SACRAMENTO, Calif., "The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced that more than $13.5 million in competitive grants will be awarded to 15 states ranging from California to Rhode for 19 boating infrastructure projects. The grants, which total more than $1.825 in California, will help fund construction of docks, boat slips and other facilities to support recreational boating, are made available through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Boating Infrastructure Grant program.
"This grant program, known as BIG, expands opportunities for recreational boating and helps strengthen the community's ties to the water," said Steve Thompson, Regional Director the USFWS? California and Nevada Region. "It is funded by boaters but benefits the entire community. The program aids local economies and improves public safety.?
Funding for the BIG program comes from the Sport Fishing 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 boat fuels. Smaller non-competitive grants are also available to states that are willing to match the BIG funding. The Service will release approximately $3.7 million to 38 states in non-competitive BIG funding.
