Pender Co. receives national award for ‘Beach Clean’ project

PENDER COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) - Pender County announced on Thursday, May 25, that the county has been selected to receive an Achievement Award from the National Association of Counties (NACo) for its Beach Clean project.

Per the release, the Beach Clean program promotes the practice of “Leave no trace” to those visiting the beach.

“They are encouraged to use trash containers, don’t bring glass to the beach, pick up after pets, fill in the holes dug on the beach, and reduce the use of plastics. The program discourages the use of plastic bags on the beach or on waterways. It also discourages the release of balloons on the beach,” states the county in its announcement.

Since 1970, NACo seeks to award county governments for their innovations that “reflect the vast, comprehensive services that counties provide.”

“Beach Clean is a continuing project that is a collaboration with the Topsail Island Shoreline Protection Commission, Topsail Beach, Surf City, North Topsail Beach, and Onslow County Tourism,” said Pender County Tourism Director Tammy Proctor, whose department nominated the Beach Clean project for this national honor. “The project is educational for our visitors and residents to keep our beaches, rivers, and waterways clean and sustainable.

“Plastics floating in water look like food to our sea turtles and other animals. Regardless if we are residents or visitors, we are all caretakers of our environment.”

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