Local Marine Patrol Units Receive Over $564,000

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Watercraft has awarded a total of $564,564 in Marine Patrol Assistance Grants to 28 local communities to assist in enforcing boating laws and maintaining safety on state waterways.

Local law enforcement agencies use the grant funding to provide emergency response to boating-related accidents, perform routine patrols on area waterways and to purchase safety equipment for use on marine patrol vessels.

"We value the services provided by our local marine patrol partners to keep Ohio waterways safe," said Pamela S. Dillon, chief of the ODNR Division of Watercraft. "We are proud to support those efforts through our Marine Patrol Assistance Grant Program."

This year's marine patrol assistance grants range from a low of $7,778 awarded to Ohio State Parks for the Indian Lake water patrol, to a high of $32,000 each for the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District and the Summit County Sheriff's Office.

Funding for the grant program is provided through the state's Waterways Safety Fund, which includes a share of the state motor fuels tax, watercraft registration and titling fees and funding from the U.S. Coast Guard. A minimum 25 percent local funding match is required of Marine Patrol Assistance Grant recipients.