By Jamie Stafford

The importance of this summit for the boating industry cannot be overstated . NMMA is proactive in pursuing legislative action on behalf of the industry , but the organization also prioritizes educating those within the industry on the importance of advocacy and participation .

Over the years , NMMA has had to roll with the punches as lockdowns restricted movement and outright banned large gatherings . However , 2022 marked the return of an in-person ABC , and it was received with much enthusiasm from both government officials and attendees . During last year ’ s event , NMMA debuted the first Product Showcase at the Wharf in D . C . They addressed issues ranging from workforce development to the Water Infrastructure Bill and made some big wins on reauthorization legislation .

In 2023 , NMMA doesn ’ t plan on letting off the gas . The organization works tirelessly yearround to prepare for this event and to prepare the industry as well . Boating Industry sat down with Callie Hoyt , the Senior Director of Government Relations for NMMA , to talk about top-of-mind issues heading into this year ’ s ABC , strategies for collaborating with legislators and how the industry can get involved .

Boating Industry : What were some important achievements that NMMA accomplished in the lead up to this year ’ s ABC ? Callie Hoyt : There were some big policy areas that we really raised the profile of and ended up being successful in final passage of . First , there was the reauthorization of the Water Resources Development Act , or WRDA . WRDA is a major water infrastructure bill , and what it does is set the policy and funding for the U . S . Army Corps of Engineers . People don ’ t realize just how much of an impact the Army Corps has on the recreational boating industry , whether that ’ s federal harbor and waterway maintenance , to the robust systems of lakes and reservoirs across the country that the Corps is responsible for managing .

In fact , the Corps is number two in overall federal outdoor recreation visitation , which is why this bill ’ s reauthorization is so important . That typically happens on a biannual basis , or every two years , which is great for us because it ’ s always an active issue . As soon as the reauthorization passes , we ’ re working on the next one .

In addition to WRDA , we were advocating in support of the CHIPS act . That legislation ended up getting passed , which secured $ 54 billion in funding to support domestic semi-conductor manufacturing .

The final piece I ’ ll mention is that NMMA is always very actively involved in the appropriation cycle , which offers an opportunity to get federal funding towards industry priorities . The topline item on the appropriations front is that we helped to get $ 764 million appropriated for Great Lakes and Everglades restoration funding as well as towards the national marine sanctuaries .

Callie Hoyt , Senior Director of Government Relations , NMMA

BI : You mentioned the CHIPS act and semiconductors , neither of which seem immediately related to the boating industry . How can legislation outside of the industry still affect the people and businesses within it ? CH : A lot of products are now dependent on semiconductors – today ’ s boats are practically computers out on the water . The U . S . currently doesn ’ t have a lot of domestic manufacturing in this sector , which makes accessing supply chains difficult , since semiconductors are coming from other countries . The funding from the CHIPS act is really going to spur domestic manufacturing , so our U . S . -based marine manufacturers are going to have more access to more semiconductors that are needed to get their products out on the market .

Overall , the NMMA has many different stakeholder groups and communities we work with . When it comes to manufacturing , that ’ s where we

40 March 2023 www . boatingindustry . com