The Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Environmental Law Enforcement manages the Commonwealth's marine and freshwater fisheries, wildlife species, plants, and natural communities. The Department focuses on conservation and natural resource management through education, research, restoration, and land acquisition; management of the Commonwealth's natural ecosystems such as rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, coastal waters, and wetlands; and enforcement of all environmental laws relating to fishing, hunting, hazardous waste, illegal dumping, boating, and recreational vehicles.

In Fiscal Year 2000, the Department will implement a new electronic licensing system for the sale of all fishing, hunting, boat, snowmobile, and all-terrain vehicle registrations currently issued. This new system, the Statewide Point-of-Sale Outdoor Recreation Transaction system (SPORT), will: improve convenience for consumers by providing one-stop shopping for initial license purchases; increase the number of license renewal alternatives, including the Internet; and consolidate and integrate the licensing process across each division within the Department.

The amount recommended for Fiscal Year 2000 includes a $250,000 expansion for the implementation of a statewide biodiversity conservation program. In addition, these recommendations reflect transfers from three accounts to form the new SPORT account ( 2300-0106): $228,763 from the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife account ( 2310-0200), $239,531 from the Marine Fisheries account ( 2330-0100), and $460,879 from the Environmental Law Enforcement account ( 2350-0100).

Budgetary Direct Appropriations

DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES, WILDLIFE, AND ENVIRONMENTAL LAW ENFORCEMENT
2300-0100	For the administration of the department of fisheries, wildlife, and environmental law enforcement	601,188
	General Fund 62.50% Environmental Law Enforcement Fund 12.50% Public Access Fund 12.50% Marine Fisheries Fund 12.50%

RIVERWAYS PROTECTION, RESTORATION, AND PUBLIC ACCESS PROMOTION
2300-0101	For the operation of a program of riverways protection, restoration, and promotion of public access to rivers, including grants to public and non-public entities; provided, that positions funded herein shall not be subject to the provisions of chapter 31 of the General Laws	422,270
	Public Access Fund 59.23% General Fund 40.77%

ALTERNATIVE FISHERIES CONSERVATION ENGINEERING PROGRAM
2300-0104	For the operation of the conservation engineering program to promote the development of alternative species fisheries and for research and management measures necessitated by the presence of northern right whales	86,440

STATEWIDE POINT-OF-SALE OUTDOOR RECREATION TRANSACTION SYSTEM
2300-0106	For the operation of the statewide point-of-sale outdoor recreation transaction (SPORT) system, so called; provided, that the department may expend funds appropriated herein to acquire necessary information technology equipment and provide it to retail sales establishments participating in said system and acting on behalf of the department as licensing agents of the commonwealth; provided further, that said establishments shall reimburse the commonwealth for the cost of said equipment; and provided further, that said reimbursements shall be credited proportionately to the several funds from which this item is appropriated	929,173
	General Fund 25.00% Inland Fisheries and Game Fund 25.00% Marine Fisheries Fund 25.00% Environmental Law Enforcement Fund 25.00%

DIVISION OF FISHERIES AND WILDLIFE ADMINISTRATION
2310-0200	For the operation of the division of fisheries and wildlife	6,774,070
	Inland Fisheries and Game Fund 100%

WILDLIFE HABITAT LAND PURCHASE AND WILDLANDS STAMP PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION
2310-0316	For the purchase of land containing wildlife habitat and for the costs of the division of fisheries and wildlife directly related to the administration of the wildlands stamp program pursuant to sections 2 and 2A of chapter 131 of the General Laws	2,000,000
	Inland Fisheries and Game Fund 100%

WATERFOWL MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
2310-0317	For the operation of the waterfowl management program pursuant to section 11 of chapter 131 of the General Laws	85,000
	Inland Fisheries and Game Fund 100%

NATURAL HERITAGE AND ENDANGERED SPECIES PROGRAM
2310-0500	For the operation of a natural heritage and endangered species program	365,786
	Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Fund 50.00% Inland Fisheries and Game Fund 50.00%

STATEWIDE BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION PROGRAM
2310-0600	For the implementation of a statewide biodiversity conservation program	250,000

NON-GAME MANAGEMENT AND RESEARCH PROGRAM
2315-0100	For the operation of a program of non-game and endangered species management and research	427,737
	General Fund 75.00% Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Fund 25.00%

PUBLIC ACCESS BOARD ADMINISTRATION
2320-0100	For the operation of the public access board; provided, that positions funded herein shall not be subject to the provisions of chapter 31 of the General Laws	270,644
	Public Access Fund 100%

PUBLIC ACCESS LAND AND WATER AREAS CONSTRUCTION
2320-0200	For the maintenance, operation, acquisition, and improvement of public access land and water areas, as authorized by section 17A of chapter 21 of the General Laws	720,000
	Public Access Fund 100%

DIVISION OF MARINE FISHERIES ADMINISTRATION
2330-0100	For the operation of the division of marine fisheries; provided, that $300,000 shall be made available for a recreational fisheries program to be reimbursed by federal funds	3,841,117
	Marine Fisheries Fund 100%

MARINE RECREATIONAL FISHERIES DEVELOPMENT
2330-0120	For the operation of a marine recreational fisheries development and enhancement program	736,867
	Marine Fisheries Fund 100%

DIVISION OF ENVIRONMENTAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION
2350-0100	For the operation of the division of environmental law enforcement	8,946,560
	Environmental Law Enforcement Fund 50.00% General Fund 35.00% Highway Fund 15.00%

HUNTER SAFETY TRAINING PROGRAM
2350-0101	For the operation of the hunter safety training program	294,984
	Inland Fisheries and Game Fund 100%

Budgetary Retained Revenues

MARINE RECREATIONAL FISHING RETAINED REVENUE
2330-0121	The department of fisheries, wildlife, and environmental law enforcement is hereby authorized to expend an amount not to exceed $380,000 for expenses associated with the sportfish restoration program from revenue generated from federal reimbursements related to sportfish restoration and from the sale of materials which promote marine recreational fishing	380,000
	Marine Fisheries Fund 100%

ENVIRONMENTAL LAW ENFORCEMENT PRIVATE DETAILS RETAINED REVENUE
2350-0104	The department of fisheries, wildlife, and environmental law enforcement is hereby authorized to expend an amount not to exceed $89,100 from fees charged for environmental law enforcement private details, so called, for the purpose of providing said private details	89,100
	Environmental Law Enforcement Fund 100%

Intragovernmental Service Spending

OVERTIME AND SPECIAL DETAILS INTRAGOVERNMENTAL CHARGEBACK
2350-0102	For the costs of overtime and special details provided to government agencies by the department of fisheries, wildlife, and environmental law enforcement`s division of environmental law enforcement	160,000
	Intragovernmental Service Fund 100%

Federal Grant Spending

URBAN RIVERS ACTION ENVIRONMENTAL COORDINATOR
2300-0103	For the purposes of a federally funded grant entitled, Urban Rivers Action Environmental Coordinator	22,849

PLANNING ASSISTANCE FOR SUDBURY, ASSABET, AND CONCORD RIVERS
2300-9885	For the purposes of a federally funded grant entitled, Planning Assistance for Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord Rivers	2,807

COASTAL PLAIN PONDS AND NON-FORESTED PEATLANDS PROTECTION
2315-9707	For the purposes of a federally funded grant entitled, Coastal Plain Ponds and Non-Forested Peatlands Protection	24,994

REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS HABITAT PROTECTION
2315-9709	For the purposes of a federally funded grant entitled, Reptiles and Amphibians Habitat Protection	60,675

CLEAN VESSEL
2330-9222	For the purposes of a federally funded grant entitled, Clean Vessel	862,284

COMMERCIAL FISHERIES RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
2330-9709	For the purposes of a federally funded grant entitled, Commercial Fisheries Research and Development	30,734

COMMERCIAL FISHERIES STATISTICS
2330-9712	For the purposes of a federally funded grant entitled, Commercial Fisheries Statistics	314,367

COMMERCIAL FISHERIES EXTENSION
2330-9714	For the purposes of a federally funded grant entitled, Commercial Fisheries Extension	7,400

ANADROMOUS FISHERIES MANAGEMENT
2330-9721	For the purposes of a federally funded grant entitled, Anadromous Fisheries Management	1,500

SAFE BOATING PROGRAM
2340-9701	For the purposes of a federally funded grant entitled, Safe Boating Program	893,382

Trust and Other Spending

2310-6007

BALD EAGLE TRUST III - BANK OF BOSTON

3,884

2330-6002

BIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION OF MARINE LIFE

353,790