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.

Budget Recommendations

The Fiscal Year 1998 recommendation includes an additional $292,588 in funding for ten new environmental protection officers.

Budgetary Direct Appropriations

COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE FOR FISHERIES, WILDLIFE, AND ENVIRONMENTAL LAW ENFORCEMENT
2300-0100	For the office of the commissioner of the department of fisheries, wildlife, and environmental law enforcement	562,484
	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 a program of riverways protection, restoration, and promotion of public access to rivers; provided, that the positions funded herein shall not be subject to the provisions of chapter thirty-one of the General Laws	223,099
	Public Access Fund 100%

DIVISION OF FISHERIES AND WILDLIFE ADMINISTRATION
2310-0200	For the administration of the division of fisheries and wildlife, including expenses of the fisheries and wildlife board, the administration of game farms and wildlife restoration projects, wildlife research and management, the administration of fish hatcheries, the improvement and management of lakes, ponds and rivers, fish and wildlife restoration projects, the commonwealth's share of certain cooperative fishery and wildlife programs, and certain programs reimbursable under the federal Aid to Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act; provided, that an amount shall be used by the university of Massachusetts at Amherst for the purposes of wildlife and fisheries research; and provided further, that expenditures from this item for said research shall be contingent upon prior approval by proper federal authorities for reimbursement of at least seventy-five per cent of said expenditures	6,754,960
	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 two and two A of chapter one hundred thirty-one of the General Laws	2,000,000
	Inland Fisheries and Game Fund 100%

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

NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM
2310-0500	For the expenses of a state funded program for natural heritage and environmental assessment	204,493
	Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Fund 50.00% Inland Fisheries and Game Fund 50.00%

NON-GAME MANAGEMENT AND RESEARCH PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION
2315-0100	For the administration of a program of non-game management and research	424,577
	General Fund 75.00% Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Fund 25.00%

PUBLIC ACCESS BOARD ADMINISTRATION
2320-0100	For the administration of the public access board; provided, that positions funded herein shall not be subject to the provisions of chapter thirty-one of the General Laws	240,981
	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 seventeen A of chapter twenty-one of the General Laws	600,000
	Public Access Fund 100%

DIVISION OF MARINE FISHERIES ADMINISTRATION
2330-0100	For the administration and operation of the division of marine fisheries, including expenses of the Annisquam River marine research laboratory, marine research programs, a commercial fisheries program, a shellfish management program including coastal area classification, mapping, and technical assistance, and the operation of the Newburyport shellfish purification plant; provided, that three hundred thousand dollars shall be made available for a recreational fisheries program to be reimbursed by federal funds	3,818,843
	Marine Fisheries Fund 100%

MARINE RECREATIONAL FISHERIES DEVELOPMENT AND ENHANCEMENT
2330-0120	For a marine recreational fisheries development and enhancement program designed to improve marine recreational fishing opportunities in the commonwealth and increase public education and appreciation of marine fisheries habitat, including the cost of equipment, maintenance, staff, and the updating of marine recreational fisheries economic data	797,057
	Marine Fisheries Fund 100%

DIVISION OF ENVIRONMENTAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION
2350-0100	For the administration and operations of the division of environmental law enforcement	8,991,873
	Environmental Law Enforcement Fund 50.00% General Fund 35.00% Highway Fund 15.00%

HUNTER SAFETY TRAINING PROGRAM
2350-0101	For the hunter safety training program	286,399
	Inland Fisheries and Game Fund 100%

Budgetary Retained Revenues

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 two hundred fifty thousand dollars in revenue generated through fees charged for environmental law enforcement private details, so called, for the purpose of providing said private details	250,000
	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 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

COMMERCIAL FISHERIES RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
2330-9709	For the purposes of a federally funded grant entitled, Commercial Fisheries Research and Development	50,000

COMMERCIAL FISHERIES STATISTICS
2330-9712	For the purposes of a federally funded grant entitled, Commercial Fisheries Statistics	406,000

COMMERCIAL FISHERIES EXTENSION
2330-9714	For the purposes of a federally funded grant entitled, Commercial Fisheries Extension	50,000

ANADROMOUS FISHERIES MANAGEMENT
2330-9721	For the purposes of a federally funded grant entitled, Anadromous Fisheries Management	60,000

SAFE BOATING PROGRAM
2340-9701	For the purposes of a federally funded grant entitled, Safe Boating Program	346,006

Trust and Other Spending

2330-6002

BIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION OF MARINE LIFE

409,001