The Interior Department has canceled a multi-year grant to a Washington-area nonprofit that promotes fishing, boating, and outdoor activities, following Senate DOGE leadership’s intervention after a NFL News Digital report first raised questions.

Millions Already Paid to Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF)

Since 2012, the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF), based in Alexandria, Virginia, has received more than $164 million in government funds. Over the years, an additional $26 million had already been paid out under the grant before its cancellation.

Purpose of the RBFF “Take Me Fishing” Campaign

According to the government site USA Spending, the purpose of the grant was to support RBFF’s “Take Me Fishing” campaign. That campaign included digital and social media outreach, ads on Walt Disney Company-branded streaming platforms, and “mobile fishing units” that targeted underserved urban communities.

Senate DOGE Caucus Cites Washington Waste

Senate DOGE Caucus members said at least $40.5 million will be saved in the near-term thanks to the cancellation.

“Today’s catch of the day is Washington waste,” said Caucus Chairwoman Joni Ernst, R-Iowa. “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. There’s more pork in the sea, and I am going to keep fishing for it!”

Interior Department Stresses Fiscal Responsibility

Burgum’s office echoed the message, stressing that the agency remains committed to fiscal responsibility, efficiency, and accountability, while still supporting recreational fishing, boating, and outdoor industries.

A spokeswoman for the agency, which oversees the National Park Service, added: “Under President Donald J. Trump’s leadership, we are ensuring that every taxpayer dollar serves a clear purpose and aligns with our core mission.” Charlotte Taylor noted that a review of discretionary spending determined the RBFF grant did not show “sufficient alignment with program goals or responsible stewardship of taxpayer resources.”

Grant Scrutiny: Disney Contracts and SEO Consulting Costs

The grant, funded largely by excise taxes on fishing poles, drew scrutiny after Ernst highlighted an RBFF contract with Disney worth $1.99 million, along with hundreds of thousands in SEO consulting costs and a $5 million payment to a Minnesota media development agency. Several RBFF executives were also reported to earn salaries in the mid-$100,000s and higher.

RBFF Response to the Grant Cancellation

In a lengthy response, RBFF officials said they had crafted “a plan we believe would meet the goals and priorities of the administration,” which included reduced headcount, adjusted compensation, and updated investment priorities. However, the group claimed it had not been able to engage directly with Senate DOGE or the Interior Department during the review, “despite repeated outreach attempts during the past three months.”

A source countered that RBFF did meet with Ernst’s office, and Taylor confirmed Burgum’s office also held meetings with the organization in Washington earlier this month and has been in contact “multiple” times. “Anything to say otherwise is inaccurate,” she added.

RBFF’s Economic Impact Since 1998

RBFF defended its work, noting that since 1998 its efforts have helped build a $230.5 billion industry supporting 1.1 million American jobs, generating $263 million in tax revenue, and contributing $2 billion annually to conservation programs nationwide.

The organization also sounded the alarm about the impact of the funding pause, reporting that in just the past two months, fishing license sales dropped 8.6% across 16 states—a decline representing more than $590 million in angler spending and 5,600 jobs lost.

Industry Leaders Defend RBFF’s Role

Several industry leaders rushed to RBFF’s defense. Matt Gruhn, president of the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, said the foundation’s efforts were “pivotal” to recruitment and retention in the outdoor sector. “Their training and resources vastly improved state agency processes and marketing, and has made boating and fishing licensing and registration far easier for Americans,” Gruhn said.

Likewise, Glenn Hughes, CEO of the American Sportfishing Association, warned of the “severe impact” the loss of funding would have. He reminded that industry members had agreed back in 1950 to self-impose a fishing rod tax to reinvest in conservation and participation efforts.

Take Me Fishing Campaign’s Legacy and Future

The “Take Me Fishing” campaign, launched with congressional approval in 1998, was the centerpiece of RBFF’s mission. Hughes argued that the campaign had generated $230.5 billion in economic impact since its inception.

Without consultation and coordination with the recreational fishing industry, Hughes said, the Department of the Interior decided to withhold critical funding from RBFF, ultimately ending a 27-year history of increasing fishing participation and efforts to bolster the economic impact of the fishing industry.