July 1 Declared 'National Boating Day'

LIVONIA, Mich., June 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- By passing both House and
Senate resolutions, July 1st has been declared "National Boating Day" thanks
to support from House of Representative member Candice Miller (R-MI) and
Senator Carl Levin (D- MI). These resolutions recognize the important role
recreational boating and the boating industry play in the lives of the
nation's 70 million boaters and the U.S. economy. The Senate Resolution (S.
Res. 199) was introduced by Senators Herb Kohl (D-Wisc.) and Richard Burr
(R-N.C.) supported by 20 Senators as co-sponsored, including Carl Levin
(D-MI.). The companion House Resolution (H. Res. 410) was sponsored in the
House by Congressional Boating Caucus Co-Chairs Candice Miller (R-MI) and Gene
Taylor (D-MS) with a total of 27 bipartisan co-sponsors.

Thom Dammrich, National Marine Manufacturer's Association president stated,
"The entire marine industry and recreational boaters nationwide look forward
to celebrating National Boating Day. Not only is recreational boating a
beloved pastime, but marine businesses are important parts of their
communities and our national economy, creating business opportunities and
local jobs. Our thanks go to all of the Members of Congress behind this
resolution for their strong support of the boating industry."

With the nation's average price for gas hovering around $2.50 per gallon, much
lower than 2008's nearly $4 per gallon, boaters are expected to hit the water
in larger numbers this summer, National Marine Manufacturers Association
(NMMA) reported. "We are fortunate in Michigan to have almost 1 million
registered boats and a huge portion of our population enjoy the benefits
gained by spending quality time on the water with family and friends," said
Van Snider, President of the Michigan Boating Industries Association. "With
four Great Lakes touching our shores, Lake St. Clair, 11,000 inland lakes and
hundreds of miles of beautiful rivers, Michigan offers unparalleled
fresh-water boating," he continued.

In fact, a May survey of more than 30,000 members of the Boat Owners
Association of the United States (BoatU.S.) found that 92 percent of motorboat
owner respondents plan to boat this summer if gas prices are lower than last
summer; of that, 39 percent noted they would go boating more often. What's
more, 96 percent of all respondents said the economic downturn would not cause
them to stop using their boat this summer, NMMA stated. "With great boating
weather this past weekend, I can attest to the large number of boaters
enjoying all types of boating activities," Snider said.

SOURCE Michigan Boating Industries Association

Van Snider of the Michigan Boating Industries Association, +1-734-261-0123