State Wildlife Program Funding

The majority of funding for Maryland’s state wildlife programs comes from hunting licenses and fees and from a special, federal excise tax on sport hunting devices and ammunition. About 90 percent of Maryland’s state budget for wildlife programs comes from these two sources. The federal aid funds are derived from an 11 percent excise tax on sport hunting devices and ammunition through the Pittman-Robertson Fund. For the past 68 years, sportsmen and women have been contributing to this fund through the excise tax mechanism. Each state receives a share of the funds, which is administered by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Hunters’ dollars are used for hunter education programs, enforcement of wildlife regulations, wildlife-related education programs and conservation programs. Other sources of funds include federal grants and the Chesapeake Bay and Endangered Species Fund, to which donations are made through the Maryland Income Tax Form.

Federal Aid

While some may know that the MD Wildlife & Heritage Service receives federal aid dollars every year, most don’t realize we utilize several funding sources. The major federal grants that the Wildlife & Heritage Service receives funding from include:

1. Landowner Incentive Program
   The Landowner Incentive Program (LIP) provides federal grant funds to grant funds to the states to protect and restore habitats on private lands, to benefit Federally listed, proposed or candidate species or other species determined to be at-risk. Grant funds must be used to establish or supplement State landowner incentive programs to benefit species identified in the State's Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy/Action Plan or classified as Special Concern by the State, or Federally listed, proposed, or candidate species or other species determined to be at-risk. These grant funds may also be used to provide technical and financial assistance to private landowners for habitat protection and restoration.
   http://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/Subpages/GrantPrograms/LIP/LIP.htm

2. State Wildlife Grants
   The State Wildlife Grants Program provides federal grant funds for developing and implementing programs that benefit wildlife and their habitats, including species not hunted or fished. Priority is placed on projects that benefit species of greatest conservation concern. Grant funds must be used to address conservation needs, such as research, surveys, species and habitat management, and monitoring, identified within a State's Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy/Action Plan.
   http://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/Subpages/GrantPrograms/SWG/SWG.htm

3. Wildlife Restoration
   The Wildlife Restoration Program (WR) provides grant funds to the state wildlife agencies for projects to restore, conserve, manage and enhance wild birds and mammals and their habitat. Projects also include providing public use and access to wildlife resources, hunter education and development and management of shooting ranges. The Program is authorized by the Wildlife Restoration Act (Pittman-Robertson PR) of 1937. The WR Program is the nation's oldest and most successful wildlife restoration program. Through the purchases of firearms, ammunitions and archery equipment the WR Program is a successful user pay, user benefit program.
   http://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/Subpages/GrantPrograms/WR/WR.htm

4. Endangered Species Conservation
   Grants for states and territories, offered through the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund (authorized under section 6 of the ESA) fund participation in a wide array of voluntary conservation projects for candidate, proposed and listed species. These funds may in turn be awarded to private landowners and groups for conservation projects.
   http://www.fws.gov/endangered/grants/index.html

Federal Aid Performance Reports

What isn’t typically known are the details on how this money is spent each year, commonly referred to as Performance Reports. Below are the links to the Maryland Project Performance Reports funded in part by federal grants.

1. Landowner Incentive Program 2007 Performance Report
   - Tier 1
   - Tier 2

2. Landowner Incentive Program 2008 Performance Report
   - Tier 1
   - Tier 2

3. State Wildlife Grants 2007 Performance Report

4. State Wildlife Grants 2008 Performance Report

5. Wildlife Restoration 2007 Performance Report
   - Research and Surveys
   - Land Management
   - Federal Aid Coordination
   - Technical Guidance
   - Hunter Education

6. Wildlife Restoration 2008 Performance Report
   - Research and Surveys
   - Land Management
   - Federal Aid Coordination
   - Technical Guidance
   - Hunter Education

7. Endangered Species Conservation 2007 Performance Report

8. Endangered Species Conservation 2008 Performance Report
   - Section 6
   - HCP Plan
    

If you would like more information about state program funding or programs, contact the DNR Wildlife & Heritage Service at 410-260-8540.