FEDERAL AID IN SPORT FISH RESTORATION ACT

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources receives monies by the Federal aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act of 1950 (Dingell-Johnson Act). This money is received as 75% reimbursement on approved projects. This Act imposed a manufacturer's excise tax on fishing rods, reels, creels and artificial lures. The Act also protects angler's license fees by prohibiting their diversion to other than approved purposes. In 1984, the Wallop-Breaux Amendment of the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act(D-J) was passed and allowed for expansion of the tax base to include essentially all items of fishing tackle, electric ttrolling motors and "flasher" type fish finders (sonar devices), motorboat fuel taxes, and import duties on fishing tackle and boats. Again in 1990, the Fund was increased by an additional increase int the federal excise tax on gasoline, and also the deposit of the federal tax on gasoline from small non-highway engines into the fund. This Sport Fish Restoration Program is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in partnership with the states.

Funds may be used for almost any type of sport fishery, restoration, management, or enhancement project. The 1984 Wallup-Breaux amendment mandated that each state must spend at least 10% for boat access projects and allowed each state to use up to 10% of its apportionment for aquatic resources education. The required 10% to be spent for boating improvements was increased to 12.5% in 1992, and 15% in 1998. The Aquatic Resources Education allowance was increased to 15% in 1998.

An annual apportionment of these monies is made availabel to each state. Forty percent of this amount is based on the state's land and water area in relation to the total land water of the U.S. Sixty percent of this amount is based on the number of paid sport fishing license holders in each state in relation to all the paid fishing license holders in the U.S.

The 2003 apportionment of Sport Fish Restoration Program monies to Illinois was $5,336,662. This was used by the Department for fisheries management of state and public waters, fish production and stocking, federal aid coordination; for state Universities and research agencies to conduct investigations throughout the State to manage the fisheries resources in our streams, boundary rivers, impoundments, reservoirs and Lake Michigan; and for boat access improvements.

The future of sport fishing in Illinois has been greatly enhanced thanks to Dingell-Johnson/Wallop-Breaux.