Boating Facilities Fund Grants

Boating Facilities Fund Grants-in-Aid for 2015 Available

The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Bureau of Parks and Public Lands is seeking grant proposals that will result in improved recreational boating access to the waters of the State of Maine.

The Purpose of the Boating Facilities Fund includes the following:

1. For the acquisition, development and renovation of public recreational boat access sites providing access to the waters of Maine.
2. To assist towns, cities, districts and other public and private agencies in the acquisition, development, enhancement, or rehabilitation of boat launching facilities available to the general public.
3. Sites on both tidal and non-tidal waters are eligible.
4. Funding is available to assist in the development of hand-carry as well as trailered boat launching facilities. However, since the Fund derives its revenue from a portion of the State gasoline taxes generated by recreational motor boat use, priority is given to funding launching facilities that can be used by both motorized and non-motorized watercraft.
5. The fund is not intended to provide commercial boating access or non-boating water access, e.g., opportunities for bank fishing, sight-seeing, picnicking, where recreational boat launching is not the principal activity.
6. Grants may be monetary or in the form of materials, e.g., floats and concrete planking for ramps.

Eligible Applicants include:

Those who have (or be seeking to obtain) right, title or interest in the land to be developed including vehicle access to the property which legally assures that the site will be available to the general public as a recreational boating facility.

Please note:

• A 50% cash or in-kind match is required.
• A pre-application inspection by Bureau staff must be completed before an application is submitted.
• Pre-application inspections must be requested no later than May 14, 2014, and completed before the grant application deadline.
• Projects must be completed by June 30, 2016.

Deadline:
Project proposals are due June 25, 2014.

More information and application materials can be downloaded from the Boating Facilities Fund web site.