The wildlife restoration program was initiated in 1937 under the pittman-robertson act to provide federal funding to states for the benefit of a diverse array of wildlife and associated habitats

This federal Formula Grant award from the U.S. Department of the Interior's Fish and Wildlife Service, under the CFDA 15.611 Wildlife Restoration and Basic Hunter Education program, provides $583,104 in funding to the State of Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) for the annual operations and maintenance of the Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area in La Grande, Oregon. The Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area is a 6,000-acre habitat area that supports a diverse array of wildlife species and provides public recreational and educational opportunities such as hunting, viewing, hiking, and photography. The grant award period is from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026. The objectives of this funding are to protect, enhance, and manage the wildlife habitats within the Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area to benefit fish and wildlife species, as well as to provide various wildlife-oriented recreational and educational experiences for the public.

This grant funds the annual operations and maintenance of the ladd marsh wildlife area (lmwa).the ladd marsh wildlife area is located in the southwest corner of the grande ronde valley, about 7 miles south of LA grande, oregon. IT lies at about 2800 feet and is just over 6,000 acres in size. The area harbors some of the few remaining areas of undisturbed, native valley floor vegetation and constitutes the largest remaining wetland in northeast oregon. Ladd marsh wildlife area is comprised of a variety of both upland and wetland habitats including conifer forest, upland shrub, grassland, wet meadow and seasonal emergent wetland. This habitat diversity contributes to the wide array of plant and animal species found on the area. The objectives for the area are to protect, enhance and manage wildlife habitats to benefit fish and wildlife species and to provide a variety of wildlife oriented recreational and educational opportunities to the public. The area supports wildlife oriented recreation and education including hunting, viewing, hiking, and photography.