Thank you to our volunteers for another incredible year of hard work improving our coasts and ocean in the Mid-Atlantic, including seeing the region hit 100 Victories since we started counting in 2006! Your dedication gets us closer to our goals of clean water and healthy beaches, for all to enjoy.
The nine volunteer-led Surfrider chapters in the Mid-Atlantic put in countless hours of their time, leading to some big victories, including, improving beach access in New Jersey, starting first in the nation fights against construction plastic pollution, and kicking off our new Climate Action Program with some dune grass plantings.
COASTS AND CLIMATE
Nationally, Surfrider launched our new Climate Action Program, with the goal of restoring coastlines to make them more resilient to the impact of climate change. Jumping right into this program, our NYC Chapter hosted a dune planting with partner RISE, and our Jersey Shore Chapter hosted three dune plantings.
On the policy side of things, our four New York Chapters got a big win with the passage of the NY Superfund Act, which will provide funding for climate resiliency projects, paid for by the oil and gas industry.
PLASTIC
It was another big year of plastics policy and program work in the Mid-Atlantic! We organized at least 36 beach cleanups, and increased our Ocean Friendly Restaurant tally to 38.
On the policy front, our South Jersey Chapter, working with other local groups and concerned locals, began passing ordinances that require construction sites to contain and remove plastic and other particles. These pollutants would otherwise end up in storm drains, and ultimately the ocean. The Chapter has already notched two victories passing these ordinances.
Our Annapolis Chapter started their first ever campaign, and won a great victory by passing a “bag bill” that bans thin film plastic bags, and places a 10 cent fee on paper and reusables bags--a guaranteed method of reducing plastic bag usage and litter.
Our Eastern Long Island Chapter started three campaigns to pass “Skip the Stuff” ordinances, which require restaurants to ask customers first before automatically putting things like plastic utensils, condiment packets, and chopsticks into to-go and delivery food orders. They were rewarded with a victory in East Hampton Village.
Our four New York chapters continued to support Extended Producer Responsibility and Bottle Bills, which got very close to passing, and got a victory by defeating a bad bill that supported and promoted “chemical” recycling.
CLEAN WATER
Nationally, Surfrider’s Blue Water Task Force (BWTF) helped keep beachgoers safe by gathering and testing over 9,000 water samples at over 500 sites throughout the United States. In the Mid-Atlantic, the Eastern Long Island, NYC, and Delaware chapters continued to provide valuable public safety information through their successful BWTF programs.
In a big win for the environment and human health on Long Island, the Eastern Long Island Chapter led Surfrider’s involvement in a major policy initiative to fund upgrades to leaky septic systems. This new program, passed through a voter proposition, will be a game changer for water quality on Long Island.
ACCESS
Surfers across the US were shocked this summer when a surfer was violently arrested in Belmar, New Jersey because he lacked a beach badge. Surfrider jumped into action, conveying a public meeting and publishing a comprehensive legal summary of beach fees and access. We are continuing to evaluate options for increasing fairness and access to New Jersey’s beaches.
Meanwhile, in Ocean Grove, New Jersey, our Jersey Shore Chapter was rewarded with a big surprise when a decades long Sunday beach closure in that town ended. We haven’t proclaimed complete victory yet, as legal issues are still being solved by the courts, but the opening of a beautiful beach on summer Sundays was a sight to celebrate.
SUMMARY
The Surfrider Foundation nationally celebrated our 40th anniversary this year, growing from just a small group of concerned surfers in 1984, to our nationwide network of over 80 chapters and more than 200 student clubs. Check out this video chronicling our start, and we look forward to working with you to keep us going for another 40--huge thanks to our volunteers!