R7 Alaska- Wildlife Restoration and Basic Hunter Education - Open to Alaska Department of Fish and Game only | F19AS00036

Opportunity Information: Apply for F19AS00036

R7 Alaska - Wildlife Restoration and Basic Hunter Education (Funding Opportunity Number F19AS00036) is a discretionary federal grant opportunity administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service under the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration (WSFR) program. It is specifically limited to one eligible applicant: the State of Alaska, through the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. The opportunity sits under CFDA 15.611 and supports work in both natural resources and education, reflecting the program's dual emphasis on wildlife conservation outcomes and hunter education and safety.

The grant is grounded in the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act of 1937, commonly known as the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 669-669k). This law created a long-standing funding mechanism to support the selection, restoration, rehabilitation, and improvement of wildlife habitat, along with wildlife management research and the sharing of information produced through funded projects. In practical terms, the opportunity is meant to help a state fish and wildlife agency carry out core, on-the-ground conservation and management functions, while also ensuring that the science, data, and public-facing outputs from that work are developed and distributed in ways that improve wildlife stewardship and public understanding.

A key expansion of the Pittman-Robertson Act occurred in 1970, when it was amended to include support for hunter safety programs and for the development, operation, and maintenance of firearm and archery ranges. That amendment is reflected directly in this opportunity's title and scope, which explicitly includes "Basic Hunter Education." In other words, the grant is not only about habitat and wildlife population work; it also covers the training and infrastructure that help hunters participate safely and responsibly, and that support continued access to hunting-related recreation consistent with conservation-based wildlife management.

The opportunity is aligned with WSFR's stated mission to work through partnerships to conserve and manage fish and wildlife and their habitats for the use and enjoyment of current and future generations. It also reflects the program vision of healthy, diverse, and accessible fish and wildlife populations that provide recreation, economic activity, and broader societal benefits, while maintaining sustainable ecological functions. Under WSFR's guiding principle, the program assumes that the public benefits when wildlife and habitat are managed through conservation-based approaches, paired with opportunities for people to use and enjoy those resources in sustainable ways.

From a Department of the Interior priorities perspective, the grant is presented as supporting three themes: building a conservation stewardship legacy, utilizing natural resources, and restoring trust with local communities. Read together, those priorities suggest a focus not just on technical conservation outputs, but also on visible public benefits, continued recreational access, and credible engagement with communities that rely on or interact with wildlife resources and hunting opportunities.

Administratively, the opportunity was created on October 31, 2018, with an original closing date of August 31, 2020. The funding instrument is a grant, with an award ceiling listed at $25,000,000. The posting lists "Expected Awards: 0," which can indicate that the notice functions as an umbrella or continuing program notice rather than a competitive cycle with a fixed number of awards, especially given that eligibility is restricted to a single state agency. Overall, the program is best understood as a federal support mechanism for Alaska's wildlife restoration, research, habitat improvement, information distribution, and hunter education and range-related needs, implemented through the Alaska Department of Fish and Game under the long-running Pittman-Robertson framework.

• The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the education, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "R7 Alaska- Wildlife Restoration and Basic Hunter Education - Open to Alaska Department of Fish and Game only" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.611.
• This funding opportunity was created on Oct 31, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 31, 2020. (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 $25,000,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments.

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