MEEF to hold clean boating event in Washington, D.C.
WASHINGTON – The Marine Environmental Education Foundation annually sponsors clean boating program success in Washington, D.C., with the National Clean Boating Campaign and will do so again this year, MEEF said in a statement Wednesday.
“The District of Columbia clean marina partnership has made remarkable progress developing its clean marina program,” said Larry Innis, MEEF chairman. “Since its launch in 2001, D.C. has helped 50 percent of its marinas and yacht clubs to receive ‘Clean Marina’ awards. For this reason MEEF is honoring D.C.’s success by bringing our national clean boating campaign celebration to our nation’s capitol. Of the twenty-three Clean Marina programs in the nation, Washington, D.C., has become a true national leader for percent participation.”
The MEEF event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 17, at James Creek Marina. In partnership with the National Park Service and the District’s new department of environment, all District of Columbia yacht clubs and marinas are celebrating that “boating is good clean fun” and are asking all boaters to help “keep it that way,” MEEF said.
“In the past decade the Anacostia and Potomac rivers have been cleaned up quite a bit,” said Steve Ricks, D.C. Clean Marine Committee chairman. “Recently we’ve seen the return of turtles, rockfish, cormorants, blue herons and bald eagles after hundred or more years’ absence. Yes, our waters are cleaner, and our boaters have made a cultural change toward being clean boaters.”
With the waterways becoming cleaner, it is important for all boaters to do their part to control trash, fuel spills and bilge discharge, MEEF said. James Creek Marina will present 17 exhibits to show boaters best practices for cleaner boating.
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