Local Hunting, Fishing, and Recreation Projects Get Funded

States and territories have just been allocated about three-quarters of a billion dollars for their use in building facilities, providing services, and conducting planning and research related to fishing, hunting, wildlife conservation, and recreational opportunities. This is a gold mine for local environmental stories.

• Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Programs. State-level allocations: wildlife and sport fish. Press release of Feb. 17, 2011.

The money comes from taxes paid by manufacturers and distributors of numerous types of sporting equipment, as well as fuel taxes paid by some boaters. The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) pays up to 75% of the cost of each project, and states pay the rest, usually derived from sporting license fees.

To find out the specific winning projects in your audience area, such as boating ramps, docks, shooting ranges, restroom facilities, land acquisitions, habitat enhancement, and planning, research, and education projects, go to:

-- USFWS: State Reports (select format, state, year 2010, and from the Grant Program menu, select Wildlife Restoration or Sport Fish Restoration). Contact Steve Barton with any questions, cell 571-268-2260. Media contact, Kim Betton, 703-358-2081.

For various summaries of the national picture, see:

• USFWS: National Summary of Accomplishments.

For other ways of breaking out information, see:

• USFWS: iFAIMS (Federal Aid Information Management System).

For any additional questions:

• US Fish and Wildlife Service offices (national, regional, state, program, facility, etc.).