Natural Resources, Ohio Department OF, Division Of Wildlife

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife (DOW) is a state government entity responsible for the management and conservation of fish and wildlife resources in Ohio. Operating under a Comprehensive Management System (CMS) that integrates programs, financial systems, human resources, and services to achieve long-term conservation goals, the Division works to restore, conserve, and expand populations of species of greatest conservation need while providing recreational opportunities for Ohio residents. Through its Strategic Plan (2021-2030) and State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP), the Division receives federal grant awards from multiple agencies to support wildlife management, habitat restoration, species conservation, and public recreation initiatives across Ohio's diverse ecosystems.

The Division of Wildlife has demonstrated substantial federal grant funding activity, receiving awards totaling millions of dollars from the U.S. Department of the Interior's Fish and Wildlife Service Region 3, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Resources Conservation Service. Formula grants under the Wildlife Restoration and Basic Hunter Education program (CFDA 15.611), Sport Fish Restoration program (CFDA 15.605), and State Wildlife Grants (CFDA 15.634) support core operations including wildlife research, population surveys, habitat management on public and private lands, hunter education and recruitment, shooting range maintenance and improvements, and land acquisition for wildlife recreation. The Division also manages specialized projects addressing aquatic invasive species prevention and control in the Lake Erie and Ohio River watersheds, including grass carp removal operations and pathway severance efforts such as the Little Killbuck Creek rock berm construction. Additional project grants support habitat restoration for threatened and endangered species including the Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake, Blanding's turtles, spotted turtles, copperbelly watersnakes, Eastern prairie fringed orchids, and American burying beetles, as well as wetland habitat management and restoration initiatives. The Division partners with universities (Michigan State University, University of Toledo, Ohio State University), the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, conservation organizations, and other state and federal agencies to implement these conservation and recreational programs, with recent sub-grant work including stream barrier elimination and women's shooting sports recruitment initiatives.