Thousands of Oregonians will be pitching in to clean the state's beaches on Saturday during the annual SOLVE Beach & Riverside Cleanup.
SOLVE invites volunteers to help remove invasive plants and clean up hundreds of miles of beaches, rivers, and city streets before fall rains wash litter and debris into storm drains and out to sea.
Joy Hawkins, SOLVE Program Manager, says not only is this year's event part of the International Coastal Cleanup and Public Lands Day, it's the 50th anniversary since former Governor Tom McCall passed Oregon's landmark Beach Bill, placing our beaches in the public's hands.
But despite the protections created by this bill, Hawkins says Oregon's coast and natural areas continue to face threats from debris and litter. Hawkins says our water, wildlife, and economy are threatened by non-native invasive plants, which spread fast and can damage entire ecosystems.
The SOLVE Beach & Riverside Cleanup is Saturday, September 23rd, from 10 am until 1 pm. There are 45 beach cleanup sites up and down the coast, and around 130 project sites across the state that include litter cleanup and restoration projects.
For more details, to pick up your project, and to sign up, visit solveoregon.org or call SOLVE at 503-844-9571 ext 332, or 1-800-333-7658.