State Wildlife Grant Program Overview
The State Wildlife Grants program (SWG) is the nation's core program for preventing species from becoming endangered. This federal program provides needed funds to states to develop and implement conservation actions identified in their State Wildlife Action Plan. These funds benefit wildlife and their habitat, including species not hunted or fished. Created in 2000 by Congress, SWG has enabled the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission and Pennsylvania Game Commission to direct conservation efforts toward species in decline or vulnerable to decline, with the goal of preventing endangered species listings. State Wildlife Grant funding to Pennsylvania has ranged from $1.5 to $2.5 million per year, shared equally between the Fish & Boat Commission and Game Commission.
Call For Projects
The PFBC is not currently conducting a call-for-projects.
How has Pennsylvania wildlife benefitted from State Wildlife Grant funding?
The 2015-2025 Pennsylvania Wildlife Action Plan serves as the blueprint for guiding decisions on where to direct State Wildlife Grant funds for conservation actions in Pennsylvania. Grant funding has greatly improved the Fish & Boat Commission's ability to:
- Conduct surveys to gather vital data on species distributions; contributing to more informed management decisions,
- Provide technical assistance for fish passage and dam removal projects, and
- Many other conservation actions for species of greatest conservation need.
History of the State Wildlife Grant Program in Pennsylvania
Since 2001, the Pennsylvania Fish & Commission has supported more than 60 fish, amphibian, reptile, and freshwater invertebrate conservation projects through State Wildlife Grant funding, including research, species surveys, habitat improvement, and other efforts. Many projects are conducted through partnerships with colleges, universities and conservation organizations, thereby maximizing the Fish & Boat Commission's use of these federal funds.
In 2020, the Fish and Boat Commission and Game Commission celebrated 20-years of the State Wildlife Grants Program with a retrospective of accomplishments (in Program Summaries).
Program Summaries
State Wildlife Grants Program Celebrates 20 Years
PFBC 2023
State Wildlife Grants Summary
Contact Us
If you have questions about the State Wildlife Grants program administered by the Fish & Boat Commission, please contact the PFBC Conservation Coordinator at RA-FBSWAP@pa.gov.