Interior Secretary Gale Norton announced today that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will award $61.2 million in wildlife grants to state and territorial wildlife agencies.
The State Wildlife Grant program is designed to assist states in the development and implementation of programs that benefit wildlife, including species not fished or hunted, and their habitats. The funds are made available through annual appropriations.
"The grant program demonstrates our commitment to conservation partnerships with state wildlife agencies," said Interior Secretary Gale Norton. "This program exemplifies our cooperative conservation approach by helping states to tailor their conservation efforts in a manner that best fits local conditions."
To be eligible for State Wildlife Grant funds, each state must complete a Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Plan or Strategy by October 1, 2005. States may use the funds for project planning or implementation activities. A state may receive no more than 5 percent or less than 1 percent of the available funds. The District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico receive .5 percent and Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marina Islands receive .25 percent. The apportionment is based on a formula that uses the state
