Opportunity Information: Apply for F21AS00002
The Sportfishing and Boating Safety Act - Boating Infrastructure Grants (BIG) Tier 1 opportunity (FY 2021) is a discretionary grant program run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to help states and U.S. territories build out and improve boating facilities that serve larger recreational boats. It is rooted in the Sportfishing and Boating Safety Act of 1998 (Public Law 105-178), which created the BIG Program (16 U.S.C. 777g-1) and amended the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 777). Funding comes through authorized expenditures from the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund, which has been sustained through later reauthorizations so the program can continue supporting boating access and infrastructure needs nationwide.
The core purpose is to fund the construction, renovation, and maintenance of boating infrastructure facilities that accommodate transient recreational vessels that are at least 26 feet long and used primarily for pleasure (including vessels operated, leased, rented, or chartered for recreational purposes). The need is significant: recreational boating is widespread in the United States, with roughly 11 million registered motorboats, and an estimated 578,000 of those being 26 feet or longer. BIG Tier 1 is aimed at ensuring boaters traveling between destinations have safe, functional, and accessible places to stop, tie up, and use essential services, which supports both boating safety and recreational access.
In this program, "boating infrastructure" is defined broadly. It includes not just the obvious physical structures but also equipment, accessories, and services that are necessary or desirable for a facility to accommodate eligible vessels. Practically, this can cover improvements such as docks and slips suitable for larger boats, mooring features, and related facility elements that help transient boaters safely access and use the site. A key concept is "transient" use: eligible projects are intended to serve vessels that are passing through or stopping temporarily, with stays of up to 15 days.
A major requirement attached to BIG-funded projects is public access. Facilities improved or developed with grant funds must be available to the public, which helps ensure the benefits are broadly shared rather than limited to a closed membership. At the same time, the program is flexible about ownership: projects may be located at publicly owned or privately owned facilities as long as they meet program requirements, including the public access expectation and the focus on serving transient, pleasure-use vessels 26 feet and over.
Eligibility for applicants is limited to state governments and designated U.S. jurisdictions. This includes the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealths of Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands, and the territories of Guam, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The funding opportunity is listed under CFDA 15.622 and was published as Funding Opportunity Number F21AS00002. For this particular notice, the application deadline was September 14, 2020 (OriginalClosingDate), and the maximum federal award amount (AwardCeiling) was $200,000 for Tier 1 projects.
Overall, BIG Tier 1 is designed to strengthen the network of transient boating destinations for larger recreational boats by helping states and territories invest in practical, on-the-water infrastructure and supporting amenities. The intent is to make travel by water safer and more convenient while ensuring that improvements funded with federal dollars remain accessible for public use.Apply for F21AS00002
- The Fish and Wildlife Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Sportfishing and Boating Safety Act - BIG Tier 1" 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 2020-06-03.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-09-14. (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 $200,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: State governments.
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| FY 2021 Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund (CESCF) Traditional Conservation Grants Program (Service Legacy Region 3) Apply for F21AS00174 Funding Number: F21AS00174 Agency: Fish and Wildlife Service Category: Natural Resources Funding Amount: $572,066 |
| FY 2021 Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund (CESCF) Traditional Conservation Grants Program (Service Legacy Region 8) Apply for F21AS00179 Funding Number: F21AS00179 Agency: Fish and Wildlife Service Category: Natural Resources Funding Amount: $2,163,585 |
| FY 2021 Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund (CESCF) Traditional Conservation Grants Program (Service Legacy Region 5) Apply for F21AS00176 Funding Number: F21AS00176 Agency: Fish and Wildlife Service Category: Natural Resources Funding Amount: $755,421 |
| Endangered Species Conservation - Wolf Livestock Loss Compensation and Prevention Grants Apply for F21AS00180 Funding Number: F21AS00180 Agency: Fish and Wildlife Service Category: Natural Resources Funding Amount: $450,000 |
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