R2 Wildlife Restoration Hunter Education Section 10 Grant Program (TO STATE GAME AND FISH AGENCIES ONLY) | F16AS00052

Opportunity Information: Apply for F16AS00052

The R2 Wildlife Restoration Hunter Education Section 10 Grant Program (Funding Opportunity Number F16AS00052) is a mandatory federal grant program run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under CFDA 15.626. It is designed specifically for state governments, and in practice it is limited to state game and fish agencies. The program sits within the broader Wildlife Restoration framework commonly known as the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act, which has long provided dedicated funding to states for wildlife conservation work and for getting wildlife-related information out to the public.

Historically, this opportunity traces back to the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act of 1937 (Pittman-Robertson), which began operating in 1938. The original purpose of that law was to fund the selection, restoration, rehabilitation, and improvement of wildlife habitat, to support wildlife management research, and to share the information produced by those projects. In other words, it was built to strengthen wildlife populations and the science and management systems behind them, while also making sure the results were communicated and usable.

A major expansion came in 1970, when Congress amended the Act to explicitly include hunter safety programs and the development, operation, and maintenance of firearm and archery ranges. That change reflected a growing recognition that hunter education and safe, well-managed shooting facilities are not side issues, but core infrastructure for responsible hunting, public safety, and the long-term sustainability of hunting participation.

The specific "Section 10" focus highlighted in this opportunity was created later, through the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Programs Improvement Act of 2000. Congress pursued this after concerns were raised that states were not consistently using the funding that could be available for hunter education and shooting range work, or that overall effort levels varied too widely to keep pace with modern needs. Sportsmens organizations and other stakeholders supported the push for a stronger, more reliable commitment to these programs, especially as states faced new challenges in the 21st century, including changes in participation, public expectations around safety, and increasing demand for quality training and accessible places to practice.

As a result, the Firearm and Bowhunter Education and Safety Program (Section 10) was established to supplement and strengthen what states were already doing. The law set aside dedicated amounts for this purpose: $7.5 million in 2001 and 2002, and $8 million annually thereafter, specifically to enhance existing hunter education efforts and/or shooting range programs. The emphasis on "enhance" is important because it signals the intent to build capacity, improve quality, expand reach, and increase consistency rather than simply maintain the status quo.

From the posted opportunity details, this is categorized as a grant (funding instrument type: Grant) and falls under the Environment and Natural Resources activity category. The opportunity listing shows an original closing date of 2016-09-30 and lists an award ceiling of $0, which typically indicates that award amounts are not expressed as a single maximum in the announcement because allocations are often determined by statutory formulas, apportionments, or other program-specific distribution methods rather than a competitive top-end cap. The announcement does not provide the expected number of awards in the provided fields, reinforcing that the program functions within a structured federal-aid framework rather than a typical open competitive grant with a fixed number of selected recipients.

In practical terms, the program exists to help state fish and wildlife agencies deliver stronger hunter education and safety training, and to support the development and upkeep of safe firearm and archery ranges, with the larger goal of protecting people, supporting ethical and competent hunting, and sustaining hunting as a managed conservation tool. Additional program background is referenced in the opportunity at the Fish and Wildlife Service Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration site (wsfrprograms.fws.gov) under the Hunter Education Section 10 materials.

• The Fish and Wildlife Service in the environment, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "R2 Wildlife Restoration Hunter Education Section 10 Grant Program (TO STATE GAME AND FISH AGENCIES ONLY)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.626.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2015-12-15.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2016-09-30. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: State governments.

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