Keep America’s Waters Open, Safe, and Healthy
Tell Congress To Renew The Sport Fish Restoration And Boating Trust Fund In The Surface Transportation Bill

America’s anglers and boaters have helped protect the waters they enjoy for more than 75 years through the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund. This highly successful program supports boating access, fisheries conservation, and recreational boating safety in all 50 states.

The Trust Fund is a proven user-pay, public-benefit model. Funded primarily by boaters, anglers, and manufacturers through motorboat fuel and sportfishing equipment excise taxes (not general taxpayer dollars), it generates more than $750 million each year for state and local investments. In fact, since 2021, the Trust Fund has generated more than $3.5 billion to help maintain more than 9,000 boating and fishing access points, restore aquatic ecosystems and healthy fisheries, improve boating infrastructure, and support Coast Guard boating safety programs.

But authorization expires September 30. Congress now must act to prevent this critical funding from lapsing. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee recently approved the bipartisan BUILD America 250 Act (H.R. 8870), a comprehensive infrastructure bill that would renew the Trust Fund through 2031. A group of bipartisan Senators have also introduced a bill to reauthorize the Trust Fund, ensuring there is broad bipartisan support in both chambers of Congress. Reauthorizing the Trust Fund will provide long-term certainty for states, communities, and the businesses that depend upon access to our waterways.

It is critical that Congress ensures that the dollars boaters, manufacturers, and anglers contribute continue flowing back into the local waters they use.

Write your member of Congress and urge them to pass surface transportation legislation that reauthorizes the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund before September 30.