Government introduces Great American Outdoors Act - MarineBusinessWorld North America newsletter
by Peter Rendle 17 Jun 08:00 PDT
Westerman and Huffman introduce Bipartisan Great American Outdoors Act 250 © American Sportfishing Association
On June 10, House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) and Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) introduced the bipartisan Great American Outdoors Act 250 (GAOA 250).
The GAOA 250 invests $1.9 billion annually to address deferred maintenance of outdoor recreation infrastructure on America's public lands and waters over each of the next five years, including campgrounds, trails, boat ramps, hunting and fishing sites and other recreational sites. "Public lands and waters are the lifeblood of the sportfishing industry and the entire recreational fishing community, which contributes $230 billion to the nation's economy," said Glenn Hughes, President & CEO of the American Sportfishing Association.
Last week, as part of National Fishing & Boating Week, the industry coalesced around a single goal - pick up trash along our favorite local waterways and improve fishing for America's 57 million anglers. As part of this inaugural effort, known as the Million Pound Challenge, 31 companies and state fisheries management agencies hosted over 63 cleanups across the country, removing debris from rivers, lakes and beaches.
Groupe Beneteau have announced a targeted adaptation of certain US operations in a market affected by the Middle East conflict. Production halt at Cadillac (Michigan) facility in Q3 2026, with planned divestiture of the site and Four Winns, Glastron and Scarab Jet brands is a targeted operation affecting activities representing less than 5% of Group revenue in 2025. It is a measure designed to concentrate resources on developing the Group's seven strategic brands, without questioning its ambitions on the American market.
The 40OF Team is proud to announce a strategic collaboration with Moore Brothers Company of Bristol, Rhode Island, who will represent the full-foiling offshore yacht across the United States, Canada and the Caribbean while serving as the project's North American build and development partner. Designed by Wilson/Marquinez Naval Architecture, the 40OF represents the next step in high-performance racing.
For decades, yacht clubs have relied on a significant amount of manpower, increasingly difficult to sustain. Now sailors have less free time and volunteer pools are shrinking. Yet expectations for high-quality race management continue to rise. Fortunately, a new generation of race management technology is helping: robotic race marks, integrated wind sensors, automated race management systems and GPS-enabled performance tracking.
A major new international study has, for the first time, quantified the full economic footprint of the global superyacht industry - revealing a €54 billion ecosystem that stretches far beyond luxury tourism into advanced manufacturing, skilled employment and coastal economies worldwide. Released as the global superyacht fleet surpasses 6,100 vessels, the research by Deloitte and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam shows the sector has evolved into a significant economic force, supporting everything from Mediterranean tourism infrastructure to advanced European engineering, manufacturing and marine innovation.
Ahead of National Safe Boating Week (May 16-22), the Sea Tow Foundation, a national non-profit organization dedicated to preventing boating-related accidents and fatalities, announced a record-breaking year for its Life Jacket Loaner Program, with 9,990 life jackets awarded to communities around the country marking the highest number ever distributed in a single year.
More news, updated daily, at www.marinebusinessworld.com/NorthAmerica
Peter Rendle - peter.rendle@worldmarine.media