Boating Infrastructure Grants - Tier 1

The Sportfishing and Boating Safety Act of 1998 (Public Law 105-178) established the Boating Infrastructure Grants Program (BIG) (16 U.S.C. 777g-1) to provide funding to 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 (States) for the development and maintenance of boating infrastructure facilities for transient, nontrailerable recreational vessels. Nontrailerable recreational vessels are defined as recreational vessels at least 26 feet long operated primarily for pleasure; or leased, rented, or chartered to another for the latter¿s pleasure. Transient means passing through or by a place, staying up to ten days. The Act amended the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 777). Subsequent reauthorizations of the Act allow expenditures from the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund and the continuation of BIG.