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Courtesy of CDFW:

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is now accepting applications for the Vamos A Pescar community grant program for fishing programs, classes and activities committed to educating and engaging diverse, multi-generational, bi/multi-lingual participants new to fishing, boating and aquatic stewardship in California. The Vamos A Pescar grant program is part of CDFW’s ongoing angler recruitment, retention and reactivation (R3) efforts to decrease barriers to participation and increase   awareness and support for conservation activities across the state, like fishing.

To apply for funding, programs must be:

• Inclusive. Events must be open to families of all races and ethnicities with Spanish-English bilingual instruction, materials and outreach.
• Family focused. Participation across multiple generations and genders.
• Multiple opportunities. Focus should be placed on providing multiple fishing opportunities to the same participants.
• Programs should promote good stewardship toward California’s aquatic resources and include information on angler funded conservation projects, like those paid for by the Sport Fish Restoration Act.
• Measurable goals. Programs must include ways to measure goals and outcomes and incorporate lessons learned.
• An official 501(c)(3) organization.

Vamos A Pescar is part of Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation’s (RBFF) Hispanic initiative which is supported by the George H. W. Bush Vamos A Pescar Education Fund. To further the reach and facilitate partnerships at the local level, funds are provided for state agencies to match and sub-grant to local 501(c)(3) organizations. With the help of donations from companies and organizations, this fund has continued to grow and expand nationally to keep future generations educated about the joys of fishing and boating and the importance of conservation. CDFW utilizes funding from the Sport Fish Restoration Act and their angler generated dollars to match RBFF’s contribution to California organizations chosen to carry out the mission and work of the Vamos A Pescar Grant Program.

Interested organizations should review the RBFF George H. W. Bush Vamos A Pescar Grant Guidelines and the CDFW grant agreement template (left blank intentionally). To apply, interested organizations meeting the eligibility criteria can submit a grant proposal application following the format and guidelines provided in the CDFW grant application document and a completed RBFF George H. W. Bush Vamos A Pescar application form . All grant proposal application documents should be sent via email to R3StatewideProgram@wildlife.ca.gov  no later than 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 8, 2023.

California proposal application documents will be ranked by CDFW and submitted to RBFF for national review by their advisory board. The advisory board will choose the final grant recipients by mid-Jan. 2024 and CDFW will notify California recipients by the end of January or shortly after. Final decisions on the program are subject to the availability of state matching funds.