Date: March 19, 2008
For Immediate Release
Contact: Barb Maynes (360) 565-3005

The Washington CoastSavers will sponsor two free public programs in preparation for the annual Washington Coast Cleanup on Saturday, April 26.

Representatives from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Marine Debris Program and Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary will discuss sources and threats of marine debris in the Pacific Ocean and will highlight upcoming cleanup efforts sponsored by the Washington CoastSavers.

The two programs are scheduled for:

Monday, March 24
7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
REI Flagship Store, 222 Yale Avenue North, Seattle

Tuesday, April 15
7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Olympic National Park Visitor Center, 3002 Mount Angeles Road, Port Angeles

Washington CoastSavers is a program of the Washington Clean Coast Alliance, a partnership of nonprofit groups, citizen volunteers and government agencies that formed this winter to increase public awareness of the threats and causes of marine debris and unify the many beach cleanup events along Washington’s coast.

Clean up events scheduled for 2008 include:

Washington Coast Cleanup Day: April 26, 2008
Longbeach Summer Cleanup: July 5, 2008
Operation Shore Patrol: September 20, 2008

For more information and to sign up for this year’s clean up event, people should visit the Washington Clean Coast Alliance website at http://www.coastsavers.org.

Founding members of the Washington Clean Coast Alliance are the Grass Roots Garbage Gang, Lions Club International, Northwest Interpretive Association, the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, Olympic National Park, Pacific Northwest Four Wheel Drive Association, Surfrider Foundation and the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission.

-- www.CoastSavers.org --