Press Releases

ALEXANDRIA, VA (December 7, 2007) – The Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF) today announced that the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will participate in a direct mail marketing effort to increase fishing license sales. The direct mail toolkit, developed by RBFF to help increase participation in the sport and generate awareness of the connection between fishing license sales and conservation efforts, will be used to implement a lapsed angler recruitment program in Iowa and Minnesota.  

“We’re delighted to have two more states sign on to the direct mail program,” said RBFF President and CEO Frank Peterson. “The interest we’ve received is a testament to the commitment of state agencies to preserve the natural resources in their states and reconnect with lapsed anglers.”

"We gladly signed up," said Dave Schad, Director of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Fish and Wildlife Division. "We worked with RBFF last year. We benefitted substantially from their expertise in direct marketing, lifestyle segmentation and data analysis."

Schad added that reconnecting with lapsed anglers is an important issue, even in Minnesota, which shares with Alaska the distinction of having the nation's highest fishing participation rate. "Retaining anglers isn't a silver bullet issue," said Schad. "No single approach is guaranteed to put a rod in someone's hand or a license in their pocket. But by being part of multi-state effort, we intend to learn, evaluate and ultimately focus our work into those areas with the highest potential for success."

“Fishing license sales help us care for and conserve natural resources,” said Iowa DNR Director Richard Leopold. “But more importantly, fishing is an important activity for families to enjoy the outdoors. By partnering with RBFF, we hope to encourage more Iowans to come back to fishing and get hooked on an outdoor tradition that builds family ties and an appreciation for the natural world.”

The product will include direct mail templates, instructions to implement a direct mail campaign and marketing assistance from RBFF. A workshop for states that will implement the program will be held January 16-17, 2008 in Dallas, Texas.

About RBFF
RBFF is a nonprofit organization established in 1998 to increase participation in recreational angling and boating. 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.

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