DNR counts 200 abandoned boats along state's coast

Owners of abandoned boats should keep an eye out for large orange signs.

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources has begun its search for derelict and sunken boats, as well as those moored illegally, and is marking them with bright orange notices asking owners to contact the agency.

Lt. Robert McCullough of the DNR law enforcement division said investigators have canvassed the state's coast and identified about 200 abandoned boats. He didn't specify where the boats were located.

A state law enacted in December defines abandoned boats as any watercraft that has been moored, stranded, wrecked, is sinking or has been sunk for more than 45 days. Boats legally moored or on private property are not considered abandoned.

McCullough said that once notices are posted, the agency will try to contact the owner. Owners are responsible for moving the boats at their expense.

Since the law is new, McCullough said the agency will work with owners without prosecuting them. The law carries penalties of fines up to $5,000 or 30 days in jail.

If a boat is not registered to anyone, the cost of moving the boat falls to local governments, McCullough said.

To help with those costs, DNR applied for $2 million in federal stimulus money for coastal and marine habitat restoration through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Bob Van Dolah, director of DNR's Marine Resources Research Institute, said the agency proposes to remove at least 85 abandoned vessels and other kinds of marine debris, such as trash or docks that have fallen into disrepair. Van Dolah said removing the debris would be contracted out, creating more jobs along the coast.

"We know we have a significant problem in South Carolina," Van Dolah said. "Our goal is to restore the habitat if the vessel has impacted shorelines where there are shellfish or if it has impacted the marsh habitat."

Abandoned vessels can litter shorelines and block navigational channels. Some larger boats have the potential to leak oil and gas, Van Dolah said.

The state agency's request is one of 770 proposals totaling $3 billion, said Rachel Brittin of the NOAA Restoration Center. NOAA only has $170 million to dole out, she added.

To earn a federal grant, the projects must create jobs, have an ecological impact and be ready to be started immediately, she said. All proposals are being reviewed.

The federal agency expects to make announcements as early as May, she said.