Sportfishing and Boating Safety Act

This program provides funding to States, the District of Columbia, Commonwealths, and territories for the construction, renovation, and maintenance of docking, mooring, and other facilities for transient, recreational boats 26 feet or greater in length.

Agencies from the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealths of Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands, and the territories of Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa may submit grant proposals to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The annual program funding comes from the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund. It and the Clean Vessel Act Program (15.616) receives a combined total of four percent of the funds in the Trust Fund. Trust funds are derived from excise taxes on fishing equipment, motorboat and small engine fuels, import duties, and interest accrued by the fund. The Federal share of the project costs cannot exceed 75 percent for the 50 States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. The first $200,000 of match must be waived for the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands and the territories of Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa.

Fiscal year 2025: Program funded projects that included construction of tie-up facilities for nontrailerable, recreational vessels of 26 feet or greater in length; development of amenities for eligible boaters, such as restrooms or other facilities; development of utilities or other services for eligible vessels. Fiscal year 2026: Program has not finalized projects for funding. Program anticipates funding projects that include construction of tie-up facilities for nontrailerable, recreational vessels of 26 feet or greater in length; development of amenities for eligible boaters, such as restrooms or other facilities; development of utilities or other services for eligible vessels.