PHOTO BY TOM KOERNER/USFWSThe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service this week announced that more than $20 million in grants will go toward assisting states and territories with the construction, renovation and maintenance of marinas and other boating facilities for outdoor recreation. Reauthorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the grant program will support projects in 20 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Boaters and manufacturers fund the program through excise taxes and duties on boating fuels and certain fishing and boating equipment. The money is directed to the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund and is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
“Boating Infrastructure Grants create and add public access for recreational boating and improvements to waterways across the nation, benefitting local communities and economies, wildlife and outdoor enthusiasts,” service director Martha Williams said in a statement. “Increasing outdoor recreation access and waterway stewardship complement the infrastructure improvements coming from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and America the Beautiful Initiative.”
The WSFR program and Boating Infrastructure Grants are part of a state-industry-federal partnership that forms the cornerstone of state-based aquatic resource conservation and was reauthorized by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The program, along with a $2 billion investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, furthers the work of the Department of the Interior in expanding outdoor recreation access and restoring cultural resources and open spaces.
This year’s grants will support an estimated 381 new slips and berths, thousands of feet of side-tie docking space, fuel docks, showers and Wi-Fi access for recreational boaters. Since its inception in 2000, the BIG program has awarded more than $283 million to projects for transient boats longer than 26 feet long that stay at one spot for less than 15 days. It has funded the construction of more than 6,800 berths.
Under the BIG program, state, territory and District of Columbia boating agency partners can submit proposals for two different tiers of funding, each requiring that most grantees provide a matching share of up to 25% of project costs. Tier 1 funding provides a maximum federal funding amount of $200,000 per recipient annually. Tier 2 funding is nationally competitive and is typically used for larger-scale projects with a maximum federal funding of $1.5 million per application.
This year, the service will fund more than $2.8 million for BIG projects in 19 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands under the Tier 1 subprogram and $17 million in grants for projects in 10 states and Puerto Rico under the Tier 2 subprogram. States receiving BIG grants in 2023 include Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin.
