GENERAL INFORMATION

PURPOSE OF THE RESTORATION PROGRAM

Wildlife is a valuable natural resource. Public interest in harvesting annual supluses has increased greatly in recent years. State hunting-license sales now exceed 14 million annually-nearly double the number sold before World War II. But while interest in hunting increases, intensified farming and urban expansion continually reduce the living space of wild birds and mammals.

The Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act approved September 2, 1937, popularly known as the Pittman-Robertson Act, was designed to help check the depletion of the Nation's wildlife and stimulate its restoration. Since wildlife is a product of the land, its restoration depends on providing suitable living conditions for the desirable species. The developmental work that favors the increase of wild birds and mammals, contributes also to the conservation of soil and moisture, which are essential to the maintenance of a prosperous agriculture.

The income from the sale of hunting licenses is practically the only revenue available to finance the activities of State game departments. Lack of adequate funds in the past prevented the conducting of much needed restoration work. Under the provisions of the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act, funds are made available to the States for cooperative programs to increase wildlife populations, to procure information through field studies for improving the management of this natural resource, and to provide an annual surplus of game birds and mammals to be harvested by hunting and trapping.

The act provides that the United States may pay 75 percent of the cost of work performed on approved projects. Projects are confined to the purchase and development of lands, the restoration of natural environment, the carrying on of research into the problems of wildlife management, the maintenance of completed projects, and the management of wildlife areas and resources.

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HOW STATES QUALIFY TO PARTICIPATE

In order that a State may participate in the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration program, it must assent to the provisions of the PittmanRobertson Act

and shall have passed laws for the conservation of wildlife which shall include a prohibition against the diversion of license fees paid by hunters for any other purpose than the administration of said State fish and game department.

All States have assented to the provisions of the act.

SOURCE OF REVENUE

The revenue comes from an 11-percent manufacturers' excise tar on sporting arms and ammunition. Tax collections are deposited in the Treasury of the United States in a special account known as the Federal Aid to Wildlife Restoration Fund. Moneys in the fund are authorized to be appropriated and made available for expenditure in carrying out the purposes of the act.

MERGED ADMINISTRATION OF FISH AND WILDLIFE RESTORATION ACTS

The outstanding wildlife-restoration achievements resulting from Pittman-Robertson operations greatly influenced enactment of the Federal Aid in Fish Restoration Act of 1950, commonly known as the Dingell-Johnson Act. Many of the procedures developed in the wildlife-restoration program have been adopted for its fisheries counterpart. This is evident in the single set of rules, regulations, and standards, and in the merged administration of the two activities.

TYPES OF SUITABLE PROJECT ACTIVITIES

It is a basic requirement that all wildlife-restoration projects shall be substantial in character and design. Depending on objectives, they may include activities of various kinds, as follows:

Land purchase.-Acquisition of land or water areas needed for wildlife-conservation activities.

Land development.-Improvement of areas to make them effective wildlife-restoration units, by food and cover plantings, water impoundment and stabilization, release of game birds or mammals where seed stock is needed, or other activities necessary to accomplish the purpose.

Investigations and surveys.-Studies designed to solve pressing ildlife-management problems. While almost any form of investiation of biological problems might have a general bearing upon anagement practices, the studies undertaken in accordance with his law must be confined to the procurement of information intended ɔ improve the administration of the wildlife resources of the States. Maintenance.-Upkeep and repair of structural improvements acuired or constructed under Federal Aid projects.

Management.-Measures concerned with harvest or control of wild irds and mammals being managed by the State game departments. Coordination. The coordination of projects to ensure effective adninistration of the work.

MAINTENANCE AND MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES

The act requires that projects completed under its provisions shall be maintained by the States. A State may spend not more than 25 percent of the moneys apportioned to it in any fiscal year, to help deray maintenance costs.

The act authorizes expenditures for the management of wildlife areas and resources, exclusive of law enforcement and public relations, out limits expenditures for such purposes to not more than 30 percent of the amount apportioned to a State in any fiscal year.

COMBINATION PROJECTS

Sometimes activities involving fish and wildlife are so closely related that they may be combined in a single project. Division of costs of such combined projects will be prorated according to the estimated benefits to each of these natural resources.

INCIDENTAL BENEFITS

The primary purpose of this cooperative program is to increase wildlife populations so surpluses can be taken by the hunters. Wildliferestoration measures may benefit forests, fisheries, and other elements, but such benefits must be incidental and not the primary purpose of projects selected by the States.

OWNERSHIP AND ADMINISTRATION OF RESTORED UNITS

All lands acquired become the property of the States and are maintained and administered by them under State laws. All structures built and all equipment purchased with these cooperative funds likewise become State property.

ACTIVITIES NOT CONTEMPLATED BY THE ACT

IMPROVEMENT ON PRIVATE LANDS

Because of the uncertainty of tenure, no permanent improvements are authorized for privately owned lands. Temporary structures, fences, trees, shrubs, as well as live birds and other animals, may be placed on lands under lease or otherwise controlled by the State gam department, when control is for periods sufficient to ensure that the improvements shall be of material benefit to wildlife.

GAME FARMS

The establishment of game farms as wildlife-restoration projects cannot be approved from Federal Aid apportionments, since the purpose of the act is plainly to develop and improve specific units, whereas the output from such establishments may be used over wide areas not directly controlled or managed by the State for the benefit of wildlife. It is possible, however, when the need of such development is evident for the State game departments to purchase seed stocks of birds of other animals to place on project areas at prices established as fair and equitable.

METHOD OF ALLOCATING FUNDS TO THE STATES

After making deductions for administering the act and for the conduct of work in Alaska, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands apportionments of funds are made to the States' half in the ratio that the area of each State bears to the total area of all States and half in the ratio that the number of paid hunting license holders of each State in the preceding fiscal year, as certified to the Secretary of the Interior by the State fish and game department, bears to the total number of paid hunting license holders of all the States. By amendment of the act dated July 24, 1946, the foregoing apportionment procedure was modified to the extent that no State shall receive less than one-half of 1 percent or more than 5 percent of the total amount apportioned to all the States. The law specifies that the part of the apportionments determined from hunting-license sales shall be based on the number of license holders and not the number of individual licenses.

1 Hawali was granted State status for apportionment purposes by amendment dated July 2, 1956.

PERIOD OF AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS

So much of an appropriation apportioned to any State for any fiscal year as remains unobligated at the close thereof is available for obligation in that State until the close of the succeeding year. For example, funds that became available for expenditure on July 1, 1956, can be obligated for work on projects as late as June 30, 1958, provided the State complied with the requirement of notifying the Secretary of the Interior of its desire to use apportioned funds and continues to be eligible.

DISPOSITION OF UNUSED FUNDS

- If a State is to avail itself of the benefits of the act, it must each year notify the Secretary of the Interior of its desire to participate within 60 days after receiving the certification of apportionment of funds. If a State fails to make such notification, if it declines to participate, or if it fails to expend or obligate its entire apportionment within the period for which available, such entire apportionments or the unused balances are directed to be made available for expenditure by the Secretary in carrying out the provisions of the Migratory Bird Conservation Act. Unused funds cannot be apportioned to other participating States.

PAYMENTS TO STATES ONLY

Payments of Federal funds may be made only to the game department or other authority vested under the laws of the State with wildlife-conservation functions. The State makes all payments for lands, labor, and other expenses and then receives its proper prorata share of project costs from the Federal Treasury. No contracts can be made between the Department of the Interior and any agency or party other than the State game department.

PROJECT INITIATION AND ACCOMPLISHMENT

When a State desires to avail itself of the benefits of the act, it submits by its game department to the Secretary of the Interior a preliminary project statement for any wildlife-restoration project proposed. This statement outlines in a general way the work contemplated and the estimated cost of it. If, finding that such project meets the requirements of the law, the Secretary approves it, the State game department then furnishes full and detailed information in the form of project plans, specifications, and estimates. When these are approved, a project agreement is entered into between the Secretary of the Interior and the State game department.