The U.S. Coast Guard announced that they have awarded 24 competitive grants totaling more than $4.8 million for recreational boating safety initiatives. Fourteen national Non-Profit organizations received cooperative agreement funding to advance the National Recreational Boating Safety Strategic Plan objectives designed to reduce the number of accidents, injuries and deaths on America's waterways and to facilitate a safe, enjoyable boating experience for the public. Grant recipients will receive funds for multiple endeavors, including: increasing life jacket wear rates, standardize national boating safety training courses, reduce alcohol related boating fatalities, and conduct multiple media outreach safety campaigns. The grant program, which is annually distributed by the US Coast Guard from the federal Sport Fishing Restoration and Boating Trust Fund apportionment, also encourages greater non-profit organization participation and standardization across the 56 states & territories in boating safety efforts.