Secretary Zinke Announces Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund Grants
Yesterday, U.S. Secretary of Interior, Ryan Zinke, joined Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Kleefisch in announcing the disbursement of Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund grants to support recreational boating and fishing and wildlife restoration in Wisconsin. The grants total over $1.1 billion across the United States. Wisconsin received a check for $34,966,603 that will be used to support state fish and wildlife agencies for fisheries research, habitat improvement, aquatic education and fishing and boating access facilities among other wildlife restoration. NMMA member companies BRP Evinrude and Mercury Marine, pictured here with Secretary Zinke (from left Mercury Marine's Lee Gordon, Secretary Zinke, and BRP Evinrude's Jeff Wasil) joined the Secretary at Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center for the announcement.
The Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund, also known as Dingell-Johnson grants, are funded from fishing licenses and a manufacturers’ excise taxes on sport fishing equipment, import duties on fishing tackle, yachts and pleasure craft and a portion of the gasoline fuel tax attributable to small engines and motorboats.
The grants are distributed to states on a yearly basis via a formula. The grants must be used by the state’s fish and game department, require a match of 25% non-federal sources and can be used for management of wildlife/habitat and many other conservation and recreation related projects.