Blogs

Operation Dry Water Warns Boaters Not to Boat Impaired

By Hannah Helsby posted 25 days ago
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LEXINGTON, Ky. -  June 20, 2019 Over the July 4th holiday weekend, law enforcement agencies and officers across the United States will be conducting   Operation Dry Water   and will be on heightened alert for those in violation of boating under the influence laws. Operation Dry Water is a national campaign focused on boating under the influence awareness, prevention and enforcement. Alcohol use is the leading contributing factor in recreational boater deaths, and a leading factor in recreational boating accidents.* Law enforcement agencies from all 56 U.S. states and territories are expected to participate in Operation Dry Water. These ...
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Ohio Canoeing – Instructor Course receives Third-Party Verified Course recognition

By Taylor Matsko posted 27 days ago
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Ohio DNR Parks and Watercraft’s Introduction to Canoeing – Instructor Course receives recognition for its Third-Party Verified Course Ohio DNR Parks and Watercraft is being recognized for meeting the American National Standard for  On-Water Recreational Boating Skills Standard – HUMAN-PROPELLED.  The Ohio DNR, Division of Parks and Watercraft, work to be a diverse and skilled team empowered to deliver the highest standard of outdoor recreation experiences and natural resource management. Under funding provided by a USCG grant, the  National Association of State Boating Law Administrators  has implemented a process of  voluntary third-party conformity ...
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Rhode Island names new Boating Law Administrator

By Taylor Matsko posted 06-05-2019
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Chief Dean Hoxsie Announced as new Boating Law Administrator, Rhode Island NASBLA would like to welcome Chief Dean Hoxsie, the new Boating Law Administrator for the state of Rhode Island. After 32 years Chief Hoxsie retired from the Narragansett Police Department and spent the last 5 and a half of those years as the Department's Chief. During Chief Hoxsie's time at the Department, he served as the head of the Marine Patrol and also was the Harbor Master for just over a year.  At the beginning of 2016, Chief Hoxsie joined the Rhode Island Environmental Police as the Chief of the Division. During this time, Chief Hoxsie worked with the previous BLA of Rhode ...
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NASBLA Education Director Announced

By Hannah Helsby posted 06-05-2019
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NASBLA is pleased to announce the hiring of the Association's next Education Director. NASBLA's current Education & Standards Director, Pam Dillon, CAE, will retire in late 2019. After a rigorous benchmarking, application and hiring process, Mark Chanski was selected to join NASBLA for this transition. Mark Chanski joined NASBLA on June 1 and will assume the full role of Education Director following the NASBLA Annual Conference.  Mark comes to NASBLA from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection where he was employed for the last 12 years. He has been an active member of NASBLA’s Education and Outreach Committee, a participant ...
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New South Carolina BLA

By Hannah Helsby posted 05-28-2019
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Colonel Chisolm Frampton Announced as new Boating Law Administrator, South Carolina Colonel Frampton is a veteran state wildlife law enforcement officer and is the leader of the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Law Enforcement Division. Frampton, a Charleston native, replaced Col. Alvin Taylor as deputy director of the DNR Law Enforcement Division.  A graduate of College of Charleston, Frampton also graduated from the S.C. Criminal Justice Academy. In 1993, Frampton joined DNR as a private first class. He has served as a sergeant, lieutenant, captain, and more recently as major. Colonel Frampton also served four years on the Executive Protection ...
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Boaters nationwide prepare for boating season, Spring Aboard campaign

By Hannah Helsby posted 05-17-2019
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 17, 2019 Boaters nationwide prepare ahead of boating season as part of national Spring Aboard campaign   [LEXINGTON, KY] – Thanks to the support and participation of boating education course providers on the local, state and national level, hundreds of boaters received boating safety education during the 2019 Spring Aboard – Take A Boating Education Course campaign ! Boating safety advocates and campaign partners helped reach boaters across the country in an effort to promote boater education and encourage new and seasoned boaters to get ready for boating season by completing a boating safety course. Many agencies ...
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Operation Dry Water releases Summer Boating Safety Tips

By Hannah Helsby posted 05-17-2019
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The  Summer Boating Safety Tips   are now available. These boating safety tips remind boaters what they need before they hit the water and what to be prepared for while out on the water.  Some of the safety tips focus on never boating under the influence, utilizing an engine cut-off device, taking a boating education course and the importance of wearing everyone on board wearing a life jacket. For more information on these  Summer Boating Safety Tips , check out the full document. Share these messages with your community by utilizing these  sample social media posts .  Full Document PDF READ
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NASBLA CEO Joins NDPA Advisory Council

By Hannah Helsby posted 04-30-2019
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NASBLA CEO Joins National Drowning Prevention Alliance Advisory Council Lexington, KY (Apr. 30, 2019) – The National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) is honored to announce that NASBLA Chief Executive Officer, John M. Johnson, has been named as a member of the National Drowning Prevention Alliance (NDPA) Advisory Council. “NASBLA is dedicated to achieving a culture of safety in recreational boating through our members , community and partnerships,” says John Johnson, NASBLA CEO. “What NASBLA does to prevent accidents, injuries and deaths related to recreational boating is inextricably intertwined into the scope of water safety. ...
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Be a part of NASBLA 2019

By Hannah Helsby posted 04-10-2019
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2019 NASBLA Annual Conference Call for Session Proposals | Deadline April 30th NASBLA is currently accepting session proposals for the 2019 NASBLA Annual Conference. This year's conference will take place Sept. 29 - Oct. 2 in Anchorage, Alaska. NASBLA is looking for your best session ideas and for you to be a part of this year's annual conference. Meeting attendees are looking for advanced-level content. We're looking for presentations addressing any and all areas of recreational boating safety. Help our knowledgeable and experienced audience explore new ways to tackle issues and learn about innovative solution and resources. Topics should be designed ...
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Delaware Natural Resources Police become accredited

By Taylor Matsko posted 03-20-2019
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Delaware Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police becomes accredited in National Standard of training Lexington, KY (3/20/19) – The Delaware Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police is being recognized for its accomplishment in becoming accredited by the NASBLA Boat Operations and Training (BOAT) Program . This accreditation recognizes the Delaware Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police as having successfully implemented a National Standard of training, typing and credentialing. Accreditation of an agency ensures that its training curricula, policies, qualification processes and documentation for crew members, boat operators for search and ...
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NASBLA Mourns Loss of Pauline Longnecker, National Division Chief States, USCG Auxiliary

By Hannah Helsby posted 03-14-2019
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NASBLA mourns the loss of Pauline Grace Longnecker, age 64, who passed away on March 9, 2019. She was born in Council Bluffs Iowa on August 1, 1954 to the late Roland and Regina (Nusser) Zuch. She is survived by her husband, Ron Longnecker; brother, Charles Zuch (Beverly); sisters, LaVon Brockman and Janet Henke (Robert); nieces, nephews, and a host of other family and friends.  Pauline and Ron joined the Coast Guard Auxiliary 32 years ago in 1988. Both were very active in Operations, Public Education, and Vessel exams. They held the offices of Division Commander and District Captain. Pauline received 64 awards from the Coast Guard Auxiliary during her ...
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Charlie Sledd receives NASBLA Lifetime Achievement Award

By Hannah Helsby posted 03-12-2019
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Charlie Sledd receives NASBLA  Lifetime Achievement Award Charlie Sledd received the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) Lifetime Achievement Award at the recent NASBLA State RBS Workshop in Lexington, Ky. The Lifetime Achievement Award i s awarded to those who have made significant contributions to boating safety over his or her lifetime.  After nearly 37 years with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, Sledd retired in early 2011. Following retirement from the state, Sledd accepted the position of NASBLA's Director of Government Affairs in June 2012. His career with Game & Inland Fisheries started ...
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Connecticut New BLA Announcement

By Hannah Helsby posted 02-20-2019
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Connecticut names new Boating Law Administrator NASBLA welcomes and congratulates Peter Francis, the new Boating Law Administrator for the state of Connecticut and the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) Boating Division Director.   Prior to joining the Boating Division, Peter worked in a variety of roles in DEEP’s coastal zone management program. Some of these roles included supervising the coastal permitting and enforcement section where he was involved in boating access construction projects, transportation projects, and more. Peter also supervised the Technical Services and Coastal Resources sections where he ...
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NASBLA Recognizes Guess for Service as President

By Hannah Helsby posted 02-13-2019
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Written to the Mr. Robert Duncan, Executive Director, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries by NASBLA on behalf of NASBLA membership. January 28, 2019 Dear Mr. Duncan, On behalf of the membership of the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA), I am writing to thank you and the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) for the extraordinary leadership exhibited by Mr. Thomas E. Guess, who recently completed the year as NASBLA President. While serving as Virginia’s Boating Law Administrator as well as through multiple governance roles within NASBLA, Mr. Guess has continued to distinguish himself and ...
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Former Coasties Give Back by Teaching NASBLA Courses

By Hannah Helsby posted 01-30-2019
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Former U.S. Coast Guard Members Give Back by Teaching NASBLA Courses When the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) held their annual Instructor Development Conference in Lexington, KY, in December, no one was caught off-guard by the vast amount of wisdom in the room. The NASBLA courses have always featured top-tier instructors, and in the era since the Memorandum of Understanding between the Coast Guard and NASBLA was signed in 2012, establishing the NASBLA Boat Operations and Training (BOAT) Program as the National Standard for the purpose of training and credentialing State, Local, County and Tribal maritime law enforcement ...
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Spring Aboard: Encouraging boaters to Keep Your Edge this boating season

By Taylor Matsko posted 01-23-2019
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   Spring Aboard: Encouraging boaters to Keep Your Edge this boating season   LEXINGTON , Ky.   (January 24 , 2019)  – It may not feel like boating season yet, but boating safety advocates are urging boaters to Keep Your Edge by enrolling in a boating education course this spring. The Spring Aboard – Take A Boating Education Course campaign encourages boaters to get educated prior to the kick-off of the boating season to make the most of your time on the water. Many education providers and partners offer discounts or other incentives for students who enroll in or complete a boating safety course during the week ...
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NASBLA searches for Education Director

By Hannah Helsby posted 01-22-2019
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Deadline for applications is February 28, 2019. NASBLA has announced an open call for applications for the NASBLA Education Director position. Pam Dillon, CAE, NASBLA Director, Education & Standards will retire in late 2019. The Education Director will start with the association as early as March 2019, and assume the full role of Education Director following the NASBLA Annual Conference. NASBLA is actively searching for candidates to who are interested in serving as the Association’s lead staff on matters pertaining to state and national boater education programs and the NASBLA Education & Outreach Committee. Duties also include providing direct ...
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Wheeler Elected Chair, National Boating Education Standards Panel

By Taylor Matsko posted 01-09-2019
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Wheeler Elected Chair, National Boating Education Standards Panel Jeff Wheeler, Deputy Chief of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Office of Boat Forces has been appointed to serve as the Chair of the National Boating Education Standards Panel (ESP). In December, the NASBLA Executive Board met and confirmed the appointments for the 2019-2020 Education Standards Panel.  The Education Standards Panel performs the primary function of review, and as required, updating the current NASBLA National Boating Education Standards in an open and structured manner to meet the needs of the recreational boating community. The Panel works to identify and implement a consensus-based ...
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Arizona Game and Fish Department Paddlesports Training Course Recognized as Verified Course

By Taylor Matsko posted 01-07-2019
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Arizona Game and Fish Department Paddlesports Training Course Recognized as Verified Course The  Arizona Game and Fish Department  is being recognized for meeting the American National Standard for  On-Water Recreational Boating Skills Standard – HUMAN-PROPELLED. The Arizona Game and Fish Department is responsible for registering Arizona watercraft, enforcing boating safety laws and educating the public on safe boating practices. Game and Fish also enforces the state’s Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) laws.   The organization's on-water paddlesports course, “ Paddlesports Arizona ,” has been verified to meet the American National Standard for on-water skills ...
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Man convicted in hit and run boat crash

By Hannah Helsby posted 12-17-2018
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Man convicted in hit and run boat crash, multiple victims [Lyman, ME - 12/17/18] A man from Lyman, Maine was convicted on four counts of Reckless Conduct with a Dangerous Weapon resulting from a hit and run boat crash that occurred on July 8, 2017 around midnight on Wadleigh Pond in Lyman. Matthew Campbell was found guilty by a jury in Alfred Superior Court of operating a pontoon boat that crashed head-on into another boat that had four occupants. As a result of the starboard pontoon of Campbell’s boat penetrating the middle of the victim’s boat, the victim’s boat sank immediately. Although all four occupants sustained head injuries to include concussions ...
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