Get Funding for Hunter Education & Safety Programs

The Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act of 1937, 50 Stat. 917 as amended; 16 U.S.C. 669-669k, now known as the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act, was enacted on September 2, 1937, and began functioning July 1, 1938. The purpose of this Act is to provide funding for the selection, restoration, rehabilitation, and improvement of wildlife habitat, wildlife management research, and the distribution of information produced by the projects.

The Act was amended on October 23, 1970, to include funding for hunter safety programs and the development or the operation and maintenance of firearm and archery ranges. Congress saw a need for additional funds to support hunter education and shooting range development, if States were to meet the challenges of the 21st century. The Congressional Resource Committee heard from sportsmenâ¿¿s organizations that States were not using their possible allotments to support these programs, or there was not a consistent level of effort to further the future of hunting. As a result, Congress passed the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Programs Improvement Act of 2000 and as part of this Act created the Firearm and Bowhunter Education and Safety Program (Section 10) to address these concerns.

The passage of Section 10 set aside $7.5 million in 2001 and 2002 and $8 million thereafter to ⿿enhance⿝ existing hunter education or shooting range programs.Additional information about Section 10 is available at: http://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/Subpages/GrantPrograms/HunterEd/HE.htm.WSFR⿿s mission is to work through partnerships to conserve and manage fish and wildlife and their habitats for the use and enjoyment of current and future generations. WSFR⿿s vision is of healthy, diverse, and accessible fish and wildlife populations that offer recreation, economic activity, and other societal benefits, in addition to sustainable ecological functions. WSFR⿿s guiding principle is that society benefits from conservation-based management of fish and wildlife and their habitats and opportunities to use and enjoy them. The Enhanced Hunter Education Grant Program aligns with WSFR⿿s mission, vision, and guiding principle, and supports three of the Department of the Interior⿿s priorities including:1) Creating a conservation stewardship legacy second only to Teddy Roosevelt;2) Utilizing our natural resources; and3) Restoring trust with our local communities.