Sport Fish Restoration Grant Program | F19AS00055

Opportunity Information: Apply for F19AS00055

The Sport Fish Restoration Grant Program (SFR) is a long-running federal grant program authorized under the Sport Fish Restoration Act of 1950, also known as the Dingell-Johnson Act (16 U.S.C. 777-777n, with certain exceptions noted in the statute). It was designed as a counterpart to the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act, with the specific goal of supporting the management, conservation, and restoration of sport fishery resources across the United States. In practice, this program is one of the main ways the federal government helps states sustain and improve recreational fisheries and the related public benefits that come from healthy aquatic ecosystems.

A key feature of SFR is how it is funded. Rather than relying primarily on general tax revenues, the program is supported by user- and industry-linked revenue streams that connect boating and angling activity to conservation outcomes. Funding comes from excise taxes on sport fishing equipment, electric motors and sonar, import duties on fishing tackle as well as yachts and pleasure craft, and a portion of federal gasoline taxes attributable to motorboats and small engines. Those revenues are placed into the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund, and then distributed through the SFR program.

The program’s purpose is broad but clearly tied to practical on-the-ground outcomes. SFR funds are used to restore, conserve, manage, or enhance sport fish populations and to expand or improve the public use of and benefits from those fisheries. This includes efforts that educate the public about aquatic resources, along with investments that provide or improve boating access to public waters. In other words, SFR is not only about fish populations themselves, but also about ensuring the public can responsibly enjoy fishing and boating opportunities supported by sound conservation and management.

Eligibility for this funding is limited to state governments, specifically state fish and wildlife agencies, and the program is categorized as mandatory. Funding is apportioned annually using a legislatively established formula, meaning states generally receive allocations based on statutory criteria rather than competing in a typical discretionary grant competition. This structure is intended to provide predictable, ongoing support for state-level fisheries management, restoration projects, boating access development, and related education activities.

Administratively, the opportunity is issued by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, under the CFDA listing 15.605. The funding opportunity title is "Sport Fish Restoration Grant Program" with opportunity number F19AS00055. The original posting date listed is November 28, 2018, and the original closing date shown is August 31, 2020. The listing includes an award ceiling of $7,000,000 and shows expected awards as 0, which is consistent with the program’s formula-based apportionment approach rather than a standard competitive forecast.

From a mission and policy perspective, SFR aligns with the goals of the Fish and Wildlife Service’s Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration (WSFR) program, which emphasizes conservation delivered through partnerships for the benefit of current and future generations. The program reflects a vision of healthy, diverse, and accessible fish and wildlife populations that support recreation, economic activity, and long-term ecological function. It also fits within stated Department of the Interior priorities by advancing a conservation stewardship legacy, supporting responsible use of natural resources, and strengthening trust and collaboration with local communities. Additional program background and resources are referenced through the WSFR program website at http://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/Subpages/GrantPrograms/SFR/SFR.htm.

• The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the education, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Sport Fish Restoration Grant Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.605.
• This funding opportunity was created on Nov 28, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 31, 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 $7,000,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments.

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