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Smiling Cove Marina gets $2M federal grant
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Posted on Dec 07 2008
The Department of Land and Natural Resources has recently obtained a federal grant worth $2 million that would improve the Smiling Cove Marina.
The grant would be implemented for a three-year period, which is distributed in the following breakdown:
-$459,426 in 2009;
-572,850 in 2010; and
-$572,850 in 2011.
However, Marina manager Roque Santos said it would depend on the progress of the project.
Santos explained that the budget was made available through the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act, which allows for the use of administrative funds and cooperative grants to develop multi-state sport fish restoration projects.
The law is to conserve and restore America’s sport fishery resources and provide enhanced fishing opportunities for the nation’s anglers. In the Tax Reform Act of 1984, the amendments to the law created the Aquatic Resources Trust Fund and enlarged the original legislation from sport anglers to include the boating community, transferring federal motor boat fuel tax receipts, and import duties on pleasure boats and yachts into the Aquatic Resources Trust Fund.
The Fund was created with two accounts to serve two constituencies, namely the Boat Safety Account and the Sport Fish Restoration Account.
CNMI applied for a grant from that account.
Santos explained that the objective of this grant is to restore the slips of the marina back to its original design.
The slips are the area where the boats are berthed (parked).
There are currently a total of 74 slips.
Santos said that the former manager of the Smiling Cove Marina cut portions of the original slipway with the purpose of generating more income.
The cut portions would be restored.
Santos said new materials would be used and these are guaranteed to last for 50 years.
The first construction of the marina was done 21 years ago.
The new materials to be installed, Santos, said are more ideal for salt water.
