Boat U.S. - May 2008 - (Page 8) Boating Infrastructure Grants Announced The U.S. Fish utilities for 30 tranand Wildlife Service sient boat slips as awarded more than part of the 120-slip $13.5 million in Peshawbestown Boating Infrastructure Marina planned for Grants (BIG) Feb. Grand Traverse Bay 8. The money will off Lake Michigan. fund 19 projects in The Service 15 states to build or received 35 proposimprove facilities like als from 20 states, marina slips, landing requesting a total docks and mooring of more than $30 fields designed spemillion, demonPhoto by Jeff Greenburg cifically to serve tran- BIG funding is helping transform the site of a long- strating continued gone steel mill on Pittsburgh’s waterfront to a des- strong support for sients, people who tination for boaters cruising the Ohio, Allegheny and the program, which choose to travel by Monongahela Rivers. recreational vessel. BoatU.S. conceived The money comes from federal excise and shepherded through Congress in 1998. taxes that boaters pay on motorboat fuel as The Service also released approximately well as certain fishing and boating equip$3.7 million to 38 states in non-competitive ment. BIG funding for 2008. The states of Alabama, Georgia, Rhode “Public access to the waterways is Island, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin are par- essential for the quality of life that we ticipating for the first time in the competitive Americans depend on,” said Secretary of the grant program. In another first, Michigan’s Interior Dirk Kempthorne in announcing the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and awards. “Our nation’s waters support vast Chippewa Indians received nearly $1 million and important economies built partially on for a breakwater, dredging, a fuel dock and recreational boating and fishing.” Boater Education Bill Returns in California After a few years of fits and starts, California appears set to act on legislation to require everyone operating a motor-powered vessel to successfully pass a boating education course or test. On March 6, Assemblyman Mike Duvall (R-Brea) introduced A.B. 2110, the California Vessel Operator Certification bill. The bill would provide for a phased-in requirement, no new state bureaucracy but a streamlined approach using existing course providers and an online test. The certificate, once issued, would be valid for life and costs to boaters would be kept to a minimum. The state Dept. of Boating and Waterways would implement the requirement. “It became clear in discussions with stakeholders in 2007 that the majority of California boaters support certification — as long as it will provide a measure of assurance that the other person on the waterways will have a knowledge of the laws and regulations,” said Walt Kadyk, president of Recreational Boaters of California, the statewide boating advocacy group that is supporting the legislation. For more details on the bill, go to rboc.org/clean/index.html 8 BoatU.S. Magazine May 2008 http://rboc.org/clean/index.html http://www.airdock.com http://www.airdock.com
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