update: December 16th, 2009 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Stafford Township

Passes Precedent-Setting

Environmental Ordinance!

 

ALO members testify in support!

 

 

Ship Bottom, N.J. December 16, 2009- The Alliance for a Living Ocean (ALO), whose mission it is to promote and maintain a healthy coastal environment, provided comments at the Stafford Township Council meeting, last evening, December 15, 2009 regarding ordinance 2009-50 “Fertilizer Application Requirements”.

ALO supported this ordinance “as a good first step, of hopefully many, towards a healthier bay” said ALO President, Tom Beaty. The ordinance passed unanimously and will prohibit fertilizer applicators from applying fertilizer to an impervious surface (such as roads or sidewalks) and from applying fertilizer between December 15 and February 15 or if the ground is frozen. Also prohibited is the depositing of grass clippings into water bodies or storm drains and the application of phosphorous fertilizer unless the soil is tested and shown to be phosphorus deficient.

These measures will limit the amount of fertilizer that leaves lawns when it gets washed off in runoff from rain and into streams or storm drains, which eventually empty into the bay. Once in the bay, the excess nutrients in the fertilizer allow nuisance organisms such as sea nettles and algae to grow out of control, known as eutrophication. The conditions of the bay experiencing eutrophication also prevent sensitive species such as clams, scallops, eelgrass, or fish such as gar and blowfish from thriving. “The local economy depends on a healthy bay” said ALO Issues & Education Committee Chair, Kelly Quinlan. “We have a responsibility to what we can where we are able, and it started with Stafford Township.”

ALO Executive Director, Elizabeth Burke commented, “The passing of this ordinance shows Stafford Township’s commitment to improving & protecting water quality. This is a precedent set locally and we hope it will be taken up by other towns of Ocean County and eventually at the State level.”

ALO Vice President, Kellie Karolkiewicz, added, “our ‘Green Room’ shop and headquarters is ready to help the public learn more about how to landscape in an responsibly in lieu of this ordinance passing. It is important for people to understand the alternatives and we are here to help them”.

ALO comments presented to the Council included suggestions to address nitrogen and organic/natural fertilizer in amendments. Although phosphorous is also a problem nutrient in the bay, nitrogen is the biggest offender. ALO suggests fertilizer should contain at least 30% slow-release (insoluble) nitrogen content.

 

 

 

update: August 20th, 2009 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

LBI Longboard Classic and Beach Concert

 

RE-SCHEDULED for AUGUST 29th

 

A benefit for ALO

 

Get details at www.WOODENJETTY.com

 

 

update: July 15th, 2009 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

In Memory of Wendell Morrow Green

 

Use the PAYPAL form below for your Memoriam

 

 

update: June 30th, 2009 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

CaSEAno Night!

 

and Texas Hold ‘em Tournament

 

Thursday August 6, 2009

7pm to 11pm

Beach Haven Fire Department

 

Sign up HERE and NOW with the PAYPAL form below

and SAVE 10%!

CaSEAno Night

 

 

 

update: June 6th, 2009 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Eat for the Environment!

 

Join us at these local restaurants:

 

July 22nd at Uncle Will’s

A portion of their entire sales for the day

Will be given to ALO.

Just show up and eat!

Uncle Will’s is located at:

3 S. Bay Ave

Beach Haven NJ 08008

(609) 492-2514

 

July 28th at Calloways

Bring a Copy of this internet advertisement

And 20% of your dinner tab

Will be given to ALO

Calloways is located at:

597 Route 9

Staffordsville NJ

(609) 978-0220

 

August 3rd at Scojo’s

A portion of their entire sales for the day

Will be given to ALO.

Just show up and eat!

Scojo’s is located at:

307 Long Beach Blvd

Surf City NJ 08008

(609) 494-8661

 

 

update: June 2nd, 2009 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

ONLINE  SHOPPERS  HELP  ALO

 

Do your online shopping through iGive.com

And ALO benefits!

 

Register Alliance for a Living Ocean as your Charity

And ALO receives donations per item.

 

It’s that easy, and cost NO EXTRA for you !

 

Try it now by clicking here!

 

update: May 30, 2009 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

BECOME  A  BARNEGAT  BAY  BUDDY!

 

Collect Points for each Bay Buddy Action you do,

and be rewarded with a

Bay Buddy Certificate

 

Click here for more details!

 

 

 

update: April 20th, 2009 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

ALO  CLEANS  UP!

 

258 VOLUNTEERS GATHER OVER 1000 LBS OF GARBAGE

AND 769 PLASTIC CAPS IN HONOR OF

ALO’S 16TH ANNUAL EARTH DAY CLEAN UP!

 

 

part of the Holgate Cleanup crew.

 

 

SHIP BOTTOM, N.J. (April 20, 2009) – In honor of Earth Day, the Alliance for a Living Ocean (ALO), recorded that 258 people volunteered for the 16th Annual Clean Up Event. Sponsored by The Long Beach Island Garden Club, JETTY, and Inkgredient, we were able to extend this effort to six LBI sites for the first time ever. Locals and tourists alike seemed pleased to be able to pitch in and help out in their area of choice. Together everyone collected an estimated 1018 lbs of trash between the hours of 10 am and 1 pm this past Sat. April 18th.

ALO would like to give special thanks to all the concerned citizens who came out for a beautiful day of Beach, Bay and Bonnet Island clean up. Judy Wyckoff of the AARP, chapter 3728 brought 9 people out to Bonnet Island and they got busy cleaning up well before the start time of 10am! The Holy Trinity Youth Group of Beach Haven took over Holgate and collected about 125 lbs of trash including 215 cigarette butts. The Boy Scouts worked on Beach Haven and Brownie Troup 498 with19 people scoured Barnegat Light lugging 28 bags of debris. Surf City collected 1134 cigarette butts. Aside from the top ten debris items we also found a bag of dead mice, an enema bottle, a steak knife, a syringe. 

Volunteers happily separated the plastic bottle caps from other trash. This process is just the beginning of ALO’s effort to raise awareness that this rigid plastic does not ever biodegrade and most likely will not get recycled. These water bottle and sports drink caps end up in our ocean and bay killing marine creatures that mistake them for food. A single use piece of plastic can easily result in the death of an innocent bird or fish, which cannot digest this plastic and starve to death.

Important news: for those people who weren’t able to join us for this important effort, we are proud to offer our “Adopt-a-Beach” program which is available year round. Just choose your favorite part of LBI and keep it clean and receive an ALO certificate of appreciation. For more details call ALO @ 609.494.7800 or visit our office @202 W. 27 Street in Ship Bottom.

Alliance for a Living Ocean is a member supported grassroots non-profit organization now based in Ship Bottom, NJ. Our mission is to promote and maintain clean water and a healthy coastal environment through education, research and active participation. We recognize the need to manage our watershed, bay and ocean holistically since all water flows from the raindrop to the ocean.

PHOTOS available on request. For more information, call Alliance for a Living Ocean at 609-494-7800 or email: alolbi@verizon.net.

 

ALO's Earth Day Cleanup Statistics

April 18th, 2009

 

6 locations

258 participants

 

1018 pounds of trash (estimated)

 

769 plastic caps

2238 cigarette butts

860 plastic bags

866 food wrappers/containers

495 plastic bottles

166 paper bags

351 straws/stirrers

233 cups/plates/forks/knives/spoons

296 glass bottles

375 aluminum cans

 

other items include:

one hypodermic syringe

one enema bag

five dead mice in a bag

fishing line

cigarette lighters

shot gun shells

flip flops

shoes

balloons

golf balls

construction debris

styrofoam

basketball

roof shingles

bicycle fender

 

 

769 Bottle Caps collected during the cleanup

 

 

 

update: April 6th, 2009 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

ALO SPEAKS OUT!

 

Department of the Interior Outer Continental Shelf Energy Hearing

Atlantic City Convention Center

April 6, 2009

 

ALO Member Attendees: Maureen Salvestrini, Dave Salvestrini, Tom Beaty, Kelly Quinlan, Derrick Kappler

 

NJ elected official attendees: Governor Jon Corzine, Senator Menendez, Representative Lobando, Congressman Pallone,

 

Summary of East Coast Hearing:

After Secretary of the Interior Salazar made opening statements, representatives from both USGS (US Geological Survey) and MMS (Minerals Management Service) gave a summary of the Survey of Available Data. Robert LaBelle and Brenda Pierce explained the mid-Atlantic region off the coast of NJ was a prime area for wind energy and that although small in comparison to other regions, there is recoverable oil and natural gas off the NJ coast in the outer continental shelf. They noted the environmental impacts of outer continental shelf energy production, including the negative impacts to migratory birds, existing fisheries, and harm to marine mammals from seismic testing.

 

Then the present elected officials were invited to speak in a panel discussion. NJ Governor Jon Corzine was strongly opposed to oil and gas drilling off the NJ coast, and strongly supported moving forward to take advantage of the winds off our coast. Senator Menendez shared Gov Corzine's views against offshore oil and gas drilling, citing the $38 billion NJ tourism industry and $4.5 billion fishing industry. If a spill were to occur, both these vital industries as well as property values would be at stake. He reminded those citing minimal environmental risk from drilling technology of the millions of gallons of oil spilled when extensive damage was done to oil platforms during Hurricane Katrina. Representative Lobando cited an excess of $38 billion tourism industry in NJ, as compared to the estimated less than $1 billion to be made per year if the entire Atlantic coast was developed for oil and gas drilling. It was clear that the small benefits did not outweigh the environmental risk.

 

President of ALO Tom Beaty (see his testimony here) as well as ALO member Kelly Quinlan (see her testimony here) provided statements when comments were opened to the public. The focus of the statements were that clean beaches and clean water are the basis for our local economy and the damage that can be done to marine life from seismic testing. Opposition to oil and gas exploration and drilling was expressed, as well as support for offshore wind energy.

 

Further statements were heard from organizations representing surfers, commercial and recreational fishermen, wind farm industry, as well as oil and gas drilling. Citizens spoke about the need to reduce US dependence on foreign oil and develop clean, renewable energy sources.

 

Three more hearings are scheduled for April, in New Orleans, Los Angeles, and Alaska. Check back to the ALO website for updates on the outer continental shelf energy program!.

 

update: March 27, 2009 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

6th Location Added to 16th Annual Earth Day Clean Up

 

Date: Saturday, April 18, 2009

Time: 10am – 1pm

Meet at your choice of 6 locations

 

Bonnet Island, Route 72 Eastbound
Beach Haven, Center Street Ocean Beach
Ship Bottom Public Dock and Boat Ramp
Surf City, 16th street Bay Beach
Barnegat Light, at the end of Broadway

Holgate, parking lot at the end of Long Beach Blvd.

 

 

update: March 26, 2009 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Off Shore Drilling: Don’t Gamble with Our Coast!

 

SHIP BOTTOM, N.J. (March 26, 2009) – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar will host four regional public meetings in April to present the Department of the Interior’s finding on Outer Continental Shelf energy resources. Alliance for a Living Ocean will attend the Eastern Regional Meeting on Energy Development of the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf at the Atlantic City Convention Center April 6, 2009. Public comments open at approximately 9AM.

 

After opening remarks by Secretary Salazar, there will be a presentation of a Department report concerning offshore energy resources. The rest of the meeting will be devoted to hearing from elected officials as well as public and private interests.

 

ALO will attend to support the use of renewable energy development, such as solar and wind power, as well as to express opposition to the use of the outer continental shelf for oil and gas exploration or drilling. Don’t gamble with our coast! This is the time to invest in clean, renewable energy to attain energy independence. See our website for details on regional meeting or how to submit your comments. See http://www.doi.gov/news/09_News_Releases/031109a.html for details about the meeting.

 

update: March 26, 2009 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Dredging of Mill Creek May Harm Spawning Fish

 

SHIP BOTTOM, N.J. (March 26, 2009) – This year when the American eel, white perch and blueback herring will make their annual migration up Mill Creek to spawn, they will have an even greater challenge: they will have to find their way through a dredging operation at the mouth of the creek where the creek enters the lagoon. Some clear cutting of the nearby deposit area has already taken place and it is expected that dredging of the Mill Creek lagoon will begin soon… at a time when these anadromous fish are making their trip up the creek to spawn. Since these fish spawn only once a year at the same location as their predecessors, the populations of these fish could be greatly affected by a season of poor breeding. Stafford Township put a time restriction of “not in the summer” so as not to interfere with human resident enjoyment of the lagoon; no time restriction around the resident fish was issued.

 

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection issued permits for the dredging to take place, but with no restriction of dredging during the spawning. Nor did the Stafford Environmental Commission offer any time restrictions. With the entire off-season to conduct the dredging, why is it so critical that it be done now, during the fish spawning weeks? Stafford Township Administrator Paul Shives says this has been a two year project to collect bids, request permits, etc and the work must be completed before the end of the contract, as the town could be penalized if the work is not allowed to begin on schedule. In addition Administrator Shives claims it was the responsibility of NJDEP to identify sensitive receptors such as the spawning fish, not that of Stafford Township, although local fishermen were able to identify this as soon as they learned the work was to be coming up.

 

Since permits have already been distributed for the work, it seems likely it will not be stopped or delayed – indeed they will have a rough trip this year. Check back at the ALO website for updates.

 

update: March 9, 2009 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

.

ALO’s 16th Annual Earth Day Clean Up

earthdayfrontpage

Date: Saturday, April 18,  2009 Time: 10am – 1pm

Meet at your choice of 5 locations

 

Bonnet Island, Route 72 Eastbound
Beach Haven, Center Street Ocean Beach
Ship Bottom Public Dock and Boat Ramp
Surf City, 16th street Bay Beach
Barnegat Light, at the end of Broadway

 

The Alliance for a Living Ocean is celebrating Earth Day by sponsoring a spring cleanup of Bonnet Island, part of the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge and the LBI ocean beaches. The Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge includes more than 43,000 acres of southern New Jersey coastal habitats. These habitats are actively protected and managed for migratory birds. The main part of the refuge is located in Oceanville just south of Smithville. It is a great place to visit during the spring and fall migrations. The refuge extends north to cover shoreline properties in Stafford and beyond. One treasured area in the refuge is Bonnet Island. It is a favorite spot for local birds and stopover point for migrating birds. ALO has been sponsoring this cleanup for over 15 years. So once again let’s get out there and help keep it clean in time for the spring migration. Join all those people worldwide that participate in Earth Day events by coming and giving 2 hours of your time in the cleanup effort.

 

If you come and join ALO that day, be sure that you take the following advice. Last year because we had very warm weather, people wore shorts and tees. The result was that several people ran in to poison ivy plants. With proper protection, this situation can be avoided.

 

1.    Wear gloves, long pants and shirts. Light colors will keep you cooler.

2.    Always wear closed shoes (like sneakers and boots, not sandals)

3.    Tuck your pants into your socks and spray clothes with bug spray

4.    Don’t forget the sun block. Use lots of it!

5.    As a precaution, take a shower when you get home.

6.    Children must be accompanied by a parent. If you have young children, ALO asks that you choose to pick up trash on the beach instead of Bonnet Island.

 

The only way out of the trash mess is to Recycle, Recycle, Recycle. To stop plastic trash from becoming a scourge on the oceans, it must be recovered and used again and again. In the US only about 20 to 25% of plastic bottles and bags ever get recycled.  Worldwide, that number is about 5%. We must do better!!

 

2008-cleanup 013.jpg

 

update: February 11, 2009 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

ALO's New Office and Environmental Gift Shop

202 West 27th and Central Ave
Ship Bottom, New Jersey 08008
Telephone: 609-494-7800
Fax: 609-494-7899
New email: alolbi@verizon.net

 

ALO's new office is located on Central Avenue near 27th Street in Ship Bottom. ALO is working full tilt on preparing an exciting 2009 season. The great news is that so many people responded to ALO’s request for support that our board now has a total on 19 members plus a new Executive Director. Have a look at the credentials of all our board members on the Trustee Page. You can see why ALO has such high hopes for a successful future. Stay tuned for more information on ALO as our committees get in to high gear.

 

update: January 30, 2009 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

Action Update – Stop Liquefied Natural Gas Development

There was a remarkable turnout at the Insanity Island public hearing in Eatontown, NJ on January 27th, held by the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Maritime Administration! Well over 500 friends of the ocean attended the hearing to blast the proposal to build a massive island that would bring us an unwanted, unneeded, foreign fossil fuel…Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG).  Everyone spread the word far and wide, and proved, once again, that grassroots organizing and the power of the people rule!

ALO President Makes Statement at LNG Public Meeting


"My Name is Tom Beaty and I am the President of the Alliance for a Living Ocean. The Alliance for a Living Ocean is a 20 year old grassroots not-for-profit environmental organization located on Long Beach Island. Our mission is to promote and maintain clean water and a healthy coastal environment. The Alliance for a Living Ocean would like to go on record as opposing this LNG Deepwater Port License Application. Besides destroying the seafloor and sea life habitat by building this island, LNG is a polluting, climate altering fossil fuel that produces deadly greenhouse gasses. We need to develop clean domestic sources such as wind and solar power, not dirty fuel sources such as imported LNG. Thank you."

 

Background information on LNG Issues

Two industrial port facilities for liquefied natural gas (LNG), a polluting, climate-changing, expensive, foreign fossil fuel, are proposed just off the New Jersey shore and the south shore of Long Island, New York, threatening our beaches, marine life, and economy. LNG is grossly more polluting than domestic natural gas. It increases our use and dependence on foreign fossil fuels, steers us in the wrong direction away from existing conservation, efficiency, and renewable energy technologies & options, and opens the door to offshore oil & gas drilling.

More importantly, LNG facilities devastate important fish habitat, and impact endangered and threatened species, damage seafloor habitat, destroy vast quantities of marine life, and create navigational hazards leading to accidents & spills.

Please help! Sign the online petition to oppose the offshore LNG ports at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/petition/689151878. 
Help us reach and exceed our goal of 25,000 signatures!
or
E-mail Governor Corzinetell him: NO LNG: Keep Us Free from LNG!  Click this link: http://www.state.nj.us/governor/govmail.html