If you are a member of a non-profit, boating related organization you
might want to know that your group can submit a proposal to Boat US and
perhaps be awarded up to $4000 with which to run a clean water
campaign.

Details:

NEWS From BoatU.S.
Boat Owners Association of The United States
880 S. Pickett St., Alexandria, VA 22304
BoatU.S. News Room at http://www.BoatUS.com/news/releases.asp

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact: Susan Shingledecker, , 703
461-2878 x8358
November 8, 2006

APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE FOR BOATU.S. FOUNDATION CLEAN WATER GRANTS

Marine Debris Focus Topic for 2007

The BoatU.S. Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water is offering
grant funds up to $4,000 for non-profit groups to develop projects that
educate boaters about clean water issues and environmental stewardship
of our waterways. While projects involving the reduction of trash and
other foreign marine debris in our waterways will receive extra
consideration this year, applicants are encouraged to submit any
proposal that strives to improve the marine environment. The deadline
to apply is February 1, 2007.

"Eighty percent of all marine debris -- such as plastic bottles,
cigarette butts, automobile tires and industrial waste -- starts out on
land and ends up in the water. Not only is it unpleasant to look at,
but the trash can significantly harm marine life as well as be a
navigational hazard. The easiest way to reduce marine debris is to
prevent it from reaching the water in the first place," says Susan
Shingledecker, Environmental Program Manager for the BoatU.S.
Foundation.

Last year's Clean Water Grant program received 65 proposals. Of these,
18 projects in 14 states were selected for funding for a total of
nearly $50,000 in grant funds.

Pennsylvania Sea Grant, one of the Foundation's previous grantees, has
been awarded a Clean Water Grants Excellence Award for their work
educating boaters about invasive species. Their original grant of $3880
was used to create signs educating boaters on how to identify invasive
species and prevent their spread from one waterway to another. The
Excellence Award includes an additional $500 to continue the
organization's efforts.

To view previous grant projects, learn more about marine debris, please
visit http://www.BoatUS.com/foundation/cleanwater/grants Applications
must be submitted electronically or postmarked by midnight February 1,
2007.

The BoatU.S. 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 670,000 members
of BoatU.S. 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, a free kid's Life Jacket Loaner
Program, and has awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants for
nonprofit groups for boating safety and environmental projects.

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