North Dakota's Funding for Species of Conservation Priority
The State Wildlife Grants Program provides federal dollars to every state and territory to support cost-effective conservation aimed at preventing wildlife from becoming endangered. Funds are apportioned annually through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to every state based on each state’s size and population. The North Dakota Game and Fish Department has been receiving an average of roughly $600,000 annually since 2001. State Wildlife Grant funding is crucial for implementing the conservation actions identified in the Wildlife Action Plan. A nonfederal match requirement assures local ownership and leverages state and private funds to support conservation. The State Wildlife Grants Program has strong, bipartisan support in Congress and is supported by the Teaming With Wildlife Coalition, which is made up of more than 6,300 groups representing wildlife biologists, hunters, anglers, bird watchers, hikers, nature-based businesses and other conservationists.