Fish and Wildlife Service
For release February 28, 1995 Hugh Vickery 202-208-5634
STATE WILDLIFE AGENCIES TO RECEIVE $411 MILLION
FOR FISH AND WILDLIFE PROJECTSState wildlife agencies will soon receive a record $411 million collected from Federal excise taxes paid by hunters, anglers, and boaters to support fish and wildlife restoration and recreation projects in 1995.
The Interior Department's U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will distribute the funds under the Federal Aid in Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration programs, helping to pay for thousands of conservation and recreation projects throughout the United States and its territories.
"Recreational anglers and hunters are among the unsung heroes of this country's conservation movement," Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt said. "The hundreds of millions of dollars they pay each year in taxes on sporting equipment have provided the foundation for conservation for more than 60 years."
Since the 1930s, these excise taxes have been largely responsible for the recovery of popular species of wildlife, including white- tailed deer, wood duck, and wild turkey, and the restoration of fisheries and aquatic ecosystems. In addition, the funds have helped pay for hunter education programs and boating access to rivers and lakes.
"There probably isn't a person in America who hasn't benefitted in one way or another from the contributions of sportsmen and sportswomen to Federal Aid, even if it's simply having more wildlife around to see and enjoy," said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Mollie Beattie.
A total of $211 million will be apportioned to the states under the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act, commonly referred to as the Pittman-Robertson program after its Congressional sponsors. This compares to $182.1 million in 1994. Part of the increase is due to improved collection of taxes by the Treasury Department.
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 programs.
Projects include acquisition and improvement of wildlife habitat, introduction of wildlife into suitable habitat, research of wildlife problems, surveys and inventories of wildlife, acquisition and development of wildlife-related recreational facilities, and hunter education programs, including construction and operation of public shooting ranges.
Another $199.9 million will be passed along under the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act, often called the Dingell- Johnson/Wallop-Breaux program. This compares to $174.6 million in FY 1994. Overall deposits increased in FY 94 as a result of improved collections and record-keeping.
This 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 motorboat fuels tax and import duties on fishing tackle and pleasure boats.
Projects funded under this program include acquisition and improvement of sport fish habitat; stocking of fish; research into fishery resource problems; surveys and inventories of sport fish populations; and acquisition and development of boat ramps, fishing piers, and other recreational facilities.
In the past 60 years, the two Federal Aid programs have raised more than $4.5 billion for fish and wildlife conservation, management, and recreation projects. This year's $411 million total represents the highest annual total ever.
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 final apportionment for fiscal year 1995.
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FINAL APPORTIONMENT OF FEDERAL AID IN WILDLIFE
RESTORATION FUNDS FOR FISCAL YEAR 1995
WILDLIFE HUNTER
STATE RESTORATION EDUCATION TOTAL
ALABAMA 2,836,700 930,400 3,767,100
ALASKA 8,569,933 396,014 8,965,947
ARIZONA 3,966,904 843,972 4,810,876
ARKANSAS 3,063,854 396,014 3,459,868
CALIFORNIA 6,178,120 1,188,040 7,366,160
COLORADO 4,432,392 758,582 5,190,974
CONNECTICUT 856,993 756,906 1,613,899
DELAWARE 856,993 396,014 1,253,007
FLORIDA 2,578,442 1,188,040 3,766,482
GEORGIA 3,419,306 1,188,040 4,607,346
HAWAII 856,993 396,014 1,253,007
IDAHO 3,567,018 396,014 3,963,032
ILLINOIS 3,203,527 1,188,040 4,391,567
INDIANA 2,702,582 1,188,040 3,890,622
IOWA 2,805,006 639,388 3,444,394
KANSAS 3,146,565 396,014 3,542,579
KENTUCKY 2,693,934 848,592 3,542,526
LOUISIANA 2,716,589 971,710 3,688,299
MAINE 2,009,549 396,014 2,405,563
MARYLAND 1,110,354 1,101,002 2,211,356
MASSACHUSETTS 856,993 1,188,040 2,045,033
MICHIGAN 7,541,281 1,188,040 8,729,321
MINNESOTA 5,217,290 1,007,429 6,224,719
MISSISSIPPI 2,667,559 592,520 3,260,079
MISSOURI 4,253,543 1,178,280 5,431,823
MONTANA 5,348,230 396,014 5,744,244
NEBRASKA 2,965,028 396,014 3,361,042
NEVADA 3,235,088 396,014 3,631,102
NEW HAMPSHIRE 856,993 396,014 1,253,007
NEW JERSEY 856,993 1,188,040 2,045,033
NEW MEXICO 3,851,620 396,014 4,247,634
NEW YORK 5,287,561 1,188,040 6,475,601
NORTH CAROLINA 3,285,639 1,188,040 4,473,679
NORTH DAKOTA 2,471,632 396,014 2,867,646
OHIO 3,869,231 1,188,040 5,057,271
OKLAHOMA 3,119,168 724,316 3,843,484
OREGON 4,255,397 654,485 4,909,882
PENNSYLVANIA 7,358,560 1,188,040 8,546,600
RHODE ISLAND 856,993 396,014 1,253,007
SOUTH CAROLINA 1,926,392 802,864 ,729,256
SOUTH DAKOTA 3,010,064 396,014 3,406,078
TENNESSEE 4,123,700 1,123,042 5,246,742
TEXAS 8,569,933 1,188,040 9,757,973
UTAH 3,349,335 396,014 3,745,349
VERMONT 856,993 396,014 1,253,007
VIRGINIA 3,030,608 1,188,040 4,218,648
WASHINGTON 3,298,158 1,120,626 4,418,784
WEST VIRGINIA 2,128,923 396,014 2,524,937
WISCONSIN 5,688,036 1,126,400 6,814,436
WYOMING 3,690,312 396,014 4,086,326
PUERTO RICO 856,993 0 856,993
GUAM 285,665 66,000 351,665
VIRGIN ISLANDS 285,665 66,000 351,665
AMERICAN SAMOA 285,665 66,000 351,665
N. MARIANA ISLANDS285,665 66,000 351,665
TOTAL 171,398,660 39,601,340 211,000,000
FINAL APPORTIONMENT OF FEDERAL AID IN SPORT FISH
RESTORATION FUNDS FOR FISCAL YEAR 1995
ALABAMA 3,105,840
ALASKA 9,996,650
ARIZONA 4,101,117
ARKANSAS 3,258,752
CALIFORNIA 9,996,650
COLORADO 4,997,360
CONNECTICUT 1,999,330
DELAWARE 1,999,330
FLORIDA 5,033,984
GEORGIA 3,707,791
HAWAII 1,999,330
IDAHO 3,337,973
ILLINOIS 4,294,704
INDIANA 3,118,129
IOWA 2,693,322
KANSAS 2,880,439
KENTUCKY 3,151,494
LOUISIANA 3,313,633
MAINE 1,999,330
MARYLAND 2,101,493
MASSACHUSETTS 1,999,330
MICHIGAN 7,502,157
MINNESOTA 7,333,882
MISSISSIPPI 2,636,940
MISSOURI 5,168,471
MONTANA 4,677,471
NEBRASKA 2,543,552
NEVADA 3,025,207
NEW HAMPSHIRE 1,999,330
NEW JERSEY 1,999,330
NEW MEXICO 3,559,604
NEW YORK 5,144,864
NORTH CAROLINA 3,109,799
NORTH DAKOTA 1,999,330
OHIO 5,288,680
OKLAHOMA 3,800,362
OREGON 4,846,724
PENNSYLVANIA 5,252,434
RHODE ISLAND 1,999,330
SOUTH CAROLINA 2,286,132
SOUTH DAKOTA 2,415,067
TENNESSEE 3,988,988
TEXAS 9,996,650
UTAH 3,513,386
VERMONT 1,999,330
VIRGINIA 3,113,424
WASHINGTON 4,665,709
WEST VIRGINIA 1,999,330
WISCONSIN 6,693,963
WYOMING 2,956,028
PUERTO RICO 1,999,330
GUAM 666,443
VIRGIN ISLANDS 666,443
AMERICAN SAMOA 666,443
N. MARIANA ISLANDS 666,443
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 666,443
TOTAL 199,933,000