Sunrise
over Red Rock Park, Lynn Beach |
Hundreds of thousands of
area residents flock to Kings and Long Beaches each year. We go for a
swim on a hot July day, or a moonlight walk on a crisp autumn evening.
Some travel for hours to visit beaches that we can reach in minutes.
With this good fortune, though, comes responsibility. We must preserve
and protect these treasures from environmental harm.
Our beaches are becoming
increasingly unfit for recreational use. Trash piles up on the sand and
sewage pours into the bay. Algae growth fouls the water, sand, and air.
Erosion of dunes and deterioration of beach walls, buildings, and other
infrastructure demand immediate attention. These problems will not
simply disappear naturally, and will no doubt become more unmanageable
over time.
Unfortunately, as these
conditions have worsened, the government funding needed to alleviate
them has diminished. State and federal spending on the care and
maintenance of Kings & Long Beaches is only one-third as much
today as in 1987.
Some of us who live near
and recreate on these beaches have joined together to form a friends
group. Our goal is to promote the wise use and preservation of the
waterfront by:
- Alerting others
through educational, cultural, and civic programs and events to promote
public awareness and interest.
- Raising money to fund
these programs and events.
- Making our
legislators aware of the need to formulate sound marine and coastal
environmental policy.
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