Sport Fish Restoration--Florida Freshwater Fishing

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Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration (SFR) provides one of the most vital sources of funds for managing the nation's recreational fisheries. In 1950, congressmen Dingell and Johnson created the original program wherein fishing tackle is assessed an excise fee at the manufacturers' level, and resulting funds are allocated to state game and fish agencies. Monies are used to reimburse the states for three dollars of every four spent on qualifying sportfish restoration projects. The original "Dingell-Johnson" act was expanded in 1984 through the "Wallop-Breaux" amendment. The W-B Amendment established the Aquatic Resources Trust Fund that added import duties on sport fishing equipment, pleasure boats and yachts as well as tax revenue from motorboat fuel sales. In 2006, the total funding for national programs since exception had already exceeded $5 billion according to the USFWS's annual allotment news release. An agency-wide summary of SFR funding uses for 2006-07 highlights (PDF; 165 kb) the program uses in Florida. How Florida returns value to freshwater anglers from their license fees and Federal Aid tax revenues is discussed in Value Returned (PDF; 2.3 MB). A national update (PDF; 1.4 MB) on the program for September 2008 is also available

In 1994, passage of the Transportation Equity Act (TEA-21) authorized a National Outreach and Communications Program to increase participation in angling and boating and to impress on boaters and anglers the importance of healthy aquatic habitats. It also increased the minimum level of spending for boating access to 15% and raised the maximum allowable expenditure of SFR apportionments for aquatic education and outreach to 15%. TEA-21 further created a Boating Infrastructure Grant program (BIG) for construction, maintenance, or renovation of transient facilities for non-trailerable recreational boats (boats longer than 26 feet) TEA-21 raised the amount of Federal gas tax credited to the Aquatic Resources Trust Fund and established a “permanent” appropriation for the Boating Safety Account. The result is one of the most successful "user pays--user benefits" programs in the world. This is illustrated in a funding flow chart (PDF; 14 kb) provided by Federal Aid.

The amount of money Florida receives is based on the size of the state and the number of licensed anglers (See illustration; PDF 12 kb). Since we do not charge license fees to youth under 16 or adults over 65, and many states do, we recover a somewhat smaller proportion of the funds than do other states. However, we are not likely to become one of the maximum states which receive 5 percent of total SFR funds ($19.9 million in FY 2008), because of the relative size of Florida.

SFR generated $13.3 million dollars for Florida in 2008, of which 15% ($2.0 million) provides for both fresh and saltwater boating access. Of the remaining, $11.3 million, freshwater fisheries conservation received $5.3 million (based on the estimated number of resident freshwater anglers versus saltwater anglers).

Florida freshwater fisheries’ SFR funding is used primarily to support the many programs that ensure Florida remains the Fishing Capital of the World. This includes evaluating key fisheries to determine the appropriate regulations, fish stocking, habitat enhancement, aquatic plant management and infrastructure needs (e.g., boat ramps, fishing piers, fish attractors). The funds also support applied research, hatchery operations, outreach activities for youth, and communications programs to keep the angling public informed.

For additional information see: A History of Sport Fish Restoration's Impact on Florida's Freshwater Fisheries, written by Bob Wattendorf, for the Special Issue of Fisheries Magazine Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of SFR, which covers all 50 states and the details of the program.

The American Sportfishing Association, legislative affairs office is a good source for up-to-date information on Legislation affecting SFR and other fisheries bills.

Federal Aid maintains a website of their own that provides additional information. Specific apportionment information is also available on-line.

Take Me Fishing.org is a great general information site for recreational anglers and boaters.

Florida Fishing Capital of the World--Great Resources, Responsible Management