COLUMBUS, OH - Ohio boaters are encouraged to take a friend or family member boating this year as part of a national campaign to promote recreational boating, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).
Ohios numerous lakes and streams provide a variety of boating opportunities, said Jeff Hoedt, chief of the ODNR Division of Watercraft. Through the Take Me Boating program, seasoned boaters are encouraged to introduce others to the fun and excitement boating has to offer.
As part of this effort, initiated last year in cooperation with the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation, boaters are encouraged to pledge they will introduce nonboaters to the enjoyment of recreational boating. By filling in the names and addresses of the boater and his or her non-boating companion, plus the location and date of at least one boater outing on the water, the pledge cards are then returned to the Division of Watercraft. In return, each participant will be sent a new Take Me Boating 2002 lapel pin.
The Division of Watercraft is distributing approximately 75,000 Take Me Boating pledge cards this season to various locations around the state, including marinas, boat dealers and state parks. A pledge card and other program information can be obtained from the ODNR web site at Ohiodnr.com
The Division of Watercraft also is co-sponsoring a number of Take Me Boating events around Ohio in May and June. A listing of these special events is available from the ODNR web site as well as from www.WaterWorksWonders.org that is maintained by the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation.
Ohio has 417,204 registered watercraft, ranking it eighth nationally in the number of boaters. In addition to Lake Erie and the Ohio River, the Buckeye State also features more than 60,000 miles of streams and rivers and more than over 200 inland lakes.