Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne announced today that more than $9.5 million has been awarded to nine states through the competitive Boating Infrastructure Grants (BIG) program. The grants are made available to state agencies and partners to build and maintain facilities for recreational boaters.
"The BIG program works with partners to improve recreational boating and fishing opportunities. It strengthens community ties to the water's edge by enhancing access to recreational, historic, cultural, natural and scenic resources for millions of boat owners," Kempthorne said. "We understand the importance of having safe and accessible tie-up facilities and many communities are experiencing new businesses and a rejuvenated hometown spirit as a result of this program.?
These grant funds are awarded through a competitive selection process and the annual requests for funds greatly exceed available funding. The Service received 32 proposals from 19 states requesting a total of $22.8 million of federal funding. Approximately $9.4 million was available this fiscal year.
Closer to home, The Alaska Department of Fish and Game, in cooperation with the City of Whittier, the Whittier Boat Owners Association, and others will receive $1.5 million and provide a match of more than $2 million to develop overnight moorage facilities for boaters in Prince William Sound at the Whittier Harbor Transient Boat Moorage. Partners plan to construct 15 new visiting moorage floats that will provide docking space for 30 visiting boats, as well as providing boaters with electrical and potable water services.
The BIG proposals were reviewed by a panel of representatives from the Fish and Wildlife Service, as well as a committee from the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council. The Council is a federally chartered body which advises the Secretary of the Interior and the Service on recreational fishing and boating issues. A Council-appointed committee made an initial funding recommendation to the Service based on a review of project proposals.
Money for the BIG program comes from the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund, formerly known as the Aquatic Resources Trust Fund, which is supported by excise taxes on certain fishing and boating equipment and on boat fuels.
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 547 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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