R3 Sport Fish Restoration (TO STATE FISH AND GAME AGENCIES ONLY) | F16AS00082

Opportunity Information: Apply for F16AS00082

The R3 Sport Fish Restoration opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number F16AS00082) is a mandatory federal grant program administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the authority of the Sport Fish Restoration Act of 1950, also known as the Dingell-Johnson Act (16 U.S.C. 777-777m). The program was intentionally designed to mirror the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act, creating a dedicated, long-term funding stream focused specifically on the conservation, management, and restoration of the nation s fishery resources that support recreational and sport fishing.

A key feature of this program is how it is funded. Rather than relying on general tax revenue, the Sport Fish Restoration Grant Program is supported by excise taxes paid by manufacturers of sport fishing equipment. This includes items like fishing rods, reels, creels, lures, flies, and artificial baits, with revenues deposited into the U.S. Treasury and then distributed through the grant program. The funding base was expanded significantly through the 1984 Wallop-Breaux Amendment, which extended the excise tax to additional sport fishing equipment that had not previously been taxed. In practical terms, this structure follows a user-pay, user-benefit model where the recreational fishing community and industry help finance the resource stewardship and access improvements that make sport fishing possible and sustainable.

The purpose of the grants is to provide states with funds to restore, conserve, manage, or enhance sport fish populations, while also increasing the public use and benefits of these aquatic resources. In addition to direct fisheries work, the program explicitly supports boating access to public waters, recognizing that access infrastructure is a major factor in whether the public can actually use and benefit from fisheries resources. Typical outcomes supported by this kind of funding can include stronger sport fish populations, improved habitat and management capacity, better fishing and boating opportunities for the public, and long-term improvements to recreational fishing quality and participation.

Eligibility is limited strictly to state governments, specifically state fish and game agencies, as indicated by the title and the eligible applicant category. The opportunity is categorized as a grant (Funding Instrument Type: Grant) and falls under the Natural Resources activity category. The associated CFDA number is 15.605, which is commonly used to track and reference this federal assistance program across government systems and state grant management processes.

From an administrative standpoint, the source listing indicates an original closing date of 2017-08-31, an award ceiling of 10,000,000, and an estimated 200 expected awards. These figures suggest a program designed to support many projects across the country, potentially ranging from smaller state initiatives to large-scale efforts depending on state priorities, apportionments, and approved project scopes. Additional program information is referenced through the Fish and Wildlife Service web resource for the Sport Fish Restoration program.

• The Fish and Wildlife Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "R3 Sport Fish Restoration (TO STATE FISH AND GAME AGENCIES ONLY)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.605.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2016-01-14.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-08-31. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $10,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 200 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments.

Apply for F16AS00082

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