§ 86.11 What actions are eligible for funding?

(a) The following actions are eligible for BIG funding if they are for eligible users or eligible vessels: (1) Construct, renovate, or maintain publicly or privately owned boating infrastructure (see § 86.12) following the requirements at § 86.13. This may include limited repair or restoration of roads, parking lots, walkways, and other surface areas damaged as a direct result of BIG-funded construction. (2) Conduct actions necessary to construct boating infrastructure, such as: (i) Engineering, economic, environmental, historic, cultural, or feasibility studies or assessments; and (ii) Planning, permitting, and contracting. (3) Dredging a channel, boat basin, or other boat passage following the requirements at § 86.15. (4) Install navigational aids to give transient vessels safe passage between a facility and navigable channels or open water. (5) Produce information and education materials specific to BIG or a BIG-funded project and that credit BIG as a source of funding when appropriate. Examples of eligible actions include: (i) Locating BIG-funded facilities on charts and cruising guides; (ii) Creating Statewide or regional brochures telling boaters about BIG and directing them to BIG-funded facilities; (iii) Advertising a BIG-funded facility in print or electronic media with the emphasis on BIG, the BIG-funded facility, or services for eligible users, and not on marketing the marina as a whole; (iv) Marina newsletter articles, marina or agency Web pages, and other communications you produce that are directly related to the BIG-funded project; (v) Giving boaters information and resources to help them find and use the BIG-funded facility; and (vi) Public communication. (6) Record the Federal interest in the real property. (7) Use BIG Tier 1—State grant awards to administer BIG Tier 1—State and BIG Tier 2—National grants, or grant programs, Statewide. This includes coordinating and monitoring to ensure BIG-funded facilities are well-constructed, meet project objectives, and serve the intended purpose for their useful life; and to manage BIG grant performance or accomplishments. (b) You may ask your Regional Office to approve preaward costs for eligible actions. You incur preaward costs at your own risk, as we will only reimburse you for preaward costs we approved if you receive a grant. (c) Applicants may seek funding for installing pumpout facilities through the Clean Vessel Act Grant Program (CVA) instead of including the cost as part of a BIG grant application. A State may require a pumpout be funded through CVA, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number 15.616. (d) Other actions may qualify for BIG funding, subject to our approval, if they achieve the purposes of BIG. We will describe actions we approve and how they are eligible for BIG funding in the full text of the annual Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).