U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Grants Awarded to the State of Rhode Island, Department of Environmental Management, Division of Fish and Wildlife, From July 1, 2016, Through June 30, 2018, Under the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program

We audited costs claimed by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, Division of Fish and Wildlife (Division), under grants awarded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) through the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program. We conducted this audit to determine whether the Division used grant funds and State hunting and fishing license revenue for allowable fish and wildlife activities and complied with applicable laws and regulations, FWS guidelines, and grant agreements. The audit period included claims totaling $42.9 million on 34 grants that were open during the State fiscal years that ended June 30, 2017, and June 30, 2018.We determined that the State did not ensure that grant funds and State hunting and fishing license revenue were used for allowable fish and wildlife activities and complied with applicable laws and regulations, FWS guidelines, and grant agreements. We found deficiencies in internal controls resulting in our five findings of (1) insufficient controls over grant-specific data, (2) improper drawdown support, (3) inadequate real property management, (4) inadequate equipment inventory management, and (5) inaccurate license certifications.The FWS concurred with our 11 recommendations and will work with the Division to implement corrective actions.