COLUMBUS, OH -- Dean Palmer of Ironton has been named the 2003 Watercraft Officer of the Year by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Watercraft.
Palmer was recognized for helping to keep Ohio's waterways safer and more enjoyable. Palmer was promoted in September to area supervisor for state boating programs in southern Ohio. He works out of the division's Portsmouth field office in Scioto County.
He joined ODNR as a state watercraft officer in 1990, enforcing watercraft laws on the Ohio River in addition to other southern Ohio lakes and waterways. Palmer is a former patrolman with the Coal Grove Police Department and veteran of the U.S. Navy.
The ODNR Division of Watercraft administers Ohio's boating programs, including watercraft registration and titling operations, and provides grants to local communities for enforcement, education and boating access facilities. The division investigates boating accidents and related fatalities, and enforces state boating laws on Ohio's waterways. These and other Division of Watercraft programs are funded through a portion of the state gasoline sales tax in addition to boat registration and titling fees.