The Special Purpose Account

In recognition of the importance of fish and wildlife, the Ontario government made a commitment in 1995 that fish and wildlife licence revenues would be dedicated to management of these resources. By law, all revenue received under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act is put into a Special Purpose Account. At the same time, the public was provided with a greater role in deciding how the fish and wildlife resources of the province would be managed.

The money held in this account can only be spent on:

• The management, perpetuation, or rehabilitation of wildlife or fish populations or the ecosystems of which these populations are a part
• Matters related to the activities of people as they interact with or affect fish and wildlife evenue sources include Outdoors Card, licence and permit fees, royalties and fines, interest on account funds and the sale of products and services

Revenue sources include Outdoors Card and licence fees, royalties and fines.

The Special Purpose Account annual revenues currently average about $57 million annually based on a 3-year Outdoors Card cycle. Any funds not spent at the end of the fiscal year are protected in the account and are available for fish and wildlife management in future years.

You can find out more about how Special Purpose Account dollars are allocated in these reports:

• Special Purpose Account Annual Reports for Fiscal Years 1999-2008  (PDF, 1.94 MB)
• Special Purpose Account Annual Report 2009-2010  (PDF, 67 kb)
• Special Purpose Account Annual Report 2010-2011  (PDF, 73 kb)