Welcome!
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It's time for YOU to make a difference. On May 13, 2006,
anglers from across the state will gather for the 2nd annual FFIM Spring Clenaup, in different regions, to cleanup
river environments in need of help. We'll get together to remove trash,
wet a line, meet some new friends, and have fun. Please consider joining
one of the groups in their quest for a cleaner stream.
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| Register
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Please sign up in
advance so we know aproximately how many to expect at each cleanup event.
25 people have
signed up so far statewide.
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What
to Bring:
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Kids
Hat
Gloves
Sunglasses/eye protection
Sun screen
Bug dope
Plenty of water
5-10 heavy duty garbage bags
Portable BBQ grill and/or something to throw on a grill
Pick up truck or trailer to haul garbage
Camera
Cell phone
Last but not least, fishing gear!
General Procedure:
Preliminary Team Leaders have been named. If the named leader does not
care
to be the leader, he will find some one on the team who is willing to do
the
small amount of foot work required of the leader. The main responsibility
of
the leader is to coordinate communications between the team members.
Details
to be decided by each team include the specific stretch of stream to be
cleaned up, meeting time and place, the order of events, i.e. picking up,
grilling, fishing, how and where to dispose of trash, whether or not to
have
a rain date, what if any, the rain date should be and who will be bringing
the pickup, trailers and grills.
For the sake of posterity and publicity, I would encourage all
participants to take as many pictures of fellow participants and piles of
collected trash, as possible. Just like with the Conclave, it would be fun
to look back in a few years, at the humble beginnings of this event. Some
impressive trash pictures would also go a long way to recruit personnel
and
other support in the future.
Safety is priority one - nothing will screw up a worthwhile event
faster than an accident - be mindful of the safety of yourself and
others
at all times. If there are any children along, be extra mindful of their
actions and whereabouts at all times. When BBQing please take all the
standard precautions with the hot stuff. Be sure not to over exert
yourself
and stay well hydrated. If you decide to enjoy hard beverages with your
BBQ,
please keep it safe and legal. Please do not collect any more trash than
you
can safely and legally transport and dispose of. In the unlikely event
that
you should encounter any hazardous, toxic or suspicious substances, stay
away from them and call the DEP.
Like I mentioned before, this event should be not only productive, but
fun. Keep your plans simple and go out with the intention of meeting new
friends, sharing some good food and drink and doing a deserving stream a
favor. -- Brian Foley
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Logistics
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Region A:
Location: TBD
Meeting spot: TBD
Meeting time: TBD
Coordinator: TBD
Region B:
Location: TBD
Meeting spot: TBD
Meeting time: TBD
Coordinator: TBD
Region E:
Location: TBD
Meeting spot: TBD
Meeting time: TBD
Coordinator: TBD
Region F:
Location: West Branch, Penobscot River
Meeting spot: TBD
Meeting time: TBD
Coordinator: Brian Foley
Other Regions: If you would be willing to
coordinate a group for region/area (including ones not listed above), please contact
FFIM so that we
can post the info.
Some Random Thoughts About Picking Up
Trash
Like I have mentioned before, the beauty of an event such as ours, is that
it requires no special training or equipment, serious planning, permits,
applications, approvals, memberships, fees, studies, reservations, or
E.I.S.s and the benefits are instant, visible and positive, no matter how
many people get involved. Speaking of getting people involved, I believe
that it is crucial to get kids involved with this kind of activity, if not
this actual event. Although picking up trash has all of the above
advantages, the downside is that it can have relatively short lived
benefits, unless something is learned by it or an attitude is changed by
it.
Having children along gives us the opportunity to pass along and spread a
culture of good environmental stewardship and thoughtfulness. I believe a
bit of learning goes on as well, when would be litter bugs and the public
at
large sees groups of concerned citizens out doing this kind of service.
Furthermore, I believe that people may be less inclined to litter along a
completely litter free stream, again, giving our effort a sort of
educational /habit changing effect.
One way of leveraging the benefits of picking up trash is recycling
the
trash. I've noticed that about a third to a half of common stream side
trash is recyclable material, and about 75% of oceanside trash is
recyclable. This requires a bit more work, but I feel that it is worth
the
effort. Typically, it is difficult to keep trash sorted while it is being
collected, so resorting at the end of the clean up seems to be the most
efficient way of handling recyclables. The most commonly found recyclables
are usually glass, plastic and aluminum beverage containers, various paper
and cardboard products (especially around suburban and roadside fishing
spots) ferrous metals (like along the Penobscot River in Orono and the
dump
pool on the Roach) non-ferrous metals (like aluminum boat, dock and
building
materials) and tires. Another way to further leverage our efforts is to
take
the proceeds from any cash recyclables and donate them to a worthy
conservation cause or even use them to buy Outdoor Heritage Lottery
tickets!
I realize that such a small amount of cash toward the cause could be seen
as
insignificant, but I believe that along with the symbolic and "karma"
value, it amounts to something worthwhile. Cash recyclables such as
beverage
containers are the obvious money raisers along with bulk aluminum and
copper
wire. While steel prices are sky rocketing, prices paid for scrap iron are
still painfully low. When I haul rusty, old machinery to the scrap yard, I
am consoled by the fact that those are a few pounds of iron that won't
need
to be mined, transported, refined and transported again, sort of.
Regardless of how folks out there feel about picking up trash, I hope
a
few of those reading this will come out and meet a few fellow outdoors
people, have some fun and do some spring cleaning - I'm looking forward to
the event and making some new friends - Tight Lines!
--Brian Foley
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