USFWS to Distribute $1.1 Billion to States for Conservation
OutdoorHub Reporters 03.09.16
It is about that time of year again, and this year’s distribution of the revenues generated by the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration and Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Acts culminated in $1.1 billion to state wildlife agencies. Those funds will be going towards conservation, outdoor recreation, and job creation across the country. Of course, the distribution would be impossible without the popularity of hunting, fishing, shooting, and other outdoor activities in America. These funds are paid for by excise taxes paid by hunters on firearms, bows, and ammunition, and by anglers on tackle, boat gear, and small engine fuel.
“State wildlife agencies play an essential role in the conservation of America’s wildlife, while also generating billions of dollars for the nation’s economy through increased hunting and fishing opportunities. It’s fitting that those very sporting activities help sustain wildlife, their habitats and the agencies that manage them,” said Service Director Dan Ashe. “Our role in administering these funds reflects our long-standing partnership with the states across a broad spectrum of wildlife conservation issues.”
To date, the the program has distributed about $18 billion since it was established in 1937. It was through these funds that state wildlife agencies were able to reintroduce or rebuild the populations of many native species, some of which had been dwindling in the early 1900s. Game animals such as whitetail deer, elk, antelope, and turkey would not have such abundant populations they do today without this funding. Likewise, their habitats were also protected and restored. Approximately 62 percent of the funds from the program is used by state agencies to buy, develop, maintain, or manage wildlife management areas. Since the program began, more than four million acres have been bought and an addition 40 million acres managed in conjunction with private landowners.
So, outdoorsmen and women, give yourself a pat on the back for spending part of your hard-earned paycheck to keep America’s wild places and wildlife protected. Hunters and anglers spend more than $10 billion every year on equipment and supplies alone, and a portion of that goes back to conserving the wild places they love.
You can see a list provided by the USFWS that breaks down the state-by-state distribution:
- ALABAMA $23,718,703
- ALASKA $47,586,623
- AMERICAN SAMOA $2,362,119
- ARIZONA $24,644,624
- ARKANSAS $17,320,400
- CALIFORNIA $40,967,015
- COLORADO $25,831,596
- CONNECTICUT $8,649,355
- DELAWARE $7,739,248
- DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA $1,203,590
- FLORIDA $24,334,773
- GEORGIA $27,207,376
- GUAM $2,362,119
- HAWAII $7,739,248
- IDAHO $19,708,428
- ILLINOIS $21,372,688
- INDIANA $16,597,324
- IOWA $14,631,027
- KANSAS $17,977,488
- KENTUCKY $17,880,443
- LOUISIANA $20,788,227
- MAINE $10,773,349
- MARYLAND $10,353,489
- MASSACHUSETTS $10,350,805
- MICHIGAN $33,887,394
- MINNESOTA $33,622,305
- MISSISSIPPI $14,939,093
- MISSOURI $26,655,753
- MONTANA $27,130,333
- N. MARIANA ISLANDS $2,362,119
- NEBRASKA $15,723,845
- NEVADA $17,450,349
- NEW HAMPSHIRE $7,739,248
- NEW JERSEY $10,350,805
- NEW MEXICO $19,992,520
- NEW YORK $25,874,984
- NORTH CAROLINA $29,116,106
- NORTH DAKOTA $14,318,790
- OHIO $21,788,279
- OKLAHOMA $23,195,467
- OREGON $23,555,083
- PENNSYLVANIA $33,664,721
- PUERTO RICO $6,651,099
- RHODE ISLAND $7,739,248
- SOUTH CAROLINA $14,381,362
- SOUTH DAKOTA $16,579,466
- TENNESSEE $28,296,474
- TEXAS $50,198,179
- UTAH $19,097,258
- VERMONT $7,739,248
- VIRGIN ISLANDS $2,362,513
- VIRGINIA $17,720,039
- WASHINGTON $20,512,086
- WEST VIRGINIA $10,924,878
- WISCONSIN $32,837,049
- WYOMING $17,712,642
