The White House announced this week it will invest more than $14 billion in funding from the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs act, signed into law in November of last year, in fiscal year 2022 for over 500 projects across 52 states and territories.
This investment will allow for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to increase climate resiliency measures and make long overdue improvements at ports and waterways, while addressing supply chain issues that have hindered manufacturers across an array of industries, including marine manufacturing.
Further, this investment will improve boating access and water quality across the states. Key investments in this week’s announcement include:
- More than $1 billion for South Florida Ecosystem Restoration program, marking the largest single investment in U.S. history to restore, protect, and revitalize the Everglades and increase its resiliency to the effects of climate change.
- Over $2 billion to improve coastal resiliency and protect against flooding events.
- $4 billion to expand capacity at key ports, allow passage of larger vessels, and further enhance the country’s ability to move goods
“The administration’s continued commitment to building America back better and investing in our nation’s infrastructure – including ports and waterways – is a profound step toward improving the country’s recreation infrastructure, and protecting the health of our nation’s waters.” said Frank Hugelmeyer, president of the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA). “Adequate funding for modern, climate resilient infrastructure as outlined in the announcement from the administration will ensure marine manufacturers can continue to provide for the recreational boating community, which has seen record growth, welcoming 415,000 first-time boat buyers to the market in 2020 alone just as Americans re-discover the health and wellness benefits of experiencing the great outdoors.”
Additional information and a full list of projects receiving funding can be found here.
For questions or more information, please contact Callie Hoyt, director of federal government relations at choyt@nmma.org.