more than $2 million to tribes 022610

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NEWS RELEASE U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Pacific Southwest Regional Office http://www.fws.gov/cno

February 25, 2010

More Than $2 Million Awarded to 12 Native American Tribes in California and Nevada for Wide Range of Conservation Work

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Acting Director Rowan Gould today announced that nine Native American Tribes in California, and three in Nevada, have been awarded more than $2 million in grants to fund projects that will benefit fish and wildlife resources. The grant awards are part of $7 million in Tribal Wildlife Grants that will fund 42 Native American projects in 16 states.

“Tribal Wildlife Grants are much more than a fiscal resource for Tribes. The projects and partnerships supported by this program have enhanced our commitment to Native Americans and to the United States’ shared wildlife resources,” Gould said.

More than $50 million has gone to Native American tribes through the Tribal Wildlife Grants program in the past eight years, providing funding for 400 conservation projects administered by 162 participating federally-recognized tribes. The grants provide technical and financial assistance for the development and implementation of projects that benefit fish and wildlife resources and their habitat, including non-game species.

“We take a proactive approach to assist tribes in developing good conservation projects and quality proposals that compete well nationally,” said Ren Lohoefener, Regional Director of the Service’s Pacific Southwest Region. “We will continue to hold tribal grant workshops around the region to support tribes in their wildlife conservation efforts.”

The grants have enabled tribes to develop increased management capacity, improve and enhance relationships with partners including State agencies, address cultural and environmental priorities, and heighten interest of tribal students in fisheries, wildlife and related fields of study. Some grants have been awarded to enhance recovery efforts for threatened and endangered species.

The grants are provided exclusively to federally-recognized Indian tribal governments and are made possible under the Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2002 through the State and Tribal Wildlife Grant program.

During the current grant cycle, tribes submitted a total of 137 proposals that were scored by panels in each Service Region using uniform ranking criteria. A national scoring panel recommended 42 proposals for funding. Nine tribes in California will receive $1.546, 432 million in grants. Three tribes in Nevada will receive $455,466. A list of tribes, projects and grant amounts follows:

CALIFORNIA Habematolel Band of Pomo Indians ($171,686) Clear Lake Hitch Recovery Project This project allows for continued recovery of Clear Lake Hitch, including water quality monitoring, fish ecology studies and other habitat improvements.

Hoopa Valley Tribe ($200,000) Bobcat Ecology and Fisher Survival Project. This project expands past efforts to include radio telemetry work on bobcats, a major fisher predator, and continue collection of fisher demographic data.

Karuk Tribe ($195,000) Bluff/Camp Creek Habitat Protection - Road Decommissioning This project involves the protection and enhancement of habitat for spring Chinook, Coho salmon and Steelhead populations impacted by the decommissioning of more than 17 miles of road within the Bluff/Camp Creek watersheds.

Pinoleville Pomo Nation ($116,950) Restoring Oak Woodlands This project will restore and protect cultural/natural landscapes that provide habitat for species significant to Pomo peoples on cultural lands and land owned by the Mendocino Redwood Company.

Round Valley Indian Tribes ($65,796) Mill Creek Riparian Corridor Project. This project will involve planting several thousand trees and shrubs to re-vegetate approximately 2.5 linear miles of stream bank and approximately 53 acres of associated floodplain.

Susanville Indian Rancheria ($200,000) Re-establishment of Wild Eagle Lake Rainbow Trout. This project involves the study of the natural life cycle of Eagle Lake Rainbow Trout, which has depended on hatcheries to sustain its population for more than 60 years. This project will test potential restoration actions that could result in restoring a wild spawning population of the trout.

Washoe Tribe ($197,000) Wildlife Management Plan. This project will develop a comprehensive wildlife management plan to manage and maintain a healthy wildlife population throughout tribal lands. This plan will provide the information needed for future comprehensive surveys, habitat restoration, and development of new resource management techniques.

Rumsey Band of Wintun Indians ($200,000) Cache Creek Cultural Restoration Project. This project will establish a habitat management program on 86 acres of tribal–owned lands along the Cache Creek riparian corridor in the Capay Valley of Yolo County. Major goals of this project are to fund an invasive weed control program, restore habitat, and enhance capacity to ensure stewardship of critical wildlife habitat.

Yurok Tribe ($200,000) Condor Reintroduction Feasibility Initiative. Grants will enable the tribe to continue its study of the feasibility of reintroducing California condors, a federal and state listed endangered species, within Yurok ancestral territory.

NEVADA Moapa Band of Paiute Indians ($55,446) Muddy River Habitat Enhancement Project. This project will restore stream banks associated with the riparian habitat that borders Muddy River on the Moapa Band of Paiute Indian Reservation.

Summit Lake Band of Paiute Indians ($200,000) Food Web Investigation to Promote Lahontan Cutthroat Trout (LCT) Recovery. This project will research the relationship between non-native minnows and LCT to validate management decisions. The project will also determine the trophic status and bioenergetics of the Summit Lake aquatic ecosystem, allowing for a food web analysis of the ecosystem which will guide future monitoring plans.

Walker River Paiute Tribe ($200,000) Tamarisk Removal for Habitat Restoration. This project will mechanically eradicate tamarisk from 700 acres in an area north of Walker Lake, Nev., and re-establish native vegetation. The grant also provides funding to increase the tribe’s efforts for testing and executing effective tamarisk control methods.

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen in California, Nevada and the Klamath Basin visit www.fws.gov/cno .