The proposed amendment to 68-1.003 would add a new part to the rule to address Non-Traditional Section 6 grants programs, clarify and add detail to the Boating Safety and Education Grant Program Guidelines, and address minor changes to Guidelines ...

 

FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION

RULE NO.:RULE TITLE:

68-1.003Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Grants Program

PURPOSE AND EFFECT: The proposed amendment to Rule 68-1.003, F.A.C., would add a new part to the rule to address Non-Traditional Section 6 grants programs, clarify and add detail to the Boating Safety and Education Grant Program Guidelines, and address minor changes to Guidelines and forms for the State Wildlife Grants Program and the Florida Boating Improvement Program.

SUMMARY: The Non-Traditional Section 6 grants are Federal Grants that provide flow-through funds from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to non-federal entities. The Non-Traditional Section 6 grants to be included are Habitat Conservation Planning Grants, Habitat Conservation Plan Land Acquisition Grants, and Recovery Lands Acquisitions Grants programs. The proposed addition to the rule will allow FWC the ability to provide guidance to applicants and assure that project packages are complete and appropriately detailed in budget and scope prior to being submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The intent is to standardize the application, tracking and reporting processes for these grant programs.

Proposed revisions to the Boating Safety and Education Grant Program Guidelines include eligible and ineligible uses of grant funds, eligible participants, the minimum grant award, the evaluation criteria, and the evaluation committee.

Proposed revisions to the Florida Boating Improvement Program Guidelines include project type categories and eligible uses of program funds; distribution of funds; evaluation criteria, compliance requirements regarding construction permits, and changes to the application form to clarify pre-award costs and cost share and the instructions for submitting attachments to the application.

The proposed amendment would also address revisions and reformatting to Florida’s State Wildlife Grants Program Guidelines, Budget Form, and Application Form. These revisions would remove obsolete language and references, provide updated language and references, clarify changes to the grants program regarding targeted and general grant types, and include new requirements for complete proposals to address reporting needs for the federal Tracking and Reporting Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS) system.

SUMMARY OF STATEMENT OF ESTIMATED REGULATORY COSTS AND LEGISLATIVE RATIFICATION: The Agency has determined that this will not have an adverse impact on small business or likely increase directly or indirectly regulatory costs in excess of $200,000 in the aggregate within one year after the implementation of the rule. A SERC has not been prepared by the Agency.

The Agency has determined that the proposed rule is not expected to require legislative ratification based on the statement of estimated regulatory costs or if no SERC is required, the information expressly relied upon and described herein: the nature of the rule and the preliminary analysis conducted to determine whether a SERC was required.

Any person who wishes to provide information regarding a statement of estimated regulatory costs, or provide a proposal for a lower cost regulatory alternative must do so in writing within 21 days of this notice.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY: Art. IV, Sec. 9, Florida Constitution, 327.04, 327.47, 379.106 FS.

LAW IMPLEMENTED: Art. IV, Sec. 9, Florida Constitution 327.47, 328.72, 379.106 FS.

IF REQUESTED WITHIN 21 DAYS OF THE DATE OF THIS NOTICE, A HEARING WILL BE SCHEDULED AND ANNOUNCED IN THE FAR.

THE PERSON TO BE CONTACTED REGARDING THE PROPOSED RULE IS: Boating Safety and Education Grant Program: Captain Tom Shipp, Division of Law Enforcement, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Bryant Building Headquarters, 620 S. Meridian St., Tallahassee, FL 32399, [phone]

Florida Boating Improvement Program: Tim Woody, Division of Law Enforcement, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Bryant Building Headquarters, 620 S. Meridian St., Tallahassee, FL 32399, [phone].

Non-traditional Section 6: Tom Ostertag, Division of Habitat and Species Conservation, Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 620 South Meridian Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399, [phone].

State Wildlife Grants Program: Andrea Alden, Division of Habitat and Species Conservation, Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 620 South Meridian Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399, [phone].

 

THE FULL TEXT OF THE PROPOSED RULE IS:

 

68-1.003 Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Grants Program.

(1) through (7) No change.

(8) Florida Boating Safety and Education Grant Program grants shall meet all additional program requirements set forth in the Boating Safety and Education Grant Program Guidelines (dated January 2015 Jan. 2008), which are hereby incorporated by reference. The following form is hereby adopted and incorporated by reference: FWC/FBSEG, Florida Boating Safety and Education Grant Application, 07/08. The guidelines and form are available from the Commission at 620 S. Meridian Street, 1M, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1600 or https://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-____.

(9) Florida Boating Improvement Program grants shall meet all additional program requirements set forth in the Florida Boating Improvement Program Guidelines (January 2015 Mar. 2012), which are hereby incorporated by reference. The following forms are hereby adopted and incorporated by reference: FWC/FBIP-A, Florida Boating Improvement Program Grant Application for Recreational Channel Markers and Other Uniform Waterway Markers, 01/15 03/12; FWC/FBIP-B, Florida Boating Improvement Program Grant Application for Boating Access Facilities, 01/15 03/12; FWC/FBIP-C, Florida Boating Improvement Program Grant Application for Derelict Vessel Removal, 01/15 03/12; FWC/FBIP-D, Florida Boating Improvement Program Boater Education Grant Application, 01/15 03/12; FWC/FBIP-E, Florida Boating Improvement Program Grant Application for Economic Initiatives and Other Local Boating Related Projects, 01/15 03/12. The guidelines and forms are available at https://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-____ and https://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-_____ or from the Commission at 620 S. Meridian Street, 1M, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1600.

(10) No change.

(11) Florida’s State Wildlife Grants Program grants shall meet all additional program requirements set forth in Florida’s State Wildlife Grants Program Guidelines (dated November 2014 February 2010, revised July 2011), which are hereby incorporated by reference and available at https://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-____. The following forms are hereby adopted and incorporated by reference: FWC/SWG-1, entitled “Florida State Wildlife Grants Program Budget Form,” November 2014, available at https://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp? No=Ref-_____ June 2008, and FWC/SWG-2, entitled “Florida State Wildlife Grants Program Application Form,” November 2014, available at https://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-____ June 2008. The guidelines and forms are also available from the Commission at 620 South Meridian Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1600.

(12) No change.

(13) Non-Traditional Section 6 Grants Program grants shall meet all additional program requirements set forth in Florida’s Non-Traditional Section 6 Grants Program Guidelines (November 2014,) FWC/NTS6-1, which are hereby incorporated by reference and available at https://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-____. The following forms are hereby adopted and incorporated by reference: FWC/NTS6-2, entitled “Florida’s Non-Traditional Section 6 Grants Program Application Form,” dated November 2014 and available at https://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-____; FWC/NTS6-3 “Florida’s Non-Traditional Section 6 Grants Program Task Schedule and Timeline,” dated November 2014 and available at https://www.flrules.org/ Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-____; and FWC/NTS6-4 “Florida’s Non-Traditional Section 6 Grants Program Budget Sheet,” dated November 2014 and available at https://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-____. The guidelines and forms are also available from the Commission at 620 South Meridian Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1600.

Rulemaking Authority 206.606, 327.04, 327.47, 379.106 FS. Law Implemented 206.606, 327.47, 328.72, 379.106 FS. History–New 4-4-04, Amended 3-15-05, Formerly 68A-2.015, Amended 5-22-07, 7-6-08, 1-18-09, 3-21-10, 6-30-10, 5-20-12,__________.

 

NAME OF PERSON ORIGINATING PROPOSED RULE: Boating Safety and Education Grant Program:

Captain Tom Shipp, Division of Law Enforcement, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Bryant Building Headquarters, 620 S. Meridian St., Tallahassee, FL 32399, [phone]

Florida Boating Improvement Program: Tim Woody, Division of Law Enforcement, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Bryant Building Headquarters, 620 S. Meridian St., Tallahassee, FL 32399, [phone]

Non-traditional Section 6: Tom Ostertag, Division of Habitat and Species Conservation, Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 620 South Meridian Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399, [phone]

State Wildlife Grants Program: Andrea Alden, Division of Habitat and Species Conservation

Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 620 South Meridian Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399, [phone].

NAME OF AGENCY HEAD WHO APPROVED THE PROPOSED RULE: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

DATE PROPOSED RULE APPROVED BY AGENCY HEAD: November 20, 2014

DATE NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULE DEVELOPMENT PUBLISHED IN FAR: August 26, 2014