RECORD AMOUNT OF BOATING SAFETY GRANTS AWARDED STATEWIDE

2004 ODNR Boating Education Grant Recipients
County	Recipient	Amount
Ashtabula	Ashtabula Education Center	$9,930
Butler	USCG Auxiliary Flotilla 05-04	$8,240
Clinton	American Canoe Association	$12,340
Cuyahoga	Cleveland Metro Parks	$23,000
	Berea Power Squadrons	$11,060
	Greater Cleveland Boating Safety Council	$14,000
	U.S. Power Squadrons District 7	$28,580
	Lake Erie Marine Trades Association	$11,600
	Bay Village Schools	$11,755
	Orange Community Education & Recreation	$16,051
	USCG Auxiliary Flotilla 07-03	$8,788
Delaware	Central Ohio Safe Boating Council	$13,296
Erie	Sandusky Power Squadrons	$4,000
	B-About Ministry	$3,500
Franklin	USCG Auxiliary Flotilla 18-06	$18,580
Lake	Spirit of America Foundation	$24,062
	Lake County Metroparks	$10,800
	City of Mentor	$13,350
Lawrence	Lawrence County Sheriff's Office	$10,050
Lorain	Lorain County Metroparks	$10,196
	Lorain County Spirit of America	$11,905
Mahoning	Youngstown Power Squadrons	$11,295
Medina	USCG Auxiliary Flotilla 09-02	$4,883
Montgomery	Miami Conservancy District	$30,000
	Dayton Power Squadrons	$11,950
Richland	Mohican Out-of-Doors School	$14,300
Summit	CYO Camp Christopher	$6,918
	City of Barberton	$9,500
Tuscarawas	Mineral City Elementary School	$1,065

COLUMBUS, OH -- A record $364,994 in grants have been awarded to 29 organizations across the state by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) to conduct and promote safe boating education programs this year. The grants range from $1,065 to $30,000 each.

The ODNR Division of Watercraft administers the grants each year to assist local boating organizations in increasing boating education, and helping younger boaters meet the provisions of Ohio's mandatory boater education law.

State law requires anyone born on or after January 1, 1982 to successfully complete the Ohio Boater Education Course, or other boater education courses approved by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators. More than 12,000 persons successfully completed approved boater education courses in 2003, of which more than one-third were required to do so because of their age.

Grant funding for boater education programs is provided through the state's Waterways Safety Fund, which is supported by a portion of the state gasoline tax, watercraft registration and titling fees, and funding from the U.S. Coast Guard. Last year, ODNR awarded 34 organizations a total of $353,000 in boating safety education grants.

The ODNR Division of Watercraft, U.S. Power Squadrons, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and other boating partners will offer more than 350 boating education classes this year throughout Ohio. Additional information on boating education and related programs can be obtained by visiting the ODNR web site at ohiodnr.com or by calling 1-(877) 4BOATER.