COLUMBUS, OH -- In its continued effort to promote recreational boating, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) this summer has kicked off the "Take Me Boating" pledge program.
"While boating in Ohio remains highly popular among an estimated 3.5 million participants, surveys suggest that half of all Ohioans have never gone boating," said Jeff Hoedt, chief of the ODNR Division of Watercraft.
More than 100,000 "Take Me Boating" pledge cards have been distributed to marinas, boat dealers, state parks and other marine-related locations around the state. Under this new program, initiated in cooperation with the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation, boaters are encouraged to pledge they will introduce non-boaters to the enjoyment of recreational boating.
Boaters fill in their names and addresses and those of his or her two companions, plus the locations and dates of at least three separate outings, then return the pledge cards to the Division of Watercraft. Each participant who returns a pledge card will receive the new "Take Me Boating" 2001 lapel pin.
The "Take Me Boating" pledge card and additional boating information also can be obtained through the ODNR website at www.dnr.state.oh.us.
Ohio has more than 418,000 registered watercraft, ranking it eighth nationally in boater registrations. In addition to Lake Erie and the Ohio River, the Buckeye State also features more than 60,000 miles of streams and rivers and over 200 inland lakes.