Contacts
Julie Morin 612-713-5156
Scott Flaherty, 612-713-5309
The state of Ohio is among 23 states that will share more than
$11 million in Clean Vessel Act Pumpout Grants, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service announced today.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today awarded more than
$11 million to 23 states under the Clean Vessel Act Pumpout Grant program.
The grant awards will fund construction of sewage dump stations and pumpout
stations for recreational boaters and educational programs that inform boaters
about the importance of proper waste disposal.
Ohio will receive a grant award of $45,000 that will be used
to install a pumpout dock at Middle Bass State Park on Lake Erie, and to
reprint clean vessel practices in the Ohio Boat Operators Guide and the Ohio
Boating Education Course. Information on the locations of pumpouts and dump
stations will also be updated.
"The Clean Vessel Act Pumpout Program exemplifies one
of the many partnerships the Service has with the States," said Service
Director Steve Williams. "Since its inception, forty-nine states have
participated in this program to improve the quality of our Nation's water
and conserve fish and wildlife resources."
Congress passed the Clean Vessel Act in 1992, which established
a federal grant program administered by the Service, to help reduce pollution
from vessel sewage discharges. Funding comes from the Sport Fish Restoration
account, made up of revenues from excise taxes on fishing equipment, boats,
and motorboat fuels. The Clean Vessel Act requires that pumpout stations
in coastal environments receive funding preference, although proposals for
inland facilities are also eligible for funding from the program. Federal
funds can constitute up to 75 percent of all approved projects, with the
remaining funds provided by the States or marinas. The Service has awarded
more than $90 million to States for their Clean Vessel Act programs and efforts.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal
agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife
and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American
people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge
System, which encompasses 544 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small
wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national
fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resources offices and 81 ecological services
field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the
Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally
significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands,
and helps foreign and Native American tribal governments with their conservation
efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes
hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment
to state fish and wildlife agencies.
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