
USFWS Disbursing $1.3+ Billion To Fish And Wildlife Agencies For Conservation, Access
Over $82 million in federal excise taxes on hunting and fishing gear and boat fuel is set to flow to Northwest fish and wildlife agencies for managing critters, producing fish, conserving land, educating hunters, and operating shooting ranges and wildlife disease labs.
That’s according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which just announced the annual disbursements of funding from the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Acts, also known as Pittman-Robertson and Dingell-Johnson.

All totaled, the more than $1.3 billion headed to the 50 states and several territories this year are a great reminder of the strength of user-pay/public-benefits conservation efforts that since 1937 have yielded more than $29 billion (just under $50 billion when adjusted for inflation) “to monitor and manage our nation’s fish and wildlife resources, support hunter and aquatic education, and improve access for outdoor activities like hunting, fishing and boating,” according to a USFWS press release.
The funding comes from excise taxes on firearms, ammo, archery gear, fishing equipment, and fuel sales attributed to motor boats. The line item won’t show up on your receipt at the sporting goods store, per se, but is paid by manufacturers.

“Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration funding is vital to supporting collaborative conservation efforts, enhancing fish and wildlife health, and ensuring clean water and outdoor access for all,” said USFWS Director Martha Williams in the release. “This partnership represents one of the most effective conservation tools in the world and is critical to strengthening the connection between people and nature.”
As for specific amounts headed to the Northwest, 2025 disbursements are:
WILDLIFE RESTORATION ACT
Oregon: $21,783,103
Idaho: $18,217,527
Washington: $16,640,924
Nationwide: $914,392,695
SPORT FISH RESTORATION ACT
Oregon: $9,134,695
Washington: $8,313,303
Idaho: $8,026,968
Nationwide: $416,382,754
The formulas for sharing the collected taxes among the various states, commonwealths and territories are based in part on how many fishing and hunting licenses that agencies such as WDFW, ODFW and IDFG sell and the size of the state, 60-40 and 50-50 between DJ and PR, respectively.
All totaled, since 1937 Oregon has received nearly $414 million in actual dollars from the Wildlife Restoration Act, Washington $344 million and Idaho $339 million, while the Sport Fish Restoration Act has plowed $279 million to Oregon, $258 million to Washington and $213 million to Idaho.
The federal funding is also matched in part by partnering fish and wildlife agencies, which have ponied up more than $9 billion, according to USFWS.
“Through these combined funds, agencies have supported monitoring and management of over 500 species of wild mammals and birds, annual stocking of over 1 billion fish, operations of fish and wildlife disease laboratories around the country, and provided hunter and aquatic education to millions of students. These funds have also supported operations and maintenance of over 800 target ranges and opening of over 36 million acres of land to hunting and angling,” the feds state.
It’s not perfect, there can be budget shortfalls that leave agencies scrambling when license sales drop for whatever reason, but don’t ever let anybody tell you that your contribution to American fish and wildlife and wildlands as a sportsman ain’t sh*t, and don’t ever let anyone stop the flow either.
And once more for the smartasses in the back, these funds are specifically to be used for fish- and wildlife-related activities and what’s more, the PR and DJ enabling legislation tie state fishing and hunting license sales to being spent on fish and wildlife, not general fund stuff.