$61 Million Will Support State Wildlife And Habitats
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will award $61.2 million in wildlife grants to state and territorial wildlife agencies.
The State Wildlife Grant program is designed to assist states in the development and implementation of programs that benefit wildlife, including species not fished or hunted, and their habitats. The funds are made available through annual appropriations.
To be eligible for State Wildlife Grant funds, each state must complete a Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Plan or Strategy by October 1, 2005. States may use the funds for project planning or implementation activities.
A state may receive no more than 5 percent or less than 1 percent of the available funds. The District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico receive .5 percent and Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands receive .25 percent. The apportionment is based on a formula that uses the state’s land area and population.
Some examples of ongoing State Wildlife Grant projects include the following:
Ecology and Management of Swallow-Tailed Kites in Georgia The Georgia Wildlife Resources Division is developing techniques to manage swallow-tailed kites in the Satilla River watershed in southeastern Georgia. The state is also working with nearby landowners for kite conservation. Bat Protection in Pennsylvania: The Pennsylvania Game Commission is using federal money to protect more than 30,000 bats of six species at two mines in Pennsylvania. The state will install special gates at the entrances to these bat caves ? called hibernacula or winter homes – to prevent disturbance and vandalism during periods when these species are highly vulnerable.
Preble’s Meadow Jumping Mouse Surveys in Colorado: The Colorado Division of Wildlife will determine the presence of the federally listed Preble’s meadow jumping mouse at previously unsurveyed locations, including those along the eastern portion of its range. If these mice are discovered in new areas, the vegetation in those areas will be compared with that in areas where it is previously known to exist. The benefit of the work will be improved understanding of the species range and more accurate mapping of its populations.
Flow Modeling of Southeastern Oklahoma Rivers: The Oklahoma Department of Conservation will use the results of an instream flow study in the state’s Ecologically Sustainable Water Management process for southeastern Oklahoma rivers. This process will help guide future water management and species conservation efforts in this part of the state. There are many fish and mussel species of conservation concern in the selected watersheds.
Expansion of Chiricahua Leopard Frog Populations in New Mexico: The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish is translocating and establishing federally listed Chiricahua leopard frog populations in all available and suitable habitats on a cooperating large ranch. The successful establishment of frog populations in all available habitats in this area will help expand the current range and numbers of Chiricahua leopard frogs, provide insight into the factors involved in successful translocation and potentially provide a source population for translocation to other suitable habitats within New Mexico. A complete list of grants by state and amount includes: | Alabama 950,854
| |————————————————————————-| |Alaska 3,060,095
| |————————————————————————-| |American Samoa 153,004
| |————————————————————————-| |Arizona 1,449,489
| |————————————————————————-| |Arkansas 714,925
| |————————————————————————-| |California 3,060,095
| |————————————————————————-| |Colorado 1,270,452
| |————————————————————————-| |Connecticut 612,020
| |————————————————————————-| |Delaware 612,020
| |————————————————————————-| |District of Columbia 306,009
| |————————————————————————-| |Florida 2,592,298
| |————————————————————————-| |Georgia 1,515,288
| |————————————————————————-| |Guam 153,004
| |————————————————————————-| |Hawaii 612,020
| |————————————————————————-| |Idaho 721,085
| |————————————————————————-| |Illinois 2,084,443
| |————————————————————————-| |Indiana 1,076,313
| |————————————————————————-| |Iowa 769,994
| |————————————————————————-| |Kansas 905,720
| |————————————————————————-| |Kentucky 821,523
| |————————————————————————-| |Louisiana 928,044
| |————————————————————————-| |Maine 612,020
| |————————————————————————-| |Maryland 800,932
| |————————————————————————-| |Massachusetts 932,424
| |————————————————————————-| |Michigan 1,754,509
| |————————————————————————-| |Minnesota 1,228,258
| |————————————————————————-| |Mississippi 703,052
| |————————————————————————-| |Missouri 1,226,536
| |————————————————————————-| |Montana 1,078,493
| |————————————————————————-| |N. Mariana Islands 153,004
| |————————————————————————-| |Nebraska 738,529
| |————————————————————————-| |Nevada 993,612
| |————————————————————————-| |New Hampshire 612,020
| |————————————————————————-| |New Jersey 1,215,376
| |————————————————————————-| |New Mexico 1,040,333
| |————————————————————————-| |New York 2,945,190
| |————————————————————————-| |North Carolina 1,455,766
| |————————————————————————-| |North Dakota 612,020
| |————————————————————————-| |Ohio 1,839,503
| |————————————————————————-| |Oklahoma 930,946
| |————————————————————————-| |Oregon 1,102,960
| |————————————————————————-| |Pennsylvania 1,993,755
| |————————————————————————-| |Puerto Rico 306,009
| |————————————————————————-| |Rhode Island 612,020
| |————————————————————————-| |South Carolina 757,142
| |————————————————————————-| |South Dakota 612,020
| |————————————————————————-| |Tennessee 1,060,816
| |————————————————————————-| |Texas 3,060,095
| |————————————————————————-| |Utah 859,703
| |————————————————————————-| |Vermont 612,020
| |————————————————————————-| |Virgin Islands 153,004
| |————————————————————————-| |Virginia 1,243,105
| |————————————————————————-| |Washington 1,257,489
| |————————————————————————-| |West Virginia 612,020
| |————————————————————————-| |Wisconsin 1,106,520
| |————————————————————————-| |Wyoming 612,020
| | |———————————————————————— TOTAL: 61,201,916