COLUMBUS, OH A new publication detailing boating opportunities in Ohio has been published by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). The guide the first statewide publication of its kind contains a complete list of public boat launch ramps and other boating facilities for each of Ohios 88 counties, along with amenities offered at specific facilities such as campgrounds, picnic areas, telephones and restrooms.
The full-color publication, titled Ohio's Public Boating Facilities, is available free of charge from the ODNR Division of Watercraft and may be accessed on the ODNR web site at www.dnr.state.oh.us/
Ohios numerous waterways provide an abundance of recreational boating opportunities, said Jeff Hoedt, chief of the ODNR Division of Watercraft. Everyone who boats in Ohio will find this new facilities guide a valuable tool providing them with useful information about Ohios lakes and streams, boating practices and regulations and much more.
The 80-page guide also includes information about safe boating practices, lock navigation, commercial fishing practices, environmental conditions, Ohio River boating, and facts about aquatic nuisance species. Additionally, it provides an official form for reporting a boating accident.
Boating plays a significant role in Ohio's outdoor recreation industry by contributing an estimated $1.4 billion to the state's economy and supporting 19,500 jobs. In a 1999 survey of visitors to Ohio by the Ohio Department of Development, Division of Travel and Tourism, 62 percent of respondents said the Buckeye State was an excellent boating destination.
Ohio ranked eighth nationally last year with a record 416,798 registered recreational watercraft.
In addition to the agencys web site, the facilities guide may be obtained through by calling 1-877-4BOATER.
For Further Information Contact:
John Wisse, ODNR Division of Watercraft
(614) 265-6695
-or-
Andy Ware, ODNR Media Relations
(614) 265-6882