Title 16ConservationRelease 119-73

§2905 Reimbursement of State costs for developing, revising, and implementing conservation plans and implementing certain nongame fish and wildlife conservation actions

Title 16 › Chapter CHAPTER 49— - FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION › § 2905

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Allows a State to ask the Secretary to pay back costs the State spent on making, updating, or carrying out wildlife conservation plans, on certain nongame fish and wildlife actions, and on joining those plans with related federal wildlife programs. The State must apply the way the Secretary requires and give enough information to prove it spent the money for the approved purposes and followed the approved plans or actions. Payments depend on money being available and other legal rules. A State can’t get more than its yearly allocation. The law bars payment for some costs, for example plan development after September 30, 1991, certain nongame action costs after September 30, 1986, costs when less than 80% mainly benefit nongame fish or their users, implementation costs that were not approved, or costs largely paid with hunting or fishing license sales and penalties if those payments are more than 10%. Also no payment if more than 10% of costs are for conservation law enforcement and more than 10% are in the form of personal service or other in-kind help. Reimbursements are limited by percent: up to 75% for plan development (90% in fiscal years 1982–1984); up to 75% for nongame actions (90% when done by two or more States); up to 75% for implementing or revising approved plans (90% if multi-State); and after September 30, 1991, up to 50% if a plan covers only nongame species or up to 75% if it coordinates broader fish and wildlife planning. The Secretary will count volunteer help and property as part of State costs, will not count other federal money, will set rules to value in-kind help, and the Secretary’s valuation is final.

Full Legal Text

Title 16, §2905

Conservation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Any State may apply to the Secretary for reimbursement under this section for costs incurred by the State for the following:
(1)The development of a conservation plan.
(2)The revision of an approved conservation plan.
(3)The implementation of nongame fish and wildlife conservation actions approved under section 2904(c) and (d) of this title.
(4)The implementation of conservation actions specified in an approved conservation plan.
(5)The coordination, consolidation, or implementation of the conservation plan or conservation actions approved under this chapter with other related plans or actions developed pursuant to the Act of September 2, 1937 (16 U.S.C. 669e(a)(1)), commonly referred to as the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act [16 U.S.C. 669 et seq.] and the Act of August 9, 1950 (16 U.S.C. 777c(a)(1)), commonly referred to as the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act [16 U.S.C. 777 et seq.].
(b)Application for reimbursement under this section shall be made in such manner as the Secretary shall by regulation prescribe and shall contain such information as is necessary to enable the Secretary to determine whether the State meets the eligibility requirements set forth in subsection (c).
(c)No State is eligible for reimbursement under this section unless the Secretary finds that the costs, for which reimbursement is sought, have been incurred by the State as follows:
(1)If reimbursement is sought under subsection (a)(1), such costs have been incurred in developing a conservation plan that meets the requirements set forth in section 2903 of this title.
(2)If reimbursement is sought under subsection (a)(2), such costs have been incurred in revising the plan in a manner consistent with such requirements.
(3)If reimbursement is sought under subsection (a)(3), such costs have been incurred in implementing the conservation actions as approved by the Secretary.
(4)If reimbursement is sought under subsection (a)(4), such costs have been incurred in implementing conservation actions specified in, and in a manner consistent with, the approved conservation plan.
(5)If reimbursement is sought under subsection (a)(5), such costs have been incurred in consolidating, coordinating or implementing conservation plans and actions approved under this chapter with approved plans and actions under the Act of August 9, 1950 (16 U.S.C. 777c(a)(1)), commonly referred to as the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act [16 U.S.C. 777 et seq.] and the Act of September 2, 1937 (16 U.S.C. 669e(a)(1)), commonly referred to as the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act [16 U.S.C. 669 et seq.] in a manner consistent with section 2901 and 2903 of this title.
(d)Subject to the limitations in subsection (c) and the terms and conditions imposed under section 2906 of this title, and to the availability of funds appropriated under section 2910 of this title, the Secretary shall reimburse each State which the Secretary finds to be eligible therefor under subsection (c).
(e)(1)The total amount of the reimbursement paid to any State under this section with respect to any fiscal year may not exceed the allocation available to the State under section 2907 of this title for such year.
(2)No reimbursement may be paid under this section to any State for any cost incurred by the State during any fiscal year—
(A)after September 30, 1991, in developing a conservation plan;
(B)after September 30, 1986, for costs incurred in implementing certain nongame fish and wildlife actions approved under section 2904(d) of this title;
(C)in which less than 80 percent of the costs to be reimbursed are for the principal benefit of nongame fish and wildlife or the users of nongame fish and wildlife;
(D)in implementing an approved conservation plan, unless the cost was incurred in implementing actions approved under section 2904(c) or (d) of this title;
(E)in implementing an approved conservation plan covering only nongame fish and wildlife, or any nongame fish and wildlife conservation action approved under section 2904(c) or (d) of this title, to the extent that more than 10 percent of such costs are paid for with moneys collected during such year by the State—
(i)from the sale of hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses, and
(ii)as penalties (including forfeitures) for violations of the hunting, fishing, and trapping laws of the State; or
(F)in implementing an approved conservation plan or any nongame fish and wildlife conservation action approved under section 2904(c) or (d) of this title, to the extent that—
(i)more than 10 percent of such costs are applied for purposes of conservation law enforcement under any such plan or action, and
(ii)more than 10 percent of such costs in any such year are accounted for by personal service or other inkind contributions.
(3)The amount of the reimbursement paid to any State under this section with respect to any fiscal year—
(A)may not exceed 75 percent for the development of a conservation plan except that during fiscal years 1982, 1983, and 1984 such amount shall not exceed 90 percent;
(B)for the implementation of nongame fish and wildlife conservation actions approved under section 2904(c) or (d) of this title, may not exceed 75 percent of the cost of implementing the action during such fiscal year, except that if such action is undertaken by two or more States such amount shall not exceed 90 percent;
(C)during and after the fiscal year in which the conservation plan of the State is approved under section 2904(a) of this title, may not exceed 75 percent of the cost of implementing and revising the conservation plan during such fiscal year, or if two or more States cooperate in implementing or revising such plan, such cost shall not exceed 90 percent, and
(D)after September 30, 1991, may not exceed—
(i)50 percent of the cost of implementing and revising the plan during the fiscal year, if the approved conservation plan of the State covers only nongame fish and wildlife, or
(ii)75 percent of the cost of implementing and revising the plan during such fiscal year, if the approved conservation plan of the State coordinates and consolidates planning for fish and wildlife.
(4)(A)In computing the costs incurred by any State during any fiscal year in developing or revising conservation plans, in implementing approved conservation plans, or in implementing nongame fish and wildlife conservation actions approved under section 2904(c) or (d) of this title, for which reimbursement may be available under this section, the Secretary shall—
(i)take into account, in addition to each outlay, the value of inkind contributions and real and personal property received and applied during such year by the State for such purposes; and
(ii)not include any other Federal moneys received by such State and applied by it, directly or indirectly, for such purposes.
(B)For purposes of subparagraph (A), inkind contributions may be in the form of, but are not limited to, personal services rendered by volunteers in carrying out surveys, censuses, and other scientific studies regarding fish and wildlife. The Secretary shall by regulation establish (i) the training, experience, and other qualifications which such volunteers must have in order for their services to be considered as inkind contributions; and (ii) the standards under which the Secretary will determine the value of inkind contributions and real and personal property for purposes of subparagraph (A).
(C)Any valuation determination made by the Secretary for purposes of this paragraph shall be final and conclusive.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act, referred to in subsecs. (a)(5) and (c)(5), is act Sept. 2, 1937, ch. 899, 50 Stat. 917, also known as the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act, which is classified generally to chapter 5B (§ 669 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 669 of this title and Tables. The Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act, referred to in subsecs. (a)(5) and (c)(5), is act Aug. 9, 1950, ch. 658, 64 Stat. 430, also known as the Federal Aid in Fish Restoration Act and the Fish Restoration and Management Projects Act, which is classified generally to chapter 10B (§ 777 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 777 of this title and Tables. 16 U.S.C 777c(a)(1), referred to in subsecs. (a)(5) and (c)(5), probably is a reference to section 6(a)(1) of act Aug. 9, 1950, ch. 658, 64 Stat. 432, which is classified to section 777e(a)(1) of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

16 U.S.C. § 2905

Title 16Conservation

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73