Since 1937, a cooperative program between the federal and state governments has existed for wildlife restoration. This program provides federal grants-in-aid to state agencies for conservation through land and water management for wild birds and mammals. While up to 8% of the collected revenues from excise taxes dedicated to the program may be retained by the federal government for administration, all remaining funds are apportioned to the states and territories for use either in wildlife restoration or hunter safety and education programs. Wildlife restoration programs receive all funds generated from the excise tax on firearms other than pistols and revolvers and all funds collected from shells and cartridges. Additionally, one-half of the excise taxes collected from pistols, revolvers, and archery equipment goes for wildlife restoration purposes. Hunter safety and education programs are funded from the remaining half of excise taxes collected on pistols, revolvers, and archery equipment. The states have been authorized by law to use hunter safety and education funds for wildlife restoration projects.

Species found abundantly outside of their normal range can represent an ecological and economic hazard as great or greater than the most far-reaching efforts to protect an endangered species.

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With the end of the Cold War, the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaties (START), and other agreements, the United States and Russia have dramatically reduced their arsenals of nuclear weapons. As a result, each side has accumulated large stockpiles of plutonium, one of the principal materials used in nuclear warheads. The United States recently declared a holding of approximately 50 metric tons of weapons-usable plutonium excess to military needs. Even greater levels are believed to exist in Russia.

Report of the Texas State Auditor's Office related to evaluating the effectiveness of the State's internal audit departments, and determining whether internal audit departments meet the key objectives of internal auditing and assist agency administrators in carrying out their assigned responsibilities.

Report of the Texas State Auditor's Office related to the Funeral Services Commission's 75 percent rate of compliance with the Position Classification Act.

Report of the Texas State Auditor's Office related to determining whether the financial statements of the State present fairly the financial position, results of operations, and cash flows in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles; fulfilling audit requirements of the Single Audit Act (Federal Compliance); determining compliance with significant bond covenants; and issuing individual management letters on reportable conditions.

Report of the Texas State Auditor's Office related to reviewing the Texas Historical Commission's state job descriptions, position questionnaires completed by incumbents, and internal salary relationships in order to monitor compliance with the Position Classification Plan.

Report of the Texas State Auditor's Office related to the Current Funds Balance Sheet, the Statement of Current Funds Expenditures, and related Notes of Midwestern State University.

Report of the Texas State Auditor's Office related to assessing compliance with the Public Funds Investment Act among the 33 state agencies and universities subject to the Act.

Report of the Texas State Auditor's Office related to determining compliance by eight selected medical schools with Article III, Section 30 of the General Appropriations Act, 74th Legislature, with regard to the establishment and implementation of a Family Practice Clerkship Program in the third core clinical year of medical school training; broadly determining the effectiveness of the Family Practice Clerkship Program Funding Program; and determining the appropriateness of the process used to audit the Clerkship Program.

Report of the Texas State Auditor's Office related to information on the number of state employees and the number of consultants and contract individuals who perform services for state government.

Report of the Texas State Auditor's Office related to evaluating the effectiveness of the State's internal audit departments, and determining whether internal audit departments meet the key objectives of internal auditing and assist agency administrators in carrying out their assigned responsibilities.

Report of the Texas State Auditor's Office related to human resource management controls in Texas State government. This report analyzes the current status of human resources at a statewide level, determines whether human resource control systems at four state agencies and universities provide reasonable assurance that human resources are effectively contributing to the achievement of the organization's goals, and collects baseline measurements for human resources benchmarking.

Report of the Texas State Auditor's Office related to evaluating the effectiveness of the State's internal audit departments, and determining whether internal audit departments meet the key objectives of internal auditing and assist agency administrators in carrying out their assigned responsibilities.

Report of the Texas State Auditor's Office related to substantial compliance with the Public Funds Investment Act (Act) reported by the 50 Junior College Districts (Districts) subject to the Act in fiscal year 1996, the year of implementation.

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This data analysis is to show that weapons grade plutonium is of uniform composition to the standards set by the Waste-Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Transuranic Waste Characterization Quality Assurance Program Plan (TRUW Characterization QAPP, Rev. 2, DOE, Carlsbad Area Office, November 15, 1996). The major portion of Superblock transuranic (TRU) waste is glove-box trash contaminated with weapons grade plutonium. This waste originates in the Building 332 (B332) radioactive-materials area (RMA). Because each plutonium batch brought into the B332 RMA is well characterized with regard to nature and quantity of transuranic nuclides present, waste also will be well characterized without further analytical work, provided the batches are quite similar. A sample data set was created by examining the 41 incoming samples analyzed by Ken Raschke (using a {gamma}-ray spectrometer) for isotopic distribution and by Ted Midtaune (using a calorimeter) for mass of radionuclides. The 41 samples were from separate batches analyzed May 1993 through January 1997. All available weapons grade plutonium data in Midtaune's files were used. Alloys having greater than 50% transuranic material were included. The intention of this study is to use this sample data set to judge ''similarity.''

Planar magnetron cathodes have arching magnetic field lines which concentrate plasma density to enhance ion bombardment and sputtering. Typical parameters are: helium at 1 to 300 milli-torr, 200 to 2000 gauss at the cathode, 200 to 800 volts, and plasma density decreasing by up to ten times within 2 to 10 cm from the cathode. A 2D, quasineutral, fluid model yields formulas for the plasma density: n(x,y), current densities: j(x,y), j{sub e}(x,y), j{sub +}(x,y), the electric field: E{sub y}(y), and the voltage between the cathode surface and a distant plasma. An ion sheath develops between the cathode and the quasineutral flow. The thickness of this sheath depends on processes in the quasineutral flow. Experiments shows that T{sub e} (3 {yields} 8 eV) adjusts to ensure that {alpha}{sub 0}{tau} {approx} 2.5 in helium, for ionization rate {alpha}{sub 0} (10{sup 4} {yields} 10{sup 5} s{sup -1}), and electron transit time to the unmagnetized plasma {tau} (10 {yields} 100 {micro}s). Helium glow discharge cathode fall {alpha}{sub 0}{tau} is about 2.5, though this occurs at much higher voltage.

Field Surveys were conducted in 1996 to determine the current distribution of several animal species of concern on the Nevada Test Site (NTS). They included the chuckwall (Sauromalus obesus), western burrowing owl (Speotyto cunicularia), and six species of bats. Nineteen chuckwallas and 118 scat locations were found during the chuckwalla field study. Eighteen western burrowing owls were found at 12 sighting locations during the 1996 field study. Of the eleven bat species of concern which might occur on the NTS, five, and possibly six, were captured during this survey. The U.S. Department of Energy, Nevada Operations Office, takes certain management actions to protect and conserve the chuckwalla, western burrowing owl, and bats on the NTS. These actions are described and include: (1) conducting surveys at sites of proposed land-disturbing activities (2) altering projects whenever possible to avoid or minimize impacts to these species (3) maintaining a geospatial database of known habitat for species of concern (4) sharing sighting and trap location data gathered on the NTS with other local land and resource managers, and (5) conducting periodic field surveys to monitor these species distribution and relative abundance on the NTS.

This report identifies 16 Nevada Test Site (NTS) natural water sources that may be classified by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) as jurisdictional wetlands and identifies eight water sources that may be classified as waters of the United States. These water sources are rare, localized habitats on the NTS that are important to regional wildlife and to isolated populations of water tolerant plants and aquatic organisms. No field investigations on the NTS have been conducted in the past to identify those natural water sources which would be protected as rare habitats and which may fall under regulatory authority of the Clean Water Act (CWA) of 1997. This report identifies and summarizes previous studies of NTS natural water sources, and identifies the current DOE management practices related to the protection of NTS wetlands. This report also presents management goals specific for NTS wetlands that incorporate the intent of existing wetlands legislation, the principles of ecosystem management, and the interests of regional land managers and other stakeholders.

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