We audited the costs claimed by the Idaho State Department of Fish and Game under grants awarded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) through the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program. The audit included claims totaling approximately $54.8 million on 66 grants that were open during the State fiscal years that ended June 30, 2016, and June 30, 2017. The audit also covered the Department’s compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and FWS guidelines, including those related to collecting and using hunting and fishing license revenues and reporting program income.
We found that the Department complied, in general, with applicable grant accounting and regulatory requirements. We identified, however, that because the FWS instructed States not to submit their methodologies for multiyear licenses, the Department used an unapproved methodology to count multiyear license holders. Without FWS approval of a State’s methodology for calculating multiyear license holders, those licenses are ineligible to be counted in the certification beyond the year purchased.
The FWS and Department did not concur with our finding and recommendation. The Department, however, submitted its methodology for counting lifetime license holders to the FWS and obtained approval through the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program after we issued our draft report. Based on the Department and FWS responses, we consider Recommendation 1 resolved and implemented.