Maine to receive $16M for wildlife conservation and recreation

Courtesy / Maine Outdoors Sport fish restoration is among the focal points in a new round of money coming to Maine from the federal government. Seen here is Master Maine Guide Don Kleiner, left, who owns Maine Outdoors in Union and heads the Maine Professional Guides Association, with clients on a “learn to fly fish" trip.

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By Staff

Maine's outdoor recreation industry and conservation efforts are the focal points for a new round of federal funding.

Maine will receive $16.2 million from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program to help conserve the state’s outdoors, manage wildlife populations, and support outdoor recreation opportunities for future generations, according to a news release on Thursday.

“This new funding from the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program will expand resources for our state’s incredible outdoor sport opportunities and support conservation programs to safeguard these treasured assets,” U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King said.

Outdoor recreation is an essential part of Maine’s history and culture, with over 1 million people participating in wildlife-related recreation in Maine each year, they added.

The funding will be distributed to Maine programs as follows:

• Sportfish restoration programs will receive $4 million to conserve Maine waters and over 70 species of freshwater and sport fish. The funding will also improve research and management of fish passage, expand angler and outdoor ethics education courses, and increase fishing and boating opportunities.

• Wildlife restoration programs will receive $9.9 million to provide grants to agencies across the state that work on wildlife research, species reintroduction and habitat management and restoration.

• Hunter education programs will receive $2.25 million to develop and increase safe access to Maine hunting, fishing and boating.

Judy Camuso, commissioner of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, said the Wildlife and Sportfish Restoration Program is the backbone of fish and wildlife conservation in Maine.

“This North American model of conservation is responsible for the recovery and conservation of iconic species such as bald eagles and moose, while also protecting and enhancing species such as brook trout and white-tailed deer throughout Maine,” Camuso said. “Hunters, anglers, shooters and boaters fund programs that benefit all of Maine and our wildlife.”

Nationwide, the program will distribute $1.5 billion to state wildlife agencies to support restoration, conservation and management of wildlife for the benefit of the public, hunter education, and the development and management of shooting ranges.

King and Collins were co-sponsors of the Great American Outdoors Act, passed by Congress in 2020. Recently, King introduced a bill to create a “Waze for Parks” with the goal of increasing accessibility and eliminating overcrowding of national parks.

Collins and King also recently introduced a bill to create a dedicated source of funding for projects that expand outdoor recreational opportunities in urban and low-income communities across the nation.