and estuarine subtidal. Describe the wet lands using the terms listed above. In clude a breakdown showing the per centage of the proposal’s total and wet land acreage in stable types. Provide National Wetlands Inventory codes/in formation if available. (iii) Wetlands benefited are less than 50 percent of the project area. (Up to 3 points) (iv) If the project would benefit wet lands in the upper portion of the coast al watershed, but does not demonstrate significant and direct benefits to coast al wetlands, the proposal will not re ceive any points. (0 points) (v) We will award a full 7 points to proposals that document that over 50 percent of their project area would be, upon project completion, decreasing coastal wetland types. A combination of decreasing and stable types that is over 50 percent of the project area could receive an intermediate score of VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:11 Jun 01, 2023 Jkt 256244 PO 00000 Frm 00670 Fmt 8010 Sfmt 8010 Y:\SGML\256244.XXX 256244pp ar ke r on D S K 6V X H R 33 P R O D w ith C F R 661 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Serv., Interior § 84.32 4, 5, or 6 points, depending on the bal ance between decreasing and stable types. If wetlands are 50 percent or less of the project area, use the following guide for allocating points: 25 to 50 per cent of the project area is decreasing or stable wetlands, 2, 3, or 4 points; 5 to 24 percent, 1 or 2 points; and less than 5 percent, 0 points. (2) Maritime forests on coastal barriers. Will the proposal significantly benefit maritime forests on coastal barriers? The coastal barrier does not need to be a unit of the Coastal Barrier Resources System. (Maximum: 7 points) (i) The proposal documents signifi cant benefit to maritime forests on a coastal barrier. Describe the forest in sufficient detail so reviewers can deter mine whether it meets the definition of ‘‘maritime forest.’’ (Up to 7 points) (ii) The proposal does not benefit maritime forests on a coastal barrier. (0 points) (iii) For this criterion most scores should be either 0 or 7. If questions arise about the significance of the ben efit or whether the forests meet the strict definition, an intermediate score could be given. (3) Long-term conservation. Does the project ensure long-term conservation of coastal wetland functions? The project must provide at least 20 years of conservation benefits to be eligible. (Maximum: 7 points) (i) Once the project is complete, the project will provide continuing coastal wetlands benefits in perpetuity (100 years or longer). (7 points) (ii) Once the project is complete, the project will provide continuing coastal wetland benefits for 50–99 years. (3 to 6 points) (iii) Once the project is complete, the proposal will provide continuing coast al wetlands benefits for 20–49 years. (1 to 3 points) (iv) The proposal should show how the project will be maintained and the benefits sustained over time. Proposals must include adequate documentation of long-term conservation of coastal wetland values, such as a 25-year ease ment, to receive points for this cri terion. If part of the project’s benefits will be perpetual (owned in fee title, for example) and part is estimated to last 20 years, reviewers should weigh the different elements of the project and give an intermediate score. (4) Coastal watershed management. Would the completed project help ac complish the natural resource goals and objectives of one or more formal, ongoing coastal ecosystem or coastal watershed management plan(s) or ef fort(s)? Describe the management plan or effort(s). (Maximum: 3 points) (i) The project supports the natural resource goals of identified formal, on going coastal ecosystem or coastal wa tershed management plans or efforts. Describe the management plan(s) and/ or effort(s) and explain how this project relates to its objectives. A plan that very specifically identifies the site will receive more points than a plan containing many generic ref erences. (Up to 3 points) (ii) The project does not support the natural resource goals and objectives of a formal, ongoing coastal ecosystem or coastal watershed management ef fort. If the proposal benefits the upper portions of coastal watersheds, but pro vides no significant and direct benefits to the coastal wetlands ecosystems, the proposal will not receive points. (0 points) (5) Conservation of threatened and en dangered species. Will the project ben efit any federally listed endangered or threatened species, species proposed for Federal listing, recently delisted spe cies, or designated or proposed critical habitat in coastal wetlands? Will it benefit State-listed threatened and en dangered species? (Maximum: 5 points) (i) The project will provide, restore, or enhance important habitat (e.g., nesting, breeding, feeding, nursery areas) for federally listed or proposed endangered or threatened species that use the coastal area project site for at least part of their life cycle. The project will benefit recently delisted species and habitat conservation plans developed under the auspices of the En dangered Species Act. List the species and their status (e.g., threatened or en dangered) and provide documentation (e.g., cite recovery plan, attach letter from species expert) of current or re cent species occurrence in the coastal area project site. Describe the impor tance of the habitat. (Up to 5 points) VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:11 Jun 01, 2023 Jkt 256244 PO 00000 Frm 00671 Fmt 8010 Sfmt 8010 Y:\SGML\256244.XXX 256244pp ar ke r on D S K 6V X H R 33 P R O D w ith C F R 662 50 CFR Ch. I (10–1–22 Edition) § 84.32 3 For more information about species of management concern, visit the website migratorybirds.fws.gov or contact the Divi sion of Migratory Bird Management at 703– 358–1714. (ii) The project will provide, restore, or enhance important habitat for State-listed threatened and endangered species. (Up to 2 points) (iii) The project will not provide, re store, or enhance important habitat for federally or State-listed or proposed endangered or threatened species in the coastal area project site for any part of their life cycle. If the proposal provides benefits to threatened and endangered species in the upper portion of the coastal watershed, but provides no sig nificant and direct benefits to threat ened and endangered species using coastal wetlands ecosystem habitat, the proposal will not receive any points. (0 points) (iv) The combined scores of subpara graphs (a)(5)(i) and (a)(5)(ii) of this sec tion cannot exceed the 5-point max imum. (6) Benefits to fish. Will the project provide, restore, or enhance important fisheries habitat? (Maximum: 5 points) (i) The project will provide, restore, or enhance important habitat (i.e., spawning, nursery, juvenile, or for aging habitat) for specific species that use the coastal area project site for at least part of their life cycle. These spe cies may include anadromous, inter jurisdictional, or other important spe cies. List species, habitat types, and benefits to each species. (Up to 5 points) (ii) The project does not document current or future benefits to fish spe cies and their habitat. (0 points) (iii) The more specific the informa tion is on the use of the area and the importance of the habitat, the greater the points. An area specifically identi fied as critical for conservation in a fisheries management plan will, for ex ample, receive more points than one which is not. (7) Benefits to coastal-dependent or mi gratory birds. Will the project provide, restore, or enhance important habitat for coastal-dependent or migratory birds? (i) The project will provide, restore, or enhance important habitat (i.e., breeding, staging, foraging, wintering/ summering habitat) benefits for at least part of the life cycle of coastal dependent or migratory birds. List the species and habitat types, and describe the benefits to each. (Up to 5 points) (ii) The project will not significantly benefit coastal-dependent or migratory birds. (0 points) (iii) We will give maximum points to projects that benefit coastal-dependent species identified in the North Amer ican Waterfowl Plan or listed as spe cies of management concern. 3 Pro posals should also include information that demonstrates how the project will contribute to the regional goals devel oped under the U.S. Shorebird Con servation Plan, the North American Waterbird Conservation Plan, Partners in Flight, the North American Water fowl Management Plan, or other bird conservation initiatives. Proposals that fail to do so will not receive max imum points. Indicate if the proposed area has been specifically identified by any program or agency for its migra tory bird values. (8) Prevent or reduce contamination. Will the project prevent or reduce input of contaminants to the coastal wetlands and associated coastal waters, or restore coastal wetlands and other associated coastal waters that are already contaminated? (Maximum: 5 points) (i) The project will prevent signifi cant inputs of contaminants or will provide significant improvements to the quality of the coastal wetland and associated waters through protection from contaminants or restoration, in cluding assimilation of nutrients and nonpersistent toxic substances. De scribe the types and sources of possible or current impairment to the coastal wetland and other associated coastal waters (e.g., to water quality, sedi ments, flora, or fauna). Describe how contaminant inputs or residues will be prevented, reduced, or eliminated. Pre venting contaminants by precluding residential development through acqui sition will not normally warrant full points unless the applicant can be shown that significant contamination would have occurred otherwise. (Up to 5 points) VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:11 Jun 01, 2023 Jkt 256244 PO 00000 Frm 00672 Fmt 8010 Sfmt 8010 Y:\SGML\256244.XXX 256244pp ar ke r on D S K 6V X H R 33 P R O D w ith C F R 663 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Serv., Interior § 84.32 (ii) The proposal will not signifi cantly prevent impairment or improve the quality of the coastal wetland and associated coastal waters. If the pro posal provides positive water quality benefits in the upper portions of water sheds, but provides no significant and direct positive water quality benefits to coastal wetland ecosystems, the pro posal will not receive points. (0 points) (iii) Show direct links between con tamination and wildlife and aquatic habitats. To receive full points, you should provide documentation of the linkage. Reviewers may consider the extent of contaminants prevention/re duction when assigning points. Pro posals having the potential to produce an attractive nuisance (e.g., acquiring and/or restoring a wetland that will be attractive to wildlife and that also has the potential to accumulate high levels of persistent toxic metals or hydro carbon compounds) will not receive points. (9) Catalyst for future conservation. Is the project proposal designed to lever age other ongoing coastal wetlands protection projects in the area, such as acquisition of areas to add to already acquired coastal lands, or provide im petus for additional restoration? (Max imum: 4 points) (i) The project will be essential (e.g., key to completion or implementation of a greater conservation plan) to fur ther advance or promote other coastal projects under way. Explain why. (Up to 4 points) (ii) The project proposal does not demonstrate a positive impact on other coastal projects. (0 points) (iii) To receive the maximum number of points, the proposal should be essen tial to the initiation or completion of a larger project. Examples may include acquisition of key in-holdings within a larger protected area, funds necessary to acquire fee simple interest in prop erties where a conservation easement has already been secured, and funds necessary to complete restoration ac tivities to a protected area. (10) Partners in conservation. Will the proposal receive financial support, in cluding in-kind match, from private, local, or other Federal interests? (Max imum: 4 points) (i) The proposal includes the State applicant plus one or more non-State financial partners. (Up to 4 points) (ii) The proposal includes only finan cial support from the State applicant. (0 points) (iii) A written description of commit ment of funds or in-kind match from the partners must accompany the pro posal. (This requirement is in addition to signing the Assurances Form.) The purpose of this criterion is to promote partnerships with private, local, or other Federal agencies rather than to increase the dollar amount of the matching share. Therefore, no specific minimum amount is indicated here. At least two partners, in addition to the State applicant, should have com mitted money to the project to receive maximum points. (11) Federal share reduced. Does the proposal significantly reduce the Fed eral share by providing more than the required match amount? In the case of a Territory or Commonwealth that does not require match funds, does the proposal include financial support from sources other than the Territory or Commonwealth? (Maximum: 5 points) (i) The State, territory, or common wealth applicant must have a non-Fed eral funding source (in-kind match does not count for this criterion) that reduces the Federal share. (Up to 5 points) (ii) The maximum Federal share is requested by the proposal. (0 points) (iii) The purpose of this criterion is to increase the amount of money from non-Federal sources. This increase de creases the need for Federal match dol lars, so that Federal dollars can help more projects. Documentation of each partner’s financial commitment must accompany the proposal to receive points. If the State itself provides the excess match, the State should receive credit for reducing the Federal share. Each 5 percent above the required State match would be approximately equal to 1 point. The following two ex amples, using both a 50 and 75 percent Federal match share, define a 10 per cent increase in a State’s match amount. (A) Example 1–50—Percent Federal Match VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:11 Jun 01, 2023 Jkt 256244 PO 00000 Frm 00673 Fmt 8010 Sfmt 8010 Y:\SGML\256244.XXX 256244pp ar ke r on D S K 6V X H R 33 P R O D w ith C F R 664 50 CFR Ch. I (10–1–22 Edition) § 84.32 4 From sources other than Federal agen cies. Natural Resource Damage Assessment funds may in some cases be defined as ‘‘non Federal.’’ See discussion under § 84.46 on What are the cost-sharing requirements? If the total project costs are $100,000, then the required State match share is $50,000. If the State or a partner provides an additional cash contribution equal to 10 percent of the $50,000, $5,000. This is defined as a 10 percent increase in the State match. 4 (B) Example 2–75—Percent Federal Match If the total project costs are $100,000, then the required State match share is $25,000. If the State or a partner provides an additional cash contribution equal to 10 percent of the $25,000, $2,500. This is defined as a 10 percent increase in the State match. 4 (12) Education/outreach program or wildlife-oriented recreation. Is the project designed to increase environ mental awareness and develop support for coastal wetlands conservation? Does it provide recreational opportuni ties that are consistent with the con servation goals of the site? (Maximum: 3 points) (i) The proposal includes a site-spe cific, substantive education/outreach or wildlife-oriented recreation pro gram. (Up to 3 points) (ii) The proposal does not include a substantive education/outreach or wildlife-oriented recreation program. (0 points) (iii) The proposal must describe what makes this program substantive and link it closely with the specific site to receive full points. Programs supported by activities or funds from partners should be encouraged over use of project dollars. Project proposals may include substantive education/outreach components necessary for the comple tion of the project. However, these should be activities that complement or support the primary goal of the project. (13) Other factors. Do any other fac tors, not covered in the previous cri teria, make this project or site particu larly unique and valuable? Does the project offer important benefits that are not reflected in the other criteria? The following list includes examples of projects that provide benefits not re flected in other criteria. (Maximum: 4 points) (i) The project might provide signifi cant benefits to, for example: rare or threatened habitat types; biodiverse habitats; rare and declining species; and the local community. (ii) The project would be particularly cost-effective, providing very signifi cant resource benefits for the cost. (iii) The project would assist in the prevention or control of invasive spe cies. (iv) The project would provide impor tant cultural or historical resource benefits. (v) The project would provide other benefits. (vi) Reviewers should not assign points to resource values covered by other criteria. The proposal should pro vide a short narrative to support claims to Other Factors points. (b) Additional considerations. We will factor the following considerations into the ranking process if two or more proposals have the same point totals. The tie-breaking factors are as follows: (1) The project would prevent the de struction or degradation of habitat from pending sale of property, from ad verse effects of current activities such as draining of wetlands, or from nat ural processes such as erosion at exces sive rates; (2) The project would protect unique and significant biological diversity; (3) The project has lower costs per acre conserved; and (4) In the project proposal the State or third party provides lands as op posed to using lands already owned by the State or third party as part of the State matching share. (c) All proposals must include the in formation described in paragraphs (b) (1)–(4) of this section. If a tie occurs be tween two or more proposals, the re viewers need to have this information available immediately to decide which proposal or proposals should be rec ommended for selection. VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:11 Jun 01, 2023 Jkt 256244 PO 00000 Frm 00674 Fmt 8010 Sfmt 8010 Y:\SGML\256244.XXX 256244pp ar ke r on D S K 6V X H R 33 P R O D w ith C F R 665 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Serv., Interior § 84.46 Subpart D—Conditions on Ac ceptance/Use of Federal Money § 84.40 What conditions must I follow to accept Federal grant money? (a) The audit requirements for State and local governments (43 CFR part 12), and (b) The uniform administrative re quirements for grants and cooperative agreements with State and local gov ernments (43 CFR part 12). § 84.41 Who prepares a grant agree ment? What needs to be included? The coastal State and the Fish and Wildlife Service work together to de velop a Grant Agreement (Form 3–1552) upon completion of the review by the Regional Director to determine compli ance with applicable Federal laws and regulations. The Grant Agreement in cludes the grant title, the grant cost distribution, the agreement period, other grant provisions, and special grant conditions. If a Coastal Barrier Unit is affected, the Service must con duct internal consultations pursuant to Section 6 of the Coastal Barrier Re sources Act, as amended by the Coastal Barrier Improvement Act, prior to pro viding any grant monies to that State. § 84.42 What if a grant agreement is not signed? Monies that have been allocated for a grant will be held until December 31 of the following year. If a grant agree ment has not been signed by the State and the Service and, therefore, the money has not been obligated for the approved grant by that date, the funds automatically are returned to the Pro gram account in Washington. § 84.43 How do States get the grant monies? Funding to States is provided on a reimbursable basis. See § 84.47 for infor mation on what costs can be reim bursed. The Service may reimburse the State for projects completed, or make payments as the project progresses. For construction work and labor, the Service and the State may jointly de termine, on a case-by-case basis, that payments may be made in advance. We will minimize the time elapsing be tween the transfer to the State and the State’s need for the funds, and the time period will be subject to a specific de termined need for the funds in advance. Except for extenuating circumstances, a reasonable time period to advance funds to a State is up to 3 days. OMB Circular A–102, Parts II and III, 43 CFR part 12, and 31 CFR part 205 provide specific information on methods and procedures for transferring funds. § 84.44 What is the timetable for the use of grant money? Once money is granted to the coastal States, the money is available to those States for the time designated in the grant agreement. If a State needs more time, the State must apply for an ex tension of time by amending the grant agreement. If the Service does not ex tend the time, the unobligated monies return to the Service for expenditure on future grants. Also, if a State can not spend the money on the approved project, the State must notify the ap propriate Regional Director as soon as possible so that the money can revert back to the Service for future grants. § 84.45 How do I amend a proposal? Following procedures in 43 CFR 12.70, you must submit a signed original and two copies of the revised SF 424, the re vised portion of the project statement if appropriate, and an explanation of the reason for the revision to the Re gional Director (Federal Aid). § 84.46 What are the cost-sharing re quirements? (a) Except for certain insular areas, the Federal share of an approved grant will not exceed 50 percent of approved costs incurred. However, the Federal share may be increased to 75 percent for coastal States that have estab lished and are using a fund as defined in § 84.11. The Regions must certify the eligibility of the fund in order for the State to qualify for the 75 percent matching share. (b) The following insular areas: American Samoa, Guam, the Common wealth of the Northern Mariana Is lands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, have been exempted from the matching share, as provided in Pub. L. 95–134, amended by Pub. L. 95–348, Pub. L. 96– VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:11 Jun 01, 2023 Jkt 256244 PO 00000 Frm 00675 Fmt 8010 Sfmt 8010 Y:\SGML\256244.XXX 256244pp ar ke r on D S K 6V X H R 33 P R O D w ith C F R 666 50 CFR Ch. I (10–1–22 Edition) § 84.47 5 From the Fish and Wildlife Service Man ual, available on-line at http://www.fws.gov/ directives/index.html. 205, Pub. L. 98–213, and Pub. L. 98–454 (48 U.S.C. 1469a). Puerto Rico is not ex empt from the match requirements of this Program. (c) The State may provide materials (e.g., heavy equipment) or other serv ices as a noncash match for portions of the State’s matching share. The State may also provide the value of land, in cluding the land proposed for restora tion, enhancement, or management as a noncash match, provided that the land is necessary and reasonable for completing the project. For example, if a State proposes to manage a contig uous wetland of 100 acres, and already owns 10 of the 100 acres, the State can apply the current value of the 10 acres, provided that the 10 acres are nec essary to manage the entire 100 acres. If the 10-acre wetland were not contig uous and no connection could be made that the 10 acres were needed to man age the proposed wetland, the State could not use the 10 acres as a noncash match. Review 43 CFR 12.64 for deter mining the value of in-kind contribu tions. (d) The requirements in 43 CFR 12.64 and Service Manual Part 522 FW 1.13 5 apply to in-kind matches or cost-shar ing involving third parties. Third party in-kind contributions must represent the current market value of noncash contributions furnished as part of the grant by another public agency, pri vate organization, or individual. In kind matches must be necessary and reasonable to accomplish grant objec tives. (e) Coastal States must commit to their matching share of the total costs by signing the Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), the Assurances (SF 424B or SF 424D), and the Grant Agree ment (Form 3–1552). (f) No Federal monies, non-Federal monies, in-kind contributions, or Na tional Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant program monies that will be or have been previously used to satisfy the matching requirement of another Federal grant can be used as part of the coastal State’s matching share. (g) The coastal State is responsible for ensuring the full amount of that State’s matching requirement, either with State funds or from contributions toward the proposal from other agen cies, groups, or individuals. Sources other than State applicant funds must be documented and approved as eligi ble. (h) Total Federal contributions (in cluding all Federal sources outside of the Program) may not exceed the max imum eligible Federal share under the Program. This includes monies pro vided to the State by other Federal programs. If the amount of Federal money available to the project is more than the maximum allowed, we will re duce the Program contribution by the amount in excess. (i) Natural Resource Damage Assess ment funds that are managed by a non Federal trustee are considered to be non-Federal, even if these monies were once deposited in the Department of the Interior’s Natural Resource Dam age Assessment and Restoration Fund, provided the following criteria are met: (1) The monies were deposited pursu ant to a joint and indivisible recovery by the Department of the Interior and non-Federal trustees under the Com prehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) or the Oil Pollution Act (OPA); (2) The non-Federal trustee has joint and binding control over the funds; (3) The co-trustees agree that monies from the fund should be available to the non-Federal trustee and can be used as a non-Federal match to support a project consistent with the settle ment agreement, CERCLA, and OPA; and (4) The monies have been transferred to the non-Federal trustee. § 84.47 What are allowable costs? (a) Allowable grant costs are limited to costs necessary and reasonable to achieve approved grant objectives and meet the applicable Federal cost prin ciples in 43 CFR 12.62 (b). (b) If a project or facility is designed to include purposes other than those eligible under the Act, the costs must be prorated among the various pur poses. VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:11 Jun 01, 2023 Jkt 256244 PO 00000 Frm 00676 Fmt 8010 Sfmt 8010 Y:\SGML\256244.XXX 256244pp ar ke r on D S K 6V X H R 33 P R O D w ith C F R 667 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Serv., Interior ยง 84.48 (c) If you incur costs before the effec tive date of the grant, they cannot be reimbursed, with the exception that we can allow preliminary costs, but only with the approval of the appropriate Regional Director. Preliminary costs may include costs necessary for pre paring the grant proposal, such as fea sibility surveys, engineering design, bi ological reconnaissance, appraisals, or preparation of grant documents such as environmental assessments for compli ance with the National Environmental Policy Act. ยง 84.48 What are the procedures for ac quiring, maintaining, and disposing of real property? (a) Acquisition, maintenance, and disposal of real property must follow the rules established in 43 CFR 12.71 and 50 CFR 80.14. (1) Title to real property acquired under a grant or subgrant must be vested in the State or subgrantee, in cluding local governments and non profit organizations. States must sub mit documentation (e.g., appraisals and appraisal reviews) to the Regional Director who must approve it before the State becomes legally obligated for the purchase. States will provide title vesting evidence and summary of land costs upon completion of the acquisi tion. The grant agreement and any deed to third parties (e.g., conservation easement or other lien on a third-party property) must include appropriate language to ensure that the lands and/ or interests would revert back to the State or Federal Government if the conditions of the grant were no longer being implemented. (2) In cases where the interest ob tained is less than fee simple title, the interest must be sufficient for long term conservation of the specified wet lands resources. (3) Real property acquired with Na tional Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant funds must continue to serve the purpose for which it was acquired. If acquired property is used for reasons inconsistent with the purpose(s) for which acquired, such activities must cease and any adverse effects on the property must be corrected by the State or subgrantee with non-Federal monies in accordance with 50 CFR 80.14. (4) The State or subgrantee may not dispose of or encumber its title or other interest in real property without prior approval of the appropriate Re gional Director of the Service. Real property includes, but is not limited to, lands, buildings, minerals, energy resources, timber, grazing, and animal products. If real property is sold, the State or subgrantee must compensate the Service in accordance with 43 CFR 12.71(c)(2). (5) If rights or interests obtained with the acquisition of coastal wet lands generate revenue during the Grant Agreement period, the State will treat the revenue as program income and use it to manage the acquired properties. If the State sells or leases real property, the State must treat the proceeds as program income and return the money to the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration program regardless of the grant period. (6) Inconsistent use that is not cor rected can be grounds for denying a State future grants under this Pro gram. (b) A coastal State is responsible for design, supervision, and inspection of all major construction projects in ac cordance with accepted engineering standards. (1) The coastal State must have ade quate rights to lands or waters where restoration or enhancement projects are planned to ensure protection and use of the facilities or structures throughout their useful life. (2) The construction, enlargement, or rehabilitation of dams are subject to Federal standards for dam design. If re quested, the State must provide to the Regional Office written certification that any proposed changes to a dam meet Federal standards. (3) The coastal State must operate and maintain facilities, structures, or related assets to ensure their use for the stated project purpose and that they are adequately protected. (c) Acquisition, property records, maintenance, and disposal of equip ment must be made in accordance with 43 CFR 12.72. [67 FR 49267, July 30, 2002, as amended at 78 FR 35153, June 12, 2013] VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:11 Jun 01, 2023 Jkt 256244 PO 00000 Frm 00677 Fmt 8010 Sfmt 8010 Y:\SGML\256244.XXX 256244pp ar ke r on D S K 6V X H R 33 P R O D w ith C F R 668 50 CFR Ch. I (10–1–22 Edition) § 84.49 6 The Fish and Wildlife Service Manual, see footnote 3 for availability. § 84.49 What if the project costs more or less than originally expected? All requests for additional monies for approved coastal wetland grants will be subject to the entire review process along with new grants. Any monies left over after the project is complete, or if the project is not completed, should be returned to Headquarters for use in fol lowing years. If a State has lands it wishes to acquire, restore, or enhance in close proximity to the original project, and the Region deems that spending project monies in these areas would provide similar benefits, the Re gion may use unspent balances to pay for these projects with prior approval from Headquarters. States must pro vide adequate justification and docu mentation to the Regions that the lands acquired, restored, or enhanced are similar to those in the original pro posal and provide similar benefits to fish and wildlife. [67 FR 49267, July 30, 2002, as amended at 78 FR 35153, June 12, 2013] § 84.50 How does a State certify com pliance with Federal laws, regula tions, and policies? (a) In accepting Federal money, coastal State representatives must agree to and certify compliance with all applicable Federal laws, regula tions, and policies. The applicant will need to submit a Statement of Assur ances (either SF 424B or SF 424D) signed and dated by an authorized agency representative as part of the proposal. (b) Compliance with environmental and other laws, as defined in the Serv ice Manual 523 FW Chapter 1, 6 may re quire additional documentation. Con sult with Regional Offices for how this applies to a specific project. PART 85—CLEAN VESSEL ACT GRANT PROGRAM Subpart A—General Sec. 85.10 Purpose and scope. 85.11 Definitions. 85.12 Information collection, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements. Subpart B—Application for Grants 85.20 Eligible activities. 85.21 Application procedures. 85.22 Grant proposals. Subpart C—Grant Selection 85.30 Grant selection criteria. 85.31 Grant selection. Subpart D—Conditions on Use/ Acceptance of Funds 85.40 Cost sharing. 85.41 Allowable costs. 85.42 Real and personal property. 85.43 Signs and symbols. 85.44 Fee charges for use of facilities. 85.45 Public access to facilities and mainte nance. 85.46 Survey and plan standards. 85.47 Program crediting. 85.48 Compliance with Federal laws, regula tions, and policies. AUTHORITY: 16 U.S.C. 777g(c). SOURCE: 59 FR 11206, Mar. 10, 1994, unless otherwise noted. Subpart A—General § 85.10 Purpose and scope. The purpose of this part is to estab lish requirements for state participa tion in the Clean Vessel Act Grant Pro gram authorized by Section 5604 of the Clean Vessel Act (Public Law 102–587, Subtitle F). § 85.11 Definitions. Terms used in this part shall have the following meaning: Clean Vessel Act or Act. The Clean Vessel Act (Pub. L. 102–587, subtitle F). Coastal State. A State of the United States in, or bordering on, the Atlan tic, Pacific, or Arctic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, Long Island Sound, or one or more of the Great Lakes. The term also includes Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The term excludes Alaska and American Samoa because these States have a ratio of the number of recreational ves sels in the State numbered under chap ter 123 of title 46, United States Code, to number of miles of shoreline (as that term is defined in § 926.2(d) of title 15, VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:11 Jun 01, 2023 Jkt 256244 PO 00000 Frm 00678 Fmt 8010 Sfmt 8010 Y:\SGML\256244.XXX 256244pp ar ke r on D S K 6V X H R 33 P R O D w ith C F R