The Fish and Boat Commission is now encouraging county and municipal governments interested in the planning, acquisition, development, expansion, or rehabilitation of public boating facilities to apply for funding through the Boating Facility Grant Program.

The deadline for applications is September 30.

The program is designed to help local governments provide or improve recreational boat access facilities in their communities that are open to the public. Private businesses, non-profit or not-for-profit organizations, and service clubs are not eligible for direct funding, but are encouraged to partner with their local government for funding.

Applicants can seek grants for site acquisition, project design and engineering, development, expansion and major rehabilitation of recreational boat access facilities. Activities must benefit and directly support public recreational boating.

Eligible projects must be constructed on public lands owned by the project sponsor or leased for at least 25 years where ownership rights must provide for permanent control of the property commensurate with the proposed development. Eligible construction projects include: boat ramps, courtesy floats, restrooms, access roads, parking areas, landscaping in direct relation to access development, transient tie-up floats, and signs. Grant funds are to be used only for major site improvements and not for any routine maintenance or operation activities.

The PFBC gives highest priority to the rehabilitation of existing facilities, followed by expansion of existing facilities and then acquisition and development of new boating facilities. Since funding for the grant program is derived principally from fees on registered motorboats, the highest funding priorities are those projects that serve or provide direct benefits to this user group.

Since many access sites are used by both motorized and non-motorized boats, the Commission will give priority to projects that have 70 percent or more motorized use based on a review of existing use at the site or nearby sites. The Commission will grant projects based on local, regional and statewide needs such as boat use and number of boaters served, relationship to adjacent or nearby public and private boating facilities (ramps and/or marinas) and needs based on strategic statewide, regional or local plans.

Successful applicants must agree to provide a 25 percent grant match and be willing to enter into a long-term agreement to keep the facility open to free public use. The PFBC will give priority funding consideration to applicants that provide more than the required 25 percent match, thereby, reducing the total amount of grant funds required to complete the projects. The PFBC recognizes that in some instances, matching funds will not easily be obtained by the applicant. In some of these select instances, the Commission may approve up to 100 percent of the construction costs.

The Boating Facility Grant Program is a reimbursable grant program. Grant funds will be disbursed to the applicants/recipients only after completion of the project occurs and agency staff has verified that the work has been completed.

Program grant funds are available in each annual state fiscal period as authorized and allocated by the PFBC. All work funded for this round of grants should be completed by December 31, 2010.

The Commission may adjust the amount of funds available, application, and consideration dates to meet existing needs or opportunities that may occur. Large projects may be phased in over several fiscal years to maximize leverage, distribution, and availability of funds.

The Boating Facility Grant Program funds are derived from boat registration fees, state fuel taxes collected on fuel used in motorboats, and taxes on fishing equipment and motorboat fuel from the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Program. No general state funds are used for any Commission programs.

For more information, visit the Boating Facility Grant Program webpage.

2/22/2008