April 18, 2019
The spring 2019 Boating Safety Circular (BSC) is now available for downloading from the Office of Auxiliary & Boating Safety’s website. Click here to access the BSC. This BSC issue includes: •HINs for Racing Vessels •Recreational Boat Safe Loading and Flotation Regulations •Summary of MIBS 2019 Inspection Citations by Type •Capacity Label 101 – Back …
April 16, 2019
The U.S. Senate confirmed David Bernhard to be the next Secretary of the Interior. Bernhardt was previously serving as acting Secretary following Secretary Ryan Zinke’s departure in January. Recently, Bernhardt issued two secretarial orders promoting recreation. The first established a departmental task force to facilitate and prioritize the implementation of the Dingell Act, wide-reaching public …
April 11, 2019
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is distributing more than $1 billion this year to support increased outdoor access and wildlife habitat conservation across all 50 states and U.S. territories. The funds are generated through excise taxes on hunting, shooting, fishing equipment and boat fuel. Authorized by Congress through the Pittman-Robertson Federal Aid in Wildlife …
April 9, 2019
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Boating Infrastructure Grant (BIG) program continues its contributions to recreational boaters and local communities through this year’s award of $20.6 million in grants to states and U.S. territories to support recreational boating. Grantees use BIG funds to construct, renovate and maintain marinas and other facilities with features for transient …
April 8, 2019
Kamber Narrow Fabric Machinery LLC, a global trader and specialist in pre-owned weaving, braiding and knitting machinery, has announced a new Hot Swap program for manufacturers. The program offers manufacturers the opportunity to have their narrow fabric needle looms completely refurbished with a full one-year warranty and with zero minutes of downtime with their current …
April 4, 2019
The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) Outboard Engine Sales Trends report shows that outboard engine retail sales increased for the seventh consecutive year in 2018, growing another 3 percent to a 12-year high. This is the first section of NMMA’s 2018 U.S. Recreational Boating Statistical Abstract, a comprehensive collection of industry data and recreational …
April 2, 2019
A new Super Session has been added to the International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition and Conference (IBEX) educational lineup, Challenges & Solutions for Workforce Development, to address the hurdles of recruiting and retaining employees in the boating industry and address areas that will help companies’ long-term growth. The workforce Super Session will take place September 30, …
March 28, 2019
The U.S. Department of the Interior released a Secretarial Order that will help prevent the sale of public lands important to outdoor recreation, while ensuring that public access be a key consideration in land exchanges. Secretarial Order 3373 – Evaluating Public Access in BLM Land Disposals and Exchanges – prioritizes recreation and access when …
March 26, 2019
California Senate Bill SB 1013 prohibits Hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) 134a and other HFCs used as the foam expansion agent in new marine flotation (buoyancy) foam beginning January 1, 2020. The prohibition applies to foam that enters into commerce in California, which includes foam manufactured out of state and brought into California. Marine floatation foam is a …
March 21, 2019
More women than ever now own textile companies, and IFAI’s recent Women in Textiles Summit brought together many of these business leaders to share their unique expertise within a highly specialized industry. This year’s inaugural summit, held March 6–8 in Savannah, Ga., facilitated what IFAI President and CEO Steve Schiffman calls an “investment in …