This hidden cove adjacent to Roque Bluffs State Park, Maine, which has been used as a local dumping ground for end-of-life commercial vessels for years, will have ADVs removed as part of a groundbreaking removal program. (credit: John Noll, State of ME)
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An abandoned derelict vessel at imminent risk of sinking at the Port of Newport, Oregon, will be removed under a groundbreaking removal program. (credit Dorothy Diehl, Oregon Dept. of State Lands)
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SPRINGFIELD, Va, July 31, 2025 – In a first-of-its-kind effort across six states and two unincorporated territories, dozens of coastal communities will see a significant investment in removing more than 300 abandoned and derelict vessels (ADVs) from their local waters. With four-year project funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Marine Debris Program, administered through the BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water, the ADV grants will fund removal and education efforts in communities heavily impacted by ADVs and the navigation, safety and pollution hazards they pose. 

The projects were selected by a panel of independent salvage experts, state boating advocates, nonprofit research organization and planning agency staff under a program created by the nonprofit BoatUS Foundation with NOAA funding to remove abandoned and damaged boats from our nation’s coasts and the Great Lakes.

Work on the ADV removal projects is expected to mobilize salvage crews across each of the announced grant areas later this year as local environmental reviews are completed. Both recreational and commercial ADVs are targeted for removal.

The awarded states, communities, organizations and programs include:

• Metlakatla Indian Community, Alaska
• City & Borough of Yakutat, Alaska
• Sitka Conservation Society, Alaska
• Terrebonne Parish Consolidated Government, Louisiana
• Makah Indian Tribe of the Makah Indian Reservation, Washington
• State of Maine
• U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources
• North Carolina Coastal Federation
• Oregon Department of State Lands
• Port Authority of Guam

“This is the first coordinated ADV removal effort across the country and across time zones to address the issue head on,” said BoatUS Foundation Director of Outreach Alanna Keating. “It follows years of good work by NOAA as well as dedicated partners in removal efforts to rid our waters of these hazards. However, there’s never been an effort before at this scale, and we’re proud of making it happen for the boating public and affected communities.”

The ADV removal effort also includes creation of a first-of-its-kind national database to pinpoint locations of ADVs and track their removal. NOAA grant funds also document ADV prevention and removal activities to share with the public and support a national dialogue and education efforts on boating-related debris disposal. This includes the 2^nd Annual “Turning the Tide” summit scheduled for December 2026 in New Orleans, which will offer attendees a range of resources, enlightening panels and keynote addresses focusing on ADVs and marine waste streams.

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ABOUT:

BoatUS Foundation is leading a nationally competitive grant program for the removal of abandoned and derelict vessels throughout coastal and marine areas of the United States, including the Great Lakes, U.S. territories, and Freely Associated States. This project is supported by the NOAA Marine Debris Program. In an effort to help educate and prevent future ADVs, the Foundation will also create a national ADV database to track the scope of the challenge and measure success, document ADV prevention and removal activities to share with the public, and support a national dialogue and education efforts on boating-related debris disposal. Learn more about the Marine Debris Program by visiting marinedebris.noaa.gov.