Ohio Communities to receive more than $272,000 for boating safety education

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio’s Waterways Safety Fund is providing a total of $272,975.88 to support 19 community boating safety education programs in 2017, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).

The ODNR Division of Parks and Watercraft provides boating safety education programs to communities throughout Ohio. These programs help keep boaters and their families safer when they are out on the water. The division is able to accomplish this mission by providing annual funding assistance to local communities and nonprofit organizations through a competitive grant program.

Individual grant awards provided through the ODNR Division of Parks and Watercraft’s Boating Safety Education Grant program range from $1,500.91 to $30,000. 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 and funding from the U.S. Coast Guard.

The programs work to ensure that Ohioans have a safe and enjoyable watercraft experience. Ohio law requires any person born on or after Jan. 1, 1982, to show proof that they have successfully completed an approved boating safety education course if they are operating any powered watercraft greater than 10 horsepower. Many of the safety programs also focus on boating skills development and basic water safety.

A listing of the 2017 Boating Safety Education grant program awards can be found online at watercraft.ohiodnr.gov.

ODNR ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR website at ohiodnr.gov.