The Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation this week announced that it awarded $157,000 to seven programs in seven states through its State R3 Program Grants initiative. Now in its 10th year, the program’s goal is to support state recruitment, retention and reactivation plans to increase fishing and boating participation.

Additionally, seven state agencies are contributing more than $290,000 of in-kind support, bringing the total amount to more than $503,000 for the programs.

“RBFF’s State R3 Program Grants is a key state engagement initiative to retain anglers in fishing and boating and to introduce the activities to new audiences,” Stephanie Hussey, RBFF’s senior director of government engagement, said in a statement. “We are pleased to support these state agencies with their marketing and outreach efforts to grow fishing and boating participation, ultimately benefitting aquatic conservation in their state.”

The program supports initiatives and plans in three focus areas:

• Communicate the relevance of fishing and/or boating to urban, multicultural audiences to increase participation.

• Implement angler and/or boater customer engagement strategies to retain and/or reactivate anglers and boaters to increase participation.

• Enhance the capability of agencies to develop and implement effective angler and/or boater R3 efforts.

RBFF says the grants fund sustainable and replicable angler and initiatives and plans that focus on increasing fishing license sales and boat registrations to increase fishing and boating participation. Proposals are reviewed and selected by RBFF staff and a proposal review committee made up of industry, federal agency and non-governmental organizations.

2024 grantees include:

• Arkansas Game and Fish Commission

2024 R3 Fishing Plan

• Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservative Commission

Hispanic Angler Communication Methods Marketing Campaign

• Georgia Division of Wildlife Resources

Gateway to Fishing Program’s Atlanta Fishing Guide

• Indiana Division of Fish and Wildlife

State DNR Marketing Campaign for Female Angler Retention and Reactivation

• Ohio Division of Wildlife

Netting New Recruits: Leveraging a CRM to Extend the Efficacy of Marketing Recruitment Efforts

• Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

Text Messages to Lapsed Boaters

• Utah Division of Wildlife Resources

R3 Underserved Communities Marketing Campaign — Phase II