Wildlife Restoration and Basic Hunter Education | F19AS00120

Opportunity Information: Apply for F19AS00120

The Wildlife Restoration and Basic Hunter Education opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number F19AS00120) is a discretionary federal grant program administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service under CFDA 15.611. Its core purpose is to provide federal funding to support state-level wildlife conservation and hunter education efforts. Funding is directed to the 50 states, eligible commonwealths, and U.S. territories (excluding the District of Columbia) to carry out a broad range of activities that strengthen wildlife resources, improve habitat conditions, and expand the public benefits tied to wildlife-related recreation and management. The program is framed around practical conservation outcomes, including on-the-ground habitat work, scientific and technical management activities, and the infrastructure needed to support safe, responsible public use of wildlife resources.

A major emphasis of the opportunity is the Wildlife Restoration Grant Program scope of work, which covers selection, restoration, rehabilitation, and improvement of wildlife habitat; wildlife management research; wildlife population surveys and inventories; and land acquisition tied to wildlife conservation goals. In addition to direct resource work, the program also supports coordination and the development of facilities that enable agencies to deliver services and manage wildlife more effectively. The eligible uses are intentionally broad, reflecting the range of tasks state fish and wildlife agencies typically handle, from monitoring species and habitats to securing and managing lands that protect key wildlife areas. Applicants are encouraged to consult the regulatory list of eligible activities at 50 CFR 80.50 for the full set of allowable project types and cost categories.

Within that larger umbrella, the Hunter Education and Safety Program component (authorized under Section 4(c) of the Act) specifically targets training and public safety. Grant funds can be used to design, deliver, and maintain structured hunter education programs that teach safe handling and use of firearms and archery equipment, reinforce hunter responsibilities and ethics, and include survival skills. The program also supports basic wildlife management and identification instruction, linking safety training to an understanding of wildlife and conservation principles. Importantly, funding is not limited to classroom instruction; it can also support the construction, operation, and maintenance of public shooting ranges, as well as other facilities and services needed to conduct hunter education and safety programs effectively.

Programmatically, hunter education is described as a planned course of instruction with clear goals and objectives, culminating in training intended to produce safe and responsible hunters. This reflects an expectation that state agencies will implement organized curricula rather than ad hoc outreach. The training is also positioned as a tool that helps state agencies accomplish broader missions, such as reducing hunting-related accidents, improving compliance with regulations, promoting ethical behavior in the field, and building public support for wildlife conservation through informed participation.

For administrative context, the opportunity was created on February 26, 2019, with an original closing date of August 30, 2020. The listed award ceiling is up to $5,000,000, although the record shows expected awards as 0, which can indicate that awards are not projected in that listing or that funding may be allocated through a formula or state apportionment process rather than a typical competitive cycle. Eligibility is limited to state governments, consistent with the program design of channeling resources through state fish and wildlife agencies or equivalent statewide entities responsible for wildlife management and hunter education.

• The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the education, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Wildlife Restoration and Basic Hunter Education" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.611.
• This funding opportunity was created on Feb 26, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 30, 2020. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $5,000,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments.

Apply for F19AS00120

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