Boating Infrastructure Grant Program

A program of the Department of the Interior, US Fish and Wildlife Service

Federal Fiscal Year 2009
Application Deadline September 26, 2008

Program Background

1. Funded through, the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), signed into law August 10, 2005
2. There is approximately $13 million available nationwide for 2009.
3. Funds are awarded to appropriate state agencies for the development and maintenance of facilities for transient, non-trailerable recreational boats. In New York State, all applicants must apply through NYS OPRHP.

Program Mandates

1. Facilities are on navigable waters, allowing reasonable public access to all recreational vessels, charging equitable fees, and being open for reasonable periods.
2. Facilities construction or renovation is designed to last at least 20 years.
3. Facilities are for temporary (less than 10 day visit) use by non-trailerable (greater than or equal to 26 feet) transient recreational vessels (operated primarily for pleasure).
4. Facilities are in water greater than or equal to 6 feet of depth at the lowest tide.
5. Facilities provide security, safety, and service (including a pumpout station within 2 miles for overnight facilities).

What is Boating Infrastructure?
Boating Infrastructure refers to features that provide stopover places for transient nontrailerable recreational vessels to tie up. These features include, but are not limited to:

Mooring buoys, day docks, navigational aids, transient slips, safe harbors, floating docks and fixed piers, floating and fixed breakwaters, dinghy docks, restrooms, retaining walls, bulkheads, dockside utilities, pumpout stations, recycling and trash receptacles, dockside electric service, dockside water supplies, dockside pay telephones, debris deflection booms and marine fueling stations.

Eligible Activites

1. Construct, renovate, and maintain either publicly or privately owned boating infrastructure tie-up facilities;
2. one time dredging only to give transient vessels safe channel depths between the tie-up facility and maintained channels or open water; (sometimes allow for depths greater than 6' if justified)
3. install navigational aids, limited to giving transient vessels safe passage between the tie-up facility and maintained channels or open water;
4. grant administration;
5. preliminary costs (appraisals, environmental reviews, permits, feasibility studies, site surveys, site planning, preparing cost estimates, construction plans and specifications);
6. information and education materials.

Ineligible Activites

1. Projects that do not provide public benefits or are not open to the public;
2. involve law enforcement activities;
3. significantly degrade or destroy valuable natural resources or alter the cultural or historic nature of the area; construct or renovate principal structures not expected to last at least 20 years;
4. maintenance dredging;
5. fund operations or routine, custodial, and janitorial maintenance of the facility;
6. tie-up facilities available for occupancy for more than 10 consecutive days by a single party;
7. dry land storage;
8. haul-out features;
9. boating features for trailerable or "car-top" boats such as launch ramps and carry-down walkways;
10. conduct surveys

Rating Criteria

1. Plan to construct, renovate, and maintain tie-up facilities for transient (less than 10 days in single location), non-trailerable (26' or greater in length), recreational vessels following priorities identified in the state's program plan (SCORP). (15 points)
2. Provide for public/private partnerships, involving entities other than us Fish and Wildlife Service and the lead state agency. (one partner, 5 points; two partners, 10 points; three or more partners, 15 points)
3. Use innovative techniques to increase the availability of tie-ups; creative, different approaches that improve the overall project. (0-15 points)
4. Include private, local or other state funds in addition to the non-federal match. (26-35% match, 5 points; 36-49% match, 10 points; 50% and above, 15 points)
5. Cost efficient, with features that add a high value compared with the funds required from the proposal. For example, constructing a small feature to an existing facility which adds value and boating opportunities versus installing a complete facility. (0-10 points)
6. Provide a significant link to prominent destinations such as those near major metropolitan areas, cultural or natural attractions, or safe harbors from storms. (10 points)
7. Provide access to recreational, historic, cultural, natural, or scenic attractions (5 points each, maximum 15 points)
8. Provide significant positive economic impacts to a community (1-5 points)
9. Multi-state coordination in locating tie-up facilities. (5 points)

General Application and Grant Information

1. Depending on the availability of funding, applications are usually accepted between August 1 and October 1, with awards being made sometime in January or February of each year.
2. Private organizations, public organizations, marinas or other vessel facilities are eligible to apply. (Not-for-profit corporations subject to New York State's not-for-profit corporation law, must have a charities registration number and be approved for tax-exempt status under the IRS code. If the organization is exempt from charities registration, such written determination from the Attorney General's office will be required prior to the execution of the contract.)
3. Applications must include a narrative that addresses all the rating criteria, a detailed proposed budget, site map and photos. (5 complete copies required)
4. Applications are reviewed by us to ensure they are both eligible and complete. They are then submitted to USFWS where they are reviewed, rated and awarded. All Tier 2 applications compete on a national level.
5. There is no minimum/maximum grant request.
6. The Federal share may not exceed 75% of the approved total project costs.
7. This is a reimbursement program, applicants must be prepared to fund the total cost of the project.
8. Allowable costs include professional services, labor, equipment, supplies and materials and real property.
9. Once the project has received federal approval, a project agreement (including a budget, scope of work and performance timeline) is formalized between OPRHP and the applicant.
10. The project will be subject to various state and federal mandates as stipulated in the project agreement.

• Frequently Asked Questions