16 U.S.C. § 2901 : US Code - Section 2901: Congressional findings and declaration of purpose

Search 16 U.S.C. § 2901 : US Code - Section 2901: Congressional findings and declaration of purpose

(a) Findings
The Congress finds and declares the following:
(1) Fish and wildlife are of ecological, educational, esthetic,
cultural, recreational, economic, and scientific value to the
Nation.
(2) The improved conservation and management of fish and
wildlife, particularly nongame fish and wildlife, will assist in
restoring and maintaining fish and wildlife and in assuring a
productive and more esthetically pleasing environment for all
citizens.
(3) Many citizens, particularly those residing in urban areas,
have insufficient opportunity to participate in recreational and
other programs designed to foster human interaction with fish and
wildlife and thereby are unable to have a greater appreciation
and awareness of the environment.
(4) Historically, fish and wildlife conservation programs have
been focused on the more recreationally and commercially
important species within any particular ecosystem. As a
consequence such programs have been largely financed by hunting
and fishing license revenues or excise taxes on certain hunting
and fishing equipment. These traditional financing mechanisms are
neither adequate nor fully appropriate to meet the conservation
needs of nongame fish and wildlife.
(5) Each State should be encouraged to develop, revise, and
implement, in consultation with appropriate Federal, State, and
local and regional agencies, a plan for the conservation of fish
and wildlife, particularly those species which are indigenous to
the State.
(b) Purpose
It is the purpose of this chapter -
(1) to provide financial and technical assistance to the States
for the development, revision, and implementation of conservation
plans and programs for nongame fish and wildlife; and
(2) to encourage all Federal departments and agencies to
utilize their statutory and administrative authority, to the
maximum extent practicable and consistent with each agency's
statutory responsibilities, to conserve and to promote
conservation of nongame fish and wildlife and their habitats, in
furtherance of the provisions of this chapter.