WASHINGTON, DC -- In an effort to improve Newport's boating infrastructure and help boost the local economy, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) today announced that the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM), in cooperation with the City of Newport, will receive $713,000 in federal funding to construct a centralized state of the art facility for visiting boaters, which will include restrooms and other amenities. RIDEM will match the federal investment with an additional $250,000.

"I am pleased that Newport is receiving this federal funding to build a new boating facility. The city is vital to Rhode Island's tourism industry and this money will help ensure that both visitors and local boaters have access to high-quality facilities," said Reed, a member of the Appropriations Committee.

Rhode Island is one of 15 states being awarded this competitive grant through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Boating Infrastructure Grant (BIG) program. According to the U.S. Department of the Interior, this is the first time Rhode Island will receive a Boating Infrastructure Grant award.

BIG funds can be used to construct, renovate, and maintain tie-up facilities with features for boats that cannot be trailered in vessels 26 feet or more in length.