U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Wildlife & Sport Fish Restoration Program

Aquatic Resource Education - History

The Aquatic Resource Education Program was created by the 1984 Wallop-Breaux Amendment to the Sport Fish Restoration Act (Dingell-Johnson) of 1950.

The amendment authorized up to 10 percent of annual Sport Fish Restoration apportionment to be used for aquatic resource education projects.

The Act was again amended under the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) in 1998. The TEA-21 amendment increased the amount of funding authorized from 10 percent to 15 percent of the annual Sport Fish Restoration Program apportionment.

An amendment in April 2001 to 50 CFR 80 exempted the District of Columbia and the insular areas from the 15 percent limitation.