Ten years of Pittman-Robertson wildlife restoration 1938 to 1948

Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act of 1937, now referred to as The Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act, as amended (16 U.S.C. 669-669k), provides federal assistance to the 50 States, the Commonwealths of Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Territories of American Samoa, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands for projects to restore, enhance, and manage wildlife resources, and to conduct state hunter education programs. The Act authorizes the collection of receipts for permanent-indefinite appropriation to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for use in the fiscal year following collection. Funds not used by the states within two years revert to the Service for carrying out the provisions of the Migratory Bird Conservation Act. The Act also requires the Secretary of the Treasury to invest the portion of the fund not required for current year spending in interest-bearing obligations. The interest must be used for the North American Wetlands Conservations Act. The Appropriations Act of August 31, 1951, (P.L. 82-136, 64 Stat. 693) authorizes receipts from excise taxes on selected hunting and sporting equipment to be deposited in the Wildlife Restoration Account, as a permanent, indefinite appropriation. Receipts and interest distributed to the Wildlife Restoration Account are made available for use by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the fiscal year following collection. The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Programs Improvement Act of 2000, (P.L. 106-408) amends The Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act and authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to develop and implement a Multistate Conservation Grant Program and a Firearm and Bow Hunter Education and Safety Program that provide grants to states.