Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program

If you’ve ever fished for trout in cold, mountain waters, hunted turkeys on a public game land or launched your boat into a lake, reservoir, river or sound in North Carolina then you have played a significant role in helping the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission improve hunting, fishing, trapping and outdoor opportunities across the state.

How? Because of the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program (WSFR), an innovative and remarkable conservation program that began 75 years ago and continues today because of your purchases of hunting and fishing licenses, sporting arms, ammunition, archery equipment, fishing tackle and motorboat fuels.

Through WSFR, the Wildlife Commission has received more than $275 million to fund projects and programs that ultimately make your outdoor experience better. Visit the links below for more information on how the Wildlife Commission is using WSFR dollars to improve your outdoor experience.

Eastern Wild Turkey Restoration Program - Restoring turkeys one bird at a time from a low harvest of 144 birds in 1977, when mandatory reporting began, to 10,404 birds in 2010 — an increase of 7,200 percent!

N.C. Game Lands Program - Offering access to more than 2 million acres where the public can hunt, fish, trap and watch wildlife.

State Fish Hatcheries - Producing more than 6 million fish annually for stocking into public, inland waters — from trout in the mountains to catfish in Piedmont ponds and reservoirs to American shad in coastal rivers.

Fisheries Research and Surveys - Enhancing fishing opportunities and improving inland fisheries management in public waters by monitoring inland fish populations, assessing their habitats, and gathering angler input.

Public Fishing Access Areas - Providing more than 500 publicly accessible places to fish in North Carolina — from trout streams to Piedmont reservoirs to coastal blackwater rivers. 

Boating Access Areas - Providing more than 200 free Boating Access Areas (BAA) to 80 different bodies of water across the state.

Hunter Education Program - Educating sportsmen of all ages with free instruction on firearms safety, ethics and responsibility, conservation and wildlife management, wildlife identification, survival and first aid, and much more!

Did You Know...

A major funding source of fish and wildlife management starts with YOU through this cycle of success?