Francis Marion National Forest Cleanup a huge success, removes tons of litter

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The 11th annual Francis Marion National Forest Cleanup was held on Saturday, February 3, 2018, and at the event, 327 volunteers removed more than 10 tons of trash and tires from the forest. The ratio of volunteers to trash picked up indicates once again that routine litter pickup events, even once a year as the case of the FMNF event, reduce litter. The average amount picked up was 64.46 pounds, down from 80.3 from last year and 117 the previous year. This important litter pickup event brings awareness to the effects of litter in our wilderness areas, and it also provides for roadside pickup. Forests and parks are often in areas that are less populated but still heavily trafficked. These secondary roads are not cleaned as often as interstates and in-town districts. The event covered areas in Berkeley and Charleston Counties between Huger and Awendaw. “We love seeing many of the same volunteers every year and meeting new ones. We also enjoy seeing results from each year that indicate an overall reduction in litter,” said Sarah Lyles, Executive Director of PalmettoPride. This annual event – always the first Saturday in February - brings together volunteers for a one-day event to pick up litter from one of the state’s most popular outdoor recreational areas. PalmettoPride and the USDA Forest Service host the event with long time partners Berkeley and Charleston Counties, Keep North Charleston Beautiful, Keep Charleston Beautiful and the newly formed Keep Berkeley County Beautiful. For more information on PalmettoPride, please contact Sarah Lyles at slyles@palmettopride.org or 803-758-6034. PalmettoPride is South Carolina’s litter prevention and beautification 501 C 3 nonprofit organization. We engage citizens to take an active role in keeping their communities clean and beautiful. Our programs have helped reduce litter by more than 60%. "Submitted via Email by Public Relations Coordinator"