To reconstruct the existing aging boat ramp to continue supporting the existing transient boater to improve ADA accessibility and resiliency with ADA accessible floating dock

The U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Region 4 awarded $1.19 million to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FFWCC) under the Sport Fish Restoration program (CFDA 15.605) on October 1, 2025, for reconstruction and accessibility improvements to an aging boat ramp facility. The project will reconstruct the existing boat ramp infrastructure to maintain support for transient boaters while enhancing Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility through installation of an ADA-accessible floating dock. This award supports the Sport Fish Restoration program's core mission of funding activities designed to restore, conserve, and enhance sport fish populations while providing public access to waters and recreational boating facilities. The project is scheduled for completion by September 30, 2027.

The Sport Fish Restoration program operates as a formula-funded initiative financed through excise taxes on motorboat fuel, fishing equipment, and electric motors, with funds apportioned annually to eligible state fish and wildlife agencies. As a mature program with significant historical funding ($5.8 billion obligated since 1996), Sport Fish Restoration regularly supports infrastructure projects including boat ramp rehabilitation, facility maintenance, and public access improvements across eligible states and territories. The FFWCC, Florida's primary wildlife management agency, has demonstrated substantial capacity in managing federal conservation funding and has previously received multiple million-dollar awards for fisheries management, habitat restoration, and recreational access infrastructure initiatives.