The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission approved rule amendments during its September meeting, creating a block grant option within the already established FWC derelict vessel and public nuisance vessel removal grant program. In collaboration with city and county partners, the FWC Boating and Waterways Section proposed the block grant funding option within the existing program to allow an additional reimbursement option for ongoing vessel removals in areas that remove a substantial number of DVs annually. Agency officials said the amendment to the guidelines and application will allow block grant funding to be awarded to eligible governments based on the removal data from prior years. Local municipalities will be paid from those funds upon submission of documentation of the removal of eligible vessels. Eligible governments must have removed 40 or more vessels within a three-year period over the preceding five calendar years. The funding for each block grant award will be based on a formula that includes the average number of vessel removals for the applicant and the statewide average cost per removal.