The N.C. Division of Coastal Management recently received a national award associated with its Clean Marina Program.
Pat Durrett, who coordinates the Clean Marina, Clean Boater and Pumpout Station Grant programs, accepted the 2019 Program Excellence Award, State Clean Vessel Act on behalf of the division at the States Organization for Boating Access’ 33rd Annual Boating Access Education & Training Symposium held Sept. 11 in Portsmouth, Virginia.
“The Division of Coastal Management is proud to receive this award,” said division Director Braxton Davis. “Receiving national recognition is a strong indication of Pat’s professionalism and dedication to these programs and to North Carolina’s coastal resources.”
Clean Marina is a voluntary program in which participating marina operators earn certification by using best management practices to protect water quality. The Clean Boater Program allows boaters to sign pledges to use pollution prevention measures and best management practices. The Pumpout Station Grant Program, funded by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, provides financial assistance to marinas and other docking facilities for the installation and renovation of pumpout and dump stations. The three programs work together to meet provisions of the federal Clean Vessel Act of 1992.
The States Organization for Boating Access is a consortium of state boating officials with a mission to encourage, promote and support federal and state programs that provide safe, high-quality and environmentally sound public recreational boat access to the waterways of the United States and its territories. It presents awards annually to agencies, groups, local governments, or corporations for boating facility projects that it judges to be innovative, useful, of high quality, unique, and economical.
The N.C. Division of Coastal Management was chosen for the Program Excellence Award, State Clean Vessel Act because of its outstanding commitment to the Clean Vessel Act programs, according to an organization news release. The division’s programs are managed by a single, part-time staff member who oversees all three programs.