Come help clean up the coast

JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers

The California Coastal Commission announced that the 23rd annual California Coastal Cleanup Day will be from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Sept. 15 at more than 700 locations around the state.

Volunteers will clean trash and debris from 1,100 miles of the coast and 1,000 miles along the inland shorelines of bays, creeks, rivers and lakes throughout the state.

Last year 56,273 volunteers turned out to remove nearly 1 million pounds of debris from the shorelines. Coastal Cleanup is the state's largest volunteer event.

The commission estimates that 60 percent to 80 percent of the debris found on beaches originates from inland or urban areas and washes out to the ocean.

Garbage that is not collected may end up in the oceans where it can endanger wildlife and human health.

The single most prevalent item found in the debris is cigarette butts, about 40 percent of the total amount of garbage.

Coastal Cleanup Day provides an opportunity for residents to care for their neighborhoods, encourages stewardship of shorelines and waterways, facilitates community pride and results in a cleaner and safer coast and ocean.

The statewide event is part of the International Coastal Cleanup, facilitated by The Ocean Conservancy, which takes place in more than 70 countries.

To get involved with Coastal Cleanup Day, call the California Coastal Commission at (800) COAST-4U (262-7848) or visit www.coast4u.org.