A federal grant that supported fishing and boating programs nationwide for nearly three decades ended abruptly last June when the Interior Department terminated funding to the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation following a spending review led by Senator Joni Ernst.
The decision severed $14 million in annual funding and left eight employees furloughed within days.
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Senator Flags Disney Contract, Executive Salaries
Ernst, the Iowa Republican who chairs the Senate DOGE Caucus, discovered RBFF had contracted $1.99 million to Disney for streaming advertisements and paid $5 million to Minnesota creative agency Colle McVoy. Tax records showed eight executives earned over $100,000 annually, with director David Chanda collecting $318,735 in 2024.
“I am proud to have exposed bloated overhead costs and worked with Secretary Burgum to ensure tax dollars collected to boost fishing are not siphoned into the pockets of slick D.C.-based consultants,” Ernst told Fox News after the June 10 termination.
Interior officials said the grant no longer matched department priorities. Spokesperson Charlotte Taylor stated the funding “had not demonstrated sufficient alignment with program goals or responsible stewardship of taxpayer resources.”
The foundation had received $164 million from Interior since 2012. Another $26 million went out before the cancellation took effect.
Foundation Built on Angler Taxes
RBFF operated differently than most federal programs. Its funding came entirely from the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund, which collects excise taxes on fishing tackle, boat fuel, and license sales. Anglers and boaters paid for their own promotional campaigns.
Congress created the foundation in 1998 after fishing participation began declining in the 1990s. The law directed 2% of the trust fund toward national outreach, which RBFF administered through competitive grants from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The organization ran the Take Me Fishing campaign, operated First Catch Centers for youth programs, and provided state agencies with marketing resources and participation data. Forty-nine states relied on RBFF training workshops to improve license sales and boat registration systems.
Funding Freeze Preceded Termination
Interior stopped releasing funds on April 1, 2025, when RBFF’s new grant cycle should have begun. The foundation waited two months for answers while campaigns went dark and state programs stalled.
Stephanie Vatalaro, RBFF’s chief operating officer, told Outdoor Life the organization kept some staff employed hoping funds would arrive. On June 6, RBFF furloughed eight of 16 employees. Four days later, Interior sent the termination letter.
“That time table kept getting pushed back and back and back,” Rob Shane, public affairs manager for the American Sportfishing Association, told reporters. “This all happened without any transparent or open communication with RBFF and with the industry.”
Industry Claims Economic Damage
Trade associations pushed back with economic data. RBFF reported fishing license sales dropped 8.6% across 16 states between April and June, a decline the organization linked directly to suspended outreach campaigns.
The foundation estimated that drop cost $590 million in angler spending and 5,600 jobs.
Glenn Hughes, president of the American Sportfishing Association, said his members imposed the fishing tackle tax on themselves in 1950 specifically to fund industry growth and conservation. The trade group calculates the recreational fishing sector generates $230.5 billion in economic activity and supports 1.1 million jobs.
“Without consultation and coordination with the recreational fishing industry, the Department of the Interior decided to withhold critical funding from RBFF, ultimately ending a 27-year history of increasing fishing participation,” Hughes said.
Matt Gruhn, who leads the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, called the termination disappointing. “RBFF has been a responsible steward of these boat fuel taxes paid by our industry from the very beginning with oversight from the very stakeholders that paid into the fund,” Gruhn told reporters.
Interior officials said the cancellation would save at least $40.5 million.
New Grant Model Splits Funding
Fish and Wildlife Service replaced the single national grant with a multi-organization approach. The agency announced it would distribute funds among an estimated 15 smaller recipients instead of one large foundation.
RBFF submitted a proposal by the August 17 deadline with reduced staffing and lower executive compensation. The organization also filed an appeal through Interior’s Office of Hearings and Appeals.
October 1 came and went without public announcement of grant recipients. RBFF’s Take Me Fishing website remains active but most programs stay suspended.
The shift represents the biggest change to federal fishing outreach since Congress created the program. Whether the new model can match RBFF’s reach across all 50 states remains an open question as the interior department grant cancellation enters its eighth month.
