R8 (CA/NV) Sport Fish Restoration Grant Program for State Fish and Game Agencies | F17AS00059

Opportunity Information: Apply for F17AS00059

The R8 (CA/NV) Sport Fish Restoration Grant Program for State Fish and Game Agencies (Funding Opportunity Number F17AS00059) is a discretionary federal grant opportunity administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service under CFDA 15.605. It is designed to provide financial support to state-level fish and game agencies for practical, on-the-ground work that strengthens sport fishing resources and improves the public's ability to access and enjoy those resources. While labeled for Region 8 (covering California and Nevada), the underlying program is part of a nationwide Sport Fish Restoration effort that supports eligible states, commonwealths, and U.S. territories in maintaining healthy sport fish populations and the waters and facilities anglers depend on.

The program funds a broad range of activities that directly contribute to restoring, managing, and sustaining sport fisheries and associated aquatic habitats. Eligible projects can include acquiring land for conservation or public fishing purposes, developing and improving boating access sites such as ramps and related facilities, and conducting fisheries research that informs management decisions. It also supports the operations and maintenance of public fishing areas, which can include routine upkeep needed to keep sites usable and safe for anglers. On the infrastructure and production side, funds may be used for hatchery and lake construction, as well as ongoing maintenance of those facilities, where such work contributes to fishery goals. The grant can also be used for sport fish population management actions (for example, assessments, stocking-related activities where appropriate, and other management interventions), fishing habitat improvements that enhance spawning, rearing, or feeding conditions, and coordination projects that help agencies align efforts across waters, regions, or partner organizations. In addition, the opportunity explicitly includes aquatic resource education, reflecting a strong interest in building public understanding and stewardship around aquatic ecosystems and sport fishing.

A key point in this opportunity is the emphasis on tangible resource outcomes and public benefit. The intent is not simply to conduct administrative work, but to fund projects that restore or manage sport fish populations and expand or maintain public access to fishing and boating opportunities. In practical terms, this means proposals generally need to show how the work will improve fish populations, habitat conditions, recreational fishing opportunities, or the infrastructure that supports those uses.

The program also draws clear boundaries around what it will not pay for. Specifically, funding cannot be used for law enforcement activities related to fish and game regulations, and it cannot be used for public relations efforts aimed primarily at promoting the fish and wildlife agency itself. That distinction matters because outreach and education tied to aquatic resources can be eligible, but campaigns that function mainly as agency promotion or marketing fall outside the program's allowable uses.

From the opportunity details provided, the award ceiling is listed as $6,000,000. The eligible applicant type is state governments, meaning the intended applicants are state fish and wildlife agencies (or equivalent state entities) rather than local governments, nonprofits, tribes, or private organizations applying directly. The posting shows a creation date of December 8, 2016, with an original closing date of August 31, 2018, indicating the specific announcement window for this listing. The expected awards field is shown as 0 in the source data, which typically reflects posting metadata rather than a statement that no awards will ever be made under the underlying program.

Overall, this grant opportunity supports the core work state fish and game agencies do to keep sport fisheries productive and accessible: improving habitat, maintaining and building essential facilities, conducting research and management, and educating the public about aquatic resources, while excluding enforcement and agency self-promotion.

• The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the education, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "R8 (CA/NV) Sport Fish Restoration Grant Program for State Fish and Game Agencies" 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 Dec 08, 2016.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 31, 2018. (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 $6,000,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments.

Apply for F17AS00059

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