A total of $16.6 million in grants will be awarded to 21 states under the Clean Vessel Act (CVA) program, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today.
Since the first CVA awards were made in 1993, the Service has awarded more than $200 million to states to fund construction, replacement, renovation and maintenance of facilities that assist recreational boaters in properly disposing of on-board septic waste. The program also provides information and education about the importance, benefits and availability of pump-outs.
“Clean water is a fundamental need for both people and wildlife, and a perfect example of how the fates of both are intertwined,” said Service Director Dan Ashe. “Clean Vessel Act grants not only help ensure that clean drinking water, sustainable ecosystems and healthy recreational areas are accessible to the American people, they also provide a substantial economic benefit for local communities. These grants are another fine example of the Fish and Wildlife Service’s commitment to ensuring our natural resources are conserved and protected for future generations.”
Funds for the CVA program are provided annually from the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund, which is maintained through the collection of fishing tackle manufacturer excise taxes and boat and fishing import duties, as well as motorboat and small engine fuel taxes. Funds are competitively disbursed to states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands for up to 75 percent of project costs, with non-federal partners providing the remaining 25 percent. The Service waives the first $200,000 in matching requirements for the insular areas of American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Sub-grantees often include local municipalities and private marinas.
In addition to traditional on-dock pump-outs, funded projects include pump-out boats that travel in designated harbors to make the sewage collection process more efficient and convenient. Some states also install floating restrooms in areas where boaters congregate and no restrooms are available.
“As one of the many programs supported by the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund, CVA-funded pump-outs help boaters fulfill our commitment to clean water. After all, our 520,000 BoatU.S. members are not only on the water, their families often swim in it and eat fish from it. Most importantly, widely available, accessible and working pump-out facilities make it easier to deal with a basic need and get back to enjoying time on the water,” said BoatU.S. President Margaret Bonds Podlich.
For more information on the 2014 grant awards made today visit: http://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/Subpages/GrantPrograms/CVA/CVA2014Funding.pdf
For more information on the CVA program visit: http://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/Subpages/GrantPrograms/CVA/CVA.htm
Clean Vessel Act Awards for Fiscal Year 2014
Alabama - coastal $205,151; inland $82,801
Arizona – inland $160,000
Arkansas – inland $1,391,793
California – coastal $915,000, inland $1,462,000
Connecticut – coastal $1,500,000, inland $145,643
Florida – coastal $1,410,651, inland $770,126
Georgia – inland $113,886
Illinois – inland $100,000
Indiana – coastal $104,518, inland $257,518
Kentucky – inland $161,250
Massachusetts – coastal $1,049,875
Michigan – coastal $200,000
Missouri – inland $50,000
New Hampshire – coastal $78,596, inland $38,347
New Jersey – coastal $258,750
New York – coastal $917,375, inland $1,153,875
Oklahoma – inland $304,904
South Carolina – coastal $757,264; inland $382,500
Texas – coastal $240,000; inland $225,000
Virginia – coastal $557,991; inland $94,500
Washington - coastal $1,500,000
