The document summarizes discussions from an international boating safety summit. It provides updates on the Recreational Boating Safety program including challenges in 2016 with increased casualties, staffing changes at CG-BSX, and grant funding. It also reviews preliminary 2016 safety statistics, life jacket wear rates, regulatory projects, and the new 2017-2021 National Strategic Plan focusing on education, policies/regulations, and data collection to address ongoing challenges like boating under the influence and low life jacket wear.

1. International Boating and
Water Safety Summit
CAPT Scott Johnson, U.S. Coast Guard, Chief, CG-BSX
Vann Burgess, Boating Safety Division, CG-BSX-21
24 April 2017
St. Petersburg, FL

2. The RBS Mission is VITAL
• Unprecedented performance in boating safety
from 2012-2015, but:
• 2016 was a challenging year.
• Too many casualties & property loss still occurring.
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3. A Boating Safety Partnership
• Thanks for all of your effort, support and advice!
• National boating organizations;
• State agencies;
• Other federal agencies
• Manufacturing
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4. • Program & Project Updates
• LCP & Regulatory Updates
• Challenges
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5. Program & Project Updates
5

6. Hiring Freeze
• January 23rd White House memorandum
implemented a hiring freeze within federal
agencies, except military personnel & other
exceptions, regardless of funding source.
• USCG not initially excepted and freeze
implemented.
• USCG has now received an exception from the
freeze for all but maintenance and gardening staff.
• CG-BSX has 3 vacancies, all now being filled.
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7. New Organization
• CG-BSX-2 Boating Safety Division
• CG-BSX-21 Program Management &
Operations Branch
• CG-BSX-22 Grants Management Branch
• CG-BSX-23 Product Assurance Branch
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8. New Faces
• Currently Vacant
• Chief, Boating Safety Division
• Captain Scott Johnson
• Chief, Office of Auxiliary and Boating Safety
• Captain Jennifer Williams
• Director of Inspections & Compliance
• RDML John Nadeau
• Assistant Commandant for Prevention Policy
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9. New Faces
Boating Safety Division
• Cynthia Dudzinski
• Financial Coordinator – Grants Management
• Kristen Williams
• RBS Specialist – Program Management/Ops
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10. Non-Profit Organization Grants
FY 2017
• Grant applications for FY 2017 were received by
late January, with 48 applications ($15+ million)
being eligible for consideration.
• The scoring has been completed and
recommendations for funding have been made to
the Director who will make the final
determinations.

11. Sport Fish Restoration and Boating
Trust Fund
• Expectations for funding levels
• Primary revenue source to Trust Fund is motorboat fuel
tax.
• 2016 showed a small decrease in the number of
registered motorboats, as reported by the states.
• Some other smaller revenue sources may be increasing
though, particularly fishing equipment tax and import
duties.

12. 500,000
625,000
750,000
875,000
1,000,000
1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015
California - Number of Registered Boats

13. 2012-2016 Performance Goals
• Specific targets for numbers of casualties
(injuries and deaths) set per year through the
year 2016. (Measured on a calendar year, a 5-
year average, and a fiscal year basis.)
• (Note: USCG approved to amend the measure to a 3-year
average, as the commercial vessel program has already done.)
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14. 2015 RBS Strategic Plan Results
Strategic Plan/National RBS Program Goals achieved.
Strategic Plan Goals 5 year Average – Actual #s
FY Deaths Injuries Casualties Deaths Injuries Casualties
2015 662 3,054 3,716 641 2,813 3,454

15. 2016 RBS Strategic Plan Goals
Goals achieved???
Strategic Plan Goals 5 year Average – Actual #s
FY Deaths Injuries Casualties Deaths Injuries Casualties
2016 659 2,997 3,656 ? ? ?

16. Boating – 2016 Safety Statistics
• Preliminary 2016 Casualty Statistics:
• Significant increase in deaths in 2016.
• Not expected to achieve single year goals for
deaths, but awaiting final numbers to see if
multi-year goal was achieved.
• Injuries and overall casualties expected to
achieve goals.
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17. 2016 JSI Life Jacket Wear Rates
• The 2016 JSI Report is in:
• Adult wear rate on open motorboats decreased to 5.7%
(originally 4.5% baseline in 2006).
• Overall wear rate for all boaters decreased to 21.6% and
to 18.6% without PWCs.
• Wear among adult boaters decreased to 9.9%.
• HOWEVER, wear among youth boaters increased to
68.4%
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18. Regulatory Updates
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19. LCP Update
• The NTSB released its Shared Waterways Safety
Recommendation Report recently.
• One recommendation to USCG is to strive to obtain
statutory authority to require boaters to be educated.
• Recommendation differs from recent NBSAC resolution
to the USCG.
• USCG decision is to continue to propose mandatory
education LCP to the Congress for their consideration.
Simultaneously, the USCG will support the states in their
efforts as best as possible.
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20. LCP Update (continued)
• The NTSB further recommended that the Guide to
Multiple Use Waterway Management be reviewed and
updated at regular intervals – that the USCG work with
specified organizations regarding this.
• The USCG concurs in part in that we will work with
stakeholders to review the document at regular intervals.
• Should it be determined that an update is needed to the
Guide, then the USCG would entertain grant applications
for such, which applications would be competitive; and, if
scored within the funding range, a grant would be awarded
to the highest scoring organization.
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21. All Regulatory Projects
• As the new Administration settles in, there is much
confusion. This is normal.
• Regulatory Freeze
• 2 for 1 Policy
• Exception policies
• Etc.
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22. National Strategic Plan
• Strategic Plan 2017-
2021
• 3 basic initiatives
• Creating operational
plan now
• uscgboating.org

23. National Strategic Plan Initiatives
• #1 Improve and expand recreational
boating education, training, and outreach;
• #2 Update, leverage, and enforce policies,
regulations, and standards; and
• #3 Improve upon and expand recreational
boating data collection.

24. Challenges
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25. Boating Under the Influence
Leading contributing factor in
boating fatalities (17%)
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26. Life Jacket Wear
76% of fatal boating accident
victims drowned
85% were not wearing a life
jacket
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27. The Challenge
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All Fatalities
626
Alcohol
Related 122
Drownings
428

28. Questions?