Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar saidthe Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF) will receive a grant of more than $13 million to support their nationwide campaign to recruit anglers and boaters. The grant is part of an ongoing cooperative agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation has shown itself capable of working with states, conservation organizations and industry to develop and implement coordinated campaigns to get kids and families on the water, said Salazar. The Foundations campaigns have helped show millions of Americans how easy it is to find fishing and boating opportunities across the nation.
The cooperative agreement between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and RBFF fulfills the intent of the 1998 Sportfishing and Boating Safety Act by providing financial support for implementing and managing the objectives set forth in the National Communications Plan developed by the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council.
Recreational boaters and anglers provide essential funding for Americas fisheries conservation efforts through their purchase of more than $620 million annually in state fishing licenses and through excise taxes paid by manufacturers on sport fishing equipment and fuels taxes paid by recreational boaters which are deposited into the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund. The National Outreach and Communication Program is one of several important conservation and recreation programs receiving funding from the Trust Fund.
The National Outreach and Communication Program (Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 15.653) was authorized by the Sportfishing and Boating Safety Act of 1998 and has been funded since that time. The program was developed with significant input from the Department of Interiors Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council, a federal advisory act committee consisting of leaders from the government and private boating and fishing organizations.
