2019 Year in Review: Surfrider Foundation, Jersey Shore Chapter!
What a year for the Jersey Shore! 2019 saw some great feats. We continued to clean beaches all year, collect essential data, raise money for worthy causes, fought for beach access, helped educate the public on plastic pollution, gained new members and had a lot of fun doing it!
Before we move on to 2020, we would like to highlight some of the great triumphs in 2019!
ANNUAL ASBURY PARK NORTH BEACH WINTER CLEANUP
With the help of our good friends, the Philly Surf Crew, and over 80 volunteers, we collected over 700 pounds of trash!
GREEN BROOK CLEANUP
Despite cold temperatures and some rain, over 70 volunteers showed up and removed nearly 4,000 pounds of debris!
JERSEY SHORE CHAPTER CELEBRATES EARTH DAY
We teamed up with local non-profits, vendors and various sponsors to raise awareness and rally for the environment at the Asbury Festhalle & Biergarten!
LONG BRANCH BANS INTENTIONAL BALLOON RELEASE
The city of Long Branch took our advice and banned the intentional release of balloons. The intentional release of balloons is a senseless, easy practice to eliminate. Balloons break up into smaller pieces over time, but with the addition of chemical plasticizers and artificial dyes, they never fully biodegrade.
PUBLIC ACCESS BILL SIGNED INTO LAW
Governor Phil Murphy signed bill S1074 addressing the public's right to access New Jerseys beaches and waterfronts. The Jersey Shore Chapter, along with other environmental organizations and activists, have worked hard over the last four years to see this legislation passed.
NEW LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS JONEBARS & ATAVIST
2019 was an excellent year for new and promising partnerships with some fantastic organizations. Click the links above to check out Jonesbars's and Atavist's goals and products.
ASBURY PARK BANS SINGLE-USE PLASTIC BAGS
The Chapter forwarded data and information from beach cleanups conducted in Asbury park to help support the legislation. Single-use plastic bags are banned, and there is a fee implemented on paper and reusable. The ban went into effect on January 1, 2020.
NESE PIPELINE PERMITS DENIED
Transco Williams was temporarily denied permits to move forward with a new 23.4-mile, 26-inch diameter pipeline that would cross Raritan Bay from Old Bridge, NJ. to Rockaway Point, NY. This proposed pipeline is an unavailing and harmful expense that will have devastating impacts on water quality, habitat, and wildlife in New Jersey.
SEA.HEAR.NOW FESTIVAL IN ASBURY PARK
The Surfrider Foundation: Jersey Shore Chapter teamed up with C3 Presents and the crew at the Sea.Hear.Now festival in Asbury Park to Rock & Recycle throughout the festival! We reduced by staffing the water stations filling any vessel people wanted to refill with water. We recycled thousands of aluminum cans, with the help of audience members, and kept the event as green as possible. Thanks to everyone's work, we heard that it was the cleanest & greenest festival Asbury has ever seen!
WESLEY LAKE FALL CLEANUP
We teamed up with the Friends & Citizens of Wesley Lake to lend a hand with their annual fall cleanup! During the cleanup, we focused on raising awareness about discarded cigarette butts, and the danger they pose to our waterways and wildlife.
NEW JERSEY PLASTICS BILL TAKES A GIANT STEP FORWARD
The Jersey Shore Chapter has worked diligently alongside other environmental organizations to see this bill S2776 passed. The proposed legislation calls for a ban on all single-use plastic bags and polystyrene foam as well as a ban on retail paper bags. Plastic straws would be available upon request at restaurants. You can still voice your opinion and support with our action alert link below. The bill is a massive opportunity for New Jersey to show its leadership in the fight against plastic pollution!
SURFRIDER HOLIDAY HANGOUT!
The Chapter held our annual Holiday Party at Asbury Park Yacht Club in Asbury Park on December 7! Big thanks to everyone who came out for such a fun time. Dentist (band) performed live, and Marilyn Schlossbach of APYC donated the delicious food.