Over a quarter of the public does not know much about their state fish and wildlife agency. To effectively manage fish and wildlife resources, state agencies must understand all stakeholders and not just those who buy a license. From late 2024 through early 2025, a survey was fielded to recreational license holders and the general population on behalf of 11 states within the Midwestern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (MAFWA). Major topics included:

1. How relevant their state fish and wildlife agency is to them,
2. How important are the various responsibilities handled by their state fish and wildlife agency,
3. Whether they believed the agency was doing a good job fulfilling its responsibilities, and
4. Funding preferences.

The goal of this project is to help state fish and wildlife agencies better understand how to engage and interact with the public.

The detailed technical report is available below. A summary report will soon be available.