Press Releases

ALEXANDRIA, VA (August 16, 2011) – The Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF) today announced that the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is participating in its Lapsed Boat Registration Pilot Program aimed at increasing boat registration renewals among lapsed boaters. Tennessee joins Florida, Ohio and Oregon as the fourth state to implement the direct mail pilot effort developed by RBFF in partnership with the Oregon State Marine Board (OSMB) and the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife (ODFW).

“We’re thrilled that Tennessee is joining our pilot program to increase boat registration renewals,” said RBFF President and CEO Frank Peterson. “Boat registrations are critical to state fish and wildlife and boating infrastructure programs, and we’ve learned that if we simply remind boat owners about the joys of the sport and the important impact their participation has, they’ll get back out on the water.”

“We’re pleased to be working with RBFF to expand our marketing efforts and encourage lapsed boaters to get back out on Tennessee’s waterways,” said Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Boating and Law Enforcement Chief Darren Rider. “Tennessee’s boat facilities rank among the best in the nation, and boat registration dollars help ensure our public access ramps, parking, dock space and other amenities, will stay that way for years to come.”

RBFF’s Lapsed Boat Registration Pilot Program kicked off in April 2009 when the owners of lapsed boat registrations in Oregon, who had not renewed their registrations since 2007, were sent direct mail pieces reminding them about the importance of renewing their registration. These Oregon boat owners received one of three different remittance forms, which targeted both angler and non-angler households. A separate group of lapsed boat registrations was set aside as a control group for comparison, and their owners received no remittance forms.

The 2009 Oregon pilot program was successful in generating more than $20,000 in new revenue to the agency. The registration renewals also generated an estimated $25,000 in additional revenue to the state of Oregon through state gasoline taxes and allocations from the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund. Results from the 2009 program encouraged Oregon and RBFF to plan a second program in 2010, in which the state achieved a successful 17.7 percent re-registration rate.

Tennessee is reaching out to their lapsed boaters with a similar program this summer.

RBFF is working to expand the Lapsed Boat Registration Pilot Program and enhance its efforts to increase boat registration renewals nationally. The pilot program is an extension of RBFF’s State Fishing License Marketing Program with more than 30 state fish and wildlife agencies.

About RBFF
RBFF is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to increase participation in recreational angling and boating, thereby protecting and restoring the nation’s aquatic natural resources. RBFF helps people discover, share and protect the legacy of boating and fishing through national outreach programs including the Take Me Fishing™ campaign and Anglers’ Legacy™.