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PALMETTOPRIDE AND US FOREST SERVICE TACKLE LITTER AT FRANCIS MARION

Volunteers to Remove Illegal Dumpsites and Litter From Forest

Columbia, SC – PalmettoPride, your anti-litter and beautification organization, and the USDA Forest Service team up again to clean up South Carolina's national treasure – the Francis Marion National Forest.  Volunteers are needed to remove litter from illegal dumpsites scattered throughout forest in Charleston and Berkeley Counties on Saturday February 2, 2008

Outdoor enthusiasts, hunters, visitors of the forest and all interested people are asked to meet at the Sewee Visitor and Environmental Education Center at 8:00am where groups will be organized and sent to sites around the forest.  Volunteers will receive gloves and trash bags for the cleanup.  A lunch will be served at noon for all volunteers back at the Center.

As part of their Forest, Parks and Waterways program, PalmettoPride is returning to Francis Marion after focusing on other state and national forests.

“We came here in 2002 for the very first forest cleanup PalmettoPride was involved in.  We cleaned up over 100 tons in that first cleanup,” said Rick Cothran, Director of Operations for PalmettoPride. “We had so much success, we took the program to other areas.”

After the first forest cleanup, Francis Marion worked with volunteers for two years cleaning up 100% of the illegal dumpsites in the forest.  The two organizations have worked together on other projects throughout the years. 

Located off Highway 17 between Georgetown and Charleston, this 252,368-acre forest, provides wildlife enthusiasts with an abundance of activities, such as hiking, paddling, bird watching and hunting.  The Forest also has access to the Intracoastal Waterway and is part of the Palmetto Trail.

To volunteer for the cleanup or for more information, please contact Debbie Cohea at 803-758-6034 or dcohea@palmettopride.org.

PalmettoPride is a statewide non-profit dedicated to reducing litter in South Carolina and promoting beautification in our communities.  Their focus is a 4-pronged approach: education, enforcement, awareness and pickup.  

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