The document discusses several key issues in national boating: 1) Three main strategies are being proposed to reauthorize the Wallop-Breaux Act including extending the existing highway bill, adopting a consensus position, and recapturing fuels taxes. 2) Funding for boating programs comes from excise taxes on fishing equipment, boats, and boat motors as well as fuels taxes which are allocated to programs like coastal wetlands restoration, boating safety, and infrastructure grants. 3) Demand for grants from programs like the Clean Vessel Act and Boating Infrastructure Grant exceed available funds, and some regions have increasing unobligated boating access funds.

1. National Boating Issues- U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Division of Federal Assistance
Perspectives

2. Wallop-Breaux Reauthorization
• Three main strategies being brought
forward by American League of Anglers
and Boaters
a) Extension of existing TEA-21
Highway Bill
b) ALAB Consensus Position
c) Recapture of fuels taxes

3. Sport Fish Restoration Account
Funding Sources
($ Millions)
Sonar
Interest $35 $2
Import Duties
$37
Fishing $221 Motorboat Fuels
Equipment $101
$69
Small Engine Fuels

4. Federal Assistance
Sport Fish Restoration Program
Excise Tax Coastal
fishing equipment
Sport Fish Wetlands
Restoration Act (18%)
Excise Tax Account Outreach
trolling motors $5-$10M
& flashers Aquatic Coast Guard Boating 5yr
Interest Resources Safety $64M/yr
(permanent) $9M MAX
Aquatic Trust Trust for Admin
Fund
Fund Clean Vessel Act
Pumpout grants FY
Import Duties
1999 to 2003
tackle, pleasure
$10 million/yr
boats, yachts
Fuels Tax Boating Infrastructure
Highway Trust Grants $8M/year
Fund motor boat & FY 2000-2003 FY 2002 State
small engine fuels Apportionments
$294.3M)

5. Aquatic Resources Trust Fund
(ALAB proposal)
Excise Tax Sport Fish Restoration
fishing equipment 55.3%
(includes boating access)
Excise Tax
trolling motors &
flashers Coastal Wetlands Act -- 18%
Interest
Aquatic Boating Safety--18%
Safety--18%
Aquatic Trust Resources
Fund Clean Vessel Act
Import Duties
Trust Fund Pumpout grants
$$$$
1.9%
tackle, pleasure
boats, yachts Outreach -- 1.9%
Fuels Tax Highway
Trust Fund motor Boating Infrastructure --1.9%
--1.9%
boat & small engine
fuels
Multi-state grants -- 0.9%
Unappropriated Administration (includes dedicated
Trust Fund accounts) -- 2.1%

6. Boating Infrastructure Grant
Program Tier-2 Awards
California
$3,000,000.00 Florida
Illinois
$2,500,000.00 Iowa
Louisiana
$2,000,000.00
Maine
$1,500,000.00 Mississippi
New Jersey
$1,000,000.00 New York
Ohio
$500,000.00
Oregon
$0.00 South Carolina
Virginia
Washington

7. Boating Infrastructure Grant
Program
• Initial authorization expires at the end of Fiscal
Year 2003.
• Initial Fiscal Years 2000, 2001 projects being
completed or unobligated funds being recovered.
• Tier-2 funds are some of the Service’s most
sought after grants. FWS received 60 proposals
from 21 States requesting $28.7 million of funds
from Tier-2 portion of BIG program in Fiscal Year
2003.

12. Clean Vessel Act Program
• Authorization expires at the end of Fiscal Year
2003.
• Proposal request exceed funds available.
• ALAB consensus position proposes to remove the
coastal project scoring preference.
• FWS is working to update regulations and prepare
a draft Service Manual to provide additional
program guidance.

13. Program Funding Requests
25000000
20000000
15000000
Proposed
Granted
10000000
5000000
0
1994 1995 1996 1997 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

18. Regional Boating Access
Allocations Status
• Joint Task Force on Federal Assistance
Policy may consider the issue of motorized
boat issue associated with Sport Fish
Restoration funds.
• Some FWS regions are noticing increased
amounts of unobligated boating access
funds at the regional level.

19. Number of Numbered Boats
(Millions)
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
1980 1985 1990 1995 2000