COLUMBUS, OH – Blaine Downing of Parma has been named the 2011 Ohio Watercraft Officer of the Year by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Watercraft.
Downing joined the Division of Watercraft in 2000 as a state watercraft officer assigned to the Cleveland area office where he patrols Lake Erie and waterways throughout Cuyahoga, Lorain and Medina counties. Downing is a certified advanced river rescue instructor, an Ohio Boating Education Course instructor, small boat operations instructor and field training officer.
He earned an Associate’s Degree in fish and wildlife management from Hocking College in 1994 and a Bachelor’s Degree in parks, recreation and tourism administration from The Ohio State University in 1998.
The ODNR Division of Watercraft administers Ohio’s boating programs. The agency oversees watercraft registration and titling operations, provides funding to local communities for education, enforcement and boating access facilities, educates the public, and enforces boating laws on Ohio’s waterways.
The ODNR ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR Web site at
www.ohiodnr.com.
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For more information, contact:
John Wisse, ODNR Division of Watercraft
614. 265. 6695
Jason Fallon, ODNR Office of Communications
614. 265. 6842