DANA POINT A state Fish and Game patrol boat called the “Thresher” will likely get a new engine, trash will be cleared in Newport Bay and invasive species will be removed from Talbert Marsh – just a few ways nearly $25 million in federal coastal grants would be spent throughout the state.

The Minerals Management Service, a federal agency whose main job is to watch over oil and gas production offshore, announced approval of  California’s plans for the grants Monday aboard the Thresher while it was docked in Dana Point. The boat is used, among other things, to catch poachers along the coast.

The agency is part of the Department of the Interior, which approved $24.7 million for California agencies for 89 projects, $16 million to the state itself and $8.7 million to be divided among 17 coastal counties under the Coastal Impact Assistance Program.

The state’s budget crisis made Orange County and state officials especially grateful for the grants, paid for with revenue from oil and gas leases and dispersed by the Minerals Management Service to benefit coastal and marine habitats.

“In these unprecedented budgetary times, this is a lifeline thrown to the law enforcement division,” said Nancy Foley, chief of the division at Fish and Game.

Each agency must now apply for the grants set forth in the California plan. Fish and Game is expected to receive $1 million to refurbish its boats. Replacing engines on Fish and Game patrol boats should cut their pollution output, make them more energy efficient and possibly allow patrols to increase by 20 percent, Foley said.

Fish and Game wardens aboard the Thresher said budgetary constraints mean it can be taken out twice a month for two to three-day patrols each time. Ideally, they said, the boat should go out four times a month.

Poachers along the coast are aware of the limited patrols, they said, and may be attempting to take advantage of the situation.

About $541,000 in grants is marked for Orange County, so far including $225,000 for the Newport Bay watershed stormwater trash management program and $197,174 to remove non-native, invasive species, such as giant reed, from Talbert Marsh in Huntington Beach.

That leaves $118,896 either to expand the two county projects or fund a third one.

The Fish and Game grants should allow wardens to catch more poachers, or fishermen who sell fish illegally.

Game warden Spencer Gilbert said the Thresher crew recently caught poachers who were diving on lobster traps and removing the lobsters, surprising the poachers as they tried to carry the lobsters away.

“Everybody has a laugh,” he said. “Then you go to jail in your Speedos.”

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