Federal funds coming to DNR Fish and Wildlife

Indiana DNR Press Release:

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources will receive more than $11 million from two federal programs that help states fund fish and wildlife conservation, boater access to public waters, and hunter and aquatic education.

"I can't stress enough the importance of this revenue-generating partnership," said Glen Salmon, director of the DNR Division of Fish and Wildlife. "Along with license sales, these funds are driving the management of Indiana fish and wildlife."

Indiana will get $5,836,724 from the Wildlife Restoration Program, otherwise known as the Pittman-Robertson Fund, and $5,235,357 from the Sport Fish Restoration Program, otherwise known as the Dingell-Johnson Fund. Both funds are administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

In recent years, the DNR has used allotted funds to stock fish; develop and maintain public boating and fishing access sites; provide hunter education programs; purchase land for public hunting, fishing and wildlife watching; provide aquatic education for youth at its State Fair fishing pond; develop and maintain shooting ranges on fish and wildlife areas for recreational shooting participants; and complete many more fish-and-wildlife-related projects.

The funds are part of the $740.9 million that Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar recently announced will be distributed to the fish and wildlife agencies of the 50 states, commonwealths, the District of Columbia, and territories. Funding is based on a formula consisting of land area, including inland waters, and the number of paid hunting license-holders in each state, commonwealth, and territory.

These funds come from excise taxes and import duties on sporting firearms, ammunition, archery equipment, sport fishing equipment, electric outboard motors, and fuel taxes attributable to motorboats and small engines.