Special to 1808Delaware
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) will offer $3 million in grant funding to improve motorized boat access at public facilities across the state.
“Ohio has experienced record-breaking boat registrations and boating facility usage the past year,” said ODNR Director Mary Mertz. “The Cooperative Boating Facility grant will provide much-needed funding for our community partners to make important investments for local boating facilities.”
Managed by ODNR’s Division of Parks and Watercraft, the Cooperative Boating Facility grant is a competitive grant program offering 100% reimbursement to eligible political subdivisions, such as municipalities, townships, counties, joint recreational districts, park districts, and conservancy districts, and state and federal agencies.
Eligible projects include launch ramps, lighting, and restrooms as well as designated ramp parking areas and docks including courtesy, boarding, and transient. The grant period runs from July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2023.
The application must be submitted by April 1, 2021. The application covers all criteria related to eligible projects. Although most projects will not require a match, projects that charge a user fee will only be eligible for 75% reimbursement for launch ramp projects and only 50% reimbursement for marina projects.
Funding for all boating grants is provided by Ohio watercraft registration fees and motor vehicle tax collected by ODNR for the Ohio Waterways Safety Fund. This fund supports construction and improvements to public facilities that support increased recreational boating safety on navigable waters of the state.
For more information on the Cooperative Boating Facility grant program, please contact Melissa Moser at (614) 265-6518 or by emailing her at melissa.moser@dnr.ohio.gov.
The ODNR Division of Parks and Watercraft is responsible for managing Ohio’s 75 state parks and providing the finest outdoor recreational opportunities, including first-class boating services, facilities, and law enforcement for users of Ohio’s waterways and public lands.
