Be a CoastSaver and Enjoy a Day at the Beach!
Washington Coast Cleanup Set for Saturday, April 18
Volunteers of all ages and abilities are invited to celebrate Earth Day by participating in the Washington Coast Cleanup on Saturday, April 18. Over 1,000 volunteers are expected to join the effort to make Washington's Pacific beaches safer, healthier and more beautiful by collecting and removing plastic water bottles, lost fishing gear, spent fireworks, and other types of marine debris.
"Everyone is invited to be a CoastSaver by joining us on April 18 for the Washington Coast Cleanup," said David Lindau, CoastSavers Program Coordinator for the Washington Clean Coast Alliance. "The Cleanup will span the state's entire Pacific Coast, from the long, flat beaches of the southern coast to the rugged wilderness beaches of the northern coast. It's a great way to help save our marine environment and enjoy the beach, too!"
"Marine debris is a serious threat to our coastal ecosystems. Coastal vegetation, wildlife, and marine organisms are all harmed by these items and the toxins they can carry," said Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary Superintendent Carol Bernthal. "The work and dedication of every volunteer CoastSaver makes a critical difference in preserving the health and beauty of our coast."
Volunteers are invited to help with a wide range of tasks, from picking up assorted debris along beaches and carrying back to roadside dumpsters, to using a four-wheel drive vehicle to pick up filled bags at others. To sign up and to learn more, people should visit the CoastSavers website at www.coastsavers.org/washington.
The Washington Coast Cleanup is sponsored by the Washington Clean Coast Alliance and is the biggest annual cleanup on the Washington coast. Last year, over 1,100 volunteers removed 22 tons of marine debris from Washington's Pacific beaches.
"The Washington Coast Cleanup is a great way to celebrate Earth Day, as well as National Park Week, which begins on April 18," said Olympic National Park Superintendent Karen Gustin. "We're very pleased to have so many diverse groups working together to combat marine debris, not only along the Olympic National Park coast but along all of the state's ocean beaches."
The Washington Clean Coast Alliance is a partnership of eight founding members including Discover Your Northwest, Grass Roots Garbage Gang, Lions Club International, Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, Olympic National Park, Pacific Northwest Four Wheel Drive Association, Surfrider Foundation, and the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission.
For more information and to sign up for the Washington Coast Cleanup, visit the Washington CoastSavers website at www.coastsavers.org.
OCA recently responded to the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary's (OCNMS) request for scoping comments on their Managment Plan Revision.
The OCNMS Management Plan is an important document that provides guidance on how many aspects of the OCNMS will be managed. Maintaining a conservation perspective during the management plan review process is essential for focusing OCNMS resources on important conservation issues.
The OCA Board identified keep issues to address in the scoping comments and individual Board members volunteered to write specific comment sections. OCA's comments focused on expansion of the OCNMS boundaries, oil spill prevention, restoration of the kelp/sea otter ecosystem, acoustial impacts on marine mammals, naval testing, open-ocean aquaculture, energy development, research, and the National Ocean Protection Act.
OCA Board members will continue participation in the Management Plan review process, keeping the focus on critical conservation issues within the OCNMS.
Click here to read the submitted OCA Comments for OCNMS Management Plan Scoping
Recent Articles
Bits of plastic turn parts of the ocean into a deadly "soup"
By Alex Roslin for Canwest News ServiceDecember 5, 2008
Oil spill prevention remains a hot issue in Washington State.
Although major progress appears to have been made in oil spill response capacity along the Olympic Coast (i.e., adoption of a Washington State Oil Spill Contingency Plan with strengthened coastal provisions), most crucial oil spill revention issues have still not been fully resolved. Click here to access an OCA E-Newsletter update on oil spill issues in Washington.
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