Haines Friends of Recyling, Alaska Division of State Parks and a local hiking club are sponsoring the first beach cleanup here in about seven years on May 13-14.
The effort will target a south-facing cove sometimes called “Battery Bay” and “Bear Man Cove.” The site is located about a mile south of where Battery Point Trail reaches a popular beach.
Retired federal biologist Molly Sturdevant, a HFR board member, said the cove traps marine debris. State parks is donating a landing craft to haul away collected debris.
“The loan of a landing craft is a great deal. Volunteers can hike in and not have to carry it all back out,” Sturdevant said.
Volunteers should bring work gloves or rubber gloves, and light tools such as crowbars, pliers and knives. A presentation on marine debris during Earth Day activities last week stressed the difficulty of removing debris, particularly partially buried pieces and other wrapped up in logs and other debris.
The event is timed to coincide with a May 20 effort to get old subsistence nets out of local rivers. Sturdevant is hoping the event catches on. “If we can get this as an annual event with parks as a partner, that would be great.”
The Division of Parks also will pick up bags of marine debris left on trailheads along park lands.
The last marine debris cleanup occurred here in 2011 as a partnership between Takshanuk Watershed Council and Haines Venturer Scouts. It was funded by a legislative grant.