The Michigan Clean Marina Program said two Michigan marinas were named certified Clean Marinas.
Rogers City Marina in Rogers City and G. Marsten Dame Marina in Northport were certified for a three-year term through 2019.
Five other marinas were recertified as Clean Marinas for a five-year-term through 2021— Walstrom Marine in Cheboygan; Manistee Municipal Marina in Manistee; Charlevoix City Marina in Charlevoix; F. Grant Moore Marina in Boyne City; and DeTour State Harbor in DeTour Village.
Fifty-one marinas have obtained and are maintaining certification in the state.
The Clean Marina Program was initiated to preserve and protect, through voluntary efforts, Michigan’s Great Lakes and its connecting waterways.
The certification process begins with a pledge to participate, followed by an online course with an overview of the designation process and a review of best management practices.
A facility conducts a self-evaluation of its environmental practices to determine strengths and weaknesses. After implementing improvements and reaching a level of competencies, the marina requests a visitation by a program consultant to evaluate its environmental stewardship. When a facility reaches established goals, it receives the designation.
“More boaters are becoming aware of the program and are searching out these facilities as places they want to patronize,” Michigan Boating Industries Association executive director Nicki Polan said in a statement.
