WEEKEND: Peninsula volunteers to hit coast Saturday to pick up trash

Published 12:01 am Friday, September 19, 2014

NORTH OLYMPIC PENINSULA volunteers will head to some 33 Pacific and Strait of Juan beaches as part of the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday.

The goal is to clean beaches — from Port Townsend on the Strait to Cape Disappointment State Park in southwest Pacific County — of their summertime trash before winter storms hit.

Some new beaches on the Strait have been added to the Cleanup’s list this year, including those at Salt Creek, Freshwater Bay, Eidz Hook and Dungeness Spit.

The biggest need is on the Pacific Ocean beaches, said Jon Schmidt, Sequim-based coordinator with Washington CoastSavers, which is organizing the Peninsula portion of the Cleanup.

Volunteers have stepped up for such beaches as Dungeness Spit and Ediz Hook, but “we have very few volunteers for First Beach, Second Beach and Third Beach [in LaPush] and for Rialto Beach [in Mora],” he said.

Most cleanups will begin in the morning.

The Port Townsend effort — in which volunteers who can prove they are of drinking age will receive a free beer for their efforts — will be from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. (See related story today on Beach Cleanup for Beer.)

Cleanups are “good to do any time of year,” Schmidt said.

Special cleanup

But the September cleanup is special.

“We’re not only counting how much trash Washington state citizens are pulling off state beaches, but also our numbers are added to the global effort,” he said.

The Ocean Conservancy has sponsored the International Coastal Cleanup since 1986.

In 2013, the agency says, 648,015 volunteers in 92 countries picked up more than 12.3 million pounds of trash — cigarette butts, plastic bags, beverage cans and bottles, food wrappers, straws and paper bags.

Volunteers will check in at most registration stations between 7:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. Saturday. A check-in for those camping overnight is available at the Ozette Ranger Station between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. today.

Cleanup is expected between 9 a.m. and noon on the Strait, with check-in at each of the beaches.

Washington CoastSavers is an alliance of partners and volunteers working to keep marine debris off the state’s beaches.

Since 2008, the group’s annual spring cleanup has removed about 350 tons of trash from beaches stretching from near Cape Flattery to Cape Disappointment.

CoastSavers is now in its second year of joining the September international cleanup.

Those who can’t haul bags of trash off beaches can contribute in other ways.

Donations can help fund the dumpsters provided to volunteers.

Each dumpster costs about $1,000 to rent and dispose of the trash once it’s filled.

The Washington coast cleanups typically involve renting at least 10 dumpsters for every venue.

Volunteers also are needed at registration stations.

To register, find a volunteer agreement form and get information on what beaches will be cleaned, where to find registration stations to get supplies, where to camp and special offers to volunteers, visit www.coastsavers.org.

Questions also can be emailed to Schmidt at jon@coastsavers.org.

Top national participation in the International Coastal Cleanup in 2013 was from the United States, followed closely by the Philippines and Hong Kong.

Also in the top 10 were Canada, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and India.

For more on the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup Day, visit http://tinyurl.com/PDN-worldcoastalcleanup.