Boaters, anglers, communities and aquatic life in Ohio will reap benefits from more than $876,419 in grant funds, thanks to two U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service programs focusing on ensuring clean water and recreational access. Funding to states under the Service’s Clean Vessel Act (CVA) and Boating Infrastructure Grant (BIG) programs total over $32 million nationwide in 2020.
Ohio will receive $100,000 under the BIG program and $475,814 in CVA funding to keep local waterways healthy. Partners will provide an additional $142,000 in non-federal matching funds toward BIG projects and $158,605 in non-federal matching funds toward CVA project.
“Summer is almost here, and Americans are looking forward to enjoying boating and fishing,” said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Aurelia Skipwith. “Everyone - local economies, people who love the outdoors, and wildlife and natural resources – wins when these outdoor opportunities are easy to access and help protect the health of our waterways.”
“The Ohio Department of Natural Resources boating grant programs, such as the Boating Infrastructure Grant and the Clean Vessel Act grant, support the Department’s commitment to clean water and Ohioans’ growing interest in recreational boating,” said Ohio Department of Natural Resources Grants Administrator Melissa Moser. “Projects like increasing Toledo’s Promenade Park transient docks, which is a BIG P Tier 1 project, offers boaters an opportunity to connect with nature and access the city’s vibrant downtown.”
Grantees use BIG funds to construct, renovate and maintain marinas and other facilities with features for transient boats (those staying 15 days or less), that are 26 feet or more in length, and are used for recreation. Grantees may also use funds to produce and distribute information and educational materials about the program and recreational boating. Since its inception in 2000, the BIG program has awarded $228 million to projects, including funding the construction of more than 6,000 berths and other amenities benefitting boaters across most states and U.S. territories.
This year’s BIG-funded project will expand access to Promenade Park Docks, part of Nautical Mile Concept in Downtown Toledo. The Nautical Mile Concept includes a 5-mile, multiuse recreation path that connects the east and west banks of the river and includes access to several city parks, neighborhoods, restaurants and retail areas.
Past examples of BIG-funded projects in Ohio include slips in Heritage Park and Rivergate Park, which will expand the City of Cleveland’s boating recreation corridor. Additionally, the Maumee Bay State Park dock improvements project addressed the increasing need for quality transient slips in the Western Basin of Lake Erie by fortifying docks against severe summer and winter storms.
Clean Vessel Act grants provide much-needed funding to communities to build and maintain facilities that help boaters keep our rivers and streams clean. Pump-out systems built or purchased with these funds ensure recreational boaters have a safe, convenient and effective method to dispose of on-board sewage. The funds also support associated boater education programs. Since the program’s inception in 1993, the Service has allocated more than $296 million in CVA grants to states and territories.
This year’s CVA-funded projects will add or update 10 pump-out locations to support Ohio’s continued effort to improve water quality throughout the state. Both Cleveland and Port Clinton have multiple sites where updated facilities will provide conveniently accessible pump-outs to Ohio’s more than 450,000 registered recreational boats.
The CVA program’s support through the user-pay-public-benefit cycle has contributed to the success of the Sport Fish Restoration program. States can apply for CVA funding, and they or their partners provide matching funds to complete projects. Sub-grantees often include local municipalities and private marinas. These partnership efforts are a win-win for clean water and the many families who enjoy recreational boating and the great outdoors.
Funding for the BIG and CVA programs comes from the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund. Boaters and manufacturers contribute to the trust fund through excise taxes and duties on certain fishing and boating equipment and boating fuels.
