U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Angus King (I-Maine) and Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) today announced $3 million in Boating Infrastructure Grant (BIG) funding for infrastructure improvements at DiMillo’s Marina in Portland and Peaks Island Marina. Funding for BIG is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and was reauthorized under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which Collins, King, and Pingree helped pass. 

“Marinas are an important part of supporting Maine’s recreation and tourism economies, connecting Maine people and visitors alike with the scenic coastlines and working waterfronts our great state has to offer,” Collins, King, and Pingree said. “Made possible through the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, these federal grants for the DiMillo’s and Peaks Island marinas will make much-needed improvements so our waterways can be enjoyed for generations to come.”

The grants are as follows:

• DiMillo's Marina (Portland, Maine): The Maine Department of Transportation plans to partner with DiMillo’s Marina to add two 75-foot transient berths and add 70 feet of side-tie dockage to extend the current dockage to 200 linear feet. They will also replace aging pilings, install three-phase power, add a more accessible gangway, add a boater’s lounge, and replace an aging fuel dock. 
  Federal Funds Requested: $1,422,731.06; Non-Federal Match: $582,016.59; Total: $2,004,747.65

• Peaks Island Marina (Peaks Island, Maine): The Maine Department of Transportation plans to partner with Peaks Island Marina to add 30 new dedicated transient slips and 1,438 linear feet of transient side-tie dockage. They will also add wave attenuation, fueling and utilities.
  Federal Funds Requested: $1,500,000.00; Non-Fed Match: $2,199,094.00; Total: $3,699,094.00

The grants for Maine are among more than $21 million announced by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) today to support construction, renovation, and maintenance of marinas and other boating facilities for outdoor recreation and waterway access. 

Since its creation in 2000, BIG has awarded more than $300 million to support projects for large transient boats, including berths, fuel docks, and Wi-fi access. Boaters and manufacturers fund the program through an excise tax on boating fuels and certain fishing and boating equipment, directed to the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund administered by the Service, and the Service administers BIG to provide funding to states and territories for projects supporting recreational boaters. 

Senator Collins, Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, was part of the core group of 10 Senators who negotiated the text of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. 

As Chair of the House Appropriations Interior and Environment Subcommittee in the 117th Congress, Pingree oversaw a significant funding increase for the FWS.

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