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Volunteers needed for
Great
Oregon
Spring
Beach
Cleanup
Newport
News
Times,
Newport
,
Oregon
February 8, 2008
The 24th annual Great Oregon Spring Beach Cleanup is scheduled for 10
a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 29, and thousands of volunteers are
needed to help clean
Oregon
's beaches from the
Washington
to
California
borders.
"Large amounts of trash have washed ashore during winter
storms," said Jack McGowan, SOLV's executive director. "We
need thousands of volunteers on March 29 to help restore our coastline
to its pristine condition."
Volunteers are asked to check in at one of 43 registration sites, pick
up a bag, and head to the beaches to improve our coastline for
wildlife and summer visitors. Coordinators suggest that volunteers
dress for the weather, wear sturdy shoes and bring gloves. Beach
captains at the meeting sites will furnish bags to volunteers. Groups
of 20 or more are asked to contact the appropriate zone captain prior
to the event. Zone captains and registration sites are listed at
www.solv.org or volunteers can call SOLV at 800-333-SOLV (7658) for
more information.
Express Check-In will save volunteers time and avoid the need to wait
in line. The volunteer registration and waiver form along with Express
Check-In instructions can be found on SOLV's web site at www.solv.org.
Volunteers should bring their completed and signed forms to the
registration site.
Safety is all-important during the spring cleanup. Volunteers are
asked to watch for sneaker waves, stay away from logs, exercise
caution on rocks and cliffs, and never turn their backs on the ocean.
The small coastal shorebird known as the snowy plover, a threatened
species, may be present on
Oregon
's beaches during the cleanup. Coordinators ask that volunteers be
mindful of their nesting sites, usually just above the high tide line
on open sand, and stay outside of all roped and signed areas.
During the 2007 Great Oregon Spring Beach Cleanup, 5,000 volunteers
removed 105,000 pounds of trash from
Oregon
's beaches. This statewide event started in
Oregon
in 1984 and has spread to 55 states and
U.S.
territories and nearly 100 countries and sovereign territories.
Major sponsors of the spring beach cleanup are Boyd Coffee Company,
Fred Meyer, Pacific Seafood Group, Henry Weinhard's, Tektronix, and
Wells Fargo.
The zone sponsors are IBM, Pelican Pub and The Inn at
Cape
Kiwanda
, Hawthorn Farm Athletic Club and The Curry Coastal Pilot.
Additional support is provided by the Oregon Department of
Environmental Quality and the Oregon Department of Transportation.
Media sponsors are KGW Northwest News Channel 8 and KPOJ Radio. Along
with SOLV, the cleanup is coordinated by the
Oregon
Parks
and Recreation Department, and the local coast haulers.
Founded in 1969 by Oregon Gov. Tom McCall to address litter and
vandalism problems, SOLV's mission has expanded to reach every county
in the state and to bring together government agencies, businesses and
individuals in programs and projects to enhance the livability of
Oregon
. Because of this expansion SOLV no longer calls itself "Stop
Oregon Litter and Vandalism" and has adopted the acronym, SOLV,
as its official name.
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