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Title 16 — ConservationRelease 119-73

§669g Maintenance of projects; expenditures for management of wildlife areas and resources

Title 16 › Chapter CHAPTER 5B— - WILDLIFE RESTORATION › § 669g

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

States must keep up the wildlife-restoration projects they create, following their own laws. Since July 1, 1945, the idea of a "wildlife-restoration project" also includes taking care of finished projects. States can use money given under this law to manage wildlife areas and resources, but not for law enforcement. Money from the Wildlife Conservation and Restoration Account can pay for wildlife conservation education, but not for programs that encourage opposing the regulated taking of wildlife. A State may use its allotted funds to cover up to 75% of costs for hunter safety programs and for running and maintaining public target ranges. A State may cover up to 90% of the cost to buy land for, expand, or build a public target range. The State’s share can come from hunters’ license fees, not from other Federal grants. The Secretary must issue rules on the criteria for these programs no later than the 120th day after the effective date of this subsection.

Full Legal Text

Title 16, §669g

Conservation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Maintenance of wildlife-restoration projects established under the provisions of this chapter shall be the duty of the States in accordance with their respective laws. Beginning July 1, 1945, the term “wildlife-restoration project”, as defined in section 669a of this title, shall include maintenance of completed projects. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, funds apportioned to a State under this chapter may be expended by the State for management (exclusive of law enforcement) of wildlife areas and resources. Funds from the Wildlife Conservation and Restoration Account may be used for a wildlife conservation education program, except that no such funds may be used for education efforts, projects, or programs that promote or encourage opposition to the regulated taking of wildlife.
(b)(1)Except as provided in paragraph (2), each State may use the funds apportioned to it under section 669c(c) of this title to pay up to 75 per centum of the costs of a hunter safety program and the operation and maintenance of public target ranges.
(2)Notwithstanding the limitation described in paragraph (1), a State may pay up to 90 percent of the cost of acquiring land for, expanding, or constructing a public target range.
(3)The non-Federal share of such costs may be derived from license fees paid by hunters, but not from other Federal grant programs.
(4)The Secretary shall issue not later than the 120th day after the effective date of this subsection such regulations as he deems advisable relative to the criteria for the establishment of hunter safety programs and public target ranges under this subsection.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The

Effective Date

of this subsection, referred to in subsec. (b)(4), probably means Oct. 23, 1970, the date of approval of Pub. L. 91–503, which added subsec. (b).

Amendments

2019—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 116–94, § 501(e)(1), struck out “and public relations” after “(exclusive of law

Enforcement

”. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 116–17 inserted subsec. heading, designated first, second, and third sentences of existing provisions as pars. (1), (3), and (4), respectively, and inserted par. headings, in par. (1), substituted “Except as provided in paragraph (2), each State” for “Each State” and “operation” for “

Construction

, operation,”, and added par. (2). Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 116–94, § 501(e)(2), struck out “, as a part of such program” before period at end. 2000—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 106–553 inserted at end “Funds from the Wildlife Conservation and Restoration Account may be used for a wildlife conservation education program, except that no such funds may be used for education efforts, projects, or programs that promote or encourage opposition to the regulated taking of wildlife.” Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 106–408 substituted “section 669c(c) of this title” for “section 669c(b) of this title” in first sentence. 1972—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 92–558 substituted “public target ranges” for “public outdoor target ranges” in two places. 1970—Pub. L. 91–503 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), struck out the 25 percent limitation on the use of Federal funds for wildlife restoration projects and the 30 percent limitation on the use of Federal funds for the management of wild life areas and resources, and added subsec. (b). 1955—Act Aug. 12, 1955, permitted expenditure of funds for management of wildlife areas and resource. 1946—Act July 24, 1946, inserted proviso defining “wildlife-restoration project”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1972 Amendment Pub. L. 92–558, title I, § 102(b), Oct. 25, 1972, 86 Stat. 1173, provided that: “The

Amendments

made by subsection (a) of this section [amending this section] shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 25, 1972].”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

16 U.S.C. § 669g

Title 16 — Conservation

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73