Bay Point Marina Becomes Ohio's First Platinum Clean Marina
New certification system recognizes marinas for overall excellence and efforts
Published: Tuesday, October 9, 2018
According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), the Bay Point Marina in Marblehead earned Ohio’s first platinum Ohio Clean Marina certification, which is now the highest certification available in the state.
Bay Point Marina is the first marina statewide to participate in the new tiered certification structure offered by the Ohio Clean Marinas Program, which is a partnership between ODNR and the Ohio Sea Grant.
Located at the confluence of Sandusky Bay and the Lake Erie shoreline, Bay Point Marina achieved platinum status by meeting the criteria of the Ohio Clean Marinas Program. Additionally, Bay Point has adopted best management practices in five categories: marina management; habitat and species; employee training and community outreach; resiliency; and boater education.
At the beginning of 2018, the program designed a new certification structure to fit the needs of various marinas throughout the state. Last summer, Ohio Clean Marina staff gathered input from state agencies, topic experts, and marinas to formulate new criteria. The new program was piloted at five marinas across the state for evaluation, and the feedback was positive. Today, Ohio marinas are eligible for base, gold, or platinum certification.
In conjunction with the new certification structure, the program was awarded a Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grant through the Great Lakes Clean Marinas Network to develop an “Ideal Clean Marina” rendering. The final product map highlights these best management practices in visual format.
The Ohio Clean Marinas Program recognizes marinas that adopt best management practices to improve the environmental, educational, and economic aspects of their operations. The program also administers the Ohio Clean Boater Program, an individual stewardship program encouraging boaters to be more aware of the environmental impact of their boating activities. A program overview and series of YouTube videos on clean boating can be seen at www.go.osu.edu/CleanMarinasYouTube.
To learn more, visit www.ohioseagrant.osu.edu/clean or contact the Ohio Clean Marinas Program at [email protected].
tags: Awards, Dept of Natural Resources, Environmental Impact, Lake Erie, Marina
