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In 1919 the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department first acquired 1,000 acres of wildlife habitat in Milton, Vermont, purchasing wetlands that established the Sandbar Waterfowl Refuge. This was the forerunner of today's Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs). Today the Department owns over 80 Wildlife Management Areas totaling over 118,000 acres throughout Vermont. WMAs play an important role in meeting the Department's mission. Management of these areas particularly emphasizes the conservation of fish, wildlife and their habitat, and provides people with opportunities to enjoy these resources through fish and wildlife based outdoor activities. WMAs have been purchased over time using several funding sources, including funds from state hunting license sales, federal tax revenues for the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration (Pittman-Robertson) Fund, Vermont Duck Stamp Fund, Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, the Land and Water Conservation Fund, Ducks Unlimited, The North American Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and the North American Wetland Conservation Fund. In recent years, valuable assistance has been provided by a number of conservation organizations especially The Nature Conservancy, The Vermont Land Trust, and the Conservation Fund.
2010 WMA Habitat Report
2009 WMA Habitat Report
2008 WMA Habitat Report
link to previous years reports
For more information on State lands currently undergoing the management planning process.
 Management and administration of all WMAs is primarily funded through the sale of hunting and trapping licenses, and the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Fund Program. This program was initiated in 1937 as the Federal Aid in Wildlife Act in which taxes are paid on firearms, ammunition and archery equipment. Today this excise tax generates over one hundred million dollars each year that are dedicated to state wildlife restoration and management projects across the United States. The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department uses these monies for acquiring land for wildlife habitat, and for restoring and managing wildlife. These excise tax dollars, coupled with state hunting license fees, have been the predominate source of funding for the habitat management and administration of Wildlife Management Areas. All WMAs are open to hunting, trapping, fishing,wildlife viewing and other wildlife related outdoor activities.
WMA Maps provided above are intended as a general guide to the location and configuration of the wildlife management areas. They are not based upon certified parcel survey maps and should not be used for any legal purposes, including boundary locations, road classification, or deed research. No warranty by the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department as to the accuracy of the maps is expressed or implied.
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