Sportfishing and Boating Safety Act | F18AS00161

Opportunity Information: Apply for F18AS00161

The Sportfishing and Boating Safety Act grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number F18AS00161) is a discretionary federal grant program administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, under CFDA 15.622. It is tied to the Boating Infrastructure Grants (BIG) Program, which was created by the Sportfishing and Boating Safety Act of 1998 (Public Law 105-178) and codified at 16 U.S.C. 777g-1. The program is funded through the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund, reflecting amendments to the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 777) and later reauthorizations that continue to allow these trust fund expenditures. The basic purpose is to strengthen and expand boating infrastructure nationwide in recognition of the large recreational boating community in the United States, including a significant number of larger recreational boats (26 feet and above).

This specific notice is for FY 2019 BIG Tier 2 National grants. The funding is intended to support the construction, renovation, and maintenance of boating infrastructure facilities that serve transient recreational vessels that are at least 26 feet long and are used primarily for pleasure, including vessels that are operated, leased, rented, or chartered for that purpose. In this context, "boating infrastructure" is defined broadly and can include the structures, equipment, accessories, and services that are necessary or desirable for a facility to properly accommodate eligible vessels. A key eligibility concept is "transient" use: the infrastructure must serve boaters who are passing through or visiting for short stays, defined here as up to 15 days.

Eligible applicants are state governments, and the term "States" is used broadly to include all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. territories of Guam, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. While the applicant must be a qualifying state or territory government, the funded facilities themselves may be publicly or privately owned. However, projects completed with BIG funds must provide public access, meaning the benefits are intended to be available to the general boating public rather than restricted to a closed membership or private group.

From an administrative standpoint, this opportunity was posted with a creation date of June 8, 2018, and had an original application closing date of September 10, 2018. The notice explains that the due date timing was designed to allow applications to be received and evaluated prior to the FBMS blackout period. The maximum award amount (award ceiling) listed is $1,500,000. The notice also clarifies that FY 2019 BIG Tier 1 State grants are handled under a separate announcement (F18AS00160) and may be published separately on Grants.gov, potentially later than the Tier 2 posting. For reference, the Tier 2 NOFO can be found on Grants.gov by searching for the opportunity number F18AS00161.

• The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the community development, environment, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Sportfishing and Boating Safety Act" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.622.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jun 08, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 10, 2018 This due date allows applications to be received and evaluated prior to the FBMS blackout period. It is 95 days after the estimated posting date.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,500,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments.

Apply for F18AS00161

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