American Offshore Marina Sails in as Florida's Newest Clean Marina

FORT LAUDERDALE – The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), together with the Clean Boating Partnership today recognized American Offshore Marina as the 218th member of the Florida Clean Marina Program. The program now boasts 221 Clean Marinas, 33 Clean Boatyards and 10 Clean Marine Retailers statewide.

“Florida’s Clean Marinas are the key to protecting the State’s waterways,” said Jack Long, Director of the DEP’S Southeast District. “DEP is pleased to welcome American Offshore Marina to the Clean Marina family. The staff at this dedicated facility truly recognizes the value in protecting our natural resources.”

Florida Clean Marina Program facilities are required to meet a variety of best management practices to receive designation. These practices include, but are not limited to, properly storing and disposing of used oil, using fertilizers and pesticides according to directions, and using cleaning methods that prevent the release of pollutants.

“We are very proud and honored to be awarded the designation as a Clean Marina,” said Michael Shanley, Operations Director at American Offshore Marina. “Our staff has always strived to be good stewards of the environment and we encourage other marinas to follow suit. Working with DEP and the Clean Boating Partnership through this process was a pleasure, as we all have one common goal of protecting our environment for present and future generations.”

American Offshore Marina is the 57th Clean Marina within the DEP Southeast District, and the 16th Clean Marina in Broward County. The full-service marina adds 154 dry storage racks and 15 wet slips to the Clean Marina community.

The Clean Boating Partnership is a consortium of industry leaders who contribute time and input to the Clean Marina, Clean Boatyard, Clean Marine Retailer and Clean Boater programs which DEP administers to protect Florida’s waterways. The partnership includes DEP, Marine Industries Association of Florida, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, University of Florida Sea Grant Program, United States Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary.

“The Clean Boating Partnership applauds American Offshore Marina for its commitment to Florida’s environment,” said the Partnership’s Chair Mark Leslie. “The dedication and hard work in becoming a Clean Marina is an accomplishment this facility can be proud of and we welcome it to our growing Clean Marina family. With more than one million registered motorized vessels in Florida, environmental education within marine industries is the first step toward safeguarding the state’s natural resources. By providing green education and alternatives the Florida Clean Marina Program helps ensure a sustainable future for the environment and a billion dollar marine industry.

DEP’s Office of Sustainable Initiatives is comprised of three voluntary, non-regulatory programs that assist Florida industry and citizens in protecting the environment. The Clean Marina Program, the Florida Green Lodging Program and the Florida Pollution Prevention Program offer a variety of services including on-site assessments, consultations, speakers and workshops, all at no cost to citizens or organizations. The goal of the Sustainable Initiatives programs is to meet the needs of the present population without compromising resources for future generations.

Easy As One - Ordinary actions. Extraordinary results. is an environmental awareness campaign by DEP that highlights easy actions each one of us can take to make sustainable practices part of our daily lives at home, at school, at work and at play. As the lead agency in state government for environmental management and stewardship, DEP encourages citizens to adopt green habits that protect Florida’s air and water quality, conserve water and reduce waste. A sustainable Florida depends on the collective efforts of citizens, groups, businesses, industry and government.

For more information about the Florida Clean Marina Program, visit www.dep.state.fl.us/cleanmarina. To learn more about Easy As One, visit www.dep.state.fl.us/EasyAsOne or follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/EasyAsOne.