Cumberland County Improvement Authority

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 10, 2008

17th ANNUAL PUBLIC LANDS CLEANUP DATES ANNOUNCED

MILLVILLE, NJ: The Cumberland County Clean Communities Program has announced the dates for the 2008 Public Lands Cleanup effort. This year, the Trash Hunt will be held Saturday, March 29th and the Waterways Cleanup is scheduled for Saturday, September 27th. Community volunteers are encouraged to join the cleanup effort either as individuals or groups.

What began as a plea for cleaner recreational areas has transformed into a celebrated annual event whose positive impact can be clearly seen throughout Cumberland County. Since its inception in 1992, the Public Lands Cleanup Program has removed more than 765 tons of trash. This includes 13,939 tires and 7.89 tons of recycled materials from Cumberland County’s woodlands, streams, shores, and rivers.

“The Federation of Sportsmen, under the leadership of President Bob Russell of the Tidewater Bass Gun Club, are helping to coordinate the 2008 Public Lands Cleanup,” said Cumberland County Recycling Coordinator Dennis DeMatte, Jr. “They have been our partner since the beginning and always do an outstanding job with the event. Their dedication to preserving the County’s recreational areas is truly an inspiration and has helped make the event an ongoing success.”

“As a result of our efforts over the years, we’re seeing increased awareness among those in the general public about the effects of littering. We see a lot less trash now than we did 10 years ago. Actually, we’re not seeing as much new trash and we’re very pleased about that,” commented Lee Widjeskog of the New Jersey Department of Fish and Game and coordinator of volunteer groups for the Cumberland County Federation of Sportsmen’s Club.

“We also do a lot of pre-scouting so that we can send people to the litter filled areas. About a week or so before the event we go out and locate problem areas. We map them out so the day of the event we can give volunteer groups different maps with areas identified for them to concentrate their efforts on,” Widjeskog continued.

The Nature Conservancy, Municipal Clean Communities Coordinators, the Natural Lands Trust, the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Department, the City of Vineland, and the City of Millville will also be involved in this year’s cleanup effort. Additionally, Waste Management, Giordano’s, Cifaloglio, Inc. and C&H Disposal have graciously volunteered to provide roll-off containers at selected locations throughout the County for volunteers to dispose of the collected trash.

“We are currently seeking volunteers who are interested in participating in the 2008 Cleanup Program. Families, friends, individuals, or groups are invited to pack a lunch and spend the day outdoors giving something back to the environment. The Improvement Authority will provide all participants with hats, bags, and gloves prior to the start of the Trash Hunt. Those interested in participating in the Trash Hunt or the Waterway’s Cleanup should contact the Improvement Authority at 856-825-3700 for more information,” DeMatte concluded.

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For more information about this press release please contact Dennis Dematte, Jr. at 856-825-3700.