U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Wildlife & Sport Fish Restoration Program

Clean Vessel Act Grant Program - Overview

About
The Clean Vessel Act Grant Program (CVA) provides grant funds to the states, the District of Columbia and insular areas for the construction, renovation, operation, and maintenance of pumpout stations and waste reception facilities for recreational boaters and also for educational programs that inform boaters of the importance of proper disposal of their sewage.

The governmental agency designated by each respective governor is eligible to participate in the CVA Program. The governmental agency may partner with local governments, private marinas and others to fund eligible projects.

Grant funds are made available through a nationally competitive process. The ranking criteria, eligible projects and regulations are listed in 50 CFR 85.

The CVA Program symbol may be downloaded and displayed by authorized users.

Learn more about Clean Vessel Act Grant Program accomplishments.

Source of Funds
Funds for the CVA Program are provided annually from the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund. The amount provided is 2% of the funds in the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund after deducting amounts for WSFR administration, the Multistate Conservation Grant Program, the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council and fisheries commissions.

The funds deposited into the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund are derived from excise taxes on fishing equipment, motorboat and small engine fuels, import duties, and interest on the fund.

Grants
States, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Insular Areas designated agencies may apply for grants by contacting the specific WSFR Office or apply online at grants.gov. Additional application information may be found on Clean Vessel Act Grant Program - Funding.

Grant funds are competitively disbursed to States, D.C., Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands for approved grants up to 75% of the project costs. The Service waives the first $200,000 in matching requirements for the insular areas of American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands.