CAMBRIDGE, Md. - The state of Maryland is urging boaters to hop aboard a program, aimed at cleaning up the state's marinas.
One hundred seventeen Marinas in Maryland are certified with the Department of Natural Resources program called the Clean Marina Initiative. The programs goals are to educate boaters and marina owners on creating a cleaner and safer environment. DNR hosts seminars to discuss how to reduce pollution, emergency planning, and marina management.
DNR Program Manager Donna Morrow says it's extremely important for marinas to take care of the water. She says, "Marinas are located right at the waters edge. They are that last chance to stop any pollutants from going into the bay and into the river or the creek." She added, "They are also the place where, if you think about it as a funnel, the boaters come from all over the place but before they get on the water let’s say they go through the marina. It’s a great opportunity to educate them and then they go back out and mass on the waterways. The marinas a really, really important."
One of those certified marinas is the Choptank Marina in Caroline County. They have been certified for over 10 years and they say they have seen an improvement in the water and how boaters take care of it. Parks and Capital projects manager Mark Lasocha says, "You can tell a difference in the area. People take pride in the fact that it's a clean marina so our patrons take pride in that."
And Morrow agrees. She says, "They have seen in and around their water at the marina, that things are better. They see more bat grasses and they see wildlife coming back."
One of the seminars will be held next Thursday Feb. 9 at the Cambridge Yacht Club. The club is not certified but DNR would like it to join. One boater who docks at the club says, "I think it's important for organizations to sign onto initiatives to keep the bay clean, to keep the water clean, and make sure that we have sustainable practices around boating and enjoying the bay," says Ross Fortner.
More moving parts toward a cleaner Chesapeake Bay.
