Thank you for visiting this space to add your comments, suggestions, concerns, successes, etc. in response to the Boating Infrastructure Grant Program (BIG) Final rule published in May 2015.
The Service has awarded one fiscal year of grants under the new rule and welcomes feedback from States, marinas, businesses, and other interested parties on how the new BIG rule has helped the process, or presented challenges. Please be as specific as possible in your comments. Your comments may be used to facilitate conversations at the States Organization for Boating Access (SOBA - www.sobaus.org) annual conference in October.
It will be helpful if you include at the end of any comments your name, position, agency, and email address.
Thank you!
10 Comments
Anonymous
Aug 15, 2016Hi Lisa - This is Kate Brown from Connecticut. I have a few comments:
Lisa Van Alstyne
Aug 17, 2016From Lisa: Responding to 2. I spoke to Kate and Janine and there was a miscommunication. WSFR does not intend to shift large amounts of CVA funds to support a larger number of BIG Tier 2 projects. The Branch of Programs will be working with partners to develop possible approaches for some flexibility between programs.
Anonymous
Aug 16, 2016Hi Lisa - this is Kate Brown again from CT. Any chance we can get an extension on the September 8th deadline for BIG this year? It seems a bit early and we are running out of time to review applications. I'm hearing that other states may be experiencing the same issues. Thanks.
Anonymous
Aug 16, 2016Hi Lisa: This is Preston from Virginia - I concur with Kate Brown. I conduct my BIG workshops in January and February. The reason I conduct the workshops so early is because the owners can only develop the grant proposals during the slow part of the season (winter). During these workshops I inform my stakeholders that the BIG proposals must be submitted no latter than August 1st. By the time I discovered the grants were due September 8th it was to late to set an earlier date. Once received the proposals are then vetted through a committee that meets two weeks later. Then the grants go through a series of internal/external reviews that many times require the acquisition of additional information sometimes requiring additional review, modification or correction. I would really be in favor of an grant extension. Many Thanks
Anonymous
Aug 16, 2016Lisa, Mike from VT. My comment has to do with the BIG deadline. For years I've voiced my concern about the continually earlier and earlier deadline. Five to seven years ago these applications were due in November. Now they're due just after Labor Day!
Marinas in the north have a very defined window of late May through mid-October. This means they really need to have a project set sometime in late winter because once ice is gone (early April), marinas are working 7 days a week until the docks come out in early November. This leaves marinas left to scramble during their busiest time of year in order to get a project application completed and submitted. Yes, a marina could write a project the preceding year, but the reality is between the time a project is written and constructed, it could be as much as 2 years and a lot changes during this time.
I don't know that there has ever been a justification for this time change and the money meant to benefit the states and marinas is getting tougher and tougher to obtain.
Anonymous
Aug 16, 2016Lisa - this is Kate Brown again. Any chance of that extension is going to help your peeps in the NE!! What say you?
Anonymous
Aug 16, 2016Hi Lisa - Scott Meister from South Carolina.
This comment relates to the September 8th, 2016 deadline for BIG proposals.
Like many other states, in order to have time to review, score, and vet projects on a state level, we have a much earlier due date for proposals (July 1 in SC).
As the federal due date gets earlier and earlier, we have to back up our state deadline which then starts to back up against the NOFO release. As it is now, proposals are due in SC only a few weeks after the NOFO is released. We simply have no choice if we are to allow time to properly review and score.
Having a later federal due date would be beneficial and I feel it would result in better, more polished proposal submissions.
Thanks for listening.
Scott
Anonymous
Aug 17, 2016Good Afternoon Lisa, - Brock Mooney from Maine.
I’m in agreement with the comments above. Boating season is in full swing from April until late September and trying to have a marina submit a quality application is challenging. Compounding this, is the Labor Day holiday, which is traditionally one of the busiest weekends for Marina’s in Maine. We see great value in the extension of the application period.
I appreciate this forum and thanks for your consideration.
Brock -
Lisa Van Alstyne
Aug 17, 2016Thanks all for telling us of your concerns on the BIG application deadline. It is excellent getting the State perspective and helps us to better understand and consider improvements. The topic has been forwarded to the Branch of Programs Chief, Christy Vigfusson and she and Brad Gunn will be considering options.
Anonymous
Aug 19, 2016Hi Lisa, this is Lorene Reid (Federal Assistance Coordinator) in coastal Georgia. I concur with the concerns about the deadline for submission due to Labor Day weekend and marinas in the height of their season. An extension would be very helpful. Another concern I have is the change in the number of extensions allowed for Tier 2 grants. Some of these multi-million dollar projects require state congressional approval for dredging to begin, permitting issues, NMFS delays, etc. and getting work done in the timeframe allowed may be a challenge. Thanks! 912-262-3114 Lorene.Reid@dnr.ga.gov