SACRAMENTO, Calif.— The Division of Boating and Waterways is now accepting applications through July 31, 2019 from public and private marina owners for Federal Boating Infrastructure Grants. For 2020, a total of $14 million is available for BIG projects nationally.
Funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) – Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program, BIG is a competitive program open to both publicly and privately owned marinas to renovate or construct visitor docks, restrooms, gangways and dockside utility hook-ups for recreational boats 26 feet or greater in length
Through the BIG Program, grant recipients can:
- Enhance access to recreational, historic, cultural and scenic resources.
- Strengthen community ties to water’s edge and economic benefits.
- Promote public/private partnerships and entrepreneurial opportunities.
- Provide continuity of public access to the shore.
- Promote awareness of transient boating opportunities.
Interested applicants should first review the federal guidelines and application instructions to determine if they meet the necessary requirements. Grant funds are available to qualifying projects on a competitive basis. DBW ranks and scores grant requests according to need, access and cost efficiency as well as available matching funds from partners and innovations that improve user access to the waterways.
DBW, as the pass-through entity for the grant application process, then sends eligible projects to the USFWS to compete against others from all other states. Following a USFWS grant award, DBW manages the project through completion to ensure it meets federal requirements.
Marina operators eligible to compete in this program should contact Deborah Holmes at Deborah.Holmes@parks.ca.gov or (916) 327-1822.
Last year, California BIG grantees received nearly $1.7 million for two projects. The City of West Sacramento received $1.5 million to construct a 372-foot long dock with an 80-foot long gangway. This improvement will provide shore access and side-tie dock space for up to six transient recreational vessels 26-feet or more in length. The city of Avalon received $197,000 to renovate an aging waste pumpout and water fill-up facility for transient, recreational boaters. This facility serves over 20,000 boaters to Avalon Harbor each year.
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