DES MOINES - The Iowa Department of Natural Resource (DNR) is to receive a $100,000 grant from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) to improve boating access, strengthen community ties to the water and to promote the awareness of transient boating opportunities. This grant is made available through the Boating Infrastructure Grant (BIG) program.

Facilities to accommodate transient boats, boats 26-feet or longer, are often insufficient and sometimes are totally lacking. Transient boaters are unable to enjoy many of the recreational, cultural, historic, and scenic and natural resources opportunities associated with waters that they boat on.

The grant is available to public marinas that have a need to create or improve transient boat facilities. Marinas along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers are the most likely recipients for the program money, said Martin Konrad, BIG Coordinator for the DNR.

"These rivers lack needed marina or commercial tie-up facilities for extended stretches making it difficult for transient boaters to recreate," Konrad said. "Basic facilities such as tie-ups, fueling docks, utilities and restrooms are mostly non-existent."

Marina owners and operators should contact Martin Konrad at 515/281-6976 for more BIG program information. Interested parties are to submit grant proposals, for consideration, to the DNR by Sept. 30, 2005.
 

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