Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources
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| Conservation Management overview | |
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| Headquarters | Frankfort, Kentucky |
| Employees | 600 |
| Annual budget | $50 Million |
| Website | Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Resources Website |
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The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, an agency of the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, is responsible for the conservation of wildlife resources and for boating projects in the state. A commissioner appointed by the Fish and Wildlife Commission heads the department. The commission, which is responsible for department policy, is a nine-member bipartisan body appointed by the governor from a list of candidates voted upon by sportsmen's organizations in each of nine districts.
Financial support of the Department is derived through the sale of hunting and fishing licenses, federal grants and numerous other receipts. The department has a $50 million budget and employs 600 people. It does not receive money from the state General Fund.
The department serves as a steward of Kentucky's fish and wildlife resources and their habitats. Through management, it seeks to enhance wildlife diversity and promote sustainable use by present and future generation
The history of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources actually dates back to around 1750, when adventurous spirits exploring our state's uncharted territory found lush forests filled with game and clean streams teeming with mussels and fish. Less than a year after founding the Fort at Boonesboro, Daniel Boone was charged with the protection of game. But that abundance wouldn't last. With the passage of a mere 100 years, Kentucky's natural world would be drastically different.
As early as 1738, and again in 1775, deer protection laws applied to the territory that would become the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1792. Not until the last half of the next century, however, do sparse, sporadic attempts to protect fish, game and the rights of landowners appear in Kentucky records. In 1861 KY passed laws to make it illegal to shoot, injure, or kill any blue bird, swallow, martin or quail in Campbell, Kenton, Pendelton and Mason Counties. In 1904, the first Game Wardens were appointed by County Judges. The Game Wardens would investigate game law violations, and present their finding to the Grand Jury of the county.
By the 1890s, the unregulated taking of fish and game, whether for commercial interests, sport or the table, had taken a tremendous toll. In 1910, J. Quincy Ward, Cynthiana, appeared before the Kentucky Legislature with the sportsmen's request for a game and fish commission supported by license fees. The request was rejected. Two years later, with amended proposal in hand, he tried again. After much wrangling, the legislature passed laws permitting the formation of the agency but neglected to provide operational funds. The division couldn't function until Governor James McCreary authorized a $5,000 loan.
The money was to be repaid to the state if the commission was successful. Only $320.71 was used and the entire loan promptly repaid. In its first five months, the new division took in almost $31,000 from license sales. (Five years later, license income jumped to around $41,000 and 1923 produced almost $70,000.) The division could only spend money from license sales, but the commission didn't have exclusive control of all license revenue. The division operated on a budget set within the Department of Agriculture. All license revenue exceeding the budgetary allotment went into the state's general fund.
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Wikipedia