NMMA - National Marine Manufacturers Association Inc.
10/14/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/14/2026 05:14
VIDEO: NMMA Members Bring America’s 250th Anniversary to the Water in Partnership with the Department of the Interior
NMMA members hosted multiple Great American Expeditions with the U.S. Department of the Interior this summer. Each expedition brought Interior's 250th anniversary campaign onto public waters aboard American-made boats and gave federal leaders a firsthand look at how boaters reach America's public lands. A new video recaps every stop:
Learn more about the expeditions below.
Michigan
Tiara Yachts kicked off the series on July 10 in northern Michigan. Tiara joined NMMA, Interior, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Rep. Jack Bergman, R-Mich., and local dealer Walstrom Marine to visit Round Island on Lake Huron and Hat Island on Lake Michigan. The day highlighted the role of boater access in connecting communities to the outdoors.
Washington, D.C., and Maryland
Smoker Craft, Inc. brought two 250th-branded boats to the Potomac River on July 13. At Theodore Roosevelt Island, NOAA joined the group to highlight conservation. At Fort Washington, Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., Rep. Rudy Yakym, R-Ind., Department of the Interior Deputy Assistant Secretary Aaron Calkins, and the National Park Service toured a site managed by Interior. The stops showed how public waters link Americans to historic places.
Indiana
Smoker Craft, Inc. returned home July 23 to host the National Park Service on Lake Michigan. The group departed Washington Park Marina in Michigan City, Indiana, to visit Indiana Dunes National Park near Mount Baldy and Boaters Beach. The expedition told the story of a family-owned company building boats in Indiana since 1903. It also showed how boater access fuels local economies.
New Jersey
Viking Yacht Company hosted the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on a trip from its headquarters in New Gretna, New Jersey, to the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge. The visit showed how boaters and anglers support conservation and access through the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund, which is funded in part by excise taxes on fishing equipment and motorboat fuel.
A Made-in-America Story
Recreational boating is a uniquely made-in-America industry. About 95% of boats sold in the U.S. are built in the U.S. Small businesses make up 93% of boat builders. Recreational boating generates $230 billion in annual economic impact and supports more than 812,000 jobs.
NMMA thanks its member hosts and federal partners for their collaboration on the Department of the Interior's Great American Expedition and for a successful celebration of America's 250th anniversary.
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