Washington, DC –U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced $564,939 from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) State Wildlife Grants (SWG) Program for the state of West Virginia. The funding will support restoring and protecting fish and wildlife habitats across the state, which will boost local tourism and expand opportunities for outdoor recreation.
“West Virginia is blessed with beautiful public lands and incredible wildlife. Like many of my fellow West Virginians, I enjoy hunting, fishing and exploring our public lands, and I’ve instilled that love and appreciation for the great outdoors in my children and grandchildren,” said Senator Manchin. “I am pleased the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is investing more than $564K to support conservation efforts in West Virginia, which will promote outdoor recreation and boost tourism across the Mountain State. As Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, I will continue advocating for resources to ensure West Virginia’s public lands and wildlife habitats are protected for generations to come.”
The FWS SWG Program provides funding to states to support wildlife conservation efforts, including research initiatives, surveys and species and habitat management projects. Since 2000, the SWG Program has distributed more than $1 billion to develop and implement programs that benefit wildlife and their habitats.