The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service gave recreational boaters and anglers good news May 9 when it announced program competitive grants totaling $14.27 million to 10 states and Washington, D.C. from the Boating Infrastructure Grant (BIG) program. The Service also will provide $2.48 million to 27 states willing to match smaller, non-competitive grants. These funds […]

The American Boating Congress (ABC) is the industry’s annual legislative conference that brings recreational boating leaders to our nation’s capital to formulate public policy and present a unified front on issues that impact the health and profitability of marine businesses. This year, 38 organizations are endorsing ABC as co-hosts – including the Marine Retailers Association […]

Increasing ethanol content in gasoline is bad for boats and the boating business. The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA) opposes attempts to increase the Renewable Fuel Standard, which would enable the level of ethanol in gasoline to reach 15 percent (E-15) or higher, and asks Congress to support legislation reducing the ethanol content […]

The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA) is asking Congress to reauthorize the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund with some recommended amendments to the allocation of program funds. The Trust Fund, which is funded by $600 million collected annually from taxes on fishing tackle, import duties on boats and equipment, and a […]

The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA), BoatUS and the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) met with key staff members in Rep. Candice Miller’s (R-MI) office March 28 to discuss the history and potential impact of the expanding Asian carp threat in the Great Lakes. Miller introduced H.R. 4001, the Defending  Against Aquatic Invasive […]

The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) is inviting American Boating Congress (ABC) attendees to attend a pre-conference issues briefing webinar on Wednesday, April 23 from 2 to 3 p.m. ET. During this one-hour webinar, NMMA government relations staff will review the recreational boating industry’s most important policy issues and how to best communicate them to […]

Over the past few months, Congress has been making headway when it comes to breaking up the gridlock of previous years in the House and Senate and finally getting some much-needed legislation passed. In December, the House and Senate easily passed a budget bill for Fiscal Years 2014 and 2015. Then, in January, Congress passed […]

Tax reform will be hotly contested in Washington this year, as groups campaign to retain valuable tax breaks for their clients and respective industries. Partisan divide over the goals of tax reform may be even more controversial in 2014, with Democrats seeking to raise revenues and Republicans advocating for a revenue-neutral reform bill. MRAA remains […]

MRAA supports this year’s reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the primary law governing U.S. commercial saltwater fisheries. The, named after former U.S. Senators Warren Magnuson (Washington) and Ted Stevens (Alaska), was originally enacted in 1976 and has been reauthorized several times. It’s due for reauthorization again in 2014. Over the years, […]

MRAA joined several other pro-business trade associations under leadership of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce by signing a letter of support for H.R. 2804, the Achieving Less Excess in Regulations and Requiring Transparency (ALERT) Act. The letter was sent to all members of the House of Representatives. H.R. 2804 includes major principles of accountability, transparency […]