BoatU.S. Foundation distributes Clean Water grants

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The BoatU.S. Foundation for Boating Safety & Clean Water has awarded $40,000 in grants to nonprofit organizations around the country to support efforts to educate boaters on how to reduce their environmental impact on waterways, according to a statement from the organization Wednesday.

A special emphasis was made this year to support projects designed to help reduce the spread of aquatic nuisance species.

“Community groups using America’s waterways often offer the most innovative ideas to protect our waters,” said Margaret Podlich, environmental director of the BoatU.S. Foundation. “Working with smaller, local groups allows us to take a bottom up approach that helps boaters understand that keeping our waterways clean starts on the lake, river or ocean in your own backyard.”

Over 100 grant applications were received. After a thorough selection process, 21 grants were awarded. Seventeen of the grants were devoted to the subject of aquatic nuisance species. Some of the projects include invasive species signage at launch ramps and marinas, and the printing of a new guidebook for greener habits at do-it-yourself boatyards.

The Clean Water grant program was established in 1999 to help local volunteer groups educate boaters on ways to minimize their impact on the environment. Since that time, over $100,000 in funding has been dispersed nationwide. This grant program, as well as other BoatU.S. Foundation projects, is funded primarily by donations from members of the Boat Owners Association of The United States.

BoatU.S. Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water 2005 Clean Water grant recipients:

California:
League to Save Lake Tahoe of South Lake Tahoe, Calif., to design and erect 15 signs on protecting Lake Tahoe from Eurasian water milfoil and curlyleaf pondweed.
Shasta Roots and Shoots of Cottonwood, Calif., to build two displays on aquatic nuisance species and three monofilament line recycling bins along the Sacramento River.

Colorado:
U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary 8WR-01-06 of Loveland, Colo., to print 12,000 copies of a three-panel color brochure called “It’s Your Water” which focuses on water quality issues that boaters can address, including aquatic nuisance species, litter and oil pollution.

Florida:
Cockroach Bay User’s Group of Sun City Center, Fla., to produce educational panels for four informational kiosks on topics like clean boating practices, reducing the spread of invasive species and the location of seagrass and manatee protection areas.
U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary 07-08-81-87,89 of Bradenton, Fla., to develop and print 1,600 laminated full-color cards with pictures and descriptions of aquatic nuisance species affecting Tampa Bay.

Maine:
Friends of the Cobbossee Watershed of Augusta, Maine, to construct a boat wash station at Pleasant Pond to help prevent the spread of variable milfoil leaf.

Massachusetts:
Community Boating Center of New Bedford, Mass., to buy supplies for students to create posters on aquatic nuisance species to hang at community boating centers and to share with other concerned boaters and organizations in the community.

Maryland:
U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary 5-4-45 of Easton, Md., to develop and print three new brochures and bookmarks on clean boating topics.

Minnesota:
Minnesota Lakes Association of Brainerd, Minn., to print 6,000 info cards on zebra mussels to distribute in the five-county Central Lakes area.
Rice County Coalition of Lake Associations of Faribault, Minn., to produce eight metal waterproof signs about preventing the spread of aquatic nuisance species in Rice County.

Nevada:
Lake Mead Boat Owners Association of Henderson, Nev., to print 20,000 color flyers to help boaters identify and prevent the spread of zebra mussels.
Lake Region Angler Association of Devil’s Lake, Nev., to purchase two portable power washers and retrofit a stall at a local carwash to wash boats to help prevent an infection of aquatic nuisance species in Devil’s Lake.

New Hampshire:
Lake Sunapee Protective Association of Sunapee, N.H., to build a boat wash station and print brochures, signs and info cards to help prevent the further spread of variable water milfoil on Lake Sunapee.

New York:
Conesus Lake Association of Lakeville, N.Y., to update and print 10,000 copies of its “Welcome to Lake Conesus” brochure to include information about cleaner boating practices and aquatic nuisance species.

Save the River, Upper St. Lawrence Riverkeeper of the Thousand Islands Region, N.Y.,
to print student-designed posters about aquatic nuisance species and purchase ID cards on aquatic nuisance species.

Ohio:
Ohio River Foundation of Cleveland, Ohio, to develop and distribute 3,500 flyers on aquatic nuisance species of the Ohio River and to develop two web pages on the topic.

Pennsylvania:
Pennsylvania Sea Grant of Chester, Penn., to develop and print 8,000 zebra/quagga mussel watch cards, 8,000 snakehead watch cards and 400 boat washing posters.

Rhode Island:
Committee for the Great Salt Pond of Block Island, R.I., to print colorable placemats about the ecosystem and local boating-related regulations.

Vermont:
Friends of the Green River Reservoir of Hyde Park, Vt., to print and post a 3 feet by 3 feet aluminum sign on aquatic nuisance species developed by a design student from a local technical school.

Washington:
Puget Soundkeeper Alliance of Seattle, to develop and print 2,000 copies of a new guide for do-it-yourself boaters in boat yards that promotes good environmental practices.

Wisconsin:
Friends of the Gile Flowage of Pence, Wis., to support the cost of building one informational kiosk, producing boater resource kits and conducting a boater survey.

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