25th Anniversary Beach Cleanup Weighs in at 3300 Pounds!

Over 1 ½ tons of debris was removed from the Robert Moses State Park shoreline by 450 volunteers at Senator Owen H. Johnson’s 25th Anniversary Beach Cleanup on Saturday, September 17, 2011.  Volunteers from across Long Island including numerous conservation organizations, sportsmen’s groups, Girl Scout and Boy Scout Troops participated.

“Thank you to everyone who came out for our 25th Anniversary Beach Cleanup,” Senator Johnson said.  “We had a wonderful response this year.  Our volunteers gathered over 3300 pounds of  garbage from the beach and helped raise awareness about the harmful effects of littering and dumping on our shores.”

The data collected is compiled by the American Littoral Society and sent to the Ocean Conservancy in Washington, D.C., where it is analyzed and compared with data from around the world. The information is used to develop national and international programs and policies to control debris so that our beaches will remain clean and safe. It is also used by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to evaluate the effectiveness of existing laws and programs to prevent debris from washing up on our shores.

Photo caption:  Senator Owen H. Johnson, joined by Rose Harvey, Commissioner of New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, welcomed over 450 volunteers at the 25th Anniversary Beach Cleanup at Robert Moses State Park, Field #2, on September 17, 2011.