Fish and Wildlife Service
For release November 18, 1994 Hugh Vickery 202-208-5634
STATE FISH AND WILDLIFE AGENCIES TO SHARE
$288 MILLION IN EXCISE TAX RECEIPTSState fish and wildlife agencies will share in $288 million in excise taxes paid by America's hunters, target shooters, boaters, and anglers, Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt announced today. The agencies will use the money for wildlife conservation through land acquisition, habitat improvement, research, education, and other programs. The funds also will help pay for hunting education programs and wildlife-related recreation projects.
The funds are distributed through preliminary apportionments under two Federal Aid programs administered by the Interior Department's U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
"Hunters and anglers continue to be a cornerstone to conservation in America," Secretary Babbitt said. "Their financial contributions through excise taxes paid under the Federal Aid program are vital to maintaining and restoring our nation's fish and wildlife resources."
The Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act (Pittman-Robertson Act), signed in 1937, and the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act (Dingell-Johnson Act), signed in 1950, collectively have raised more than $4.6 billion.
The money is distributed to the states for projects proposed by the states and approved by the Service. Federal Aid funds pay for up to 75 percent of the cost of each project while the states contribute at least 25 percent of the cost.
The preliminary apportionment for wildlife restoration and hunter education programs for fiscal year 1995 totals $159 million. The $159 million represents a 14-percent increase over FY 1994's preliminary apportionment. The money is derived from an 11- percent excise tax on sporting arms and ammunition, a 10-percent tax on pistols and revolvers, and an 11-percent tax on certain archery equipment. One-half of the tax on handguns and archery equipment is made available for state hunter education and safety programs.
The preliminary apportionment for sport fish restoration for FY 1995 totals $129 million, down slightly from $129.6 million last year. The funding results from a 10-percent excise tax on fishing equipment and a 3-percent tax on electric trolling motors and sonar fish finders. The Wallop-Breaux legislation of 1984 increased the tax base for sport fish restoration to include a portion of the Federal fuels tax and import duties on fishing tackle and pleasure boats.
Distribution of sport fish restoration funds to the states is based on the land and water area and the number of fishing license holders in each state. Wildlife restoration funds are made available based on land area and the number of hunting license holders in each state. Distribution of hunter education funds is based on the relative population of each state.
The attached tables show the allocation of the preliminary apportionment for fiscal year 1995. Final apportionments will be announced in the spring of 1995.
PRELIMINARY APPORTIONMENT OF FEDERAL AID
IN FISH RESTORATION FUNDS
FOR FISCAL YEAR 1995
ALABAMA 2,003,938
ALASKA 6,450,000
ARIZONA 2,646,107
ARKANSAS 2,102,599
CALIFORNIA 6,450,000
COLORADO 3,224,377
CONNECTICUT 1,290,000
DELAWARE 1,290,000
FLORIDA 3,248,008
GEORGIA 2,392,326
HAWAII 1,290,000
IDAHO 2,153,714
ILLINOIS 2,771,012
INDIANA 2,011,867
IOWA 1,737,775
KANSAS 1,858,506
KENTUCKY 2,033,395
LOUISIANA 2,138,010
MAINE 1,290,000
MARYLAND 1,355,918
MASSACHUSETTS 1,290,000
MICHIGAN 4,840,513
MINNESOTA 4,731,939
MISSISSIPPI 1,701,396
MISSOURI 3,334,781
MONTANA 3,017,980
NEBRASKA 1,641,141
NEVADA 1,951,912
NEW HAMPSHIRE 1,290,000
NEW JERSEY 1,290,000
NEW MEXICO 2,296,714
NEW YORK 3,319,550
NORTH CAROLINA 2,006,492
NORTH DAKOTA 1,290,000
OHIO 3,412,342
OKLAHOMA 2,452,055
OREGON 3,127,185
PENNSYLVANIA 3,388,955
RHODE ISLAND 1,290,000
SOUTH CAROLINA 1,475,049
SOUTH DAKOTA 1,558,240
TENNESSEE 2,573,759
TEXAS 6,450,000
UTAH 2,266,893
VERMONT 1,290,000
VIRGINIA 2,008,831
WASHINGTON 3,010,391
WEST VIRGINIA 1,290,000
WISCONSIN 4,319,053
WYOMING 1,907,277
PUERTO RICO 1,290,000
GUAM 430,000
VIRGIN ISLAND 430,000
AMERICAN SAMOA 430,000
MARIANA ISLAND 430,000
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 430,000
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TOTAL 129,000,000
PRELIMINARY APPORTIONMENT OF FEDERAL AID IN WILDLIFE
RESTORATION FUNDS FOR FISCAL YEAR 1995
WILDLIFE HUNTER
STATE RESTORATION EDUCATION TOTAL
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ALABAMA 2,085,340 775,310 2,860,650
ALASKA 6,300,000 330,000 6,630,000
ARIZONA 2,916,183 703,286 3,619,469
ARKANSAS 2,252,325 330,000 2,582,325
CALIFORNIA 4,541,711 990,000 5,531,711
COLORADO 3,258,377 632,130 3,890,507
CONNECTICUT 630,000 630,733 1,260,733
DELAWARE 630,000 330,000 960,000
FLORIDA 1,895,486 990,000 2,885,486
GEORGIA 2,513,629 990,000 3,503,629
HAWAII 630,000 330,000 960,000
IDAHO 2,622,216 330,000 2,952,216
ILLINOIS 2,355,003 990,000 3,345,003
INDIANA 1,986,744 990,000 2,976,744
IOWA 2,062,039 532,805 2,594,844
KANSAS 2,313,129 330,000 2,643,129
KENTUCKY 1,980,387 707,136 2,687,523
LOUISIANA 1,997,041 809,731 2,806,772
MAINE 1,477,277 330,000 1,807,277
MARYLAND 816,253 917,470 1,733,723
MASSACHUSETTS 630,000 990,000 1,620,000
MICHIGAN 5,543,809 990,000 6,533,809
MINNESOTA 3,835,377 839,496 4,674,873
MISSISSIPPI 1,960,998 493,750 2,454,748
MISSOURI 3,126,900 981,866 4,108,766
MONTANA 3,931,635 330,000 4,261,635
NEBRASKA 2,179,676 330,000 2,509,676
NEVADA 2,378,204 330,000 2,708,204
NEW HAMPSHIRE 630,000 330,000 960,000
NEW JERSEY 630,000 990,000 1,620,000
NEW MEXICO 2,831,435 330,000 3,161,435
NEW YORK 3,887,035 990,000 4,877,035
NORTH CAROLINA 2,415,366 990,000 3,405,366
NORTH DAKOTA 1,816,966 330,000 2,146,966
OHIO 2,844,381 990,000 3,834,381
OKLAHOMA 2,292,989 603,576 2,896,565
OREGON 3,128,262 545,386 3,673,648
PENNSYLVANIA 5,409,486 990,000 6,399,486
RHODE ISLAND 630,000 330,000 960,000
SOUTH CAROLINA 1,416,145 669,030 2,085,175
SOUTH DAKOTA 2,212,783 330,000 2,542,783
TENNESSEE 3,031,448 935,837 3,967,285
TEXAS 6,300,000 990,000 7,290,000
UTAH 2,462,191 330,000 2,792,191
VERMONT 630,000 330,000 960,000
VIRGINIA 2,227,886 990,000 3,217,886
WASHINGTON 2,424,569 933,823 3,358,392
WEST VIRGINIA 1,565,031 330,000 1,895,031
WISCONSIN 4,181,436 938,635 5,120,071
WYOMING 2,712,852 330,000 3,042,852
PUERTO RICO 630,000 0 630,000
GUAM 210,000 55,000 265,000
VIRGIN ISLAND 210,000 55,000 265,000
AMERICAN SAMOA 210,000 55,000 265,000
MARIANA ISLAND 210,000 55,000 265,000
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TOTAL 126,000,000 33,000,000 159,000,000 -FWS-