Sport Fish Restoration Program

The Sport Fish Restoration Program provides grant funds to State and Territorial fish and wildlife agencies for projects to restore, conserve, manage, and enhance sport fish, water resources, and aquatic life.

This information applies to:

Sport Fish Restoration Program

Contents

Overview

The Sport Fish Restoration Program, authorized by the Sport Fish Restoration Act (Dingell-Johnson DJ) of 1950, was created to restore and better manage America's declining fishery resources and was modeled after the successful Wildlife Restoration Program. The Program includes the Recreational Boating Access and Aquatic Resource Education / Outreach and Communications subprograms.

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Authorities

50 CFR 80 Administrative Requirements, Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration and Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Acts

§ 80.51 What activities are eligible for funding under the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act?

The following activities are eligible for funding in these programs and subprograms under the Sport Fish Restoration Act:

(a) Sport Fish Restoration program. The following fish restoration and management projects and other associated activities are eligible for funding under apportionments authorized at 16 U.S.C. 777c(c)(1).

(1) Restoring and managing sport fish for the benefit of the public.

(2) Conducting research on the problems of managing fish and their habitat and the problems of fish culture if necessary to administer sport fish resources efficiently. This research may include social science activities.

(3) Obtaining data to guide and direct the regulation of fishing. These data may be on:

(i) Size and geographic range of sport fish populations;

(ii) Changes in sport fish populations due to fishing, other human activities, or natural causes; and

(iii) Effects of any measures or regulations applied.

(4) Developing and adopting plans to restock sport fish and forage fish in the natural areas or districts covered by the plans and obtain data to develop, carry out, and test the effectiveness of the plans.

(5) Raise, acquire or stockfish for recreational purposes.

(6) Acquiring real property suitable or capable of being made suitable for:

(i) Sport fish habitat, as a buffer to protect that habitat, or sport fish management;

(ii) Providing public access for sport fishing; or

(iii) Supporting other eligible activities described under this paragraph (a).

(7) Implementing fish restoration and management projects to restore, rehabilitate, improve, manage, or maintain:

(i) Aquatic areas adaptable for sport fish habitat; or

(ii) Land adaptable as a buffer to protect sport fish habitat.

(8) Building structures or acquiring equipment, goods, and services for:

(i) Restoring, rehabilitating, or improving aquatic habitat for sport fish or land as a buffer to protect aquatic habitat for sport fish;

(ii) Supporting sport fish management;

(iii) Providing public access for sport fishing; or

(iv) Supporting other eligible activities described under this paragraph (a).

(9) Constructing, renovating, operating, or maintaining pumpout and dump stations. A pumpout station is a facility that pumps or receives sewage from a type III marine sanitation device that the U.S. Coast Guard requires on some vessels. A dump station, also referred to as a “waste reception facility,” is specifically designed to receive waste from portable toilets on vessels.

(10) Communicating with the public (see § 80.52(h)) to include:

(i) Conducting outreach and sharing information on award activities, accomplishments, performance, or other communication related to meeting the objectives of an award;

(ii) Providing the public with information on sport fish management areas; public access for fishing or other sport fish-associated recreation; notices on safety, rule changes, and topics of interest to the public related to sport fish management; and other opportunities available to the public as a result of a Sport Fish Restoration award;

(iii) Liaising with the media or other venues to provide public information related to the objectives of an award; or

(iv) Engaging in other forms of communication that support a State's sport fish restoration and management objectives in an award.

(11) Conducting public relations, advertising as a form of outreach, and marketing that are associated with achieving eligible objectives require prior approval of the Service. These activities are allowable only when included in the approach of an approved award to accomplish eligible activities and meet award objectives. Communication that solely benefits the agency is unallowable public relations and is not eligible for funding under the Act.

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