Belvedere Yacht Club Certified As Clean Marina

ARNOLD, MD — An Anne Arundel County yacht club recently passed inspection by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to earn the Maryland Clean Marina Partner Award. Belvedere Yacht Club in Arnold has met the criteria, which brings the total number of clean marinas and partners to 150, or roughly a quarter of the marinas in the state. In Anne Arundel County, 50 of the estimated 165 marinas are certified.

“It is inspiring to see the dedication and passion these boatyard and marina operators and owners bring to achieving and maintaining this ‘green’ certification,” Program Manager Donna Morrow said in a news release. “Belvedere Yacht Club is a great example of Maryland’s boating community stepping up for the bay and their customers.”

The department evaluates participating marinas or yacht clubs on areas such emergency preparedness, stormwater management and waste containment and disposal. To pass, a marina must score between 75 and 85 percent in each area of the checklist by implementing best practices from the Maryland Clean Marina Guidebook.

At Belvedere, the clubhouse voluntarily decided to stop using Styrofoam cups and disposal containers while incorporating solid waste recycling. The club maintains a spill response kit and developed Clean Marina guidance for all boaters.

The Clean Marina program was developed in 1998 by a committee comprised of boatyard and marina operators, local and state governments, academics and boating groups with the goal of reducing nonpoint source pollution from marine facilities and recreational boats. Clean Marinas are re-inspected every three years to ensure they continue to meet the department’s standards.

PHOTO: Mark and Diane Hagerty of Belvedere Yacht Club, courtesy of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources