Perdue, Bev. Proclamation, 2012-04-11, Safe Boating Week

              BEVERLY EAVES PERDUE
GOVERNOR
SAFE BOATING WEEK
2012
BY THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
A PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS, the State ofNorth Carolina is home to more than 5,000 square miles of navigable streams,
rivers, lakes and coastal waterways, which are enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of resident boaters and visitors
from across our state and nation annually; and
WHEREAS, boaters are drawn to North Carolina waters to fish, swim, water ski, exercise, appreciate
nature, enjoy quiet solitude, or relax with family and friends; the State of North Carolina provides free boating
access areas to many of these waters, from Murphy to Manteo; and
WHEREAS, citizens and visitors are encouraged to follow water safety regulations and the
recommendations of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission and the United States Coast Guard, whose
officers enforce boating laws on public waters in North Carolina; and
WHEREAS, wearing a proper life vest, filing a float plan before departure and remaining watchful and
aware at all times while on the water helps ensure a safe boating experience; and
WHEREAS, the 2010 addition to the North Carolina Boating & Water Safety Statute 75A requires that all
boat operators under the age of 26 take an approved boating education course and carry a boating education
identification card while operating a vessel; and
WHEREAS, approximately 700 people die each year in boating-related accidents in the United States and
approximately 20 of these are in North Carolina; nearly 70% of these fatalities are caused by drowning; and
WHEREAS, the State ofNorth Carolina joins the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, the
United States Coast Guard and other interested agencies and organizations in encouraging citizens to practice safe
boating habits, including never operating boats while impaired by drugs or alcohol, and in promoting the On the
Road, On the Water, Don't Drink and Drive campaign during Safe Boating Week and throughout the year;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BEVERLY EAVES PERDUE, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby
proclaim May 19-25, 2012, as "SAFE BOATING WEEK" in North Carolina, and urge citizens to be responsible
boaters.
· BEVERLY EA YES PERDUE
, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the Great Seal of the State ofNorth
Carolina at the Capitol in Raleigh this eleventh day of April in the year of our Lord two thousand and twelve, and
of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.