Every year the Assateague Mobile Sportsmans Assoc. (AMSA) holds an AMSA Beach Clean-Up Event on Assateague Island during which volunteers gather on the beach and conduct a massive clean-up effort. This results in the removal of hundreds or even thousands of pounds of debris from the beach. This debris washes up on the beach during the winter or is left behind by those who refuse to tread lightly on that which many of us have chosen to make a large part of our families lives.
On April 26, 2008, AMSA will again host this annual event. Volunteers are asked to meet at the tire inflation area on Assateague Island (National Park) at 9:00 a.m. The event should last until about 1:00 p.m. Hot dogs and other refreshments will be provided to volunteers by AMSA. To learn more about the AMSA go to: http://keepersofthebeach.com/
On another note, but definitely relative to this post, is that in previous years, a clean-up volunteer only needed to display a cardboard sign stating "Beach Clean-Up" in the windshield of his/her 4x4, and the requirement for a beach permit would be waived for that day. This year the U.S. National Park Service has elected not to extend that courtesy to the volunteers. This makes it difficult for anyone to volunteer and take their 4x4 onto the beach that day if the fee for the permit is not in their budget at that time. It would seem as though some bureaucrat isn't thinking clearly on this matter. We should all, to the extent possible, call the Maryland District Visitor Information Center @ 410-641-1441 and Ranger Station @ 410-641-3030 and express to them how counter productive this decision really is.
I am not an AMSA member and I have not been to Assateague Island in quite a few years. But I would like to extend my thanks to the AMSA and all other volunteers for undertaking this most worthwhile effort. If more of us took the time to give back to our communities, the world would be a better place.
3 comments:
Thank you, Grand Dad, for posting this. Assateague has been a part of my life since I was a small child. I learned the names of all the shells there at my Mothers knee (what other 5 year old got a Taylors seas shell guide for her birthday? Lucky me!). My first night surf fishing experience was there-forgot a flashlight...lol. I have spent countless hours there enjoying the surf, sand, water and the company of friends. I even met that special someone in my life on the pristine shores of the barrier islands. You can bet your life I will be there for the clean up.
On a related note, go to this link and let your voice be heard: www.keepersofthebeach.com
The NPS is trying to get our opinions on the amount of traffic backups to get onto the beach. There are links to write and let your voice be heard. For those of us who have waited 3-4 hours to get onto the beach this is an important opportunity to let the powers that be understand how we feel. Letting 10-15 more vehicles onto the beach at a time will not cause the immediate demise of the Piping Plover. I will personally guard the nests of these little...*ahem* birds...if I can get onto the sand in a reasonable time period.
As for the NPS not letting people without stickers onto the beach to help with the clean up-Absurd! I know several people who have larger rigs that wouldn't be good stop and start vehicles for the clean up but their pickups aren't stickered. Does this mean that those folks who have already shelled out $90 bucks for one sticker have to pay again just for the priveledge of cleaning up the trash? I won't fill my blazer with trash but I would be able to ride with a friend with an unstickered pickup. I guess now we have to drop back 10 and punt...or just not do it. Very counterproductive. Get on the phone people!
This is simply the tip of the iceberg. It frustrates me that for several years now the superindendents have only greed and power on their minds. They claimed a cpl yrs back the increase cost of over sand permit was to cover trash removel and upkeep, then they took away the trash cans at the bullpen and closed the back road, which should have been left open for emergencies, not to mention we could then go around the nesting bird instead of closing almost half the beach. They dont want you to know there are several miles below the md/va line these birds can nest where there is no vehicle access. The rare plant they speak of grows on the dunes where vehicle traffic has been forbiden since its been a park. I truely beleive they will continue to restrict volenteer clean-up efforts and increased cost as steps in closing this beach for human use. Its more government control and more taxes {for their overpaid fed. salaries}. They forget WE THE PEOPLE have paid for these parks time and time again. The site you provided has links to the NPS, where their asking for feed back, a tactic used for a cpl yrs now by DNR, NPS, Fish and Wildlife, ect. in an effort to appear openminded with decision makeing.
Most of the National Parks have been given as collateral on the National Debt. I don't know about Assateague Island Federal Park. However, many public roads are also being "sold" and we will see more and more "tolls" for the use of public property. It is a shame that we pay anything to use our Parks. If our income taxes aren't used to pay for Park Maintenance, then for what is it used?
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