The Coast Guard announced in June the awarding of 24 competitive grants totaling more than $4.8 million for recreational boating safety initiatives.
Fourteen national non-profit organizations received cooperative agreement funding to advance the National Recreational Boating Safety Strategic Plan objectives designed to reduce the number of accidents, injuries and deaths on America’s waterways and to facilitate a safe, enjoyable boating experience for the public.
Grant recipients will receive funds for multiple endeavors, including increasing life jacket wear rates; standardizing national boating safety training courses; reducing alcohol related boating fatalities; and conducting multiple media outreach safety campaigns.
The grant program, which is annually distributed by the Coast Guard from the federal Sport Fishing Restoration and Boating Trust Fund apportionment, also encourages greater non-profit organization participation and standardization across the 56 states and territories in boating safety efforts.
“Informing and inspiring the trans-continental and U.S. territories boating community to take proper boating safety measures to prevent loss of life, personal injury and property damage is a top priority for the Coast Guard,” said Capt. Tom Boross, chief, Auxiliary and Boating Safety Division. “We commend these non-profit organizations for joining us in our focused efforts to improve recreational boating safety on our national waterways. Through public outreach, education and prevention means, we will create a safer environment for boaters.”
Grant recipients must be 501(c)(3) organizations and meet certain eligibility requirements of the National Non-Profit Organization Grant Program. This year the Coast Guard gave grants to partners focusing on education, outreach and enforcement in the following areas:
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Develop and conduct national year-round safe boating campaigns -
Federal/state coooperative efforts to enhance statutory and regulations uniformity for recreational boating safety program effectiveness -
Develop and conduct boating accident investigation seminars -
Enhancements to boating while under the influence (BUI) enforcement -
National estimates of life jacket wear rates -
Select manufacturer voluntary standards development support -
Continued development of on-water instructional standards for recreational boat operators
More information about the Coast Guard’s boating safety mission, the National Recreational Boating Safety Strategic Plan and the federal Sport Fishing Restoration and Boating Trust Fund grant program is available at www.uscgboating.org.
