San Francisco, CA – The 28th Annual California Coastal Cleanup Day is Saturday, Sept.15.
Tens of thousands of Californians will gather along the beaches, shorelines, and inland waterways of the state to clear away the debris that has accumulated over the past year.
This Coastal Cleanup Day comes at the end of the first California Coastal Protection Week, a designation passed by the legislature earlier this year in honor of the 40th Anniversary of the Coastal Act.
Coastal Cleanup Day also marks the beginning of COASTWEEKS, a three-week celebration of our coastal resources that takes place across the United States.
The Coastal Commission maintains a calendar of COASTWEEKS events on its website.
Last year, 71,794 Coastal Cleanup volunteers collected over 1.3 million pounds of trash and recyclables from 53 of California's 58 counties.
Over 40% of that debris was recycled, the highest recycling rate ever achieved during Coastal Cleanup Day.
When: Saturday, September 15th, from 9 am to Noon in most locations.
Where: Cleanups will take place at over 850 sites on California beaches, bays, rivers, creeks, parks, roadsides, and highways. Call the local coordinator for exact locations and other site-specific information.
Why: "California Coastal Protection Week is a great opportunity for us to recognize our forty year history of protecting our coast and making sure that it is accessible to everyone," said Charles Lester, Executive Director of the California Coastal Commission.
"The Coastal Commission is committed to working with local communities and the public up and down the state to ensure that our coast remains a treasure, and Coastal Cleanup Day is a way that everyone can participate in protecting California's coast."
How: Call 1 (800) COAST-4U or visit www.coastalcleanupday.org for more information.
Who: The statewide event is presented by the California Coastal Commission with major statewide support from CG Roxane - Crystal Geyser Alpine Spring Water. Additional support comes from Whole Foods Market, Oracle, Nature's Path, Clif Bar, ATTIK, See's Candies, Lindamar Industries, Bartlett Tree Experts, Union Bank, Marin County Board of Supervisors, Anaheim/Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau, The Huntington Beach Marketing & Visitors Bureau, and Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy.
California Coastal Cleanup Day 2012 is supported by the California Coastal Commission, California State Parks Foundation, and Ocean Conservancy.
This event is made possible by the hard work of hundreds of local non-profits and government agencies throughout the state and tens of thousands of volunteers annually.
The Coastal Commission, in partnership with coastal cities and counties, plans and regulates the use of land and water along the California coast to maximize public beach access and recreation, provide for priority coastal development, and assure that new development will protect coastal resources including wetlands, wildlife on land and in the sea, water quality, coastal tourism, and scenic vistas.
