The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is providing $12.5 million in Waterway Improvement Fund grants to enhance and improve public boating access, facilities and navigation throughout the state.
This critical Fiscal Year 2019 funding will go toward 57 projects in 18 counties, from Garrett to Wicomico counties as well as Baltimore City.
“ We are committed to expanding opportunities for our citizens and visitors to appreciate all that our waterways, coastal bays, the Chesapeake Bay, and the Atlantic Ocean have to offer, and these grants will allow even more Marylanders to make memories out on the water, ” said Governor Larry Hogan .
Funded projects include the dredging of local and federal navigation channels, maintaining public boating access facilities, improving and upgrading existing infrastructure such as bulkheads, parking, piers and ramps, and purchase of rescue equipment for emergency and first responders.
“ Boating is a way of life in the Old Line State, with the boating and maritime industries supporting thousands of jobs in Maryland and contributing billions of dollars to our economy and environment ,” Maryland Natural Resources Secretary Mark Belton said. “ The Waterway Improvement Fund is a vital state resource that ensures that residents and visitors alike can access world-class recreational boating opportunities safely and enjoyably.”