R2 Enhanced Hunter Education and Safety Program (Section 10 Hunter Education Grant Program)-State Game and Fish Agencies Only | F20AS00010

Opportunity Information: Apply for F20AS00010

The R2 Enhanced Hunter Education and Safety Program, also referred to as the Section 10 Hunter Education Grant Program or the Enhanced Hunter Education (EHE) program, is a discretionary federal grant opportunity administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It is designed specifically for state game and fish agencies (eligible applicants are state governments) and supports projects that strengthen hunter education, hunter safety, and shooting range development efforts. The opportunity is rooted in the long-running Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act, which has historically provided funding to states for wildlife habitat work, wildlife management research, and sharing the information produced by those projects.

The program traces back to the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act of 1937 (commonly known today as the Pittman-Robertson Act), which started operating in 1938 and established a federal-state funding framework for wildlife restoration and management. Over time, Congress expanded what could be funded under this framework. A key milestone came in 1970, when the Act was amended to explicitly include hunter safety programs as well as the development, operation, and maintenance of firearm and archery ranges. That expansion recognized that safe, informed participation in hunting and target shooting is an essential companion to broader wildlife conservation and management goals.

By the late 1990s and early 2000s, Congress concluded that additional, dedicated funding was needed to push hunter education and shooting range projects further, especially as states faced new demands and constraints. Legislative discussions, including input from sportsmen's organizations to the Congressional Resource Committee, highlighted concerns that some states were not consistently drawing down their potential funding or maintaining a sustained level of effort to support the future of hunting and safe firearms and archery participation. In response, Congress passed the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Programs Improvement Act of 2000, which created the Firearm and Bowhunter Education and Safety Program (Section 10/EHE). The purpose of this set-aside was to "enhance" existing hunter education and shooting range programs rather than simply maintain the status quo. The program initially set aside $7.5 million in 2001 and 2002, and $8 million annually thereafter, specifically to elevate the reach and quality of these efforts.

More recently, Congress further refined and supported shooting range work through the Target Practice and Marksmanship Training Support Act, enacted May 10, 2019 (Public Law 116-17). This amendment to the Pittman-Robertson Act was intended to make it easier to acquire land for public target ranges and to expand or construct ranges, including the possibility of developing ranges on federal land. In practical terms, this change aimed to reduce barriers that can slow range projects, such as land access challenges, and to increase the availability of safe, public places for target practice and marksmanship training.

In the posted opportunity details, this grant is identified as Funding Opportunity Number F20AS00010 and is categorized under Education and Natural Resources (CFDA 15.626). The funding instrument is a grant, and eligibility is limited to state governments, reflecting its focus on state fish and wildlife agencies as the primary implementers of hunter education, safety, and range programs. The listing shows an award ceiling of $10,000,000, though the expected number of awards is indicated as 0 in the source data provided, which may reflect how the opportunity was recorded in the system rather than the underlying availability of funds over the broader program life. The original closing date listed is August 31, 2021, with a creation date of October 3, 2019, placing this specific posting within that time window.

Overall, the opportunity exists to reinforce the long-term conservation and public safety goals that sit alongside wildlife restoration: building stronger hunter education systems, improving firearms and bowhunter safety instruction, and supporting the development and sustainability of safe target shooting infrastructure. The legislative history summarized in the notice makes clear that Congress intended these funds to drive measurable improvements and expanded capacity, ensuring states can keep pace with modern needs in hunter education and shooting sports access while supporting responsible participation in hunting and marksmanship activities.

• The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the education, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "R2 Enhanced Hunter Education and Safety Program (Section 10 Hunter Education Grant Program)-State Game and Fish Agencies Only" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.626.
• This funding opportunity was created on Oct 03, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 31, 2021. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $10,000,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments.

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