Over 2,000,000 acres of public and private lands in North Carolina are managed by the Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) for public hunting, trapping, fishing and other wildlife-associated recreation. These lands are designated collectively as Game Lands. This includes hunting on the Roanoke River National Wildlife Refuge, which is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the NCWRC through a joint venture. The NCWRC gratefully acknowledges the following government agencies, organizations and private companies who have enrolled their property in the Game Lands Program for public use.

• Alcoa Power Generating, Inc.
• Boy Scouts of America
• Cube Hydro Carolinas
• Duke Energy Progress
• Len Moretz, Margaret J. Weatherly
• Mainspring Conservation Trust
• N.C. Department of Agriculture
• N.C. Division of Coastal Management
• N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation
• N.C. Department of Transportation
• N.C. Forest Service
• N.C. State Natural Resources Foundation
• North Carolina Global TransPark
• Orange Water and Sewer Authority
• PCS Phosphate Company Inc.
• The Nature Conservancy
• U.S. Air Force
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• U.S.D.A. Forest Service

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration

The Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act, popularly known as the Pittman-Robertson Act, was approved by Congress on September 2, 1937, and began functioning July 1, 1938. The purpose of this Act was to provide funding for the selection, restoration, rehabilitation and improvement of wildlife habitat, wildlife management research, and the distribution of information produced by the projects. The Act was amended October 23, 1970, to include funding for hunter training programs and the development, operation and maintenance of public target ranges.

Funds are derived from an 11 percent Federal excise tax on sporting arms, ammunition, and archery equipment, and a 10 percent tax on handguns. These funds are collected from the manufacturers by the Department of the Treasury and are apportioned each year to the States and Territorial areas (except Puerto Rico) by the Department of the Interior on the basis of formulas set forth in the Act. Funds for hunter education and target ranges are derived from one-half of the tax on handguns and archery equipment.

Each state's apportionment is determined by a formula which considers the total area of the state and the number of licensed hunters in the state. The program is a cost-reimbursement program, where the state covers the full amount of an approved project then applies for reimbursement through Federal Aid for up to 75 percent of the project expenses. The state must provide at least 25 percent of the project costs from a non-federal source. Learn more about Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration!