
The BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water is seeking a panel of volunteers who will serve as peer reviewers to evaluate applications for Abandoned and Derelict Vessel removal grants between December 2024 and July 2025.
The foundation has been awarded a four-year, $10 million grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Marine Debris Program with funding provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to clean up and improve safety along coastal areas by removing abandoned and damaged boats from the nation’s waterways including the Great Lakes. Reviewers will be part of the effort to improve the environment and remove abandoned vessels.
Volunteers with backgrounds in marine debris management, the recreational boating industry, education, nonprofit, government agencies, marketing and outreach, grant management, financial analysis, project evaluation, impact assessment, as well as legal or regulatory fields are encouraged to apply. The deadline for applying is Nov. 1.
Reviewers would be asked to commit to at least one review cycle (two to three months) with an expected time commitment of 25 hours per cycle that includes independent review of proposals and virtual meetings.
“This is a coordinated, impactful investment to remove abandoned and derelict vessels, and we’re proud to help NOAA carry out this important mission to rid our shores and waterways of marine debris,” BoatUS Foundation president Heather Lougheed said in a statement. “Our goal over the next four years is to focus on the immediate issue — the substantial number of ADVs that need removal.”
In the future, the foundation hopes to expand the program to inland freshwater lakes and waterways, and reach a point where ADV removals diminish as educational and preventive efforts evolve.