[SEMCO] COASTSWEEP 2001

[Sheri DeRosa]

COASTSWEEP 2001: Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management's
Annual Statewide Beach Cleanup

WHAT IS COASTSWEEP?
COASTSWEEP is part of an international coastal cleanup campaign
organized by the Ocean Conservancy (www.oceanconservancy.org), formerly
the Center for Marine Conservation in Washington, DC. Participants all
over the world in over 100 countries collect marine debris and record
the types of trash they collect. This information is then used to help
reduce future marine debris problems.

Here in Massachusetts, thousands of volunteers throughout the
Commonwealth head to the beaches in late September to remove marine
debris and trash from our coastline. Their goal is to make the beaches
safer, cleaner and healthier for all living creatures.

The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) organizes the
annual statewide event, officially kicking off September 15, 2001. So be
sure to mark your calendars and check out our website
(http://www.state.ma.us/czm/01coastsweep.htm) for specific cleanup
locations and times. The cleanup list is always growing, so be sure to
revisit.

Every year the cleanups are led by a dedicated group of local
coordinators. Last year, these local coordinators organized over 3,500
volunteers who collected almost 60,000 pounds of trash from over 130
locations. These COASTSWEEPers covered 217.5 miles of Massachusetts
coastline!