The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) created the Boating Facility Grant Program to provide grants for the planning, acquisition, development, expansion and rehabilitation of public boating facilities located on the waters of the Commonwealth.
Donor Name: Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission
State: Pennsylvania
Counties: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 12/30/2023
Details:
The goal of the program is to ensure Pennsylvania’s recreational boaters have the highest quality boating facilities.
Responsibilities under the grant program
- Eligible projects must occur on public lands owned by the project sponsor, or where the sponsor has a long-term lease or agreement on the site.
- Applicants must be willing to enter into a 25-year agreement to keep the facility open to public use.
- All work must be completed within a two-year period.
- Applicants must agree to provide for all costs for ordinary and routine maintenance of the facility for the term of the agreement.
- Applicants must provide a sign that acknowledges that the facility was constructed or improved with funds from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.
- Applicants must obtain all the necessary permits and local land use approvals required for the construction and operation of the proposed facility.
Eligible Project Activities
- In general, grant funds may be used for fee simple acquisitions and public fishing and boating access and conservation easements, project design and engineering, development, expansion and major rehabilitation of public recreational fishing and/or boat access facilities. Grant funds are to be used only for major site improvements related to providing fishing and boating access and not for any routine maintenance or operation activities.
- Eligible construction activities and facilities for new, expansion and upgrade of existing facilities include but are not limited to boat ramps, courtesy floats, access roads, parking areas, landscaping related to the boat launch facility, transient tie-up floats, labor, materials, safety equipment (buoys, etc.), docks, fishing piers, fish cleaning stations, habitat projects, fisheries research, access trails and signs. Activities must benefit and directly support recreational fishing or boating; for example, picnic facilities and bike racks are not eligible costs.
- Eligible construction projects must occur on lands owned in “fee simple” by the project sponsor or where ownership is less than fee simple interest, ownership rights must provide for control of the property commensurate with the proposed development. The project sponsor must have title or adequate control and tenure of the project area in order to provide reasonable assurance that a conversion of use will not occur without Commission approval. All capital improvements made on land leased to the project sponsor must have lease terms at least twenty-five (25) years in length to ensure a conversion to any other use in that period will not occur. The Commission will require proof of ownership that may include Certificate of Title and/or copies of the lease at the time of application.
- Eligible acquisition costs include purchase price; associated legal, recording, and settlement costs; title search and title insurance; environmental assessments; appraisals; GIS mapping and surveying; and signage. Appraisals must be conducted by a state certified general real estate appraiser. Environmental Assessments must meet American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards. Costs incurred by the applicant prior to approval and necessary for meeting application requirements for appraisals, surveys, title search, and environmental assessments may be included in the total project cost. These costs will only be reimbursed if a grant is awarded to the applicant.
- All fee simple property acquired by applicants with Commission assistance must be dedicated for public use by recreational boaters and anglers and maintained by the recipient. As a condition of funding, a perpetual public fishing and boating access and conservation easement on the stream corridor will be required by the Commission on properties acquired with Statewide Public Access Grant Program funds. The easement may be held by the Commission or an entity deemed qualified by the Commission.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligible grant applicants are public entities including municipal and county governments, land trusts, conservancies, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR)- designated State Heritage Areas, qualifying organizations (501(c)(3) organizations) and trail and watershed associations that have, or will have, the capability to provide fishing or boat access facilities that are open and available for general public use. NOTE: Non-profit or not-for-profit organizations, schools, and service clubs are not eligible for direct funding under the Commission’s Boating Facility Grant Program. Such organizations must apply through their local government or another eligible applicant for funding. Land trusts, conservancies, State Heritage Areas, and trail and watershed associations must also meet the following requirements:
- The organization’s bylaws must indicate that its charitable purpose includes the preservation, conservation, or management of critical habitat, open space, watersheds, rivers and streams, or natural areas for public benefit.
- The organization must be incorporated as a non-profit organization with the Pennsylvania Department of State, Corporations Bureau.
- The organization must be tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
- The organization must be registered with the Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Charitable Organizations.
- The organization must have been in existence at least five (5) consecutive years.
- For acquisition projects, the organization must have demonstrated experience in acquiring property
For more information, visit PFBC.
