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.

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, and the minimum and maximum grant award. 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, the number of grant awards to a grantee, extensions to grant awards; 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.

SUBJECT AREA TO BE ADDRESSED: The Non-Traditional Section 6 grants listed above; the Boating Safety and Education Grant Program, which is currently identified in subsection (8) of the rule; the Florida Boating Improvement Program Guidelines and application forms, which are currently identified in subsection (9) of the rule; and the Florida’s State Wildlife Grants Program, which is currently identified in subsection (11) of the rule.

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.

A RULE DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP WILL BE HELD AT THE DATES, TIMES AND PLACE SHOWN BELOW:

DATES AND TIMES: Workshop 1: Boating Safety and Education Grant Program & Florida Boating Improvement Program: September 16, 2014, 2:00 p.m., Workshop 2: Non-traditional Section 6 & State Wildlife Grants: September 19, 2014, 2:30 p.m.

PLACES: Workshop 1: Boating Safety and Education Grant Program & Florida Boating Improvement Program: Farris Bryant Building Auditorium, Rm. 272, 620 South Meridian Street, Tallahassee, Florida

Workshop 2: Non-traditional Section 6 & State Wildlife Grants: Farris Bryant Building Auditorium, Rm. 272, 620 South Meridian Street, Tallahassee, Florida and Adobe Connect webinar, https://fwc.adobeconnect.com/_a811067963/taxa_coordination/

Choose enter as guest and provide your name. Dial 1[phone] for audio. Participant access code: 336-626-4667

Pursuant to the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, any person requiring special accommodations to participate in this workshop/meeting is asked to advise the agency at least 5 days before the workshop/meeting by contacting: the ADA Coordinator at [phone]. If you are hearing or speech impaired, please contact the agency using the Florida Relay Service, 1(800)955-8771 (TDD) or 1(800)955-8770 (Voice).

THE PERSON TO BE CONTACTED REGARDING THE PROPOSED RULE DEVELOPMENT AND A COPY OF THE PRELIMINARY DRAFT, IF AVAILABLE, IS: Boating Safety and Education Grant Program and Florida Boating Improvement Programs:

Captain Tom Shipp and Tim Woody

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Bryant Building Headquarters

620 S. Meridian St.

Tallahassee, FL 32399; [phone];

[e-mail]

[e-mail]

 

Non-traditional Section 6 and State Wildlife Grants:

Brad Gruver and Andrea Alden

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Bryant Building Headquarters

620 S. Meridian St.

Tallahassee, FL 32399; [phone]

[e-mail]

[e-mail].

THE PRELIMINARY TEXT OF THE PROPOSED RULE DEVELOPMENT IS NOT AVAILABLE.