Local Agencies Receive Funding through Waterways Safety Fund

COLUMBUS, OH – The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) will award more than $570,000 from the state’s Waterways Safety Fund to help support 23 community public safety agencies next year.

Individual grant awards provided through the ODNR Division of Watercraft’s Marine Patrol Assistance Grant program range from $13,518 to $32,000. The grants are funded by Ohio’s recreational boaters through the Waterways Safety Fund, which is comprised of a share of the state motor fuel tax, watercraft registration and titling fees as well as funding from the U.S. Coast Guard.

The ODNR Division of Watercraft provides assistance to local public safety agencies for the purpose of supporting local marine patrol programs through a competitive grant program. The division partners with these local agencies to advance the division’s mission of providing the finest boating services, facilities, protection and education for users of Ohio waterways.

The grants are used by local law enforcement agencies to provide emergency response to boating-related accidents, routine patrols on area waterways and to purchase safety equipment for use on marine patrol vessels.

A listing of the 2014 Marine Patrol Assistance Grant awards can be found online at watercraft.ohiodnr.gov.