We at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are distributing $1 billion to state wildlife agencies through the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program (WSFR). Great Lakes Region state and wildlife agencies will receive a total of $200 million, with Sport Fish Restoration funding of $74 million and Wildlife Restoration funding of $125 million. Generated by the hunting and angling industry, these funds support regional conservation projects across the country. The 2021 WSFR apportionment is $121 million higher than the 2020 apportionment due to increases in firearm, fishing equipment and motorboat fuel revenues.
“The WSFR partnership among states, industry and the Service is a keystone conservation program in the United States because it creates a relationship between outdoor recreationists and the natural resources they enjoy,” said Service Principal Deputy Director Martha Williams. “State agencies use these funds to manage wildlife and improve their habitats, which also benefits outdoor recreationists.”
Rooted in the Pittman–Robertson Act of 1937, the Dingell–Johnson Act of 1950, and the Wallop–Breaux Amendment of 1984, the WSFR program establishes a conservation partnership among state wildlife agencies, the outdoor industry and the Service. When hunters, anglers and boaters purchase equipment and fuel, the manufacturers, producers and importers of those goods pay into the Wildlife Restoration, Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Funds. These funds are distributed by the Service to ensure wildlife agencies in all states, commonwealths and territories receive support.
State wildlife agencies dedicate WSFR funds to a variety of conservation projects and programs. Since WSFR’s inception, $20 billion has been allocated to hunting and fishing education, fish and wildlife management, scientific research, habitat restoration and protection, land and water rights acquisition, and hunting and boating access.
