Fish And Wildlife Service Invites Proposals For Boating Infrastructure Grants
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is now accepting grant proposals for the Boating Infrastructure Grant (BIG) program for 2006. BIG funding, distributed by the Service, goes to the state agency responsible for managing recreational boating to work with interested marinas. The Service anticipates that $12 million will be available for this coming year’s grants.
Proposals will be due to the Service by October 31, 2005.
The BIG program has two levels of funding, Tier-1 and Tier-2. Under the Tier-1 portion, all states and territories can receive up to $100,000 to construct or improve docking facilities for transient boats without competing against other proposals. The Tier-2 portion of the BIG program enables larger projects to compete nationwide for available funding.
Funding for BIG is generated from excise taxes paid on boat motor fuel as authorized by the Wallop-Breaux Amendments to the Sportfish Restoration Act.
Proposals for the BIG program are 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, a federally chartered body which advises the Secretary of the Interior and the Service on recreational fishing and boating issues, makes an initial funding recommendation to the Service based on a review of project proposals by a Council-appointed committee.
