CDFW Announces Vamos a Pescar Grant Applications are now Available

On Nov. 10, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced it 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:

• Ethnically 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. The focus should be on providing numerous fishing opportunities to the same audience.
• Virtual learning compatible. Programs willing to use both in-person and virtual platforms.
• Stewardship. 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.