TRACS System Guidance and Best Practices

System Guidance
&
Best Practices
2013

1. TRACS Guidance Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.1 Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.2 Grant Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.2.1 Grant Translation Best Management Practices (BMPs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.2.1.1 Boating Infrastructure Grant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.2.1.2 Coordination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.2.1.3 Hunter Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.3 Geospatial Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.4 Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.5 Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.6 Project Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.7 Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.8 Workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.9 Grant Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.10 Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.11 Standardized Outputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.12 Effectiveness Measures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.13 Estimated Costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.14 Lands Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.15 Performance Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.16 Legacy Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.17 Queries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.18 System Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.19 Narratives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.20 Attachments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.21 Access Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.22 User Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3
4
7
9
10
11
13
14
16
18
20
21
22
24
27
29
31
32
34
36
38
39
40
65
67
68
69

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

TRACS Guidance Home
A new system for Tracking and Reporting of Actions for the Conservation of Species (Wildlife TRACS) was implemented by the Wildlife and Sport
Fish Restoration (WSFR) program in 2013. It was designed as an accomplishment reporting system integrated with the WSFR grant process.
This document is intended to provide guidance on Wildlife TRACS for federal and state users. Most information is provided in a question and
answer format. It is a living document that will be updated as new issues and system modifications arise.
This guidance document focuses on aspects of Wildlife TRACS that relate to the WSFR grant process that is summarized in the Grant Process
and Workflow sections. The front end of the grant process that involves applying for grants is covered primarily in the Data Structure and Grant
Application sections. The back end of the grant process that involves preformance reporting is covered primarily in the Performance Reporting,
Standardized Outputs and Effectiveness Measures sections. Other sections of this document are more overarching.
This document was developed by the state-federal TRACS Guidance Committee that was established in late 2012. Committee members
included Justin Cutler, Amy Derosier, Karla Drewsen, Ron Essig, Eric Gardner, Mike Harris, Karl Hess, Dan Hogan, Mark Humpert, Paul Kline,
Becky Miller, Jane Riley, Rosie Roegner, Deborah Schimmel, Lisa Van Alstyne, Paul VanRyzin, and Debbie Wircenske. This committee met by
webinar on a regular basis, typically twice a month, to resolve operational issues and to document them.

3

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

Definitions
Wildlife TRACS Glossary

4

Action

An intervention undertaken by a project team to reduce threats,
capitalize on opportunities, or restore natural species and
ecosystems (equivalent to a "strategy" in the CMP Open Standards).
An action is user defined and can be represented spatially by
polygon(s) on the Data TRACS mapper. Projects contain one or
more actions; and, actions are used as the reporting mechanism for
grants.

Activity

A specific descriptor of an action used for very specific reporting
needs. This level of detail is optional with some exceptions. For those
programs for which this level of detail is required, outputs are also
required. Estimated costs are optional at this level.

Approach

A description of the methods used to achieve the stated objectives.
Methods within the approach would typically be translated to actions
in TRACS.

Basemap

A map depicting background reference information such as
landforms, roads, landmarks, and political boundaries, onto which
other thematic information is placed. A basemap is used for locational
reference and often includes a geodetic control network as part of its
structure.

Bookmarks

A Data TRACS map tool that enables a user to quickly access
frequently used geographic locations.

Bundle

A collection of projects and/or actions rolled up together in a package
for submittal to WSFR for approval (e.g., projects consolidated into an
application bundle or actions consolidated into a performance report)

Category

A category is a generic descriptor that determines the type of action.
This is a pick list in TRACS. Estimated costs are required at this level.
Category is used as a basis for aggregating like actions for reporting
purposes within and across states.

Converted Data

Data from legacy systems or remote databases that has been
translated into a structure that is compatible with TRACS.

Data Ingestion

The process of consuming data from remote systems in a format that
is compatible with TRACS.

Effectiveness Measure

Indicator used by the State Wildlife Grant program to assess
whether a given conservation action is leading to its desired
objectives and ultimate impacts.

Expected Results

Description of the expected effects of the completed project on
people or resources.

Feature Editor

A Data TRACS tool that allows users to create and edit plan, project,
and action shapes.

Feature Explorer

A Data TRACS tool that allows users to view, create, and edit plan,
project and action attributes such as properties, cost, objectives, and
attachments.

Feature Search

A Data TRACS tool that allows users to search for a plan, project, or
action.

Geospatial Data

Information that identifies the specific location and characteristics of
natural or constructed features as well as boundaries on the earth.

Grant

An award of money, the main purpose of which is the transfer of
funds from a Federal agency to a grantee to support or stimulate an
authorized public purpose. We use the term 'grant' for both grants
and cooperative agreements.

Grantee

The State agency or other organization to which a grant is awarded
and which is accountable for the use of Federal funds.

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

5

Guided Process Tool

Data TRACS functionality that allows users to follow a step-by-step
process to enter information into TRACS.

Indicator

A method of measuring the desired future state of an objective.
TRACS uses indicators to assess whether a given conservation
action is leading to a desired objective and ultimate impact.
Indicators may be created using standard outputs (i.e. measurable by
action outputs) or custom outputs (i.e. measurable only by the end
user via periodic progress reports).

Interim Measure

The specific and measureable desired future state of the
action. Interim measures consist of specific statements of what
exactly will be accomplished by the action. Interim measures may be
expressed as a quantity, a deadline, and/or the requried quality of
accomplishment.

Layers

Additional spatial datasets that are superimposed onto a base map.

Map

A graphical representation of the spatial relationships of entities
within an area.

Map Legend

Allows users to understand the meaning of symbols for all visible
features on a map (e.g. figures, shapes, lines and places).

Need/Threat

The lack of something that is wanted or critical as it relates to a
specific resource, or a negative force or pressure acting upon a
specific resource and requiring a specific response.

Objective (Quantitative & Qualitative)

The desired outputs of a project that are specific and can be
measured quantitatively or qualitatively. Objectives directly address a
need and establish benchmarks required to demonstrate that the
need has been met.

Output Measure

A measurment (metric) of accomplishment quantifying the amount of
work, activity, or production completed by a group of practitioners
during a given time frame.

Parent/Child Projects

Projects that have a hierarchial (parent/child) relationship where the
parent project has a broader scope and could have several child
projects with narrower scopes. Project outputs can be rolled up to
the parent project level.

Peer/Peer Projects

Projects that have a linear (peer/peer) relationship. Project outputs
cannot be rolled up to the peer project level.

Personally Identifiable Information

Any information about an individual maintained by an agency,
including, but not limited to education, financial transactions, medical
history, criminal or employment history and information which can be
used to distinguish or trace an individual's identity, such as their
name, social security number, data and place of birth, mother's
maiden name, bio-metric records, etc, including any other personal
information which is linked or link-able to an individual.

Plan

A defined and accepted strategy for achieving specific goals within a
defined geographic region. Plans are optional in TRACS, but they
are helpful to show linkages between work and strategic planning
efforts.

Polygon

A flat shape consisting of straight lines that are joined to define the
borders of a project.

Project

A set of actions that are performed by a team of practitioners to
achieve specific goals and objectives and are characterized in Data
TRACS within a user defined spatial boundary.

Public Description

A short publically-viewable narrative that summarizes the project’s
purpose, benefits, approach, and impacts.

Purpose/Target

The desired outcome of a project in general or abstract terms.

Results

A short publically-viewable narrative in TRACS that summarizes
accomplishments of actions completed to fulfill project objectives.

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

SMART Objective

An objective that is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and T
ime bound, and directly addresses a need, with established
benchmarks required to demonstrate the need has been met. Data
TRACS users may follow an automated path to develop these
objectives directly in the Data TRACS system, or they may write
narrative objectives following the SMART acronym.

Strategy

A specific descriptor that can be used to generate more specific
aggregations for reporting purposes within and across states. This is
a pick list in Data TRACS. Estimated costs are options at this level;
output measures are required.

Threat

A negative force or pressure acting upon a specific resource and
requiring a specific response.

Vertice

Polygon points at the intersection of line segments; multiple points
are called vertices or corners. Vertices can be used as handles to
move and adjust a polygon’s lines.

Wildlife TRACS

Tracking and Reporting on Actions for Conservation of Species
(TRACS). TRACS is an online data management tool to facilitate
WSFR tracking and reporting accomplishments related to Federal
assistance grants. It is comprised of two parts: Data TRACS that
stores infomation and a public viewer that displays information.

Workflow

A set of assigned tasks carried out in TRACS to achieve a certain
goal, such as the approving a project or preparing of a performance
report.

Acronyms and Abbreviations

6

AFWA

Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies

BIG

Boating Infrastructure Grant Program

CFR

Code of Federal Regulations

OMB

Office of Management and Budget

TRACS

Tracking and Reporting Actions for the Conservation of Species

WSFR

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

Grant Process
GENERAL
1. Does TRACS have full functionality for all WSFR grant programs?

Yes, TRACS is designed to accommodate the activities conducted under all WSFR grant programs.
2. Are the grant programs jointly administered by WSFR and other Service programs part of TRACS?

Yes. All of the grant programs listed in 518 FW 1 WSFR – Authorities and Responsibilities are included.
3. Why has TRACS evolved from an accomplishment information system to include grant application and performance reporting functions?

This added functionality is anticipated to help state grantees be more efficient and to reduce duplication of data entry during the Project term.
4. Why does TRACS use a new vocabulary to describe what WSFR state grantees have been doing for years?

The TRACS development team has made every effort to include all terms familiar to state grantees like Need, Objectives, Expected Results,
Approach, etc. TRACS does, however, include other terms such as Action Category, Strategy, Activity, Threat, etc. to provide standardized
information that can be rolled up to various spatial scales like state, Service region, or the entire United States.
5. If a grant is structured as multiple Projects in TRACS, is the same grant-level narrative repeated in each Project?

No. The narrative fields within each Project Statement are only related to that particular Project and therefore may be a subset of the Project as a
whole.
6. How does the period of a Project in TRACS relate to the period of a grant?

TRACS is designed to be project-centric. It provides a structure that emphasizes how WSFR work is planned and carried out. This is typically via
Projects that span multiple years. Grants may be one-year or multi-year funding instruments.
7. Is it possible for a Project in TRACS to be funded by multiple WSFR grant programs?

Yes. TRACS can accommodate multiple funding sources within one Project. More than one funding source is addressed in the Funding
Source portion of the Project data input.
8. Is it possible for a Project in TRACS to be funded by multiple grants with different grant periods?

Yes. The TRACS workflow accommodates this. This will be addressed in the Project Statement and Funding Source portions of the Project data
input. Different Actions need to be created so that they can be reported on separately.

GRANT APPLICATION PROCESS
9. How is TRACS information used for WSFR grant applications?

Front end TRACS information is submitted by grantees as one component of a grant application. TRACS will produce a Project(s)
Proposal bundle PDF for this purpose. At a minimum, TRACS Project level information is required. Any Plan or Action information that is entered
at this part of the grant process would also be included as part of a grant application.
10. How is the Project(s) Proposal bundle PDF submitted to WSFR?

The Project(s) Proposal bundle PDF needs to be submitted as part of a larger package of information via current procedures designated by each
WSFR Regional Office (i.e., grants.gov, email to WSFR office, or mail to WSFR office).
11. What information other than the Project(s) Proposal bundle PDF is needed to apply for a WSFR grant?

This depends on the type of grant, but typically includes a cover letter, SF-424, budget narrative and compliance documentation.
12. Should grant application information for competitive grant programs be entered into TRACS?

There is no technical reason why this information could not be entered into TRACS at the time of proposal submission. However, we
recommend waiting until the Director announces the Awards on competitive proposals before entering information into TRACS.
13. Is it possible to create an Action in TRACS as part of the grant application process?

Yes, but it is not required. There is nothing that prevents the entry of Action information at this stage of the workflow. An advantage is that a

7

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

grantee would have an early indication of exactly what information is needed for performance reporting.

PERFORMANCE REPORTING PROCESS
14. How is TRACS information used for performance reporting?

For most grants, accomplishment information entered into TRACS will completely fulfill performance reporting requirements. Entering Action
information is the accomplishment reporting mechanism within TRACS. There is a streamlined process to submit TRACS information to WSFR
offices as the Performance Report bundle PDF to meet performance reporting needs.
15. How can a state grantee easily find Actions to bundle as a Performance Report bundle PDF?

Only Actions with progress reported since the last performance report are available to bundle as the Performance Report PDF. This results in a s
horter list for state grantees to select actions for reporting.
16. How is the Performance Report bundle PDF submitted to WSFR?

After required state grantee approvals, TRACS will automatically email the Performance Report bundle PDF to the appropriate WSFR office using
established office inboxes.
17. Will TRACS or FBMS be used to track performance report due dates?

The milestones portion of FBMS will be used to track performance report due dates and send email notifications to state grantees of reports
coming due or overdue.
18. Will TRACS be used to track performance report submittal dates?

The date that a performance report is submitted is viewable in TRACS because that is the mechanism to submit performance reports. However,
the milestones portion of FBMS will be used by WSFR staff as the official monitoring system for performance report submission.

8

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

Grant Translation Best Management Practices (BMPs)
TRACS affords many possible grant/project construction options. There are two basic methods referred to in the guidance document. The
primary requirement is that all TRACS projects be constructed in accordance with 50 CFR 80.81, 50 CFR 80.82 or other applicable program
guidance. Additionally, all projects regardless of TRACS construction should result in the same reportable TRACS ACTIONS.
1. Each project is setup separately with one project statement open at a time. Multiple TRACS projects may be bundled together as a
grant. The Financial Management Business System (FBMS) number is associated with all of the bundled projects. This results in a
multi-project grant, however, it could result in single project for a more straightforward, simpler task like constructing a boating
access facility.
2. A consolidated TRACS project that contains multiple multiple concurrent project statement. Under this method, the TRACS project is
created with multiple concurrent project statements. Each project statement has a separate distinct NEED, OBJECTIVES, APPROACH,
EXPECTED RESULTS, etc. However, all projects must be inherently related.

Best Management Practices
Boating Infrastructure
Coordination
Hunter Education

9

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

Boating Infrastructure Grant
Boating Infrastructure FAQ's

Coming Soon
Boating Infrastructure Flow Diagram

Coming Soon

Boating Infrastructure Project(s) Proposal

Project(s) Proposal _ BMP_Boating_Infrastructure_Grant.pdf

Boating Infrastructure Performance Report(s)

Project(s) Proposal _ BMP_Boating_Infrastructure_Grant.pdf

10

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

Coordination
Coordination FAQ's

Coming Soon

Coordination Diagram

Project Proposal

11

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

Project(s) Proposal _ Coordination.pdf

Final Performance Report

Final Performance Report _ Coordination.pdf

12

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

Hunter Education
Hunter Education FAQ's

Coming Soon

Hunter Education Flow Diagram

Coming Soon

Hunter Education Project(s) Proposal

Project(s) Proposal _ Hunter_Education.pdf

Hunter Education Performance Report(s)
Final Performance Report _ HunterEd_Basic_HunterEd.pdf
Final Performance Report _ HunterEd_ShootingRanges.pdf

13

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

Geospatial Information
1. What is GIS?

A geographic information system (GIS) is a computer system capable of capturing, storing, analyzing, and displaying geographically referenced
information, that is, data identified according to location. Practitioners also define a GIS as including the procedures, operating personnel, and
spatial data that go into the system (USGS definition) [270 FW8]
2. How does GIS pertain to TRACS?

TRACS is a web-based GIS tool, customized to meet the needs of the WSFR program, our partners, and the Service's GIS policy (270 FW 8).
This policy encourages the use of GIS to enhance resource management, administrative activities, and coordination, through cost-effective
creation, analysis, and exchange of spatial data. Also, GIS can help avoid duplication of effort by coordinating projects within the Service and with
our partners. GIS is expected to help improve the WSFR program by enhancing and streamlining management and reporting capabilities, while
improving our transparency to legislators, related industries and the public.
3. Why does TRACS feature geospatial information so prominently?

There are several benefits of a GIS. It aids communication by showing where projects are occurring and the spatial relationships with other
projects. It also provides the capability for automated data entry, and spatial queries for analysis and reports.
4. Are geospatial data required?

Geospatial data are only required to the extent they is necessary to fulfill TRACS data-entry, and meet the requirements of our regulations for
describing the geographic location of Plans, Projects and Actions.
5. What type of geospatial data apply to TRACS?

The type of geospatial data that apply to TRACS are those that pertain to mapping the geographic location(s) of Plans, Projects, and Actions of
grants. By default, TRACS already contains geospatial data that will help accomplish this task, such as quad maps, imagery, eco-regions,
wetlands, states, counties, public land survey system, etc. Also, you can add project specific or local data as shapefiles or web services to further
facilitate the mapping process.
6. At what scale are geospatial data required?

The scale and accuracy level of geospatial information must sufficiently describe the geographic location enough to meet program and
environmental compliance review needs. The scale and accuracy level will vary depending on the Project type and scope.
For Plans or statewide Projects, a data-scale of 1:100,000 or less should be sufficient. For most Projects and Actions, a data-scale of a 1:24,000
or less should be sufficient. For grant applications with lands interests, a parcel-scale of 1:10,000 or less should be sufficient. Ultimately, for
lands interests, we recommend a survey by a qualified surveyor at a data-scale of 1:100 or less, to help ensure better accounting and control of
those interests (Draft Lands Chapter Ref).
7. At what accuracy should TRACS Plans, Projects, and Actions (i.e. features) be mapped?

For data quality purposes, the specific geographic location of TRACS features must be mapped using the most accurate information available. At
a minimum, Projects must be mapped within their Plan boundaries and Actions must be mapped within their Project boundaries. TRACS features
should be mapped using the following methods, in order of preference:
a. Import an existing shapefile of the feature. (See question 9 for shapefile import restrictions and question 6 for specific data-scale
suggestions.)
b. Copy a feature from existing TRACS data layers (e.g. state, county or eco-region)
c. Draw features at the best resolution/scale possible.
8. Can shapefiles or map services be used to create spatial data?

Yes. After following the instructions for adding a shapefile or map service to TRACS, the features can be copied to represent a Plan, Project or
Action.
9. Are there restrictions on shapefiles (e.g. projection, datum, etc.)?

Prior to importing a shapefile into TRACS, you must ensure the shapefile is in a geographic coordinate system (i.e. un-projected latitude &
longitude), referenced to WGS84 datum. Then, compress all the required files of a shapefile (*.shp, *.shx, *.dbf, *.prj) into a single *.zip file. The
*.zip shapefile may then be added through the TRACS mapper.
10. Does TRACS have the capability to store geo-spatial information as point or lines?

TRACS can display the center point for Plans, Projects, and Actions (i.e. features). However, to calculate feature areas and accurately represent
the geographic location/boundaries, these features must be entered into TRACS as polygons. Although points and lines do not represent areas

14

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

or boundaries, GIS software can be used to convert point/line features to polygons using a reasonable buffer distance. For example, survey
points can be represented by polygon-circles using the radius surveyed, or a stream line could be represented by a polygon using the stream
width.
11. How are the areas of polygons in TRACS used in accomplishment reporting?

The polygon area is used for standardized WSFR program reporting (i.e. acres by strategy or activity type); however, accomplishment reporting is
based on progress toward end-user defined objectives, which can differ from polygon acres. If an accurate polygon of the actual Action area is not
available, the recommended approach is to rely on scale-appropriate, representative polygons and to report actual acreages through quantitative
standard indicators.
For example, a 25 acre prescribed burn is conducted on a particular Wildlife Management Area (WMA). A polygon that represents only the 25
acres burned is not available; therefore, a scale-appropriate representative polygon is used instead. In this example, the Action polygon should
be no larger than the entire WMA. The WMA boundary is 115 acres. The 115 acres is reported automatically through the strategy level output
portion of the Action based on the polygon. This information is available for standardized program reporting on prescribed burns. However,
progress toward the specific prescribed burn objective is reported as 25 acres in the Action Results field. The 25 acres is used for
accomplishment reporting and included in the performance report. The variance between the Action polygon and actual acres burned should be
explained in the Action Results narrative field.
The goal of the TRACS system to achieve consistency between Action polygons and accomplishment reporting whenever feasible.

15

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

Plan

1. What is a Plan?

A Plan is a defined and accepted strategy for achieving specific goals, including conservation of species or habitats within a defined geographic
region. This is user defined and could include species management plans, recovery plans, habitat conservation plans, and strategic plans. A Plan
is geographically represented by a polygon independent of scale. Plans are optional in TRACS, but they may be helpful to show linkages between
work and strategic planning efforts. Projects can inherit Plan goals, which could be useful in reporting efforts related to a plan and may decrease
entry time into the TRACS system.
2. Is a Plan required?

No, a Plan is not required. However, states using the Comprehensive Management System option should enter information for their CMS plan
since it forms the basis of all their WSFR grant work. It is also recommended that State Wildlife Action Plans be entered since they are the
foundation of State Wildlife Grant work. Plan information entered into TRACS will be considered along with Project level information as part of the
grant application process.
3. How will information about a Plan be used?

A Plan can be used to relate Projects back to a bigger Plan.
4. Can Plan goals be inherited by Projects?

Yes, Plan goals can be inherited by Projects. Under the Project goals there is a button called "Inherit from plan", which will allow you to choose a
plan and which goals you want to inherit.

16

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

5. Who should enter Plan information from a federal or interstate plan?

It is highly recommended that a WSFR staff member enter information from a federal or interstate plan for maximum efficiency. The exception
would be if a state wanted to inherit specific goals pertinent to them into their Project(s). Then it would be logical for that state to enter that Plan
information even though more general information for that Plan may have already been entered into Data TRACS by someone else.

17

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

Project

1. What is a Project?

A Project is user defined to describe one or more related actions undertaken by a group of practitioners to achieve specific goals and objectives.
A Project is geospatially represented by a polygon(s) independent of scale and can be related to both parent and/or child projects.
Associated data include fields required by WSFR grant program regulations including: need, objectives, results or benefits expected, approach,
estimated costs, etc.
2. How does a Project relate to a Plan?

Projects can be nested under Plans. Projects can inherit goals from a Plan.
3. Can Projects be related to other Projects?

Yes. In the properties box under a Project there is a tab called Related Projects. With that tab, you can easily search for Parent Projects or just Re
lated Projects that are funded by WSFR grants and have been entered into Data TRACS.
4. What are the benefits of relating Projects to other Projects in TRACS?

There are natural resource conservation and management efficiencies afforded by identifying relationships among Projects. It can help in

18

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

identifying species and habitats that are receiving sufficient or insufficient attention across larger landscapes. TRACS will have the ability
to include hyperlinks that users can employ to easily investigate related Projects. There are also logical advantages of relating multiple five-year
Projects that include the same work continuing through time.
5. Is a Project required?

Yes, just as it is under 50 CFR 80.82 for Wildlife Restoration and Sport Fish Restoration grants. A Project is the basis for entering data into
TRACS.
6. How does a Project relate to a grant?

Projects are related to grants as they are now. There could be one Project under a grant or many Projects under a grant. The Project(s) inherit the
funding source(s) identified at the grant level. Project start and end dates could be outside the period of a grant.
7. Can a Project be funded by more than one grant or grant program?

Yes. TRACS has the capability to associate multiple funding sources with a Project. Funding sources can be from different grants or from
different grant programs within the same grant.
8. Is there a limit on the size of a Project?

There is no limit on the geographic size of a Project. It could be an entire state, multiple states or nationwide for a Multistate Conservation Grant.
9. Is there a limit on the duration of a Project?

Many Projects have a defined duration needed to achieve specific objectives (e.g., three years). Other Projects that are conducted as part of a
fish and wildlife management plan should adopt that Plan duration (e.g., perhaps six years). However, for Projects intended to continue
indefinitely (e.g., basic hunter education or fish population monitoring) the recommended maximum duration is five years because that represents
a reasonable planning period and matches the period required for evaluations of survey, outreach and technical guidance projects.
10. When in the grants process is Project information entered?

Project information is added when you are writing your grant proposals. TRACS includes a Project(s) Proposal Report that prints all the Project
information needed a part of a grant proposal which includes:
map (i.e., the polygon you created to add a Project into TRACS);
information in the project statement, including the critical elements of 50 CFR 80.82;
objectives found in the project statement; and
attachments if added.
11. Can a Project be copied and edited to create a second Project?

Yes.
12. Can two different Projects in TRACS have the same name?

Yes. This will be important as WSFR work that continues year-after-year is documented in TRACS as Projects with defined, instead of infinite,
time periods. It is possible for Projects with the same name to overlap in time, but this is not a recommended practice. A best management
practice would be to add the applicable fiscal year(s) to the Project name for ease in distinguishing those named similarly.
13. How do users choose the appropriate project category for a Project in TRACS?

Users can select from Administration, Conservation/Management and Recreation as generic descriptors of their Project. Multiple choices are
possible, but users should try to characterize the majority of the Project in a single selection whenever possible. Administration should only be
used for work specifically for that purpose, such as construction of a district office building or WSFR coordination work.
Conservation/Management refers to work done to restore and manage fish and wildlife and their habitats. Recreation refers to work done to
provide or enhance fish, wildlife and boating recreational opportunites.
14. What are best practices for structuring a grant as Project(s) and Actions(s) in TRACS?

There are a variety of ways for structuring grants as Project(s) and Action(s) in TRACS. This is part of the training on TRACS. A template has
been developed to assist in diagramming this out prior to data entry. Examples of different types of grants are included in a separate section of
this guidance. In general, grantees should consider a structure that will provide them with the most information, yet be efficient for performance
reporting. Consider lumping instead of splitting. For example, if a species restoration project includes an outreach component that represents
about five percent of the cost, it is not necessary to have outreach as a separate Action. The major Action is species restoration. However, if it
also includes monitoring that represents about 20 percent of the cost, it is recommended that monitoring be a separate Action.

19

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

Project Statement
1. Why is Project Statement part of the TRACS architecture in addition to Project?

Project Statement forms were added to the TRACS architecture to provide the capability for users to prepare information within TRACS for
submission as part of grant applications. While it is understood that TRACS was not designed to be a grant management system, states have
requested this type of functionality for increased efficiency and familiarity with the existing grant process. The addition of Project Statement to
TRACS allowed other key data fields such as objectives and estimated costs to be entered there instead of at the Project level.
2. Is entry of information into the Project Statement required in TRACS?

Yes. There are several data fields that are required at the Project Statement level. These include Need, Expected Results, Approach, Objectives
and Estimated Costs. There is no limit on the number of characters that be entered into these fields. It is best if specific methods are spelled out
in detail in the Approach section in TRACS so that they appear on the Project(s) Proposal report. Otherwise they could be documented in a
TRACS attachment or a grants.gov attachment.
3. Is Project Statement a fourth element of the data structure in TRACS along with Plan, Project and Action?

Technically it is not, because a Project Statement does not have a geospatial footprint which is the core feature of the other TRACS data
structures. However, Project Statement includes the majority of Project level information, so in practice it could be considered an entity in itself.
4. Are objectives and estimated funding associated with the Project or the Project Statement?

Objectives and estimated funding are associated with the Project Statement.
5. Are Actions associated with the Project or the Project Statement?

Actions are associated with Project Statements. The approach narrative within the Project Statement is used to describe Actions that will be
undertaken to fulfill Project objectives. The approach narrative should also explain when Actions will occur during the Project period.
6. Can a TRACS Project have multiple Project Statements?

This is possible in TRACS but only recommended for Projects that are funded by multiple WSFR grants. For example, a Project on wild birds or
mammals that are also species of greatest conservation need could be funded by separate Wildlife Restoration and State Wildlife Grants with
different start and end dates. However, the best practice for the vast majority of WSFR grants is for a TRACS Project to only have one Project
Statement.
7. Why is only one Project Statement per TRACS Project recommended?

There are several reasons for this recommendation:
Project Statements do not have a geospatial footprint in TRACS and by default inherit the geospatial boundary of the Project. This may
be considerably larger than the geographic location that would need to be described within the narrative of a Project Statement.
Information displayed in the Wildlife TRACS Viewer is based on Projects, not Project Statements. So there could be considerable
information lost to stakeholders and the public on WSFR funded work if multiple Project Statements feed into a single TRACS Project.
User roles for entry and editing of information would be clearer since they are defined at the Project level. For example, multiple users
would need to have these roles if there were multiple Project Statements in a Project. They would then have the ability to enter and edit
Project Statements that they have no familiarity with.
8. If there is only one Project Statement for a Project, can it have the same name?

Yes. There is no reason for it to be named differently. However, it may be advantageous to include different fiscal years in the names for multiple
Project Statements associated with a single Project.
9. Are grant revisions documented within Projects or Project Statements in TRACS?
Grant revisions are documented within Project Statements in TRACS.
10. Are all 13 project statement required elements included in the Project Statement portion of TRACS?
Yes, with two exceptions. Location is entered geospatially at the Project level. Budget Narrative is not entered anywhere in TRACS because it is
not a financial system.

20

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

Objectives
1. Where are objectives entered into TRACS?

Objectives are entered at the Plan and/or Project level. More specifically for Projects, objectives are entered within the Project Statement.
Objectives are entered either as part of a Need/Threat or a Purpose/Target.
2. How do I choose between entry of objectives under a Need/Threat or a Purpose/Target?

If a Project is focused on a particular species, group of species or habitat type, then Purpose/Target should be entered. This path will allow
species and/or habitat data to be entered. Otherwise users should choose Need/Threat as the route to enter objectives.
3. How do I choose among the various Need/Threat types?

Users should select the Need/Threat type that best fits their Project since only a single choice is permitted. Administrative needs should only be
used for work specifically for that purpose, such as construction of a district office building or WSFR coordination work. Projects for conservation
of fish and wildlife and their habitats typically are responding to a resource threat. Most other WSFR projects are responding to resource
management, recreation, or education/outreach needs.
4. How do I choose between SMART objectives and narrative objectives?

SMART objectives are highly recommended because they allow quantification of progress toward their accomplishment. Narrative objectives
would be a fallback option when progress is difficult to quantify, e.g., a Project to coordinate WSFR grant work within a state. In either
case, objectives should be as specific and clearly stated as possible. It is possible, however, for objectives to be somewhat broader in scope if
the Project has very specific indicators entered in TRACS to measure accomplishments.
5. What are Quantitative Indicators?

Quantitative indicators allow the user to choose between standard metrics that have been pre-loaded as pick lists into TRACS (e.g., number of
students, number of acres) and custom metrics that are user-defined (e.g., number of bears radio-collared, number of trawl tows made).
6. How do Quantitative Indicators measure progress toward objectives?

At the start of a Project, base level and desired future values are specified; then the quantity accomplished (Value Reported) is entered at the
Action level as a measure of progress. This is the same process regardless of whether standard or custom outputs are entered.
7. Is it possible to enter a range of desired future values within Quantitative Indicators?

No. TRACS only accepts single numbers. However, a range of desired future values can be specified within associated text fields.
8. What are Qualitative Indicators?

Qualitative indicators allow the user to enter a custom output in a narrative format only with no associated metrics. An example would be the
completion of a baseline survey of a particular Species of Greatest Conservation Need in a particular state. An alternate approach would be to
enter this as one project as a standard metric.
9. How do Qualitative Indicators measure progress toward objectives?

Narrative descriptions would need to be used to indicate progress toward objectives if Qualitative Indicators are used.
10. How are Project objectives associated with Action objectives?

Upon entry of Action information, users select Project objectives that are tied to that particular Action. The process is to select an approved
Project Statement and a corresponding indicator. TRACS displays the particular objective that corresponds to these data fields.
11. What are Interim Measures?

Interim Measures can be used to monitor progress towards a multi-year Action. These are not required but may be useful if there are multiple
steps that need to happen before the Action indicator can be reported on. Let's use land acquisition as an example. One of your Actions is to
acquire one parcel of 100 acres of land adjacent to an existing wildlife area. The indicator for this Action is number of acres acquired. However, it
will likely take multiple years to complete the transaction. So to show progress towards that multi-year Action, you may include interim measures
such as: a land survey was completed and approval from local community board. These interim measures would show that you are making
progress towards the acquisition of the 100 acres, whereas if you reported only on the Action indicator it would show no progress had been made
because no acres were acquired.

21

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

Workflow
1. What is a workflow?

A workflow consists of the steps that a record (e.g., Project Statements, Actions) must traverse before final submittal to WSFR. The default
workflow in Data TRACS includes multiple review and approval steps at both the State and Federal levels.

2. What are the workflow steps for a project?

Project Statement Workflow (Front End):
Standard Statement Workflow
Statement Not Ready for Submission (Default)
Submit Statement for Peer Review (State Editor)
Submit Statement for State Approval (State Reviewer)
Set Statement to Ready for Submission (State Approver)
Submit Application Bundle for WSFR Review (State Approver)
WSFR Reviewed Ready for Submission (Federal Approver)
Do Not Approve Statement (Federal Approver)
Action-Funding Source Workflow (Back End):
INTERIM REPORT SUBMISSION
Set to Interim Report Due (User Generated)
Submit Interim Report for Peer Review (State Editor)
Submit Interim Report for State Approval (State Reviewer)
Set to Interim Report Ready for Submission (State Approver)
Submit Interim Report for WSFR Review (State Approver)
Approve Interim Report (Federal Approver)
Do Not Approve Interim Report (Federal Approver)
Set to Interim Report Due (System Generated)
FINAL REPORT SUBMISSION
Set to Final Report Due (User Generated)
Submit Final Report for Peer Review (State Editor)
Submit Final Report for State Approval (State Reviewer)
Set to Final Report Ready for Submission (State Approver)
Submit Final Report for WSFR Review (State Approver)
Approval Final Report (Federal Approver)
Do Not Approval Final Report (Federal Approver)
3. Who is responsible for the workflow process?

States and WSFR are responsible for their respective steps in the workflow.
4. How is workflow communicated?

One of the modules on the initial TRACS dashboard is titled Workflow Manager. This is where documentation is stored on which step in the
workflow exists for any particular TRACS entry.

22

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

5. Will state agencies other than traditional fish and wildlife agencies enter information into TRACS?

At this point, only WSFR and traditional state fish and wildlife or natural resource grantee agency staff will have access to TRACS data entry.
Other state agencies who receive WSFR grants like state departments of health or transportation will not have login access to TRACS when the
system rolls out to states. WSFR staff will be responsible for entry of information from these other state agencies into TRACS.
6. Will subgrantees interact with TRACS to enter data?

At this point, only WSFR and traditional state fish and wildlife, or natural resource grantee agency staff will have access to TRACS data entry.
State grantees will be responsible for entry of information from subgrantees into TRACS.
7. If state project leaders enter information in TRACS, will theirs be the final say before it is reviewed by WSFR staff?

Whoever is designated by the state agency with the role of approver will have the final state say.
8. What is the WSFR staff role when information is entered by states in TRACS and submitted?

As has always been the case, WSFR staff have the required roles of reviewing and approving programmatic information submitted by states. The
WSFR approval is the workflow step that releases the Project data to the Public Viewer.
9. Does the state need to generate a .pdf of the Interim or Final Performance Report from TRACS and submit it to the WSFR regional Inbox?

No. TRACS will generate the performance report and submit it to WSFR for review. The TRACS Performance Report pdf will be emailed to the
appropriate WSFR region who will then track the receipt of the performance report in the FBMS Milestone Plan.
10. What happens after the state has entered accomplishments, submitted for peer review within the state and presses the workflow button to
Submit Final Report for WFSR Review?

TRACS generates a pdf Performance Report and sends it to the appropriate WSFR region. The region then tracks the receipt of the Performance
Report in the FBMS Milestone Plan. The WSFR staff associated with that Project receive the report and will review and approve it. If approved,
the Approved by WSFR workflow step makes the reported accomplishments visible on the Public Viewer.
11. Who is responsible to make changes to the Performance Report if WSFR requests clarifications or additional information?

The State is responsibile to provide any clarification or revision to the Performance Report. This responsibility has been the State's in the past
and represents no change to the prior process.

23

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

Grant Application
1. How is TRACS information used for WSFR grant applications?

The Project(s) Proposal PDF (front end TRACS Project information) is submitted to WSFR by grantees as one component of a grant application.
TRACS will produce a Project(s) Proposal PDF for this purpose. At a minimum, TRACS Project level information is expected.
2. How is the Project(s) Proposal PDF submitted to WSFR?

The Project(s) Proposal PDF should be submitted as part of a larger package of information via current procedures designated by each WSFR
Regional Office (i.e., grants.gov, email to WSFR office or mail to WSFR office).
3. Is a TRACS Plan required for grant application purposes?

Entry of Plan level information is optional for grant application purposes. However, CMS states must enter their state plans in order for WSFR to
review any grants.
There will be an "owner" or "steward" for each Plan. State Wildlife Action Plans and all state plans (listed species recovery plans, fishery
management plans, habitat management plans) that are used for a grant application will be the responsibility of the state agency. Federal plans
will be the responsibility of the federal agency. There can be multiple grants and Projects working under the same Plan and multiple states can
tier off the same Plans as well. There can be parent and child Plans in the same way that there can be parent and child Projects.
4. Is a TRACS Project required for grant application purposes?

It is expected that States will enter Project level information into Data TRACS as part of the non-competitive grant application process. This
includes the geospatial information for the Project and required data fields as need, objectives, approach, expected results, etc. Explicit and
SMART objectives and approach information upfront will make performance reporting and milestones clearer.
5. Should grant application information for competitive grant programs be entered into TRACS?

In the case of competitive grants, the best approach is to wait until the Director announces the Awards for the competitive programs before
entering information into TRACS. The Project information may be entered by WSFR Staff or the States, depending upon the program.
6. Is a TRACS Action required for grant application purposes?

No, Action level information is not required for the grant application. Full information on Actions will be entered at the time of accomplishment
reporting. Where the states have explicit Action level information at the time of grant application, or it is useful in planning, states may enter
Action level information. The Project Statement will include a detailed approach section for determination of substantiality and compliance by
WSFR. Therefore entry at the Action level is not required at the time of grant application.
7. Is it possible to create an Action in TRACS as part of the grant application process?

Yes, but it is not required. There is nothing that prevents the entry of Action information at this stage of the workflow. An advantage is that a
grantee would have an early indication of exactly what information is needed for performance reporting.
8. What are the temporal aspects of Plans, Projects and Actions?

Plans, Projects and Actions may cover a multi-year period. The time period of a Plan should match the duration of the Plan. For Projects that are
anticipated to continue through time (e.g., surveys, technical guidance, coordination, operations and maintenance), it is recommended that they
cover the period required to meet their stated objective. However, it is recommended that these Projects be closed at five-year intervals and
restarted in Data TRACS after each five-year period. The five-year period is a reasonable length for planning purposes and corresponds to the
time period required for evaluations of survey, outreach and tecnical guidance grants. The recommended time period for most Actions would be a
one-year period, which matches the annual performance reporting period. However, there are situations where Actions could be longer
and interim measures would be used for performance reporting.
9. What is the purpose of the Project(s) Proposal PDF (front-end application bundle)?

State staff, most likely the Federal Aid Coordinator, will bundle all Projects that have been entered into Data TRACS that are associated with a
particular grant. They will use the Data TRACS workflow feature to create a PDF of this bundled information, called a Project(s) Proposal, that will
be attached to a grants.gov (or other application vehicle) request for funding. This will include detailed approach information needed to complete
compliance. WSFR staff will be able to review and approve the information in Data TRACS for a particular grant based on this PDF. This Project
information will then be in the TRACS system waiting for the annual performance reporting of Actions.
10. Is application submission through grants.gov required?

Most regions are strongly encouraging States to use grants.gov to submit grant applications other than amendments. Grants.gov is the vehicle
whereby the SF-424, Project Statement, compliance documents are attached and submitted. Applications submitted through grants.gov
automatically populate fields in FBMS for more efficient processing.
If the grant is submitted through grants.gov, then all required attachments are included. Detailed compliance documents maybe be included as

24

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

attachments or sent separately to the Regional WSFR Grant Specialists. The compliance documents are housed in the Regional grant files, not
in Data TRACS, along with all other attachments.
11. What is the workflow process in Data TRACS needed for WSFR grant approval?

The state workflow for entering, editing, approving and submitting bundled grant applications and WSFR workflow for reviewing and approving
them is described in the workflow diagrams. The standard workflow includes the following steps:
Statement Not Ready for Submission (Default)
Submit Statement for Peer Review (State Editor)
Set Statement to Not Ready for Submission (State Editor)
Submit Statement for State Approval (State Editor)
Set Statement to Ready for Submission (State Editor)
Submit Application Bundle for WSFR Review (State Coordinator)
WSFR Reviewed Ready for Submission (WSFR Grant Specialist)
Do/Not Approve Statement (WSFR Grant Specialist)
The state workflow could potentially involve many different State staff including Project Leaders, supervisors, Federal Aid Coordinators, etc. This
should also vary dependent on Project/Action (expect that project leaders will be creating the detailed approach sections and passing up to the FA
Coordinators/Bundlers). The front-end "bundle" in the workflow process tool will be used to generate the Project(s) Proposal, a PDF of related
projects that are associated with the grant application.
In the grant approval process, WSFR will use the Project level information in the front-end "bundle" to determine if the work is necessary,
reasonable and substatntial in character and design. All compliance will be completed before a grant is approved and any Project released to the
Public Viewer. After WSFR approval of the grant, the award is made in FBMS. The WSFR regional grant specialist will then associate the
appropriate funding source (i.e., grant) from FBMS into TRACS which will then release approved Project information to the Public Viewer.
12. How does TRACS pertain to the grant approval process?

TRACS will provide the informatoin that is required by CFR 50 80.81 and 82, in order to approve a grant. At a minimum the grant submitted to
WSFR must have:
Need: Relevancy of the proposed actions to the grant program and consistency with the appropriate Act. Helps establish substantiality.
Purpose and Objectives: Specific, Measurable, Accomplishable, Realistic and Time bounded. (this will aid in reporting)
Expected Results and Benefits (outcomes)
Approach: Specific details to address compliance and substantiality in character and design
Useful life: Useful life for each capital improvement
Location
Timeline: Significant milestones in completing the project and any accomplishments to date.
Program income:
Relationship to other grants: Description of relationship between this project and other work funded by Federal grants that is planned,
anticipated, or underway
Multipurpose projects
Except for location that is represented geospatially in TRACS, all of these elements are contained in the Project Statement portion of Data
TRACS. By completing the Project level information in Data TRACS and bundling Projects based on grants, the state will have fulfilled the
required elements for a the grant approval process, and set up the system for accomplishment reporting. After WSFR approval of the grant in
the TRACS workflow, the award is made in FBMS. The WSFR regional grant specialist will then associate the appropriate funding source (i.e.,
grant) from FBMS into TRACS which will then release approved Project information to the Public Viewer.
13. What is the relationship between TRACS and FBMS?

The relationship between Data TRACS and FBMS doesn't occur until a grant is approved in FBMS. So it really isn't part of the application
process, but is germane to the front end of the grants process. The data coming over to Data TRACS from FBMS after the award is made will be
limited. This data is grant level financial information, but also includes data such as Congressional district. However, if the grant application
bundle is submitted through Grants.gov, several fields in FBMS will be populated with the information from the application.
14. Will TRACS be used to store compliance documentation?

No. Although almost anything can be attached to a Project being developed in TRACS, TRACS is not intended to hold compliance
documentation.
15. Which TRACS data fields will be included in the Project(s) Proposal PDF used for submission as part of a grant application?

The Project(s) Proposal PDF currently contains Project No. and Title, Project Start and End Date, Project Statement (Need, Objectives, Expected

25

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

Results, Useful Life, Program Income, Multipurpose Projects, Relationship with Other Grants), and Federal and Non-Federal Cost Estimates for
the Project.
16. Where are 50 CFR 80.82 required elements like program income, cost allocation in multipurpose projects, and relationship with other
grants described in TRACS?

They are described in the Additional Elements tab of the Project Statement form.
17. What additional information, besides the Project(s) Proposal from TRACS, needs to be attached when submitting a grant application to
grants.gov?

This depends on the type of grant, but typically includes a cover letter, SF-424, Statement of Assurances, budget narrative, and compliance
documentation.
18. What attachments are required for Project Statements to operate and maintain areas and facilities?

As per 522 FW 7.6 E, if not adequately captured in Project or Action polygons or attached maps, a list and location of areas and facilities
managed with the size of each area in acres.
19. I have a Project that is repeated on an annual basis. Will I need to recreate the Project information every year?

Data TRACS has the functionality to copy information from previously created Projects and Actions to streamline the data entry process; this
includes the geospatial information as well as the Project information. Existing data might include earlier time periods of the same grant or related
Projects and Actions that were included in other grants.

26

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

Action

1. What is an Action?

An Action is an intervention undertaken by a project team to reduce threats, capitalize on opportunities, or restore natural species and
ecosystems (equivalent to a "strategy" in the CMP Open Standards). Actions are under Project and are used as the reporting mechanism for
grants. Known Action information can be added when writing the grant proposal but is optional.
An Action is user defined and can be represented spatially by a polygon(s) independent of scale. An action is also described by Category,
Strategy, and sometimes Activity.
A Category is a generic descriptor that determines the type of action. This is a pick list in TRACS. Estimated costs are required at this
level. This is used as a basis for aggregating like actions for reporting purposes within or across states.
A Strategy is a more specific descriptor that can be used to generate more specific aggregations for reporting purposes within or across
states. This is a pick list in TRACS. Estimated costs are options at this level; output measures are required.
An Activity is a specific descriptor intended for very specific reporting needs. This level of detail is optional for all programs except

27

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

for boating access, Clean Vessel Act, Boating Infrastructure Grants, and hunter education. For those programs that this level of detail is
required, outputs are also required. Estimated costs are optional at this level.
2. How does an Action relate to a Project?

Actions are the actual work that happens under a Project. Information on Actions will be used as the reporting mechanism for Projects and
grants.
3. Is an Action required?

Yes, at least one Action is required per Project. Again, this is the reporting mechanism for Projects and Grants.
4. What is the duration of an Action?

The recommended duration for an Action is one year or whatever time period that matches the grant interim or final performance reporting
period.
5. Can an Action cover a multi-year period?

Yes. Since it is possible to report on interim measures in Data TRACS, an Action can span a multi-year period. Interim measures will need to be
set up in TRACS for multi-year Actions. Multi-year Actions need to be housed within multi-year Projects.
6. Can an Action be repeated?

Yes. An Action can be copied and repeated in another year.
7. When in the grants process is Action information entered?

Typically, Action information will be entered for performance reporting purposes after each year of accomplishments. Action information can also
be entered as part of the grant application process, but there is not a requirement to do so. Users may find that front-end entry of Action
information in TRACS is beneficial for planning purposes and clarification of information needed for performance reporting.
8. Can an Action be copied and edited to create a second Action?

Yes. An Action can be copied and edited to create another Action or Actions.
9. Can an Action be represented geospatially by multiple polygons?

Yes. An example would be an Action for operation and maintenance of several fish hatcheries within a state. Each hatchery could be
represented by a unique polygon within the one Action.
10. Can information from a Project be copied and edited to create an Action, particularly for a Project with just one Action?

Yes. Several types of information can be copied from a Project to create an Action. The Project polygon can be easily copied. Narrative
information can be cut and pasted.
11. What are best practices for structuring Action(s) within Projects in TRACS?

There are a variety of ways for structuring Action(s) within a Project. Grant translation examples from different types of Projects in various WSFR
grant programs will be included in the Grant Process portion of this guidance document.

28

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

Standardized Outputs
1. What are standard outputs?

Standard outputs are units of measure of accomplishments toward Action objectives that can be rolled up across Projects/Actions and states.
Stream restoration provides a good example of the need for standardization. If stream miles are recorded in one state and acres of riparian
habitat are recorded in another, then the total restoration output across both states cannot be determined.
2. Are standard outputs required?

TRACS requires standard outputs. A list of these units of measure has been developed for all types of actions funded by WSFR administered gra
nts.
3. At what level are standard outputs required?

The list of common actions across all WSFR grant programs is hierarchial. Actions at Level One (Action Category) are the broadest and Level
Three (Activity) are the most specific. Standard outputs are required at Level Two (Strategy) for all grant programs and at Level Three for boating
(boating access, CVA, BIG) grants and education grants.
4. What is the difference between standard and custom outputs?

Custom outputs are those indicators that are either more qualitative than standard outputs or are very specialized and applicable to only a
particular project. It is not possible to roll up custom outputs other than running a query based on text information. An example of a custom
output is the number of samples to be collected during a survey. This would provide more robust information than the standard output of one
project for a survey.
5. Is Need required?

Need is one of the 13 required elements of a project statement prepared to apply for a project-by-project grant (50 CFR 80.82). The need
statement explains why a project is necessary and how it fulfills the purposes of the relevant act. So a need statement is required with a grant
application and is a required element of the Project Statement within TRACS. TRACS also allows users to choose a need from a Need/Threat
pick list, but this is not required.
6. Is Purpose required?

Purpose and objectives are required elements of a project statement prepared to apply for a project-by-project grant (50 CFR 80.82). The
purpose states the desired outcome of the proposed project in general or abstract terms. TRACS allows uses to enter a narrative Purpose within
the Project Statement of TRACS, but this is not required.
7. Is the identification of a resource threat required?

The identification of a resource threat is highly recommended for conservation projects such as those funded by State Wildlife Grants.
However, other types of WSFR administered projects are not undertaken to respond to a resource threat, but rather to respond to a resource
need. A good example is a boating access facility that is constructed to meet a growing need for access to a water body for recreational boating.
It is not in response to a resource threat. TRACS includes a Need/Threat pick list that is not required.
8. Is species information required?

Species are not required, but users are strongly encouraged to identify those species that are directly affected or that are of particular
conservation importance. Users can identify a taxonomic placeholder and will eventually have the capability to identify custom species groups. It
is not expected that all Species of Greatest Conservation Need be entered for State Wildlife Grant projects that are are not focused on particular
species (e.g., SWAP planning).
9. Is broad habitat type identification required?

Identification of habitat type is not required in TRACS, but strongly encouraged for projects for which habitat is important. Habitat type information
will be important to note for many land acquistion and habitat restoration grants. This can be accomplished by using the habitat type pick list
within the Project Statement portion of TRACS.
10. Can habitats as defined in State Wildlife Action Plans be used instead of the habitat types in TRACS?

TRACS can provide the capability to optionally enter more detailed habitat information using a standard classification system (e.g. NatureServe
Ecological Systems or NVCS). This would be consistent with the current TRACS habitat lists that map to NS and NVCS systems (for the most
part). Hopefully, State identified habitat categories fall within these standard classifications. This is an enhancement that would be addressed
after the release.
11. What is the origin of the action levels in TRACS?

The highest level actions in TRACS (e.g., Education, Species Reintroduction and Stocking, Technical Assistance) are a hybrid of three different
sources of actions:

29

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

a. Service manual chapters (522 FW 3-15) that provide guidance on the standards for administration, documentation, execution and
reporting of projects funded under WSFR grant programs.
b. FAIMS activity codes at the 100s level.
c. Common generic conservation actions funded by SWG (AFWA 2011).
The more detailed action levels in TRACS (e.g. Fire Management, Riparian fence installation) are a hybrid of two different sources of actions:
a. FAIMS activity codes.
b. USFWS Partners for Fish and Wildlife actions list.

30

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

Effectiveness Measures
1. What is an Effectiveness Measure?

An effectiveness measure is a metric of accomplishment that describes how successfully the objectives of a State Wildlife Grant program project
are met through the implementation of specific actions (quantitatively or qualitatively). It involves an accomplishment and outcome assessment
that quantifies the extent to which a project process produces intended results. The effective measurement process quantifies how well the project
provides timely, accurate, and useful information to decision makers.
2. Which Action types have Effectiveness Measures?

All of the level one Action Categories have Effectiveness Measures except those involving coordination/administration, facilties/areas, and law
enforcement.
3. Are Effectiveness Measures required?

Effectiveness measures are required for projects funded by State Wildlife Grants. All projects under the State Wildlife Grant program must link
back to actions described in the state's Wildlife Action Plan.
4. How often is an Effectiveness Measure report required?

Effectiveness Measures reports can be completed whenever there is a need, but are required when performance reports are due. So they must
be completed at least annually.
5. How are Effectiveness Measures reports used?

Effectiveness measures reports are used to document progress toward achieving resource outcomes. They go a step beyond reporting of
outputs in quantifying the extent to which a project process produces intended results.

31

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

Estimated Costs
1. What is the purpose of estimated cost information in Data TRACS?

Estimated cost information provides financial context to projects defined in Data TRACS. WSFR Grant Specialist must determine if the project is
cost effective in weighing if the project is substantial in character and design. Additionally, a wide variety of stakeholders, including legislators,
sporting industry representatives, non-governmental organizations, sportspersons and other members of the general public, are interested in
knowing how WSFR grant funds are spent at a level more specific than grant level as in FBMS.
2. What are the steps for entering estimated cost information in Data TRACS?

Grantees will provide estimated cost information (at the project level) to their responsible WSFR office as part of the "front end" grant
application process (e.g., a budget attachment to the electronic SF-424 through Grants.gov) or directly in their project budget narrative.
On an optional basis, grantees will enter any other funding toward the project that is not WSFR federal funding or match. This will be
accomplished through the Other Funds tab in the Project Statement section of TRACS.
WSFR staff will enter estimated WSFR cost information using the Funding Source tab at the Project Statement level. They will do this my
making an association of the Project with an approved award from FBMS.
The resulting "front end" cost information will aggregate across all Project Statements to reflect the total cost of a potentially multi-year
Project as:
A. Estimated WSFR federal cost
B. Estimated WSFR non-federal match
C. Estimated other non-WSFR, either federal or non-federal costs
Total estimated cost = A+B+C
In grant performance reports, grantees are strongly encouraged to provide estimated cost information at the Action level. Estimated
"back end" cost information at this level is:
A. Estimated WSFR federal cost
B. Estimated WSFR non-federal match
Total estimated cost = A+B
3. How do estimated costs relate to FBMS?

Ideally, estimated costs within Data TRACS for projects and actions will be total costs within FBMS for corresponding grants. It is understood that
this may not always be possible for a variety of reasons; however, it is a recommended practice. Data TRACS has a mechanism to
download grant costs from FBMS as a starting point for pro-ration or other ways to estimate costs at finer scales.
4. What is the relationship between the Funding Source and Project and Action cost fields in Data TRACS?

As part of the grant approval process, WSFR staff will add a grant identification number from FBMS to appropriate projects in Data TRACS. This
will allow grant obligations to be displayed as the Funding Source for those projects. So Funding Source represents the total approved federal
cost of a grant that consists of one or more projects in Data TRACS. Action costs are a subset of Project costs. They are entered at the Project
level in Data TRACS to allow even pro-ration or uneven percentages across Actions within a Project.
5. Are estimated costs in Data TRACS auditable?

No, estimated costs in Data TRACS are not auditable. FBMS is the financial records system for WSFR grants that will be used for financial
audits.
6. How can grantees estimate costs at levels finer than those available through cost accounting systems?

Grantees should estimate costs based on several factors including knowledge of how the work has progressed and knowledge of unobligated
grant balances. There are two basic approaches in estimating costs. One would be equal pro-ration among actions or species benefited within a
project. The other approach, which would require a bit more information, would be to apply different percentages among actions or species
benefitted.
7. Are indirect costs included in cost estimates?

Indirect costs are included in the FBMS grant information entered by WSFR staff at the Project Statement level within Data TRACS. It
is desirable that these costs be provided for each action and directly-benefited species because they are part of the total cost estimate.
8. Do subprogram costs need to be entered anywhere in Data TRACS?

Yes, subprogram costs are entered by WSFR staff in the Funding Source tab at the Project Statement level of Data TRACS. Since downloaded
cost data from FBMS are at the grant level, these need to be split out by Project in Data TRACS.
9. Are grantees required to enter cost estimates at the Project level?

Yes. Estimated costs by project are a required element of Wildlife Restoration and Sport Fish Restoration project statements in 50 CFR
80.82(c)(9). Grantees will provide estimated cost information as part of the "front end" grant application process.
10. Are grantees required to enter cost estimates at the Action level?

32

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

No, but this is highly recommended. The Service manual chapter on cost accounting and financial reporting (522 FW 17.7) specifies that cost
data are not required in performance reports unless provided for in the grant agreement. However, grantees may include cost data for monitoring
of actual accomplishments to the objectives established. It is for this purpose that cost estimates are highly recommended at the Action level of
Data TRACS.
11. What cost information is entered by WSFR staff?

As part of the grant approval process, WSFR staff ensure that cost information from the correct grant proposal is attached to projects in Data
TRACS. WSFR staff will enter estimated cost information in the Funding Source tab of the Project Statement form.
12. What cost information is entered by grantee staff?

As part of the grant approval process, grantee staff provide estimated WSFR federal cost, estimated WSFR non-federal match, and estimated
non-WSFR cost as part of the "front end" grant application process in the Project properties form . As part of the performance reporting process,
grantees are strongly encouraged to enter estimates of total costs for actions and species directly benefited.
13. At what action level are estimated costs captured?

Estimated costs are captured for Level 1 actions (action categories). There are 13 of these action categories (e.g., education, land acquisition,
technical guidance). The Data TRACS action categories are a hybrid of: a) Service Manual chapters in Part 522; b) FAIMS activity codes; and
c) State Wildlife Grant generic actions as reported by AFWA.
14. Where and when are estimated costs for planned work entered in Data TRACS?

Grantee staff enter estimated costs on the Project properties form at the "front end" of the grant application process. WSFR staff enter estimated
costs for planned work into Data TRACS in the Funding Source tab of the Project Statement form after grant approval.
15. Where and when are estimated costs for completed work entered in Data TRACS?

Grantees are strongly encouraged to enter estimated costs for work completed annually at the Action level in Data TRACS as part of the
performance reporting process. There is no expectation that estimated costs would be entered at the Action level of Data TRACS on the front
end of the grants process. So no costs for Actions are entered into the Project level of Data TRACS until the first performance reporting period is
completed.
16. When are estimated costs expected by species?

Estimated costs are expected by species when the work is directly targeted on those species. Broad actions that benefit a large number of
species (e.g, State Wildlife Action planning) would not be expected to include costs for any species.
17. Are estimated costs for actions and species total costs or federal costs?

Estimated costs for actions and species are entered as WSFR federal costs and WSFR non-federal match and listed separately.
18. Does each project need to demonstrate the non-federal match rate as required by its grant program?

Since match generally can be applied across projects within a grant, there may be cases where a Project in Data TRACS includes less
non-federal match than is required or no non-federal match. When this occurs there should be other projects associated with that particular grant
that show more match than what is required.
19. Does TRACS accommodate different non-federal match rates for different WSFR grant programs in TRACS?

TRACS is not currently programmed to recognize different grant subprogram non-federal match requirements. If projects are funded by multiple
subprograms with different match requirements, users should make their best efforts to enter estimated non-federal costs. Be reminded that
costs in Data TRACS are not subject to audit.
20. What estimated cost information will be accessible through the Public Viewer?

Estimated cost information will only be available at more aggregated levels through the Public Viewer. Project cost estimates will display on
individual Project pages and within rolled up reports across a state or grant program. Estimated costs at the Action level will only be available in
aggregated forms, e.g., total costs across Actions for a particular species that directly benefitted from WSFR work. There will be no display of
estimated costs for individual Actions.

33

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

Lands Data
1. Are lands data required?

Yes, a grantee must track all lands that are acquired using federal assistance funding or lands used as match for federal assistance funding. An
inventory of those lands must be reconciled with the records maintained by the WSFR Regional Office during audits. Maintaining the records in
TRACS will make reconciliation of the State and Federal land acquisitions records much simplier since the information is housed in the same
database. Additionally, States are required to have an inventory of all lands acquired using their state sport fishing and wildlife
hunting license fees in order to track the records in perpetuity and avoid issues of license fee diversion. This inventory is not required to
be housed in TRACS. However, State TRACS is available for that purpose.
2. How is land and other property rights data captured in TRACS?

Land records that were maintained in FAIMS Lite (lands module) have been migrated over to Data TRACS and can be viewed through Data
TRACS. Migrated FAIMS land data can be converted to TRACS project records by authorized WSFR users and additional acquisition documents
can be attached. New land acquisition records are added in the normal fashion as all other projects with the final Action(s) being the acquisition
or donation of land, water rights, mineral rights etc. . There will be additional information needed for fields specific to land acquisition projects that
will be added manually into Data TRACS (see #4 below). Additionally, documents (deeds, legal notices, legal descriptions, parcel maps, etc.)
pertaining to the completed acquisition(s) may be uploaded to TRACS as a permanent digital record.
3. Will final reports for land acquisition Projects be generated out of TRACS and will the grantee still need to send hard copies of the reports
and associated closing documents to the WSFR Regional Office?

Yes, performance report(s) pdf files for land acquistion Projects can be generated out of, and submitted through TRACS. Land closing documents
can be attached to the TRACS Project records as a permanent digital record, however, they will not automatically transmit to the WSFR Office.
Hard copies of all land acquisition documents will still need to be sent to the WSFR Regional Office to be maintained as part of the permanent
administrative record. The hard copy records maintained by the Regional WSFR Offices are the official repository for land acquisition records.
4. What additional information is required for lands data?

Information about the property name, transaction date and type, appraised value, sale price, state and federal share, closing and relocation costs,
habitat type, location, and encumbrances will be needed for each property. Documents such as deed, legal description, notices of federal
participation, subgrant agreements, conservation easements, baseline survey reports, management plans, parcel and other maps may be
attached to TRACS land data records for each property. Additional documents will be required for water right, long-term leases and other types of
acqusitions (See below).
5. Is FAIMS lands data available for viewing, and will the records be available for update and editing?

Yes, all Data TRACS users will have read-only access to migrated FAIMS land data and its attached documents. However, only WSFR staff will
have create, update, edit, and delete access to migrated FAIMS legacy data.
6. What will the legacy data that does not get converted into Data TRACS look like? Will it be a searchable archive?

Legacy grant agreement, project, accomplishment, and land data fields will convert to legacy TRACS Projects. These Projects will be searchable
by grant ID, grant program, and project name. Legacy Projects will reflect only what was inputted into FAIMS but in a consistent project
structure. New TRACS data elements are not required for grants approved prior to January 1, 2013. It may be necessary to migrate certain types
of legacy Projects (e.g. lands) into a full TRACS structure that includes spatial data. A tool will be available to assist WSFR Authorized users with
the migration of legacy Projects.
7. Can an existing land record be updated in TRACS?

Yes, existing land records, added as new Projects into TRACS, and converted FAIMS data can be updated and additional attachments can be
added with a proper role and approval process. Only WSFR staff will have the ability to change legacy FAIMS records in TRACS unless the
record is converted to a TRACS format.
8. Should legal/confidential documents be uploaded into TRACS?

Any documents containing Personally Identifiable Information (PII) should NOT be uploaded to TRACS. Either PII information should be redacted,
if it is to be stored in TRACS, or the sensitive documents should be stored as hard copy in the permanent administrative record.
9. Should term leases be included in TRACS?

Yes, leasehold interest of 10 years or longer (or if required by the State) must be tracked in the same way as perpetual easements or fee simple
acquisitions.
10. Should water rights acquisitions be recorded in TRACS?

Yes, permanent water right acquisitions should be included in TRACS. However, annual acquisitions of water may be better reported in the
normal TRACS reporting environment. Permanent water rights acquisitions should be included in the lands portion of TRACS and the Permanent
Water Rights legal documents from the state agency that controls water appropriations should be attached to the record. As with land

34

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

acquisitions, a hard copy of the water rights documents must be transmitted to the WSFR Regional Office as part of the performance report.
11. Will appraisals or appraisal reviews be attached to TRACS Land records?

No, appraisals and appraisal reviews will not be uploaded to TRACS. These documents will be maintained either by the grantee or, if desired, by
the Regional WSFR Office.

12. Are appraisal reports considered to include personally identifiable information?

If the information contained in the appraisal report is not uniquesly identifiable to an individual (unless there is only one individual owner) and even
then that the information contained in the appraisal report reveals notheing personal about him/her because almost all of it is already out in the
public domain and is of a commercial, not personal nature.

13. Is reporting on land actions in TRACS different than guidance in the Lands Chapter that actual lands acquisitions transactions costs
are required as part of Land Inventory Record System?

According to 43 CFR 12.71 in the situation where lands acquired using grant funds have to be disposed of (sold, traded, transferred), " The
grantee or subgrantee shall be paid an amount calculated by applying the grantee or subgrantee's percentage of participation in the purchase of
the real property to the current fair market value of the property". This regulation implies that the information concerning the actual land costs and
percentages must be recorded in some fashion and that information must be retained in perpetuity.

35

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

Performance Report
1. What TRACS fields are required for performance reporting?

Performance reporting is done primarily through TRACS data fields at the Action level. This is where progress toward meeting objectives will be
documented in quantitative (or qualitative) and narrative fields.
2. Does data entry constitute a performance report?

Entry of information into TRACS data fields and submittal to WSFR offices will typically constitute a performance report. There are requirements
for certain types of projects that would need to be fulfilled with TRACS attachments or documents submitted by other means. These requirements
are spelled out in later FAQs in this section of this guidance document.
3. How is a performance report submitted via TRACS?

After final state approval, a state administrator uses the TRACS workflow to create a PDF bundle of information that constitutes a performance
report. This Performance Report PDF is emailed directly to the inbox of the appropriate WSFR office. It does not have to be submitted via
a separate process unless there are specific products or documents that cannot be attached to TRACS and are needed for performance reporting
(e.g., land acquisition documents).
4. Which TRACS data fields are included in the Performance Report PDF?

The Performance Report PDF includes information from the associated grant, Project and Action. As required by 43 CFR 12.80, the PDF focuses
on reporting accomplishments as compared to objectives established for the period. So quantitative objective indicators are displayed as well as
narrative description of results.
5. How are multiple year Projects reported?

Performance reporting for multiple year Projects follows standard WSFR grant policy in 516 FW 2 "Performance Reporting for Grants and
Cooperative Agreement Awards." Interim performance reports are required annually and will report on the prior years Actions towards the Project
Objectives. The Final Performance Report will include the cumulative accomplishments toward the Project Objectives.
6. Is TRACS used for tracking performance report due dates and receipt dates?

No. The milestones portion of FBMS will be used for this purpose based on the start and end dates of grants. A Project within TRACS that is
active for any period during the 12-month period for performance reporting will need to be reported on regardless of the start and end date of that
Project. This would also be applicable for a grant with multiple Projects that start at varying times.
7. Who is responsible for approving a performance report?

A state administrator who has that role defined in the TRACS workflow would be responsible for approving a performance report prior to
submission to WSFR. Final approval of the performance report would be by the WSFR staff member who is assigned responsibility for
administering that particular grant.
8. How is a performance report submitted via TRACS?

After final state approval, a state administrator uses the TRACS workflow to create a PDF bundle of information that constitutes a performance
report. This Performance Report PDF is emailed directly to the inbox of the appropriate WSFR office. It does not have to be submitted via
a separate process unless there are specific products or documents that cannot be attached to TRACS and are needed for performance reporting
(e.g., land acquisition documents).
9. Are attachments to Projects and Actions displayed in the Performance Report PDF?

Any attachments that are categorized as photos can be displayed in the Performance Report PDF. The user needs to check a box indicating that
the image is performance related for it to appear in the PDF.
10. How are changes made to a performance report?

Changes can be made to performance reports at several points in the TRACS workflow. These are when interim or final performance reports are
pending peer review, pending state approval, or pending WSFR review. After performance reports are approved by WSFR, there would need to
be a separate special process to make changes.
11. What attachments are required for performance reporting for data collection and analysis Projects?

As per 522 FW 11.9 B, three types of information are required for research Projects: 1) evidence of a review of prior research and studies in
progress; 2) discussion of the findings related to the objective(s), problem or need; and 3) discussion of the management implications of the
findings.
The general performance reporting requirements of 516 FW 2.9 A that include results/findings apply for survey Projects. Trend line graphs that
place the current year data point(s) in context are a particularly useful method of reporting survey Project results. There would need to be at least

36

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

three annual data points to display a trend, so such a graph would not be expected in the first two years of a survey.
12. What attachments are required for performance reporting for new construction and major renovation of facilities?

As per 522 FW 10.9 B, two types of information are required: 1) description of any restrictions on the use of the facility; and 2) certified
percentage-of-completion data or completion certificate resulting from onsite inspections (by State engineer for final inspection).
13. What attachments are required for performance reporting for land acquisition Projects?

As per 522 FW 6.8, title vesting evidence is required. This is typically a certificate by the Attorney General or other authorized state official that
the title to the property is vested in the state.
14. What attchments are required for performance reporting for outreach Projects?

As per 522 FW 15.10, copy(s) of outreach products or a detailed description of those products is required.
15. What attachments are required for performance reporting for species restoration and stocking Projects?

As per 522 FW 8.8 B, if not adequately captured in quantitative objectives and metrics, a table of number of individuals of fish and wildlife stocked
or translocated by species and location. Additional detail should be provided on age, proven pairs, etc., if significant to Project success.

37

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

Legacy Data
1. What FAIMS data will convert to Data TRACS?

Legacy FAIMS data will be archived and available to the Program and Accomplishment Reporting Branch of WSFR in perpetuity. The following
data forms pertinent to TRACS will in part or fully migrate from FAIMS:
• Enter/Edit Person Information
• Enter/Edit Agency Information
• Enter/Edit Grant Agreement
• Enter/Edit Amendment to Grant Agreement
• Enter/Edit Project Information
• Enter/Edit Accomplishment (ver. 1 or ver. 2)
• Enter/Edit AFA Land Information
• Enter/Edit GA Land Information
2. Will FAIMS records need to be updated in Data TRACS?

Yes, some FAIMS records may need to be updated or changed with a proper role and approval process. Only WSFR staff will have the ability to
change FAIMS legacy records in TRACS unless the record is converted to a TRACS format.
3. Can FAIMS records be edited in Data TRACS?

Yes, with a proper role and approval process. Only WSFR staff will have the ability to change FAIMS records in TRACS unless the record is
converted to a TRACS format.
4. Will FAIMS records be visible in the Wildlife TRACS public viewer?

No.
5. Are FAIMS records accessible in Data TRACS?

Yes. FAIMS records can be retrieved by grant number or FAIMS ID.
6. Can a FAIMS project be converted to a Data TRACS Project?

Yes, there will be a process for converting records. Full TRACS requirements and validation will apply to converted records..
7. If a grant in FAIMS has no project data, will grant level information be converted to Project level information for Data TRACS?

No. Legacy data is defined as FAIMS data that included a project or accomplishment record.

38

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

Queries
1. What type of grant information is in Data TRACS?

Data TRACS contains information on Projects funded and administered [AKA Federal Assistance (FA)- ESA Section 6 traditional and
nontraditional programs, and Coastal Impact Assessment Program (CIAP)] by the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration (WSFR) program. It include
s both front-end information on planned work and back-end information on accomplished work.
2. What type of grant information is not in Data TRACS?

Data TRACS does not include financial information that is auditable through grantee audits as currently conducted by the DOI Office of the
Inspector General. The Financial Business Management System (FBMS) is the repository of such financial information. Data TRACS is not
meant to be a repository of project raw data sets, as it is intended to house summary information on grant accomplishments.
3. Can a State have TRACS customized in order to store or manipulate data?

States will have the ability to do some customization of Data TRACS to meet their individual data needs. An example would be bringing in GIS
layers that have already been developed such as Wildlife Management Areas or Public Fishing Lakes. Larger scale customization would have to
be accomplished though other mechanisms funded by a state(s). An example would be entry of data according to a particular state habitat
classification system that would need to be crosswalked with the standardized habitat types within TRACS.
4. Will TRACS have both user defined query and report capability as well as standard queries and reports?

Yes. TRACS will have have user defined query and report capability as well as canned queries and reports.
5. Are there any sensitive project data that will not be displayed in the TRACS Public Viewer?

There are three major categories of project data that can be marked as sensitive and will not be displayed in the TRACS Public Viewer:
a) precise locations of species listed through state or federal endangered species programs
b) names and personal data of landowners participating in WSFR and FA- funded work on their private lands
c) land transaction records for lands acquired through WSFR and FA funding

39

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

System Fields
Entity

Field

Type

Definition

Plan

Entity

Publicly Visible

No

Yes

Plan Name

Text

Name of the plan.

Yes

Yes

Description

Text

Description of the
plan, including
specific tasks or
objectives.

Yes

Yes

Plan Type

Selection

Indicates the type of
planning instrument.

Yes

Yes

Person

Selection

Individual associated
with the record.

Yes

No

Agency

Selection

Agency associated
with the record.

Yes

Yes

Start Date

Date

Start date
associated with the
plan.

Yes

Yes

End Date

Date

End date associated
with the plan.

Yes

Yes

Parent Plan

Selection

Indicates that the
current plan is a
subset or subsidiary
of a larger planning
effort.

No

Yes

Related Plan

Selection

Relates the selected
plan to the current
plan.

No

Yes

Field

Type

Definition

Required

Publicly Visible

No

Yes

Need/Threat

40

Required

Need/Threat Type
Level 1

Selection

General descriptor
of something that is
wanted or deemed
necessary as it
relates to a specific
resource or a negati
ve force or pressure
acting upon a
specific resource
and requiring a
specific response.

Yes

Yes

Need/Threat Type
Level 2

Selection

More
specific descriptor
of something that is
wanted or deemed
necessary as it
relates to a specific
resource or a negati
ve force or pressure
acting upon a
specific resource
and requiring a
specific response.

No

Yes

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

Entity

Need/Threat Type
Level 3

Selection

Very specific descrip
tor of something that
is wanted or deemed
necessary as it
relates to a specific
resource or a negati
ve force or pressure
acting upon a
specific resource
and requiring a
specific response.

No

Yes

Need/Threat
Description

Selection

Description of the
selected need or
threat as it pertains
to a specific
resource or
response.

Yes

Yes

Field

Type

Definition

Required

Publicly Visible

No

Yes

Purpose/Target

41

Purpose/Target ID

Text

Custom identifier for
the purpose or target
defined by the user.
The identifier may
correspond to a
planning document.

Yes

Yes

Purpose/Target
Name

Text

Name of the purpose
or target as defined
by the user. A name
might describe a
desired future state.

Yes

Yes

Purpose/Target
Description

Text

The intended
outcome of a project
in general terms.

Yes

Yes

Broad Habitat Type
1

Selection

General description
of the habitat type. If
more than one
habitat type is
present, select the
most prevalent
habitat type.

No

Yes

Broad Habitat Type
2

Selection

More specific
description of the
habitat type
selected. If more
than one habitat type
is present, select the
most prevalent
habitat type.

No

Yes

Common Name

Selection

Species common
name.

No

Yes

Scientific Name

Selection

Species scientific
name.

No

Yes

Status

Selection

Species Federal
listed status.

No

Yes

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

Entity

Directly Benefitted?

Boolean

Indicates that the
species is directly
benefitted by project
actions. Additional
information
collection needs,
such as estimated
cost, will
be collected for the
species.

No

Yes

Viability Status

Selection

Indicates if the
impact of project
actions on the
viability of the
species is increased,
sustained, or
decreased.

No

No

Viability Status
Justification

Text

Explanation of the
selected species
viability status for the
current project.

No

No

Field

Type

Definition

Required

Publicly Visible

No

Yes

Objective

Entity
Indicator

42

Objective ID

Text

Custom identifier for
the objective defined
by the user. The
identifier may
correspond to a
planning document.

Yes

No

Objective Name

Text

Short statement or
name for the
objective.

Yes

Yes

Objective Statement

Text

The specific and
measurable desired
future state of the
purpose or target
(e.g. “decrease the
number of hunting
accidents” or
“increase the
population of
species x by 30%).
Objectives consist of
specific statements
of what exactly will
be accomplished by
a plan, project, or
action. Objectives
may be expressed
as a quantity, a
deadline, and/or the
required quality of
accomplishment.

Yes

Yes

Field

Type

Definition

Required

Publicly Visible

Desired Future
Value

Number

The desired future
value of the indicator
for the current
objective.

Yes

Yes

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

Entity

Base Value

Number

The base or starting
value of the indicator
for the current
objective.

Yes

Yes

Standard Output

Selection

A quantitative
indicator output that
is measurable by the
system based on the
action categories
identified for the
project.

No

Yes

Custom Output

Text

A
quantitative indicator
output that is not
measurable by the
system but can be
manually reported
on.

No

Yes

Target Date

Date

The date by which
the quantitative
indicator for the
current objective
should reach the
desired value.

Yes

Yes

Custom Output

Text

A qualitative
indicator output that
is not measurable by
the system but can
be manually
reported on.

No

Yes

Target Date

Date

The date by which
the qualitative
indicator for the
current objective
should be achieved.

Yes

Yes

Field

Type

Definition

Required

Publicly Visible

Yes

Yes

Project

43

Project Name

Text

Name of the project.

Yes

Yes

Primary Agency

Selection

Primary agency
responsible for
implementing the
objectives of the
project and
performance
reporting.

Yes

Yes

Project Status

Selection

Status of the
project. Project
status may be
independent of the
grant status. Draft
indicates the project
is not yet approved.
Active means that
the project is
approved and in
progress.
Completed indicates
that the project is
finished in its entirety
and closed to future
funding
opportunities.

Yes

Yes

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

44

Project Start Date

Date

Anticipated start
date for the project.

Yes

Yes

Project End Date

Date

Anticipated end date
for the project.

Yes

Yes

Project Website

Text

Link to external web
resource related to
the project. External
links will need to be
reviewed periodically
to ensure that web
resources are still
available.

No

Yes

Is Project Sensitive?

Boolean

Indicates that the
project contains
sensitive
geospatial informatio
n (e.g. lands data,
sensitive species, or
private landowner
location).
Geospatial data that
is marked as
sensitive is not
displayed to the
public.

No

No

Project Categories

Selection

A generic description
of the major areas
addressed by the
project.

Yes

Yes

Action Categories

Selection

A generic description
of the types of
actions conducted
as part of the
project.

Yes

Yes

Contacts

Selection

The contact for the
project (i.e. project
lead) that is not
necessarily the grant
contact.

Yes

No

Partners

Selection

A person or group
taking part in and
making a significant
contribution to the
project, grant, or
transaction.

No

Yes

Public Description

Text

A description of the
project intended for
public consumption,
including objectives,
benefits, and results.

Yes

Yes

Parent Project

Selection

Identifies a project
with a hierarchical (p
arent/child)
relationship to the
current project. Proj
ect outputs can be
rolled-up to a parent
project.

No

Yes

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

Entity

Related Projects

Selection

Identifies a project
with a peer (peer/pe
er) relationship to
the current project.
Project outputs
cannot be rolled-up
to a peer project.

No

Yes

Project Group

Selection

The group to which
the project is
assigned. Only
users with access to
the assigned
group can manage
the project data.

Yes

No

Field

Type

Definition

Required

Publicly Visible

Yes

Yes

Project Statement

45

Name

Text

Name of the project
statement as defined
by the user for
identification and
reference purposes.
The project
statement name may
correspond to a
funding source name
or number.

Yes

Yes

Principal Investigator

Selection

The primary project
leader for research
projects. Include
name, work address,
and telephone
number.

No

No

Total Est. WSFR
Federal Cost

Number

The aggregate
amount of WSFR (or
WSFR
Administered)
funding that is
anticipated to be
drawn to support the
Project or Project(s).
It may only be a
portion of
the aggregate
WSFR or WSFR
Administered
funding for the Grant
as a whole.

Yes

Yes

Total Est.
Non-Federal Match

Number

Match means the
aggregate value of
any required
non-Federal in-kind
contributions and the
portion of the costs
of a grant-funded
project or projects
not borne by the
Federal
Government. Match
may exceed the
amount required by
the enabling
legislation for the
grant program.

Yes

Yes

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

46

Total Est. Other Cost

Number

The aggregate of all
other funding
supporting the
Project or Projects
that is not either
WSFR Federal Cost
or Non-Federal
Match.

No

Yes

Sub Accounts

Selection

The funding from the
various WSFR or
WSFR Administered
funding sources that
contribute
to the Project or
Projects.

Yes

Yes

Other Funds

Selection

A non-WSFR
funding source that
does not constitute
match but pertains
to other costs.

No

Yes

Need Statement

Text

A statement that
describes a specific
problem and cites
research or data to
support the
description.
Expresses why an
agency is or should
be dealing with a
conservation issue,
problem or
opportunity as
evidenced by public
surveys or research
data.

Yes

No

Approach

Text

A plan to solve a
situation or problem
that leads to a
desired outcome.
The actions that will
be undertaken to
meet the project
objective(s).

Yes

No

Expected Results

Text

Expected results and
outcome from
resolving a
conservation need.

Yes

No

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

47

General

Text

Information in the
project statement
that Shows that the
proposed activities
are eligible for
funding and
substantial in
character and
design; and enables
the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service to
comply with the
applicable
requirements of the
National
Environmental Policy
Act of 1969 (42
U.S.C. 4321 and
4331–4347), the
Endangered Species
Act of 1973 (16
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.),
the National Historic
Preservation Act (16
U.S.C. 470s), and
other laws,
regulations, and
policies.

No

No

Useful Life

Text

The period of time
during which
federally funded
facilities, equipment
or capital
improvements are
capable of fulfilling
their intended
purpose with
adequate, routine
maintenance.

No

No

Program Income

Text

Revenue received
by the grantee or
sub grantee from
activities directly
supported by a grant
during the open
grant period.

No

No

Multipurpose
Projects

Text

A grant-funded
project that carries
out the purpose of a
single grant program
and also carries out
either the purpose of
another grant
program, or an
activity unrelated to
a grant. The method
for allocating costs in
multipurpose
projects and facilities
as described in §§
80.63 and 80.64.

No

No

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

Entity

Relationship With
Other Grants

Text

A description of the
relationship between
a project and other
work funded by
Federal grants that
are planned,
anticipated, or
underway.

No

No

Timeline

Text

An estimated
schedule of
significant
milestones in
completing a project.

No

No

Scope Deviations

Text

A change in the
scope of a project
that results as the
project is underway
(Active). This
change may result in
desired actions that
were intended to
occur not happening,
or actions that were
not intended to occur
happening.

No

No

Field

Type

Definition

Required

Publicly Visible

No

No

Project Statement
Revision

48

Change in Duration

Boolean

The time period for
completing the
stated objectives has
changed. The
deadline for
objective indicators
should be updated to
reflect a new time
frame.

No

No

Change in Estimated
Funds

Boolean

An increase or
decrease in
estimated funds
requires a revision to
the award. The
Total Estimated
WSFR Federal Cost,
Total Estimated
Non-Federal Match,
or Total Estimated
Other Cost amounts
should be updated to
reflect the change in
total funds. A
modification to the
FBMS funding
source must be
associated with the
project statement
revision.

No

No

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

Entity

Change in Scope

Boolean

The scope of the
project statement
has changed.
Changes may
include updates to
objectives,
indicators, location,
project leader, or
other critical
elements.

No

No

Field

Type

Definition

Required

Publicly Visible

Yes

Yes

Objective

Entity

Narrative Objective

Text

The desired
outcomes of a
project that are
specific and can be
measured
quantitatively or
qualitatively.
Objectives directly
address a need and
establish
benchmarks
required to
demonstrate the
need has been met.
(Specific,
Measurable,
Achievable,
Relevant and Time
bound).

Yes

No

Field

Type

Definition

Required

Publicly Visible

Yes

Yes

Funding Source

49

Est. WSFR
Non-Federal Match

Number

Match means the
value of any
non-Federal in-kind
contributions and the
portion of the costs
of a grant-funded
project or projects
not borne by the
Federal
Government.

Yes

Yes

Grantors

Selection

A person or
institution that
makes a grant or
conveyance.

Yes

Yes

Grantees

Selection

A person or group to
whom a grant is
made. Recipients of
grant proposals
receive funds.

Yes

Yes

Sub-Grantees

Selection

The entity which
receives a sub-grant
and is accountable
for the use of the
funds provided.

No

No

Third-Parties

Selection

A person or group
besides the two
primarily involved in
a grant.

No

No

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

Entity

Field

Type

Definition

Other Funds

Entity

Publicly Visible

No

Yes

Funding Source
Name

Text

Name of the
non-WSFR funding
source.

No

Yes

Start Date

Date

Start date of the
non-WSFR funding
source.

No

No

End Date

Date

End date of the
non-WSFR funding
source.

No

No

Amount

Number

Amount of the
non-WSFR funding
source.

No

No

Notes

Text

Description or
comments related to
the non-WSFR
funding source.

No

No

Agency

Selection

Name of the
agency contributing
to the non-WSFR
funding source.

No

No

Partner

Selection

Name of the
partner contributing
to the non-WSFR
funding source.

No

No

Third-party

Selection

Name of the
third-party
contributing to the
non-WSFR funding
source.

No

No

Field

Type

Definition

Required

Publicly Visible

Yes

Yes

Action

50

Required

Action Name

Text

Name of the action
as defined by the
user for identification
and reference
purposes.

Yes

Yes

Action Status

Selection

Status of the action.
Action status is
contingent upon
grant status. Draft
indicates the grant is
not yet approved.
Active means the
grant is approved
and the action is in
progress.
Completed indicates
that the action is
completed and
reported for
performance
reporting.

Yes

Yes

Action Start Date

Date

Actual start date of
the action.

Yes

Yes

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

51

Action End Date

Date

Actual end date of
the action.

Yes

Yes

Reporting Fiscal
Year

Date

Federal fiscal year in
which the action is
completed.
Auto-populated
based on the action
end date.

Yes

Yes

Category

Selection

Generic descriptor
that indicates the
type of action.
Estimated costs are
required at this level.
Category is used as
a basis for
aggregating like
actions for reporting
purposes within and
across states.

Yes

Yes

Strategy

Selection

More specific
descriptor that can
be used to generate
more specific
aggregations for
reporting purposes w
ithin and across
states. Estimated
costs are optional at
this level; output
measures are
required.

Yes

Yes

Activity

Selection

A specific descriptor
of an action used for
very specific
reporting needs.
This level of detail is
optional with some
exceptions. For
those programs for
which this level of
detail is required,
outputs are also
required. Estimated
costs are optional at
this level.

Yes/No

Yes

Quantity

Number

A metric describing
the activity standard
output.

No

Yes

Units

Text

Standard unit of
measure for
the activity output.

Yes

Yes

Contacts

Selection

The contact for
the action (i.e. action
lead) that is not
necessarily the grant
or project contact.

No

No

Partners

Selection

A person or group
taking part in the
project, grant, or
transaction.

No

No

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

52

Results

Text

A short
publically-viewable
narrative that
summarizes
accomplishments of
action completed to
fulfill project
objectives.

Yes

Yes

Date Reported

Date

The date that the
result of an action is
reported. An action
may be reported
more than once
toward project
statement objectives
or interim measures.

Yes

No

Value Reported

Number

The value reported
toward a project
statement objective
indicator or interim
measure indicator.

Yes

Yes

Significant
Deviations

Text

A deviation from the
expected result of an
action as it pertains
to a specific
objective.
Deviations may have
a net positive or
negative result. The
reason for a
deviation should be
explained.

No

No

Project Statement

Selection

The project
statement addressed
by the current
action progress
report.

No

Yes

Indicator

Selection

The objective
indicator addressed
by the current action
progress report.

No

Yes

Interim Measure

Selection

The action interim
measure addressed
by the current action
progress report.

No

No

Indicator

Selection

The interim measure
indicator addressed
by the current action
progress report.

No

No

Current Broad
Habitat Level 1

Selection

General description
of the existing
habitat type. If more
than one habitat type
is present, select the
most prevalent
habitat type.

No

Yes

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

Entity
Interim Measure

53

Current Broad
Habitat Level 2

Selection

More specific
description of the
existing habitat type
selected. If more
than one habitat type
is present, select the
most prevalent
habitat type.

No

Yes

Desired Broad
Habitat Level 1

Selection

General description
of the desired
future habitat type.
If more than one
habitat type is
desired, select the
most prevalent
desired habitat type.

No

Yes

Desired Broad
Habitat Level 2

Selection

More specific
description of
the desired future
habitat type
selected. If more
than one habitat type
is desired, select the
most prevalent
desired habitat type.

No

Yes

Species Directly
Benefitted

Selection

Species directly
benefitted by the
action. Additional
information
collection needs,
such as estimated
cost, will be provided
for the species.

No

Yes

Species Indirectly
Benefitted

Selection

Species indirectly
benefitted by the
action. No additional
information
collection needs.

No

Yes

Parent Action

Selection

Identifies an
action with a
hierarchical
(parent/child)
relationship to the
current
action. Action
outputs can
aggregate to a
parent action.

No

Yes

Related Actions

Selection

Identifies an
action with a peer
(peer/peer)
relationship to the
current
action. Action
outputs do not
aggregate to a peer
action.

No

Yes

Field

Type

Definition

Required

Publicly Visible

Yes

Yes

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

Entity
Land

54

Interim Measure ID

Text

Custom identifier for
the interim
measure defined by
the user. The
identifier may
correspond to a
planning document.

No

No

Interim Measure
Name

Text

Short statement or
name for the interim
measure.

Yes

No

Interim Measure
Statement

Text

The specific and
measurable desired
future state of
the action. Interim
measures consist of
specific statements
of what exactly will
be accomplished
by the action during
a specific time
frame. Interim
measures may be
expressed as a
quantity, a deadline,
and/or the required
quality of
accomplishment.

Yes

No

Planned Future
Value

Number

The planned value of
the indicator for the
current interim
measure.

Yes

No

Base Value

Number

The base or starting
value of the indicator
for the current
interim measure.

Yes

No

Standard Output

Selection

A quantitative
indicator output that
is measurable by the
system based on the
action categories
identified for the
project.

No

No

Custom Output

Text

A quantitative or
qualitative indicator
output that is not
measurable by the
system but can be
reported on
manually.

No

No

Deadline

Date

The date by which
the quantitative
indicator for the
current objective
should reach the
desired value.

Yes

No

Field

Type

Definition

Required

Publicly Visible

No

No

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

55

Property Name

Text

Commonly known
name designated by
the State or WSFR
office for any size of
contiguous
parcels/tracts
assigned by the
Grantee. It may
generally references
the seller's name or
the but could be
assigned another
name including of a
conservation/manag
ement area that the
property will be
managed under.

Yes

No

Transaction Type

Selection

The type of land
transaction.
Acquisition: Addition
of some or all real
propery rights
through: purchase,
exchange, or
donation; Disposal:
Subtraction of some
or all real property
rights through sale
or exchange.
conveyance of a real
property interest;
Negative adjustment
(subtraction of real
property acreage
due to survey or
administrative
correction); or
Positive adjustment
(addition of real
property acreage
due to survey or
administrative
correction).

Yes

No

Transfer Type

Selection

Method of acquiring
or disposing of
property. Includes
Cash; Exchange;
In-kind (i.e, grant
match); and
Donation.

No

No

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

56

Interest Type

Selection

The interest(s) or
right(s) acquired or
sold in real estate
transaction. The
term(s) of the
acquisition/sale can
be in perpetuity or
for a period of time:
fee simple
(maximum possible
rights); conservation
or other easement;
lease; timber rights;
water rights; mineral
rights. Fee title or
conservation
easement
acquisitions are
perpetual. A
leasehold interest
can be for any
period of time.
Those that are 10
years or more must
be recorded.

No

No

Polygon Acres

Derived

The area of the
parcel or tract. Area
is calculated from
the spatial extent of
the shape.

Yes

No

Acre Feet

Number

The acre feet of the
parcel or tract. Area
is calculated from
the spatial extent of
the shape. Acre feet
applies to water
rights only.

No

No

Federal Record ID

Text

An optional, unique
alphanumeric
identification
assigned to
individual tracts by
some WSFR
regions.

No

No

State Record ID

Text

An optional,
State-generated
unique identifier for
an individual
property acquisition
record.

No

No

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

57

Assessor Parcel
Number

Text

A unique number
assigned to parcels
of real property by
the tax assessor of a
particular jurisdiction
for purposes of
identification and
record-keeping. The
APNs within a
jurisdiction, and may
conform to certain
formatting standards
that convey basic
identifying
information such as
the property type or
location within the
plat map.

No

No

Deed Book Number

Text

The County
Recorder book
number where the
applicable legal
instrument (e.g.,
deed, easement,
lease) for the
property is
recorded. This
information is
needed to locate a
copy of
deed/easement/leas
e etc..

No

No

Deed Recorded
Date

Date

The date that the
instrument of
transfer of ownership
interest, from the
seller to the buyer, is
recorded and
stamped by the
County Recorder
Office.

No

No

Deed Recording
Address

Text

The Recorders
Office or other
location where the
physical deed is
recorded.

No

No

Instrument Number

Text

A number that is
assigned by the
county, at the time of
recording, to a legal
real property
document such as a
deed or lease or will.

No

No

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

58

Encumbrances

Boolean

Any partial interest in
real property that is
a restriction of the
owner’s property
rights (easements,
profits, reservations,
leases, and deed
restrictions, mineral
rights); or a claim
against the owner’s
property rights as
security for payment
of a debt (mortgage,
judgment lien, or tax
lien).

No

No

Appraised
Value/Waiver
Valuation

Number

Appraised value is
the amount in cash,
or on terms
reasonably
equivalent to cash,
for which in all
probability the
property would have
sold on the effective
date of the appraisal,
after a reasonable
exposure time on the
open competitive
market, from a
willing and
reasonably
knowledgeable seller
to a willing and
reasonably
knowledgeable
buyer, with neither
acting under any
compulsion to buy or
sell, giving due
consideration to all
available economic
uses of the property
at the time of the
appraisal.

Yes

No

Federal

Number

No

No

Non-Federal

Number

.

No

No

Total

Derived

Sum of purchase
price plus any land
value donated, plus
bargain sale, plus
miscellaneous costs
included as a grant
cost.

No

No

State Contribution

Number

No

No

Non-State
Contribution

Number

No

No

Bargain Sale by
Landowner

Number

No

No

Land as Match
Value

Number

No

No

Total Non-Federal

Number

No

No

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

59

Purchase Price

Number

The amount that a
particular purchaser
agrees to pay, and a
particular seller
agrees to accept
under the
circumstances of the
transaction. For
purposes of this
program, this
amount is excluding
associated
preacquistion and
closing costs.

No

No

Miscellaneous Costs

Number

Miscellaneous costs
(e.g. expenses
incidental to transfer
of title paid by
grantee or
subgrantee per 49
CFR 24.106 such as
surveys, appraisals,
appraisal reviews,
environmental
compliance etc.).

No

No

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

60

PLSS Location

Text

The Public Land
Survey System
(PLSS) is a way of
subdividing and
describing land in
the United States. All
lands in the public
domain are subject
to subdivision by this
rectangular system
of surveys, which is
regulated by the
U.S.
Department of the
Interior, Bureau of
Land Management
(BLM). The PLSS
typically divides land
into 6-mile-square
townships, which is
the level of
information included
in the National Atlas.
Townships are
subdivided into 36
one-mile- square
sections. Sections
can be further
subdivided into
quarter sections,
quarter-quarter
sections, or irregular
government lots.
Normally, a
permanent
monument,
or marker, is placed
at each section
corner. Monuments
are also placed at
quarter-section
corners and at other
important points,
such as the corners
of government lots.

No

No

Metes and Bounds

Text

A surveyor's
description of a
parcel of real
property, using
carefully measured
distances, angles,
and directions, which
results in what is
called a "legal
description" of the
land, as
distinguished from
merely a street
address or parcel
number. Such a
metes and bounds
description is
required to be
recorded in official
county record on a
subdivision map and
in the deeds when
the boundaries of a
parcel or lot are first
drawn.

No

No

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

Entity

Seller

Selection

Landowner;
person(s), business
or conservation
group
relinquishing/selling
ownership or control
of the real estate. In
many real estate
legal documents this
person/entity is
referred to as the
"Grantee". The use
of the term Grantee
for real estate
purposes is different
than the use of that
term to describe the
agency/entity who
receives a grant
award. The seller's
name provides a
means for identifying
real property and for
relating property
back to its deed of
transfer.

No

No

Titled To

Selection

The agency/entity
that holds legal title
to the property or
legal interest to
some of the property
rights.

No

No

Legal Description

Text

A legal
description/land
description is the
method of locating or
describing land in
relation to the public
land survey system,
which was
established by law in
1785, under the
Articles of
Confederation.

No

No

Comments

Text

No

No

Acquisition
Purpose/Change in
Purpose

Text

The need, or change
in need, that the
specific property, or
its rights, are
intended to address
as stated in the
approved grant
document.

Yes

No

Field

Type

Definition

Required

Publicly Visible

Yes

Aggregate Only

No

Yes

Estimated Cost Actions
Funding Source

61

Selection

The FBMS number
of the approved
WSFR grant that
supports the Action
or Actions.

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

Entity

Total Est. WSFR
Federal Cost

Number

The estimated
amount of WSFR (or
WSFR
Administered)
funding that was
drawn to support the
Project or Project(s).
It may only be a
portion of
the aggregate
WSFR or WSFR
Administered
funding for the Grant
as a whole.

No

No

Total Est.
Non-Federal Match

Number

The estimated value
of any required
non-Federal in-kind
contributions and the
portion of the costs
of a grant-funded
project or projects
not borne by the
Federal
Government. Match
may exceed the
amount required by
the enabling
legislation for the
grant program.

No

No

Field

Type

Definition

Required

Publicly Visible

Yes

Aggregate Only

Estimated Cost Directly Benefitted
Species

62

Funding Source

Selection

The FBMS number
of the approved
WSFR grant that
supports the Action
or Actions.

Yes

Yes

Total Est. WSFR
Federal Cost

Number

The estimated
amount of WSFR (or
WSFR
Administered)
funding that was
drawn to support the
Project or Project(s).
It may only be a
portion of
the aggregate
WSFR or WSFR
Administered
funding for the Grant
as a whole.

No

No

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

Entity

Total Est.
Non-Federal Match

Number

The estimated value
of any required
non-Federal in-kind
contributions and the
portion of the costs
of a grant-funded
project or projects
not borne by the
Federal
Government. Match
may exceed the
amount required by
the enabling
legislation for the
grant program.

No

No

Field

Type

Definition

Required

Publicly Visible

Yes

Yes

Agency

Entity

Agency Type

Selection

Type of agency
record.

Yes

Yes

Agency Name

Text

Name of the agency
record.

Yes

Yes

Agency Abbreviation

Text

Abbreviated name or
acronym for the
agency record.

No

Yes

Agency Description

Text

Description of the
agency record. May
include street
address, contact
information, and
other distinguishing
details.

No

No

State

Selection

The State location of
the agency record.

No

Yes

Parent Agency

Selection

Identifies a parent
agency with a
hierarchical
(parent/child)
relationship to the
current agency.

No

Yes

Field

Type

Definition

Required

Publicly Visible

No

Yes

Contact / Person /
Partner

63

First Name

Text

First name of the
person record.

Yes

No

Last Name

Text

Last name of the
person record.

Yes

No

Title

Text

Job title of the
person record.

No

No

Phone

Number

Phone number for
the person record.

Yes

No

Phone Ext

Number

.Phone number
extension.

No

No

Email Address

Text

Email address for
the person record

Yes

No

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

Entity

Agency

Selection

Agency of the
person record.

Yes

No

Field

Type

Definition

Required

Publicly Visible

No

No

Attachment

64

Attachment Type

Selection

Type of the
attachment.

Yes

Yes

File

Text

Local path of the file
to be uploaded.

Yes

No

Title

Text

Title of the
attachment.

Yes

Yes

Author

Text

Author or copyright
holder for the
attachment.

Yes

Yes

Caption

Text

Short description of
the content of the
attachment.

No

No

Phase

Selection

Indicates the phase
of the attachment as
it pertains to the
status of the plan,
project, or action.

No

No

Is Performance
Related?

Boolean

Indicates that the
attachment should
be included in
performance reports.

No

No

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

Narratives
1. What Data TRACS fields allow entry of information in a text format?

Data TRACS has many data fields that are designed for very short text entries such as IDs and names for fields assigned by users and website
URLs. Other data fields are designed for text entries of a sentence or two such as Objective Statement, Purpose/Target Description, Useful Life
and Significant Deviations. More substantial narrative text entries are expected to be entered in the TRACS data fields and locations below:
TRACS Text Data Field

TRACS Location

Plan Description

Plan

Public Description

Project

Need

Project Statement

Approach

Project Statement

Expected Results

Project Statement

Results

Action

2. How do narrative fields correspond to the project-by-project requirements of 50 CFR 80.82?

Data TRACS has been designed to accommodate the majority of information required within project statements for Wildlife Restoration and Sport
Fish Restoration grants as per 50 CFR 80.82. The crosswalk of project statement elements and Data TRACS fields at the Project level is:
50 CFR 80.82 Element

TRACS Data Field

TRACS Location

Need

Need

Project Statement

Need/Threat Description

Project

Purpose

Purpose/Target Description

Project

Objectives

Project Objectives

Project Statement

Results or Benefits Expected

Expected Results

Project Statement

Approach

Approach

Project Statement

Useful Life

Useful Life

Project Statement

Principal Investigator for Research Projects

Principal Investigator

Project Statement

Program Income

Program Income

Project Statement

Budget Narrative

N/A

N/A

Multipurpose Projects

Multipurpose Projects

Project Statement

Relationship with Other Grants

Relationship with Other Grants

Project Statement

Timeline

Timeline

Project Statement

General

General

Project Statement

3. Which of the more substantial narrative fields in Question #1 are required?

Since Project-level information in Data TRACS is expected to be used in the grant application process, the narrative fields that correspond to 50
CFR 80.82 are required. The Public Description is also required because of the WSFR program desire to transparently share information on
grants that it funds to a variety of audiences through the Wildlife TRACS Viewer.
The Results text field in the Action level of Data TRACS is the main narrative component of interim and final performance reports and is required.
4. What should be included in the Public Description?

The Public Description narrative should succinctly tell a story about planned work in layman's terms since it will be displayed in the Wildlife
TRACS Public Viewer. It should be considered as an executive summary and will be limited to a single paragraph. The Public Description should

65

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

include the objectives and expected results or benefits.
5. Where are narrative results entered in TRACS?

Results are entered at the Action level of TRACS. Specifically, they are entered for each objective of an Action.
6. When should narrative fields be populated?

Project-level narrative fields should be populated as part of the grant application process. Action-level narrative fields should be populated as part
of the performance reporting process.
7. Are there any space or character limitations for the more substantial narrative fields in FAQ #1?

There are no space or character limitations for narrative fields.
8. What is the generally recommended maximum length of text in narrative fields?

For narrative fields that will only reside in Data TRACS, there is no reason to limit the length of text. This information is used to judge
substantiality in character and design and to monitor performance. So whatever amount of narrative is needed is fine. However, a maximum
length of a paragraph is highly recommended for narrative fields that will be displayed in the Wildlife TRACS public viewer such as
Public Description and Results.
9. Which narrative fields will be displayed in the Wildlife TRACS Viewer?

This is still open to discussion. As of October 15, the only narrative field that will certainly be viewable in the Wildlife TRACS public viewer is
Public Description.

66

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

Attachments
1. What types of information can be attached to TRACS Plans, Projects and Actions?

TRACS allows any number and many types of information to be attached. Some of the more common types of attachments anticipated are:
Type

Examples

Figures and Graphs

Survey project trend graphs, Gantt timeline chart for phased Projects

Longer Narrative

Results of research Projects, Section 6 grant non-lethal take reporting

Management or Recovery Plans

CMS documentation, Products of research/survey Projects

Maps

Sampling locations within Action polygon, Land aquisition parcels

Outreach Products

Brochures, Pamphlets, Videos

Photographs

Facilities construction, Habitat improvement, Fish and wildlife
species worked on

Publication

Agency report, Masters thesis, Doctoral dissertation, Report from
subgrantee

Tables

Sport fish stocking lists

2. How are attachment types characterized in TRACS?

TRACS allows users to characterize an attachment as a Photo, Map, Document or Video. Attachments to Projects and Actions can also be
characterized as being performance related which will allow them to appear in the Performance Report PDF.
3. When in the grant process can information be attached to TRACS?

Information can be attached to TRACS during the front end of the grant process when applying for a grant or on the back end of the grant process
when reporting accomplishments. Requirements for additional information beyond TRACS data fields are spelled out in the Grant Application and
Performance Report sections of this guidance document.
4. Are photographs required as attachments?

Photographs are highly recommended for all types of Projects to better tell the story of WSFR-funded work. They are particularly important to
show the results of construction and habitat improvement projects. Photographs of fish and wildlife species that are the focus of work are very
useful for outreach purposes. Also helpful are photographs of personnel actively involved with Projects such as field sampling, skills
education classes, or providing technical assistance to a private landowner.

67

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

Access Procedures
1. Who should use Data TRACS?

Persons responsible for inputting or managing WSFR grant program projects and performance data, especially state wildlife agency
coordinators, program specialists, project leaders, and WSFR grant specialists.
2. How are new user requests submitted?

New users can request access to the Data TRACS application at https://tracs.fws.gov site using the Register link.
3. Who approves new user requests?

New user requests are approved by the User Administrator for the office or agency to which the user belongs. The User Administrator is informed
of new user requests via email and is responsible for approving or denying access within a reasonable time frame. User Adminstrators are
responsible for verifying the accuracy and validity of new user requests prior to approval.
4. What happens when an employee no longer requires access?

User Administrators are responsible for deactivating end-user accounts when access is no longer needed. End-user passwords expire every 60
days as a fallback security measure. Regional office and state agencies should review all system accounts and privileges on an annual basis.

68

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

User Management
1. How are permissions handled in Data TRACS?

Permissions in Data TRACS are group based. State and Federal agencies are assigned a top-level group (e.g., Group = Montana; Group =
Department of the Interior). Within each top-level group, sub-groups are created by the agency to correspond to state fish and wildlife agencies,
Federal bureaus, and regional offices. Sub-groups can have additional sub-groups to accommodate various office, departmental, or jurisdictional
organization schemes as deemed appropriate or necessary by each agency.
End-users belong to one or more groups and have specific permissions (i.e. the operations or functions the user can perform). Permissions are
inherited in a top-down hierarchy. For example, a user with permission to edit Project data in the Department of Interior (DOI) group automatically
has permission to edit Project data in the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) group. However, a user who is in the USFWS group does not ha
ve implicit permission to edit data in the DOI group. It is important to keep track of which end-users belong to a specific group in order to ensure
that unintended access is not available through group inheritance. Data TRACS will include user management reports that display group
participation and end-user permissions.
Federal end-users of Data TRACS are managed by the appropriate regional WSFR office. Management of state, and territorial users in some
Regions, is the responsibility of the appropriate State agency. State agencies will identify one or more User Administrators during the registration
process who are responsible for approving, managing, and deactivating end-user accounts at the appropriate level.
2. What is a group?

A group is a collection of users assigned to a specific entity. By default, Data TRACS has top-level groups that correspond to state and federal
agencies. A top-level group can have one or more sub-groups that correspond to state fish and wildlife agencies or regional offices. A sub-group
can have one or more sub-groups of its own that correspond to regional boundaries, departments, jurisdictions, or areas of responsbility. The
workload associated with user management necessarily increases as more sub-groups are defined.
3. What is a role?

A role is the permission associated with a particular user function or operation. Data TRACS defines the following roles:
Role

Description

User Administrator

Responsible for administering user access requests, group and role
assignments, account deactivation and management of user groups.

State Editor

Responsible for entry of specific data elements (e.g. projects, plans).

State Reviewer

Responsible for review of system outputs.

State Approver

Responsible for approval of system outputs

Federal Reviewer

Responsible for review of system outputs.

Federal Approver

Responsible for approval of system outputs.

In addition to roles, end-users are authorized to act upon specific data entities in the system. Roles apply to the following entities:
Entity

Description

Plan

Plan components including Plan objectives, attachments, spatial
data, etc.

Project

All Project elements including the Project, Project Statement, Actions,
lands, attachments, spatial data, etc.

Federal Funding Source

Award information from FBMS can only be associated with a Project
Statement by the WSFR grant specialist.

TRACS User

Includes user profiles, groups, permissions, etc.

Data TRACS end-users can participate in one or more groups and be assigned one or more roles that pertain to one or more entities. Consider
the following example:
User: Jane Doe
Group: Washington Department of Fish and Game
Role: State Editor
Entity: Plan, Project, Action
In this example, Jane Doe is a State user who can create and edit any Plan, Project, or Action data within the Washington DFG group.

69

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program -- Wildlife Tracking and Reporting on Actions for the Conservation of Species (TRACS)

4. Who manages groups, users, and roles?

WSFR is responsible for administering Federal end-users of Data TRACS. State fish and wildlife agencies are responsible for administering
end-users for states and territories. Each WSFR regional office and state fish and wildlife agency will identify one or more individuals
who will fulfill the User Administrator function. The TRACS Help Desk can assist offices with the initial registration of User
Administrators. Administrators are then responsible for approval of access requests, role assignment, and account deactivation.
5. Will there be special training or E-Learning opportunities for staff that are assigned roles with additional responsibility?

Yes. E-Learning modules will be developed for all modules within TRACS, and for specific roles and responsibilities.

70