Marine Safety Grants to Counties

The objective of the Marine Safety program is to promote safety in the use of recreational watercraft through enforcement and education.

Criteria:

Grant funding is made available to all county sheriff departments and is dependent on such factors as the area of public waters to be patrolled, the number of law enforcement personnel available for marine patrol, the number of boat livery inspections to be conducted and the extent of the county's boating safety education program. 

Eligibility:

All county sheriff departments in the State of Michiganare eligible to apply for Marine Safety grant funds.  Expenses applied to patrol time and enforcement work, instruction of boating safety classes, inspection of boat liveries, contractual services, supplies and materials (CSS&M); and equipment necessary for patrol and enforcement work are all eligible for reimbursement, dependent on availability of State funding.

Application Process:

1.      Grant applications are made available in early October each year.

2.      County grant proposals are due by December 31 to the Department of Natural Resources.

3.      The Department reviews, evaluates and approves funding to counties.

4.      The Department prepares grant agreements and notifies each county of their approved Marine Safety program grant.

5.      Counties sign and return grant agreements to the Department.

Deadline(s):

County grant proposals are due by December 31 for the following calendar year.  To receive reimbursement, a completed State Aid Voucher and documentation of expenditures are due by October 31 following the end of the grant period, for reimbursement with federal funds. 

Timeline(s):

The time period from grant application to grant award is two to three months. For state funds, grants are issued for an entire calendar year, January 1 through December 31. For federal funds, grants are issued for a partial fiscal year, January 1 through September 30.

Dollar Amount(s) Available:

Funding is based on the criteria listed above and varies from county to county. Reimbursement with state funds is up to 75 percent of actual expenditures, but not to exceed the grant allocation. Reimbursement with federal funds is up to 100 percent of actual expenditures, not to exceed the grant allocation.

Source(s) of Funds:

State funds: administered by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Federal funds:  Boating Safety Financial Assistance, administered by the U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security.

Authority:

Part 801, PA 451 of 1994, as amended

Contact(s):
Grants Management:  Christie Bayus 517-335-2253, bayusc@michigan.gov 

Law Enforcement Division:  Lieutenant Andrew Turner 517-373-7109, turnera1@michigan.gov

Fiscal Year 2010 Appropriation:
$1,142,000