National Maritime Heritage Grants Program
Establishment
There is hereby established within the Department of the Interior the National Maritime Heritage Grants Program, to foster in the American public a greater awareness and appreciation of the role of maritime endeavors in our Nation’s history and culture. The Program shall consist of—
annual grants to the National Trust for Historic Preservation for subgrants administered by the National Trust for maritime heritage education projects under subsection (b) of this section;
grants to State Historic Preservation Officers for maritime heritage preservation projects carried out or administered by those Officers under subsection (c) of this section; and
grants for interim projects under subsection (j) of this section.
Grants for maritime heritage education projects
Grants to National Trust for Historic Preservation
Use of grants
Amounts received by the National Trust as an annual grant under this subsection shall be used to make subgrants to State and local governments and private nonprofit organizations to carry out education projects which have been approved by the Secretary under subsection (f) of this section and which consist of—
assistance to any maritime museum or historical society for—
existing and new educational programs, exhibits, educational activities, conservation, and interpretation of artifacts and collections;
minor improvements to educational and museum facilities; and
other similar activities;
activities designed to encourage the preservation of traditional maritime skills, including—
building and operation of vessels of all sizes and types for educational purposes;
special skills such as wood carving, sail making, and rigging;
traditional maritime art forms; and
sail training;
other educational activities relating to historic maritime resources, including—
maritime educational waterborne-experience programs in historic vessels or vessel reproductions;
maritime archaeological field schools; and
educational programs on other aspects of maritime history;
heritage programs focusing on maritime historic resources, including maritime heritage trails and corridors; or
the construction and use of reproductions of historic maritime resources for educational purposes, if a historic maritime resource no longer exists or would be damaged or consumed through direct use.
Grants for maritime heritage preservation projects
Grants to State Historic Preservation Officers
Use of grants
Amounts received by a State Historic Preservation Officer as a grant under this subsection shall be used by the Officer to carry out 3
identification of historic maritime resources, including underwater archaeological sites;
acquisition of historic maritime resources for the purposes of preservation;
repair, restoration, stabilization, maintenance, or other capital improvements to historic maritime resources, in accordance with standards prescribed by the Secretary; and
research, recording (through drawings, photographs, or otherwise), planning (through feasibility studies, architectural and engineering services, or otherwise), and other services carried out as part of a preservation program for historic maritime resources.
Criteria for direct grant and subgrant eligibility
To qualify for a subgrant from the National Trust under subsection (b) of this section, or a direct grant to or a subgrant from a State Historic Preservation Officer under subsection (c) of this section, a person must—
demonstrate that the project for which the direct grant or subgrant will be used has the potential for reaching a broad audience with an effective educational program based on American maritime history, technology, or the role of maritime endeavors in American culture;
match the amount of the direct grant or subgrant, on a 1-to-1 basis, with non-Federal assets from non-Federal sources, which may include cash or donated services fairly valued as determined by the Secretary;
maintain records as may be reasonably necessary to fully disclose—
the amount and the disposition of the proceeds of the direct grant or subgrant;
the total cost of the project for which the direct grant or subgrant is made; and
other records as may be required by the Secretary, including such records as will facilitate an effective accounting for project funds;
provide access to the Secretary for the purposes of any required audit and examination of any books, documents, papers, and records of the person; and
be a unit of State or local government, or a private nonprofit organization.
Procedures, terms, and conditions
Application procedures
Terms and conditions
Review of proposals
Committee recommendations
Allocation of grant funding
Limitation
Direct grants and subgrants process
Direct grants and subgrants solicitation
The Secretary shall publish annually in the Federal Register and otherwise as the Secretary considers appropriate—
a solicitation of applications for direct grants and subgrants under this section;
a list of priorities for the making of those direct grants and subgrants;
a single deadline for the submission of applications for those direct grants and subgrants; and
other relevant information.
Receipt and approval or disapproval of direct grant and subgrant applications
Direct grant and subgrant administration
The National Trust shall be responsible for administering subgrants for maritime heritage education projects under subsection (b) of this section, the Secretary shall be responsible for administering direct grants for maritime heritage preservation projects under subsection (c) of this section, and the various State Historic Preservation Officers shall be responsible for administering subgrants for maritime heritage preservation projects under subsection (c) of this section, by—
publicizing the Program to prospective grantees, subgrantees, and to the public at large, in cooperation with the National Park Service, the Maritime Administration, and other appropriate government agencies and private institutions;
answering inquiries from the public, including providing information on the Program as requested;
distributing direct grant and subgrant applications;
receiving direct grant and subgrant applications and ensuring their completeness;
forwarding the applications to the Committee for review and recommendation;
submitting to the Secretary applications that the Committee recommends should be approved by the Secretary;
keeping records of all direct grant and subgrant awards and expenditures of funds;
monitoring progress of projects carried out with direct grants and subgrants; and
providing to the Secretary such progress reports as may be required by the Secretary.
Assistance of maritime preservation organizations
Grants for interim projects
Grants authority
Grants described
The grants referred to in paragraph (1) are the following:
A grant to the National Museum Association (a nonprofit organization located in San Francisco, California) for payment of expenses directly related to the preservation and restoration of the historic fleet of the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, located in San Francisco, California.
A grant to the Virginia V Foundation (a nonprofit organization) for use in restoration and preservation of the historic steamship VIRGINIA V.
A grant to any nonprofit organization which operates and maintains a former hospital ship to be converted to engage in public health activities, for use in refurbishing and maintaining the ship for those activities.
A grant to the Mariners’ Museum (a not-for-profit educational institution located in Newport News, Virginia,5
A grant for each of fiscal years 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000 to the Center for Maritime and Underwater Resource Management at Michigan State University, for a pilot project to plan, design, implement, and evaluate innovative approaches to management and development of maritime and underwater cultural resources at the following sites: Thunder Bay, the Manitou Passage, Isle Royale National Park, Keweenaw Peninsula, Marquette County, Alger County, Whitefish Point, the Straits of Mackinac, the Thumb Area, and Sanilac Shores.
Grant conditions
Report to Congress
The Secretary shall submit to the Congress, after review by the Committee, an annual report on the Program, including—
a description of each project funded under the Program in the period covered by the report;
the results or accomplishments of each such project; and
recommended priorities for achieving the policy set forth in section 5402 of this title.