Sandusky, OH The Ohio Clean Marinas Program is looking to increase the number of participating certified marinas and recreational boaters who are working together through shared partnerships in the Lake Erie region to promote water quality stewardship.

At the end of 2011, the program had 37 certified Ohio Clean Marinas. Personnel at an additional 32 Lake Erie marinas are presently working to attain their official Ohio Clean Marina Program certification. "We enjoyed a positive 2011 and are expecting to achieve more this year to increase awareness and participation throughout the Great Lakes, said Sarah Orlando, extension educator with Ohio Sea Grant and coordinator of the Ohio Clean Marinas and Clean Boaters programs.

Among the achievements in 2011 for the Ohio Clean Marinas Program were:

• Over 155,000 lbs. of shrink wrap were kept out of landfills through the Ohio Shrink-Wrap Recycling Program. Four thousand pounds of shrink wrap were collected from boats at the 2011 Mid-America Boat & Fishing Show in Cleveland, and over 150,000 lbs. of shrink wrap were collected in the spring of 2011 from over 100 marinas participating in the recycling effort.

• Turtle Creek Marina in Oak Harbor joined the list of certified Ohio Clean Marinas, making a commitment to voluntarily implement best practices to improve Lake Erie air and water quality.
• Nearly 40 boaters took the Ohio Clean Boater Pledge to follow Best Boater Practices (BBPs) to improve Ohio’s water resources. There now are 735 pledged Clean Boaters throughout Ohio! To take the pledge, go to: ohioseagrant.osu.edu/cleanboaters/pledge
• A research project was conducted on enhancing artificial habitat structures at marinas and its effect on fish populations. A summary is available at: ohioseagrant.osu.edu/_documents/cmarina/fishhabitat.pdf
• Ohio joined forces with Michigan and Wisconsin Sea Grant through a regional Green Marinas Education and Outreach project, supported by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. The project is geared toward improving educational opportunities for Clean Marinas. More information can be found at: miseagrant.umich.edu/greenmarina/index.html

The Ohio Clean Marinas Program ohiocleanmarina.osu.edu is a proactive partnership developed in cooperation among the Ohio Sea Grant College Program, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the Lake Erie Marine Trades Association and other partners to encourage marinas and boaters to use simple, innovative solutions to keep Ohio’s coastal and inland waterway resources clean. The Ohio Clean Marinas and Ohio Clean Boaters programs together promote environmental stewardship by making marinas and boaters more aware of environmental laws, rules and jurisdictions, and to get as many marinas as possible to follow best management practices and to become designated as "Clean Marinas."

For more information, contact

Sarah Orlando
Ohio Clean Marinas Program
419.609.4120