Dave Dahms, boating law administrator for the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation, has been awarded the Innovations in Technology Award from the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators, for developing an online grant application for county sheriff's offices to request Safe Boating Act funds. Dahms said counties have given the department "lots of positive feedback" on the new system. "It's much easier to submit a grant than our old system, and it saves them time," he said. "This allows our valued county sheriff partners to spend less time on paperwork and more time working to make the waters safer for Idaho boaters."

Last year's winner was the Alabama Marine Police for its Conservation Officer Operations Reporting System; the award recognizes initiatives that use technology to advance boating safety.