Collapse to view only § 80.63 - Does an agency have to allocate costs in multipurpose projects and facilities?

§ 80.60 - What is the relationship between the Basic Hunter Education and Safety subprogram and the Enhanced Hunter Education and Safety program?

The relationship between the Basic Hunter Education and Safety subprogram (Basic Hunter Education) and the Enhanced Hunter Education and Safety program (Enhanced Hunter Education) is in table 1 to § 80.60:

Table 1 to § 80.60
Basic Hunter Education funds Enhanced Hunter Education funds (a) Which activities are eligible for funding?Those listed at § 80.50(a) and (b)Those listed at 80.50(c), but see 80.60(d) under Basic Hunter Education funds. (b) How long are funds available for obligation?Two Federal fiscal yearsOne Federal fiscal year. (c) What if funds are not fully obligated during the period of availability?The Service may use unobligated funds to carry out the Migratory Bird Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 715 et seq.).The Service reapportions unobligated funds to eligible States as Wildlife Restoration funds for the following fiscal year. States are eligible to receive funds only if their Basic Hunter Education funds were fully obligated in the preceding fiscal year for activities at § 80.50(b). (d) What if funds are fully obligated during the period of availability?If Basic Hunter Education funds are fully obligated for activities listed at 80.50(b), the agency may use that fiscal year's Enhanced Hunter Education funds for eligible activities related to Basic Hunter Education, Enhanced Hunter Education, or the Wildlife Restoration program.No special provisions apply.
[76 FR 46156, Aug. 1, 2011, as amended at 84 FR 44787, Aug. 27, 2019]

§ 80.61 - What requirements apply to funds for the Recreational Boating Access subprogram?

The requirements of this section apply to allocating and obligating funds for the Recreational Boating Access subprogram.

(a) A State fish and wildlife agency must allocate funds from each annual apportionment under the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act for use in the subprogram.

(b) Over each 5-year period, the total allocation for the subprogram in each of the Service's geographic regions must average at least 15 percent of the Sport Fish Restoration funds apportioned to the States in that Region. As long as this requirement is met, an individual State agency may allocate more or less than 15 percent of its annual apportionment in a single Federal fiscal year with the Regional Director's approval.

(c) The Regional Director calculates Regional allocation averages for separate 5-year periods that coincide with Federal fiscal years 2008-2012, 2013-2017, 2018-2022, and each subsequent 5-year period.

(d) If the total Regional allocation for a 5-year period is less than 15 percent, the State agencies may, in a memorandum of understanding, agree among themselves which of them will make the additional allocations to eliminate the Regional shortfall.

(e) This paragraph applies if State fish and wildlife agencies do not agree on which of them will make additional allocations to bring the average Regional allocation to at least 15 percent over a 5-year period. If the agencies do not agree:

(1) The Regional Director may require States in the Region to make changes needed to achieve the minimum 15-percent Regional average before the end of the fifth year; and

(2) The Regional Director must not require a State to increase or decrease its allocation if the State has allocated at least 15 percent over the 5-year period.

(f) A Federal obligation of these allocated funds must occur by the end of the fourth consecutive Federal fiscal year after the Federal fiscal year in which the funds first became available for allocation.

(g) If the agency's application to use these funds has not led to a Federal obligation by that time, these allocated funds become available for reapportionment among the State fish and wildlife agencies for the following fiscal year.

§ 80.62 - What limitations apply to spending on the Aquatic Resource Education and the Outreach and Communications subprograms?

The limitations in this section apply to State fish and wildlife agency spending on the Aquatic Resource Education and Outreach and Communications subprograms.

(a) Each State's fish and wildlife agency may spend a maximum of 15 percent of the annual amount apportioned to the State from the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund for activities in both subprograms. The 15-percent maximum applies to both subprograms as if they were one.

(b) The 15-percent maximum for the subprograms does not apply to the Commonwealths of Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands, the District of Columbia, and the territories of Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa. These jurisdictions may spend more than 15 percent of their annual apportionments for both subprograms with the approval of the Regional Director.

§ 80.63 - Does an agency have to allocate costs in multipurpose projects and facilities?

Yes. A State fish and wildlife agency must allocate costs in multipurpose projects and facilities. A grant-funded project or facility is multipurpose if it carries out the purposes of:

(a) A single grant program under the Acts; and

(b) Another grant program under the Acts, a grant program not under the Acts, or an activity unrelated to grants.

§ 80.64 - How does an agency allocate costs in multipurpose projects and facilities?

A State fish and wildlife agency must allocate costs in multipurpose projects based on the uses or benefits for each purpose that will result from the completed project or facility. The agency must describe the method used to allocate costs in multipurpose projects or facilities in the project statement included in the grant application.

§ 80.65 - Does an agency have to allocate funds between marine and freshwater fisheries projects?

Yes. Each coastal State's fish and wildlife agency must equitably allocate the funds apportioned under the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act between projects with benefits for marine fisheries and projects with benefits for freshwater fisheries.

(a) The subprograms authorized by the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act do not have to allocate funding in the same manner as long as the State fish and wildlife agency equitably allocates Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration funds as a whole between marine and freshwater fisheries.

(b) The coastal States for purposes of this allocation are:

(1) Alabama, Alaska, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Washington;

(2) The Commonwealths of Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands; and

(3) The territories of Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa.

§ 80.66 - What requirements apply to allocation of funds between marine and freshwater fisheries projects?

The requirements of this section apply to allocation of funds between marine and freshwater fisheries projects.

(a) When a State fish and wildlife agency allocates and obligates funds it must meet the following requirements:

(1) The ratio of total funds obligated for marine fisheries projects to total funds obligated for marine and freshwater fisheries projects combined must equal the ratio of resident marine anglers to the total number of resident anglers in the State; and

(2) The ratio of total funds obligated for freshwater fisheries projects to total funds obligated for marine and freshwater fisheries projects combined must equal the ratio of resident freshwater anglers to the total number of resident anglers in the State.

(b) A resident angler is one who fishes for recreational purposes in the same State where he or she maintains legal residence.

(c) Agencies must determine the relative distribution of resident anglers in the State between those that fish in marine environments and those that fish in freshwater environments. Agencies must use the National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-associated Recreation or another statistically reliable survey or technique approved by the Regional Director for this purpose.

(d) If an agency uses statistical sampling to determine the relative distribution of resident anglers in the State between those that fish in marine environments and those that fish in freshwater environments, the sampling must be complete by the earlier of the following:

(1) Five years after the last statistical sample; or

(2) Before completing the first certification following any change in the licensing system that could affect the number of sportfishing license holders.

(e) The amounts allocated from each year's apportionment do not necessarily have to result in an equitable allocation for each year. However, the amounts allocated over a variable period, not to exceed 3 years, must result in an equitable allocation between marine and freshwater fisheries projects.

(f) Agencies that fail to allocate funds equitably between marine and freshwater fisheries projects may become ineligible to use Sport Fish Restoration program funds. These agencies must remain ineligible until they demonstrate to the Director that they have allocated the funds equitably.

§ 80.67 - May an agency finance an activity from more than one annual apportionment?

A State fish and wildlife agency may use funds from more than one annual apportionment to finance high-cost projects, such as construction or acquisition of lands or interests in lands, including water rights. An agency may do this in either of the following ways:

(a) Finance the entire cost of the acquisition or construction from a non-Federal funding source. The Service will reimburse funds to the agency in succeeding apportionment years according to a plan approved by the Regional Director and subject to the availability of funds.

(b) Negotiate an installment purchase or contract in which the agency pays periodic and specified amounts to the seller or contractor according to a plan that schedules either reimbursements or advances of funds immediately before need. The Service will reimburse or advance funds to the agency according to a plan approved by the Regional Director and subject to the availability of funds.

§ 80.68 - What requirements apply to financing an activity from more than one annual apportionment?

The following conditions apply to financing an activity from more than one annual apportionment:

(a) A State fish and wildlife agency must agree to complete the project even if Federal funds are not available. If an agency does not complete the project, it must recover any expended Federal funds that did not result in commensurate wildlife or sport-fishery benefits. The agency must then reallocate the recovered funds to approved projects in the same program.

(b) The project statement included with the application must have a complete schedule of payments to finish the project.

(c) Interest and other financing costs may be allowable subject to the restrictions in the applicable Federal Cost Principles.