ALEXANDRIA, VA, April 20, 2009 – Is there someone in your town who has helped boaters be more environmentally responsible and made their local waterways cleaner?

With Earth Day’s arrival April 22, the BoatUS Foundation plans to honor those who have made a significant contribution towards improving waterway health and educating boaters on how to minimize their environmental impact.  Any group, organization, company, marina or individual who has worked hard to make a difference is eligible for the 2009 BoatUS Foundation Environmental Leadership Award.  The recipient also receives $1,000 to help continue their environmental efforts.  The deadline to apply is June 30, 2009.

“We are looking for nominees who have had a real impact,” said Susan Shingledecker, assistant vice president and director of environmental programs for the BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water.  “For example, the award could go to a group that has cleaned up miles of beaches, a hometown marina that has led the way in helping keep our waterways clean, or a boat club member who has spearheaded a local environmental education campaign,” she added. 

The award was created to complement the efforts of the BoatUS Foundation, which has a long history of working with waterway users, marinas and local organizations throughout the country to help bring environmental messages directly to boaters.

Applications and more information about the award are available at http://www.BoatUS.com/Foundation.  Any questions may be directed to Shingledecker at SShingledecker@BoatUS.com.

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About the BoatUS Foundation:

The BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit education and research organization primarily funded by the voluntary contributions of the 600,000 members of BoatUS.  The Foundation operates more than a dozen programs including the only accredited, free, online general boating safety course, a low-cost EPIRB rental program, the “Help Stop the Drops” national clean fueling campaign, and a free kid’s Life Jacket Loaner Program. It has awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants for nonprofit groups for boating safety and environmental projects.