The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced more than $62 million in wildlife grants to state and territorial wildlife agencies.
The eight states in the Service’s Midwest Region—Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Missouri--received more than $11.2 million of these funds.
State Wildlife Grants are designed to assist state-specific programs that benefit declining wildlife and their habitat, including non-game wildlife. The grants are funded under the 2005 Interior Department Appropriations Act.
“ President Bush has made cooperative conservation a pillar of our efforts to protect and conserve wildlife, its habitat, and our other natural resources,” said Interior Secretary Gale A. Norton. “States and territories bring tremendous expertise and experience to the table. By empowering them through these grants, we give them the ability to address important conservation challenges in their local areas.”
2005 State Wildlife Grants for Midwestern states are as follows:
Illinois $2,114,642
Indiana $1,091,906
Iowa $781,149
Michigan $1,779,928
Minnesota $1,246,052
Missouri $1,244,305
Ohio $1,866,153
Wisconsin $1,122,551
For the 50 states, the apportionment is based on a formula that uses each state’s land area and population.
An example of an ongoing State Wildlife Grant project is the Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ partnership with the City of Chicago to purchase 102 acres at Hegewisch marsh. The new acquisition provides optimum nesting habitat for the little blue heron, yellow-headed blackbird, pied-billed grebe and common moorhen.
The Service is working closely with state wildlife planners to develop Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategies. To be further eligible in FY 2006 for State Wildlife Grant funds, each State must complete a Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy by October 1, 2005.
States may use the funds for either planning or project implementation activities. States may receive no more than 5 percent or less than 1 percent of the total available funds. The District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico will receive one-half of 1 percent and Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marina Islands will receive one-fourth of 1 percent.
For more information about the State Wildlife Grant Program, visit: http://federalaid.fws.gov.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 545 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 63 Fish and Wildlife Management offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
