Funding the Future of Conservation: USFWS Invests $1.3 Billion in Wildlife and Outdoor Access

EDGEFIELD, S.C.—The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced more than $1.3 billion in funding allocations to states, commonwealths and territories in 2025, advancing critical conservation initiatives and strengthening connections between people and nature. This vital funding is generated by manufacturers who paid federal excise taxes last year on ammunition, firearms, archery and angling equipment, and a fuel and small engine tax.

Hunters, recreational shooters, anglers and outdoor enthusiasts remain the backbone of conservation funding. In addition, recent data from the Sportsmen’s Alliance highlights their impact to the economy, with recreational hunting and target shooting generating $106.2 billion in retail sales and contributing $133 billion to economic growth in 2022. These activities supported over 1.3 million jobs, with $80.5 billion in wages.

Access to high-quality public lands abundant with wildlife is essential to fostering participation in hunting, fishing, outdoor recreation and, in extension, conservation funding. Declining hunter participation, often tied to limited access to quality hunting areas, threatens conservation funding, which largely depends on excise taxes and outdoor activity participation.

The National Wild Turkey Federation is committed to increasing support for and participation in hunting through Recruitment, Retention and Reactivation (R3) efforts. By introducing new and lapsed hunters, shooters and outdoor enthusiasts to the outdoors, R3 efforts ensure robust conservation funding and a new generation of conservationists. The funding allocated by the USFWS strengthens programs like R3 by improving access to public lands and conserving landscapes critical to wildlife and outdoor activities.

“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 Martha Williams, U.S. Fish and Wildlife service director in a press 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.” 

Since 1937, USFWS conservation funding has provided more than $29 billion to initiatives supporting and managing our nation’s fish and wildlife resources, hunter education and improved access for hunting, fishing and boating.

“Thanks to the Pittman-Robertson Act of 1937, participating in hunting and shooting sports helps fund conservation efforts,” said Mandy Harling, NWTF national director of education and outreach programs. “When you take up a bow, rod or rifle, you are helping to contribute millions of dollars to improve habitats, making more land accessible and creating more opportunities for hunting, shooting and archery. The NWTF’s mission to conserve wild turkeys and preserve our hunting heritage encourages more people to purchase equipment, thereby supporting this cycle of conservation.”

This historic funding not only underscores the critical role hunters, shooters, anglers and outdoor enthusiasts play in driving conservation efforts but also reinforces the importance of access to public lands and wildlife-rich habitats. By investing in programs like R3 and ensuring robust funding for state and federal conservation initiatives, the NWTF and its partners are working to secure the future of outdoor traditions and safeguard our natural resources for generations to come.

For more information and to view the Service’s final apportionment of Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration grant funds for Fiscal Year 2025, as well as historical funding amounts, visit www.partnerwithapayer.org/funding-sources.

About the National Wild Turkey Federation

Since 1973, the National Wild Turkey Federation has invested over half a billion dollars into wildlife conservation and has positively impacted over 23 million acres of critical wildlife habitat. The NWTF has also invested over $9 million into wild turkey research to guide the management of the wild turkey population and to ensure sustainable populations into perpetuity. The organization continues to deliver its mission by working across boundaries on a landscape scale through its Four Shared Values: clean and abundant water, healthy forests and wildlife habitat, resilient communities, and robust recreational opportunities. With the help of its dedicated members, partners and staff, the NWTF continues its work to provide Healthy Habitats. and Healthy Harvests. for future generations.