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grants in 2015 and 2016; another round is slated for 2017. Nearly $10 million was requested in the 98 proposals submitted for the 2016 grant cycle-bur only $1.7 million is available. More funds beyond the $7 million have been promised by MARAD, bur have nor been transferred . The 2010 amendment specified chat MARAD could use 25% of the funds from ship scrapping for its own maritime heritage needs, or could designate the funds for the public grant program . MARAD'S choice to keep rhe money for its own use has prompted a frequent question among rhe maritime heritage community: "What is rhe Maritime Administration doing with the millions of dollars it retained?" Well, the accounting from MARAD includes money to repair ship models in the Department of Transportation headquarters in Washington, DC. Of course, these are nor available to the public without an appointment. In September of this year, MARAD posted a request for proposals to conserve all of the artifacts in a wa rehouse near Williamsburg, Virginia. Of more than 1,500 artifacts listed for conservation, more than 1,010 were brass builders' places. The deadline for the request for proposals was 20 September-IO days before rhe end of the federal fiscal year. Some MARAD properties have been evaluated for possible listing on the National Register of Historic Places, bur all federal agencies are required to make these evaluations, as mandated by the National Historic Preservation Act. Thus, MARAD has no justification to divert the funds from ship scrapping to comply with the Preservation Act. As a former manager of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Maritime Heritage Program, I was not aware of any federal agency char used public grant funds in order to comply with the law. The National Maritime Heritage Ace of 1994 directs 75% of the funds from ship scrapping to MARAD: 50% for operation of the ship-recycling program, and 25% for the federal and state maritime academies, which receive financial support from MARAD (the US Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, Maine Maritime Academy, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, SUNY Maritime College at Fort Schuyler, Texas A&M Maritime Academy, Californ ia
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'/I Maritime H eritage grant providedfor the timely replacement ofthe weather deck on the 1863 Scar of India, flagship of the Maritime Museum of San Diego's collection and a National Historic Landmark. The leaking deck, caused by wear and tear from millions ofvisitors over the years and the natural stresses f rom weathering, presented a risk to the ship's core structure from corrosion from the water seepage. Installing the new watertight decks is a critical step in her ongoing preservation, which is at the heart of keeping her afloat for generations. The one-to-one dollar match, as required by the terms of the grant, was successfu lly met with our dedicated membership and the San D iego community." -Susan Sirota, Vice President, MMSD Maritime Academy, and the Great Lakes Maritime Academy). These are wo rthy programs and institutions, and their funding is not our concern; it is the remaining 25% char is at issue. This is the amount char was designated for a public grant program. MARAD's confiscation of these funds clearly show char the federal Maritime Administration sees no value in what the maritime heritage community does to adva nce the objectives of the agency. This is distressing. More than a thousand maritime heritage organizations in more than 40 scares and territories conserve national treas ures-historic vessels and sires -for future generations, as well as working to educate our citizenry about, and promote public interest in, America's maritime heritage. Bue MARAD, funded by the annual appropriations process, claims it needs chat remaining 25% because its needs are more important than chose of the national m aritime heritage community. The maritime academies are frustrated as well with MARAD's actions and distribution of funds. The US Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point houses the
primary maritime museum for the US merchant marine and the Mariners' Hall of Fame; the US Merchant Marine Academy and Alumni Association wrote a letter supporting the STORIS Act, including the return of grant funds to the maritime community. SUNY Maritime College officials also wro te supportive letters. We have mounted a powerful offensive to reverse the 2010 amendment to the National Maritime H eritage Act and return the fundin g formula to what Congress intended in 1994. This will assure chat funds from the recycling and scrapping of federal ships will be directed to support a maritime heritage grant program. We need the continued support of the maritime heritage community to contact their Congressional members in the House and Senate to assure passage of HR 49 09, Tide 35, Section 3508 , in the Defense bill. Please make the effort . Make your voice heard. A draft letter is available for your reference at www.seahistory.org. To learn more about the Maritime Heritage Grants program and how to apply, visit www.nps.gov/maritime/. .1 27