Office of the Secretary                                      Contact: Pat
Fisher, FWS
For Immediate Release: January 27, 2004                     202-208-5634

        SECRETARY NORTON ANNOUNCES $14 MILLION IN GRANTS TO TRIBES
           TO HELP FUND FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION PROJECTS

(WASHINGTON) ? Interior Secretary Gale Norton today announced that the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service is awarding 79 grants, totaling nearly $14
million, to help 60 federally recognized Indian tribes conserve and recover
endangered, threatened and at-risk species and other wildlife on tribal
lands.
      The Service is awarding the grants under two new programs, the Tribal
Landowner Incentive Program and Tribal Wildlife Grant Program. These
programs are similar to cost-share programs recently developed by the
department to assist states, local communities, private landowners and
other partners undertake wildlife conservation projects.
      Last year, for example, the department provided $34.8 million in
grants to states under the new Landowner Incentive Program to assist
private landowners in conserving and restoring the habitat of endangered
species and other at-risk plants and animals on their property. The program
was modeled after a successful program implemented by President Bush in
Texas when he was governor.
      "Native Americans have a unique relationship to and understanding of
the land and its wildlife," Norton said. "As part of the President's
overall Cooperative Conservation Initiative, the Interior Department is
providing these grants to build on our partnership with the tribes to
conserve tribal land and recover the wildlife, especially those species
that are in decline."
      Of the $14 million, the Service is providing about $4 million to
federally recognized Indian tribes to help fund 23 projects under TLIP.
Contributions from tribes and other partners raise the total value of these
projects to $6.8 million.The grants were chosen through a competitive
process to address protection, restoration and management of habitat to
benefit at-risk species, including federally listed endangered or
threatened species and proposed or candidate species. The maximum award
under this program is $200,000 with a required minimum 25-percent match
from non-federal funds.
      Meanwhile, about $10 million will help fund 56 projects under TWG.
Contributions from tribes and other partners increase the total value of
these projects to $12.4 million.These grants are awarded to federally
recognized Indian tribes to benefit fish, wildlife and their habitat
including non-game species. Although matching funds are not required for
these grants, they are considered to be an indicator of a tribe's
commitment. The maximum grant award under this program is $250,000.

"Indian peoples were North America's first stewards," said FWS Director
Steve Williams. "For generations, they have lived close to nature,
depending on wildlife for economic, cultural, and spiritual fulfillment.
The Service, through these two special grant programs, will strengthen its
conservation partnerships with tribes across the United States on behalf of
traditionally important wildlife species and their habitat."
Indians and Indian tribes have a controlling interest in more than 52
million acres of tribal trust lands and an additional 40 million acres held
by Alaska native corporations.
"Indian country harbors vast pristine habitats, marked by a representation
of an entire continental array of fish and wildlife species," said Ira New
Breast, executive director of the Native American Fish and Wildlife
Society. "The two Service grant programs will work to further raise the
capacity of Indian people to meet the dynamic challenges facing sustainable
Tribal management of this country's fish and wildlife resources."
Examples of TLIP and TWG grants awarded today are as follows:

      · The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians of North Carolina will use
         its $200,000 TLIP grant to undertake a multi-year comprehensive
         survey of plants and vertebrate aquatic and terrestrial fauna
         found on the reservation, resulting in a new Natural Heritage
         database to benefit species of concern. People will be able to
         use this new information to develop resource-management plans for
         individual species at risk, to conduct environmentally sensitive
         land-use practices, and to plan future commercial/residential
         development.

      · The Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of
         Wisconsin will use its $120,330 TWG to establish, restore, and
         maintain a harvestable lake sturgeon population in the Lac du
         Flambeau Chain of Lakes and the Bear River. Lake sturgeon is
         culturally significant to this Tribe and economically important to
         the State of Wisconsin. Since lake sturgeon are slow growing,
         long lived, and become sexually mature between the ages of 13-15
         years old for males and 22-24 years old for females, it is
         estimated it will take at least 25 years to restore a sustainable
         population.

      · The Passamaquoddy Tribe-Indian Township Reservation of Princeton,
         Maine will use its $180,700 TLIP grant to survey and assess
         populations of the Canada lynx, gray wolf, eastern cougar and
         other forest carnivores of great spiritual, cultural and economic
         importance to the tribe. The tribe will use the new data to
         better manage its land for these threatened and endangered species
         and to provide a balance of habitats to support other forest
         carnivores.

      · The Shoshone and Arapahoe Joint Council, of Fort Washakie,
         Wyoming, will use a $190,900 TWG to help meet the wildlife
         management challenges on the Wind River Reservation. The Council
         is particularly concerned about how best to manage large predators
         such as grizzly bears and wolves. It also wants to create a sage
         grouse/sage brush management plan. The sage brush ecosystem on
         the Wind River Reservation encompasses some 930,000 acres and its
         health is vital to the long-term sustainability of not only sage
         grouse and sage brush, but other species that also depend on this
         habitat such as antelope, pygmy rabbit, sage vole, sage thrasher,
         sage sparrow, and brewer's sparrow.

      A complete list of grants by State follows. For additional
information, please visit the Service's website at: http://www.fws.gov

      The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency
responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and
plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American
people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge
System, which encompasses 542 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small
wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national
fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resources offices and 81 ecological services
field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the
Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores
nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat
such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation
efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid Program, which distributes
hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting
equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.

                                 -- DOI --

Tribal Landowner Incentive Program

Alaska

Native Village of Eyak, Cordova, AK
$129,198
Razor clam rehabilitation project

St. George Island Traditional Council, St. George Island, AK
$127,592
Tribal management plan for protecting against invasive species and other
negative impacts on St. George Island

Arizona

Navajo Nation, Window Rock, AZ
$199,676
Navajo Nation Heritage Program Mesa Verdae Cactus Conservation Plan,
Biotics Conversion, Ecologist, and Ferruginous Hawk Survey and Nest
Protection

Maine

Passamaquooddy Tribe-Indian Township Reservation, Princeton, ME
$180,700
Population Assessment and Forest Management Planning for the Canada Lynx
and Other Rare and Endangered Forest Carnivores on Passamaquoddy Tribal
Lands in Maine

Penobscot Indian Nation, Indian Island, ME
$198,625
Katahdin to the Sea: Restoring the Penobscot River Ecosystem

Michigan

Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, Manistee, MI
$137,644
Study the Status and Habitat Use of Bobcat, Lynx rufus, in the Northern
Counties of MI

Minnesota

Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Cloquet, MN
$200,000
Fond du Lac Wild Rice Restoration Project - 4 Lakes

Grand Portage Band of Chippewa Indians, Grand Portage, MN
$84,911
Wetland and Wild Rice Restoration on Grand Portage Tribal Lands, Grand
Portage, MN

Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, Cass Lake, MN
$133,858
Rare, Threatened, and Endangered Species Habitat Enhancement and Wetland
Projects

Montana

Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes, Pablo, MT
$200,000
Grizzly Bear Habitat Enhancement

Nevada

Duckwater Tribe, Duckwater, NV
$200,000
Railroad Valley Springfish Critical Habitat Restoration Project

Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, Nixon, NV
$200,000
Numana and Coldstream Hatcheries Development Project

New Mexico

Jicarilla Apache Nation, Dulce, NM
$110,290
Habitat Improvement, Augmentation, and Monitoring of Roundtail Chub (Gila
robusta) in the Navajo River, Jicarilla Apache Nation, New Mexico

North Carolina

Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Cherokee, NC
$200,000
Natural Resources Survey for the Qualla Boundary

North Dakota

Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Fort Yates, ND
$89,700
Endangered Species Management Plan

Oregon

Confederated Tribes of Umatilla Indian Reservation, Pendleton, OR
$150,000
Umatilla River Floodplain Habitat Acquisition

South Carolina

Catawba Indian Nation, Catawba, SC
$200,000
Catawba Natural Resources Management Plan

South Dakota

Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, Lower Brule, SD
$192,154
Prairie Restoration

Oglala Sioux Tribe, Pine Ridge, SD
$199,835
Sungila Tokalo (Fox Society)

Sisseton-Wahpeton OyateTribe, Agency Village, SD
$199,161
Perennial Stream Study (Topeka Shiner)

Utah

Ute Indian Tribe, Ft. Duchesne, UT
$120,000
Native Fish Planning and Implementation

Washington

Nooksack Tribe, Deming, WA
$200,000
South Fork Nooksack Phase I Instream Restoration Project

Yakama Nation, Toppenish, WA
$199,841
Shrub-Steppe Rehabilitaion and Management Plan

Tribal Wildlife Grants 2003

Alabama

Poarch Band of Creek Indians, Atmore, AL
$250,000
Magnolia Branch Expansion Project

Alaska

Aleut Community of St. Paul Island, St. Paul Island, AK
$201,662
Evaluation of the Health and Restoration of the St. Paul Island Salt Lagoon

Craig Community Association, Craig, AK
$103,255
Hatchery Creek Fish Habitat Improvement Project

Native Village of Kotzebue IRA, Kotzebue, AK
$249,454
Habitat Use, Seasonal Movements and Stock Structure of Bearded Seals in
Kotzebue Sound, Alaska

Sitka Tribe, Sitka, AK $249,958
Sockeye Salmon and Pacific Herring Research

Arizona

Hualapai Tribe, Peach Springs, AZ
$249,376
Hualapai Tribe Native Fish Rearing Facility

California

Hoopa Tribe, Hoopa, CA $249,957
Northern Spotted Owl Demographic Analysis and Fisher Habitat Use,
Population Monitoring and Dispersal Feasibility Study

Rumsey Tribe, Brooks, CA
$250,000
Cache Creek Cultural Restoration Project

Twenty-Nine Palms, Coachella, CA
$216,955
The Old Woman Mountains Preserve Program

Connecticut

Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, Mashantucket, CT
$82,040
Examination of Population Status, Habitat Needs, and Home Range Size of
Significant Predator and Prey Species in a Suburban Environment in
Connecticut
Idaho

Nez Perce Tribe, Lapwai, ID
$236,310
Developing Monitoring Protocol

Louisiana

Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana, Marksville, LA
$21,000
Reforestation of Tribal Lands

Maine

Aroostook Band of Micmacs, Presque Isle, ME
$80,647
Aroostook Band of Micmacs Brown Ash Management and Re-introduction Project

Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, Littleton, ME
$68,867
Wildlife Habitat Enhancement Program

Penobscot Indian Nation, Indian Island, ME
$250,000
Development of a Management Strategy for Moose and White-tailed Deer on
Penobscot Nation Trust Lands

Michigan

Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, Suttons Bay, MI
$160,000
Evaluate and Enhance American Martin and Other Predatory Furbearer
Populations

Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, Baraga, MI $120,000
Native Fish Species Projects on the L'Anse Indian Reservation and Adjacent
Waters

Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, Manistee, MI
$133,500
Assessment of Riparian Habitat Restoration in the Manistee River Corridor
Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi, Fulton, MI
$249,839
Comprehensive Wildlife Management Plan - 3 projects (Plan, Greenhouse &
Invasive Species Control)

Minnesota

Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, Cloquet, MN
$133,150
Moose Population Dynamics and Census Techniques Research

Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, Cloquet, MN
$60,920
Angler Exploitation of Select Walleye Populations in the 1854 Ceded
Territory of MN

Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, Cloquet, MN
$42,506
Sturgeon Population Study on the upper St. Louis River

Grand Portage Band of Chippewa Indians, Grand Portage, MN
$104,025
Continued Assessment and Rehabilitation of Native, At Risk Species in Lake
Superior and Adjoining Tributaries in and around the Area of Grand Portage,
MN including the Pigeon River and Bay

Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Indians, Cass Lake, MN
$209,708
Wildlife Habitat Assessment with an Emphasis on Rare and Culturally
Important Species - Including Wild Rice Inventory

Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, Red Lake, MN $247,007
Red Lake Wildlife Habitat Preservation and Maintenance, Enhancement and
Evaluation Project

Montana

Blackfeet Nation, Browning, MT
$152,615
Four Wildlife Projects

Chippewa Cree Tribe, Box Elder, MT $250,000
Enhance Tribal Fish & Wildlife

Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes, Pablo, MT
$212,050
Columbian Sharp-Tailed Grouse

Ft. Belknap, Harlem, MT $250,000
Comprehensive Wildlife Management

Ft. Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes, Poplar, MT
$225,000
Swift Fox Restoration

Nevada

Duckwater Tribe, Duckwater, NV
$250,000
Railroad Valley Springfish Critical Habitat Restoration Project

New Mexico

Pueblo of Acoma, Acoma, NM $249,203
Habitat Improvements on the Pueblo of Acoma Indian Reservation

Pueblo of Santa Ana, Santa Ana Pueblo, NM $210,301
Release, Monitor, and Manage A Viable Population of Merriam's Turkey
(Meleagris gallopavo merriami) on the Pueblo of Santa Ana, Sandoval County,
New Mexico

North Carolina

Eastern Band of Cherokees, Cherokee, NC
$250,000
The Repair and Update of Tribal Fish Hatcheries

North Dakota

Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Fort Yates, ND
$192,976
Survey of Tribal Lakes

Three Affiliated Tribes, New Town, ND
$248,522
Big Game Habitat Usage/Migration

Oregon

Klamath Tribe, Chiloquin, OR $50,000
Mule Deer Distribution, Habitat Use and Population Project

South Carolina

Catawba Indian Nation, Catawba, SC $250,000
Catawba Wildlife Lands Acquisition

South Dakota

Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, Lower Brule, SD
$160,957
Swift Fox & Black-Footed Ferret

Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, Lower Brule, SD
$88,000
Wetland Restoration

Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Tribe, Agency Village, SD
$183,702
Comprehensive Management Plans

Oglala Sioux Tribe, Pine Ridge, SD
$246,638
Igmu Tanka (Big Cat)

Texas

Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas, Livingston, TX
$149,938
Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas Tribal Fish and Wildlife Management
Program

Washington

Nooksack Tribe, Deming, WA $204,000
Nooksack Cumulative Watershed Effects Assessment South Fork Nooksack
In-Stream Restoration Project

Puyallup Tribe, Tacoma, WA $166,147
Mount Rainier National Park and South Rainier Elk Herd Study

Quileute Tribe, LaPush, WA
$75,019
Population, Harvest Numbers and Health Survey of Roosevelt Elk in Quileute
Treaty Area

Sauk-Suiattle Tribe, Darrington, WA $172,724
Cooperative Mountain Goat Habitat Modeling and Habitat Use and Sighting
Surveys

Yakama Tribe, Toppenish, WA $249,720
Survey and Groundwork for the Yakama Reservation Wildlife Management Plan

Wisconsin

Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, Odanah, WI
$147,784
Restoration of the Raymond "Snooty" Couture Fish Hatchery and Rearing Ponds

Ho-Chunk Nation, Black River Falls, WI
$50,000
Monitoring and Management of Gray Wolf (Canus lupus) in the Central Forest
Region of WI

Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, Hayward, WI
$249,800
LCO Fisheries Program Development including Lake and Stream Surveys

Lac du Flambeau Band Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, Lac du Flambeau, WI
$120,330
Lac du Flambeau Lake Sturgeon Restoration Project on the Lac du Flambeau
Chain of Lakes and Bear River

Menominee Indian Tribe, Keshena, WI $91,031
Lake Sturgeon Restoration Project

Menominee Indian Tribe, Keshena, WI $55,986
Timber Wolf Reintroduction

Stockbridge-Munsee Community, Bowler, WI $250,000
Stockbridge - Munsee Fish and Wildlife project

Wyoming

Shoshone and Arapaho Joint Council, Fort Washakie, WY
$190,900
Management Plan for Grizzly, Wolf, and Sage Grouse