PHOTO COURTESY HARTSHORN MARINAThe Michigan Clean Marina Program last week announced that Hartshorn Municipal Marina in Muskegon, Island Cove Marina in Harrison Township and SkipperBuds in Lake Fenton have been certified as Clean Marinas. The certification is valid for three years.
“Marinas like these and the many others who participate in this disciplined program show they are aware of and practice good environmental and business stewardship practices,” Mark Breederland, Michigan Sea Grant Extension educator and chair of the Michigan Clean Marina Foundation board, said in a statement. “The program is a win-win by implementing and certifying on-the-dock practices to minimize potential pollution and encouraging boaters to also take good care of the water and within the marina.”
Participants voluntarily pledge to maintain and improve Michigan waterways by reducing or eliminating releases of harmful substances and phasing out practices that can damage aquatic environments. Training and certification criteria address such topics as siting considerations, marina design and management, stormwater management, boat maintenance and repair, petroleum control, aquatic invasive species, sewage handling, waste containment, and disposal and recycling.
