Washington D.C. (February 19, 2026)- The Affiliation of Fish & Wildlife Businesses (Affiliation) applauds the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announcement releasing $1.2 billion in Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration apportionments to assist states, commonwealths and territories of their efforts to fund conservation and out of doors alternatives. This funding helps crucial state fish and wildlife conservation and recreation tasks all through the nation and comes from excise taxes paid by the looking, capturing, boating and angling industries on firearms, bows and ammunition, and sportfishing sort out, some boat engines and small engine gasoline.
“The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration (WSFR) Program offers funding to states to guard and preserve our nation’s fish and wildlife heritage right this moment and for generations to come back,” mentioned Paul Johansen, Chief of the Wildlife Sources Part of the West Virginia Division of Pure Sources and President of the Affiliation. “This funding mechanism serves because the basis for fish and wildlife conservation in our nation.”
The Wildlife Restoration Program, approved by the 1937 Pittman-Robertson Act, offers federal grant funds to state fish and wildlife companies for conserving, managing, and restoring wild birds, mammals, and their habitats. Funds from producer taxes on ammunition, firearms, and archery tools go towards tasks to revive, preserve, handle and improve wild birds and mammals and their habitats. States and territories additionally use these funds to assist entry for wildlife-related recreation, hunter schooling and improvement, and the development and operations of capturing ranges.
The Sport Fish Restoration Program, approved below the Sport Fish Restoration Act of 1950 (Dingell-Johnson Act), is a “user-pays, public-benefits” system supporting aquatic conservation and boating infrastructure. Funded by federal excise taxes on fishing tools, motorboat fuels, and import duties, the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Belief Fund (SFRBTF) offers grants to state fish and wildlife companies for habitat, entry, and schooling. In contrast to the Wildlife Restoration Program, SFRBTF requires reauthorization each 5 years. The present authorization expires on the finish of fiscal 12 months 2026. The Affiliation strongly urges Congress to reauthorize SFRBTF so states can proceed to offer of on the-ground, state-driven fisheries conservation program, leisure boating entry, aquatic assets schooling, and boating security. Collectively, the Sport Fish Restoration Program and the Wildlife Restoration Program work collectively below the umbrella of the Wildlife and Sportfish Restoration program. To view the Service’s last apportionment of Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration grant funds for Fiscal Yr 2026 and historic funding quantities go to www.partnerwithapayer.org/funding sources.
The Affiliation of Fish & Wildlife Businesses represents North America’s fish and wildlife companies to advance sound, science based mostly administration and conservation of fish and wildlife and their habitats within the public curiosity. The Affiliation represents its state company members on Capitol Hill and earlier than the Administration to advance favorable fish and wildlife conservation coverage and funding and works to make sure that all entities work collaboratively on an important points. The Affiliation
additionally offers member companies with coordination companies on cross-cutting in addition to species-based packages that vary from birds, fish habitat and vitality improvement to local weather change, wildlife motion plans, conservation schooling, management coaching and worldwide relations. Working collectively, the Affiliation’s member companies are making certain that North American fish and wildlife administration has a transparent and collective voice.
ASSOCIATION OF FISH & WILDLIFE AGENCIES
www.fishwildlife.org
