FWC Commissioners approve amendment making derelict vessel removals easier for local governments

At its September meeting in Duck Key, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approved rule amendments creating a block grant option within the already established FWC derelict vessel and public nuisance vessel removal grant program.

In collaboration with city and county partners, the FWC Boating and Waterways Section proposed the block grant funding option within the existing program to allow an additional reimbursement option for ongoing vessel removals in areas that remove a substantial number of DVs annually.

The amendment to the guidelines and application will allow block grant funding to be awarded to eligible governments based on the removal data from prior years. Local municipalities will be paid from those funds upon submission of documentation of the removal of eligible vessels. Busy governments will no longer have to wait to apply in advance for each vessel removal project, which should result in less red tape and a quicker removal process.

“Our goal is to keep improving our waterways by removing as many DVs as possible,” said Maj. Bill Holcomb, FWC Boating and Waterways Section Leader. “This amendment will allow local governments that have DV removal experience and are familiar with the process an option to remove these vessels more efficiently. They can remove eligible DVs and submit for reimbursement from their awarded block grant.”

The new rule will streamline the DV removal process, reducing the potential environmental impact and overall removal costs associated with derelict vessels that remain deteriorating in the state's waters.

“Incorporating this grant block funding into the process is really a significant step forward in getting these derelict vessels off the water as efficiently as possible,” said Brittany Burtner, Senior Administrator, Monroe County Marine Resources.

Eligible governments must have removed 40 or more vessels within a 3-year period over the preceding five calendar years, ensuring that those government entities receiving block grants have experience with removals and are familiar with the process.

The funding for each block grant award will be based on a formula that includes the average number of vessel removals for the applicant and the statewide average cost per removal.

As of June 1, 2024, there were 700 derelict vessels listed in the FWC derelict vessel database. Unfortunately, derelict vessels continue to be documented by law enforcement on an ongoing basis. These vessels cause the destruction of valuable seagrass resources and endanger marine life. They also threaten human life, safety and property as they drift on or beneath the surface of the water or block navigable waterways, posing a navigational hazard to the boating public.

For more information about the derelict vessel removal grant program, visit MyFWC.com/boating. Select “Grant Programs” then “Derelict Vessels Removal Grant Program.”