More than $3.8 Million Awarded To Alaska to Conserve Imperiled Fish and Wildlife
Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced today that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will distribute more than $76.5 million to the fish and wildlife agencies of the 50 states, commonwealths, the District of Columbia, and territories to help conserve and recover imperiled fish and wildlife through the State Wildlife Grant Program. The $76.5 million dollar figure represents a significant increase in funding over the 2009 levels. Since the programs inception, Congress has provided over $573 million for conservation work on state and private lands. Alaska will receive more than $3.8 million in funding through this program for 2010.
In Alaska, 10 State Wildlife Grants are funding more than 20 projects benefiting numerous habitats and species; including marbled and Kittlitzs murrelets, spruce grouse, rusty blackbirds, Aleutian terns, short-eared and boreal owls, hoary marmots, Steller sea lions, seals, salmon, clams, whitefish, and lamprey. Among these, an ongoing wood bison restoration project has brought state, federal, and private partners together to restore this species in the state. Broader-scale efforts include development of an ecological framework for conservation of Southeast Alaskas estuaries and the creation of a database to rank and prioritize Alaskas rare species.
"The State Wildlife Grant program is part of the Department of the Interiors ongoing commitment to the essential conservation efforts of states," said Salazar. "In our challenging economic climate, the program ensures that states will have the necessary resources to help conserve their highest priority wildlife, plants, and habitat--an investment that will pay dividends for years to come."
The State Wildlife Grant Program (SWG) provides federal grant funds for the development and implementation of programs for the benefit of fish and wildlife and their habitats, including species that are not hunted or fished. For the past nine years, this grants program has provided a stable federal funding source for state fish and wildlife agencies. This stability has been critical to the recovery and resilience of many species in greatest need of conservation. This year’s funds come from the
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2010 (H.R. 2996).
The SWG provides grants to states through a formula-based distribution (http://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/Subpages/GrantPrograms/SWG/SWGAp calculated using the states land area and population. Awarded funds support activities related to both planning and implementation. Planning activities must contribute directly to the development or modification of the states Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Plan (also known as Wildlife Action Plan. www.wildlifeactionplans.org) approved by the director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Implementation activities are activities that a state intends to carry out to execute their Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Plan. All funded activities must link with species, actions, or strategies included in each states Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Plan. Please visit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program Web site athttp://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/ for state, commonwealth, and the District of Columbia territory funding allocations or for more information on the program.
