Fairfax, Va. – The National Rifle Association is pleased to announce that their free online Hunter Education Course has raised more than $150,000 for state wildlife agencies in matching Pittman-Roberson (P-R) funds.
“It is truly a win-win for everyone,” said Joseph P. DeBergalis Jr., executive director of NRA General Operations. “With no financial investment of their own, states can now access match money and new hunters will receive top notch free education and certification.”
Officially known as the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act of 1937, P-R distributes monies to state wildlife agencies for a variety of wildlife, conservation and shooting program projects through the taxation of firearms, archery equipment, and hunting license sales.
In 2019, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) said state wildlife agencies could count NRA’s free Online Hunter Education Courses as in-kind match dollars to access P-R funds. Oklahoma was one of the first states to take advantage of this change.
“Thanks to our partnership with the NRA and NRA-ILA, thousands of Oklahomans have taken the NRA free on-line hunter education course,” said Lance Meek, Hunter Education Coordinator for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife and Conservation (ODWC). “Our transition from our own on-line course to the NRA course was smooth and flawless. In addition to great content, delivered at no cost, the ODWC has already received $81,880 in federal matching funds due to the NRA’s donation of the course.”
Florida was also an early adopter of NRA’s free online hunter education courses. To date they’ve received $70,000 in federal matching funds.
“The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is committed to providing a variety of educational formats and opportunities to satisfy the needs of those interested in learning how to be safe, knowledgeable, responsible and involved hunters,” said Bill Cline,
