Publisher's Synopsis
Fifteen years after passage of the original legislation creating the Clean Vessel Act, the program can be deemed a success. By all indications, the program has fostered significant advances in achieving its goal of reducing the environmental impacts from recreational boaters. More than $134 million has been invested through the CVA program to achieve this goal and with recent amendments to the legislation authorizing this program, even more is expected in the next fifteen years. Recognizing the benefits of a systematic evaluation of a program of this magnitude and maturity, the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) requested that the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council conduct an independent review to help "The Service expand awareness and use of the program and improve its delivery." By all accounts, state and federal agencies as well as boaters and the boating community deem this program a success. As with any long running program, some changes will prepare the CVA program to build on this track record of success in the future. For example, the program and constituents would greatly benefit from improvements in accountability and measures of progress not only to make it more transparent to program partners and policy makers but also to help boaters pinpoint facilities more easily. Further, as a mature program, many of the facilities constructed with CVA funds are now showing their age. The top reason that boaters cited for failing to use a pumpout when one was needed was inoperable pumpout equipment. Public confidence and continued use of pumpouts by boaters relies on equipment being in working order when needed. These recommendations and others are discussed and detailed in the pages that follow. In this report, the CVA Review Panel outlines a series of enhancements that we feel will make this a stronger program for America's boaters and the environment. Many of the recommendations are fine tuning procedures that are already in place, while others will require the commitment of the Service, states, and the boating community to effectively implement. The boating community can be proud of the investments that have been made with their dollars through the Clean Vessel Act. The Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council stands ready to work with the Service, the states and the boating constituency to implement the recommendations outlined in this report and create a stronger, more vibrant CVA program that is ready to meet the challenges of the next fifteen years.
