RECRUITING, RETAINING AND REACTIVATING ANGLERS GAINING MOMENTUM
(As Reported by Fishing Tackle Retailer)
Recruiting, retaining and reactivating (R3) anglers and boaters is continuing to gain momentum, both in helping to reach the 60 in 60 goal and in working to secure valuable funding for state conservation programs. It’s RBFF’s vision that every state agency has an R3 strategic plan integrated throughout their agency, at least one R3 coordinator on staff, contributes funding to R3 success and provides continuing education for marketing and R3 efforts. To further assist state agencies in their R3 efforts, RBFF is pursuing additional resources and continuing education opportunities by hiring a consultant to assist state agencies with R3 planning and by partnering with other organizations to train R3 coordinators and practitioners.
In the coming months, RBFF will be able to partner with state agencies to provide consultant services to help develop state R3 plans. Services provided could include facilitation of R3 planning workshops with agency staff, review and input on draft R3 plans and/or development and writing of a comprehensive R3 plan for the state agency, following RBFF’s R3 Plan Guiding Document.
Additionally, RBFF, the Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports (CAHSS) and the Wildlife Management Institute (WMI) are partnering with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Conservation Training Center (NCTC) and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies’ (AFWA) Management Assistance Team to provide R3 training opportunities. The organizations are currently developing R3 training opportunities that will work to enable current and future R3 coordinators and practitioners to enact successful R3 strategies in their agencies. Training is being developed based on feedback collected from state and federal agencies, and could include topics such as customer engagement, strategic planning and evaluation training.
“NCTC is delighted to continue to participate in the R3 effort and to assist in developing training opportunities and enhancing our partnership across agencies in an effort to develop quality outdoor programming for the benefit of all,” said Jay Slack, NCTC Director.
More information on this opportunity will be shared with our state agency partners in the coming months. If you have any questions, please contact Dave Chanda, VP of State Agency Engagementor Stephanie Hussey, State R3 Program Director.
RBFF has also created a comprehensive destination for all R3 information and resources. We encourage all stakeholders to take advantage of all the free resources available on this page in the RBFF Resource Center.
RBFF’s Impact on the Industry
Did you know that for every $1 RBFF spends, $48 is generated for the economy? It’s true. Through RBFF’s consumer outreach campaigns, partnerships with state agencies, grant programs and more, RBFF is driving revenues that contribute much-needed funds to conservation programs across the country.
With the fishing and boating community already making significant progress toward the 60 in 60 goal, RBFF’s efforts are more needed than ever. With every angler representing a $2,500 opportunity, reaching the 60 in 60 goal could bring a $35 billion increase in economic contributions from anglers.
As the United States continues to become more diverse by the day, inclusion will be key to our success as an industry. RBFF is leading the charge with its multicultural messaging and focus on females and youth anglers. This has led to new participants skewing young and female, and resulted in an 11% increase in Hispanic participation and a 3% increase in youth participation. You, too can get involved by using RBFF’s free resources like multicultural images, event planning materials and a Spanish translation guide, all available in the RBFF Resource Center.
So, as we continue on our path to reach 60 million anglers, we thank our valuable partners who have backed us so far and ask for even more support as we push for more participation, and more revenues for our partners.
