The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration (WSFR) Program administers grant programs that distribute millions of dollars annually to state agencies and Tribes to manage fish, wildlife, and habitats, evaluate and enhance species of greatest conservation need, and provide recreational opportunities for fishing, hunting, shooting, and boating.
What We Do
Our Projects and Initiatives
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program (WSFR) works with states, insular areas, and the District of Columbia to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, their habitats, and the hunting, sport fishing and recreational boating opportunities they provide. We provide national leadership, oversight and/or administrative support for the following grant programs:
- Wildlife Restoration
- Sport Fish Restoration
- Clean Vessel Act
- Boating Infrastructure
- National Coastal Wetlands Conservation
- State Wildlife Grants
- Tribal Wildlife Grants
- Multistate Conservation
Through WSFR, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also administers the Theodore Roosevelt Genius Prize and Advisory Council.
Our Laws and Regulations
We implement laws including the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act of 1937 (popularly known as the Pittman–Robertson Act), and the Sport Fish Restoration Act of 1950 (commonly referred to as the Dingell-Johnson Act).
Latest Stories and Topics
Stories
Wildlife Management
In early December 2022, I was fortunate to attend a Conservation Leaders for Tomorrow (CLfT) workshop at the Charlie Elliot Wildlife Center in Mansfield, Georgia. The purpose of the workshop, hosted through the Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation, was not to turn participants into hunters. Rather the...
Our Partners
Tribal Hatchery Technicians join staff at Harrison Lake National Fish Hatchery in innovative new partnership.
Recreation
South Puget Sound partners work together to help keep the Sound waters clean for people, wildlife, and industry with funding from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Clean Vessel Act program.
Recreation
A popular fishing goal is hooking large fish, often called lunkers in the angling community. Anglers tell fish¬¬ tales about the big one that got away and some even practice holding a fish closer to the camera to make it look larger in photos. However, a growing number of anglers are embracing the...
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is awarding more than $5.9 million to federally recognized Native American and Alaska Native Tribes through its Tribal Wildlife Grants Program to benefit fish and wildlife resources and their habitats. Nearly a quarter of those funds will support Alaska projects...
Wildlife Management
The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program (WSFR) has launched new data dashboards to give our partners and the public access to hunting and fishing license data and apportionment figures, with decades of information. These data sets provide an important source for historical license...