Tag Archives: government

With seven states remaining in legislative session this late in the year, the NMMA state advocacy team is continuing to engage on a range of policies, while analyzing some of the major issues that surfaced during the 2019 legislative sessions. In 2019, several states established outdoor recreation offices, bringing the total to 16, and NMMA and the association’s coalition partners ...

Last week, in support of the Trump administration’s Executive Order on Promoting Agriculture and Rural Prosperity in America, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service and the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) announced the selection of 10 communities under the Recreation Economy for Rural Communities assistance program to help revitalize their Main Streets ...

Before Congress left Washington, D.C. for its two-week October recess, the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee passed several measures that provide funding for key recreational boating industry’s priorities. The bills – which include programs that would promote and protect boating access and local economies that depend on the industry – now head to the full Senate for consideration. The spending bills ...

The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas has strengthened the voice of the marine dealer in Washington, D.C., with the appointment of Adam Fortier-Brown as MRAA’s government relations manager. Fortier-Brown, whose family owns and operates Clark Marine, a Manchester, Maine-based boat dealership, graduated from the University of Maine magna cum laude, with a Bachelor’s degree in economics and political science. ...

This week, NMMA signed President Trump’s ‘Pledge to America’s Workers’ – an initiative aimed at challenging industries and companies of all sizes to commit to providing new education and training opportunities over the coming five years. NMMA said addressing the marine industry’s workforce shortage is a top priority and the association is urging all stakeholders to join them in this effort. ...

Following passage off the public lands package earlier this year, Congress continues to demonstrate its strong appetite for improving federal conservation and recreation policies through introduction and swift action on key pieces of legislation. The NMMA has worked closely with Congressional leaders to advance these measures, which would improve and expand opportunities for recreation on public lands and waters. Summaries ...

Last week, the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce held a hearing to discuss “The LIFT America Act” – legislation that would rebuild and modernize the nation’s infrastructure, including expanding access to broadband. In a news release, NMMA welcomed the hearing, as the association continues its push for updating outdoor recreation infrastructure in any comprehensive legislation. During the hearing, ...

While some state legislatures were slowing down last month, NMMA’s state advocacy efforts were heating up in others, with thirty-three states still in the middle of their legislative sessions and one in a special session. During this period, the recreational boating industry celebrated a major win in Florida, as the state’s legislature passed uniformed vessel titling legislation. Ranging from highly ...

NMMA will raise its state political advocacy to a new level on September 11, 2019, with the inaugural Michigan political fly-in. To be held in state’s capitol in Lansing, the event will focus on bringing its priorities of an outdoor recreational office, aquatic invasive species prevention and elimination, workforce development, and business taxes to decision makers. Click here to register. Expanding ...

NMMA Canada and the Canadian Marine Trades Associations were recently advised by the Government of Canada that effective April 30, 2019, all retaliatory tariffs on U.S. recreational boats entering Canada have been removed. A joint statement from NMMA Canada and NMMA said this marks the most positive development for the industry since the tariff issues first emerged. The action from ...