NOVEMBER 2010 - Association of Marina Industries

Clean Marina &Environmental NewsEPA Gives Sea Grant $1.5 million forGreat LakesThe federal government has awarded $1.5 million to theMichigan Sea Grant program for two Great Lakes cleanupprojects.One project will build underwater reefs to improve habitatin the St. Clair River for native fish such as whitefish, walleyeand sturgeon.The other will encourage boaters and marinas to reducepollution. It will help develop standards for marinas thatwant to be designated as clean operators.Michigan Sea Grant involves scientists from the Universityof Michigan and Michigan State University.The grant from the Environmental Protection Agency is partof the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, a $5 billion plan toreduce pollution in the lakes and fight invasive species.We Are All Feeling the Effectsof a Suffering EconomyAs gas prices continue toincrease the profit marginsat the fuel dock are less. As acountry, marina fuel usage is down 40% from what ithas been in year’s past.The Good News?Transaction Solutions can help you INCREASE YOURPROFIT MARGIN through Guaranteed Savings onyour monthly credit card processing fees!Fax a recent month’s processing statement in todayand a Transaction Solutions/AMI Representative willprovide you with a detailed comparative analysis.For more details contact us at 850-934-3030 or viaemail at ami@tspay.comGuaranteed Savings, Guaranteed ResultsVisit us Online at www.TSPay.com8Local Marinas Help Keep Waters CleanSource: Cape May County Herald.comTwo local marinas are certified for using best managementpractices to protect the state’s marine resources and anotherhas pledged to join them.Last month, the state Department of Environmental Protection(DEP) and the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortiumannounced that there were 40 marinas in the Garden Statethat were designated as Clean Marinas.“Launched just five years ago, the Clean Marina programis an environmental success story,” DEP CommissionerBob Martin said in a release. “The program now reachesinto virtually every corner of the state, from the AtlanticHighlands to Cape May, and is a great example of a publicprivatepartnership that fosters environmental stewardship.I strongly urge all operators of marinas, yacht clubsand other boating facilities across the state to learn aboutthe program and to begin working toward the same goal ofprotecting our coastal resources.”The DEP and the Sea Grant Consortium, an affiliation ofcoastal advocacy groups, have teamed up since 2005 to spurmarinas to adopt programs to protect the environment.Each marina is evaluated for launching any of a numberof voluntary best management practices it undertakes toprotect the environment.Locally, two Wildwood-area marinas are certified — SchoonerIsland Marina, 5100 Lake Road, and Pier 47 Marina,3001 Wildwood Blvd.“These marinas have really gone above and beyond thecall of duty to earn the Clean Marina designation,” saidthe consortium’s Michael Danko. “We’re urging boatersthroughout the state to be good stewards of New Jersey’smarine and coastal environments by patronizing marinasthat have taken steps to protect this invaluable resource.”The practices that marinas like Schooner Island and Pier47 are following include installation of systems to collectwashing water, recycling boat storage shrink wrap, devel-Clean Marina & Environmental News Continued on Page 5