Roads End Improvement Association
Annual July 5th Beach Clean-up
Every year on July 4th, many visitors throng the Roads End beach and leave behind large amounts of firework debris and other trash. So, since 2016, on July 5th, REIA has worked with SOLVE to coordinate a volunteer clean-up of Roads End Beach. Setting-off fireworks and the trash left behind has become a serious environmental, health and safety concern.
In addition to the hundreds of pounds of unsightly firework debris, our volunteers have picked up broken bottles, cans, cigarette butts, plastic straws, plastic toys, clothing, food wrappers and melted glass left in the campfire circles.
Children and pets are especially at risk amid all this debris, but so are the ocean and wildlife. Wildlife may mistake brightly colored pieces of plastic for food, and all the debris can take tens—or even hundreds--of years to break down in the ocean.
In 2021 REIA joined with SOLVE Spring and Fall beach cleanup events as well. In addition to beach cleanups we have expanded the effort to include neighborhood street cleanup.
REIA saw the problem and set out to solve it with the help of vital community partners. Over time, REIA has had the support of SOLVE, the Chinook Winds Casino Resort, Safeway, Lincoln City, the Oregon State Parks and North Lincoln Sanitary. Each has made a significant contribution to the overall clean-up. And so have visitors and residents.
Since our first clean-up in 2016, a total of 880 volunteers have collected over 3300 pounds of trash and debris from the Roads End Beach and Neighborhood. We’re happy to note that the volume of trash has decreased in the last few years, but every piece of trash collected contributes to the health of our beach and to the enjoyment of residents and visitors who use it.
Please join REIA this year on the morning of July 5th at the Roads End State Park to help keep our clean and protect the environment and wildlife! And watch for signs on Logan Road about the spring and fall cleanup dates!
If you’d like more information about the beach clean-up, contact us at info@roadsendimprovementassn.org.
