As state, national and private R3 efforts increase, a need exists to better track trends in participation, to identify if specific segments of the fishing and hunting public are increasing or decreasing their license-buying habits and to evaluate the effectiveness of R3 programs and investments. To help address this critical need, a Multi-State Conservation Grant was awarded to develop state, regional and national hunting and fishing license data dashboards. Led by the American Sportfishing Association (ASA)*, the team awarded by the grant includes:
• Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) Technology and Data Committee
• Archery Trade Association (ATA)*
• Council to Advance the Hunting and Shooting Sports (CAHSS)
• National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA)
• National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF)*
• National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF)
• Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF)*
(* = provided matching funds)
Issued at least every six months, license data dashboards provide an “at-a-glance” view of patterns and trends in license sales. Each state’s dashboard is designed for periodic updating to identify changes over time and assess R3 performance. Currently, six states have dashboards in place with several others in development. The grant will support the development of the first-ever regional and national license data dashboards, allowing states, national organizations and potential partner businesses to better track the overall participation trends and R3 needs at least every six months.
Sixteen state participants will be selected — four from each AFWA region – including agencies with existing dashboards. The grant will share development costs with the selected states. States, who are not selected for the grant funding, can still be included in the regional and national dashboards by having dashboards developed at their own cost. To be eligible to participate, states must agree to:
• Share, compile and submit 10 years of electronic hunting and fishing license sales data. Data sharing non-disclosure agreements will be available for states requiring one.
• Fund 50 percent of up-front costs for the dashboard development, plus one semi-annual update in the first year ($8,500 contribution by the grant and $8,500 fee to the state).
• Fund 100 percent of costs for two semi-annual dashboard updates during year two, at a cost of $9,000 ($4,500 per update).
Southwick Associates will develop the dashboards and begin creating the regional and national dashboards once the grant is issued.
If your agency is interested in participating or have any questions, please contact Lisa Parks at lisa@southwickassociates.com or 904-277-9765. Interested state agencies may also contact Lisa Parks to receive a sample dashboard and additional information on its content and applications. Depending on when the grant is issued, participating states will be selected by mid-March. Initial regional and national dashboards are scheduled for completion in early August, and the first semi-annual updates are slated for February 2019.