43. Build crosswalks over the dunes to avoid foot traffic. 



44. Repair, restore or build dunes using sand fences and 

 vegetation. (Send for Sea Grant's Building and Stabilizing Coastal 

 Dunes With Vegetation. The cost is $1.50.) 



45 . Don't leave your litter behind after a day on the beach. 

 Litter can kill aquatic life. 



46. Don't use the beaches as an ashtray. Instead use one of 

 the portable ashtrays developed by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. for 

 outdoor use. If you're a smoker 21 years old or older and would 

 like a portable ashtray, write R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., Portable 

 Ashtray Offer, P.O. Box 2959, Winston-Salem, NC 27102. In your 

 request, please state your date of birth. Allow four to six weeks for 

 delivery. One ashtray will be provided per request. 



IN YOUR CAR... 



4 "7* A single quart of motor oil can contaminate 250,000 

 gallons of water — more than 30 people will drink in a lifetime. 

 Never dump motor oil, antifreeze, transmission fluid or other 

 automobile chemicals into road gutters, storm drains or catch 

 basins. 



48. Store waste oil in a container, and do not mix with 

 gasoline, solvents or other liquids. This contaminates the oil, which 

 may be reused, increases the volume of the waste and may form a 

 more hazardous chemical. 



49. Find out if your local service station or car care center 

 accepts waste oil. 



50. Many car detergents, like fertilizers, contain phosphate. 

 When you wash your vehicle, uses non-phosphate detergents. 



51. Wash one section of the car at a time and rinse quickly. 

 Use a hose that is high pressure, low volume and has a pistol-grip 

 nozzle. 



52. Recycle your old tires or dispose of them properly. Do 

 not toss them into our waterways. 



53. Keep a trash bag in your car. Don't litter. 

 ONI YOUR BOAT... 



54. Use onshore restrooms and pump-out facilities. Never 

 release raw sewage into coastal waters. (Sea Grant has two free 

 publications that can help boaters properly dispose of their raw 

 sewage. The $10 Holding Tank describes the materials needed and 

 procedure for building a low-cost, onboard holding tank for use 

 on small boats. A Portable Transfer Tank for Boat Waste lists 

 materials and step-by-step instructions for constructing a low-cost 

 tank for transferring sewage from boats with holding tanks to a 

 marina's disposal system.) 



5 5 . Go slow in your boat near banks where your wake can 

 erode. Observe posted marine speed limits. 



56. Keep a garbage receptacle on board, keep it covered and 

 make sure everyone uses it. 



57". Make it a rule that no trash goes overboard, including old 

 fishing line. 



58. Make sure your motor does not leak gas or oil into the 

 water. Do not drain engine fluid into the water. Be careful not to 

 spill when adding oil to your engine. 



59. Place a bilge pillow in your bilge to remove oil from your 

 bilge water. 



60. High phosphate soaps, toxic polishes and paints, stain 

 removers, antifouling compounds and other similar maintenance 

 products should not be used on or near the water, on boat ramps 

 or in adjacent areas. Bottom scrapings are particularly toxic and 

 should be not be allowed to enter the water. 



TAKE A STAND... 



6 1 • Promote wise land use. Attend public hearings held by 

 local planning and zoning boards about development projects. 



62. Know the names of your elected officials at all levels of 

 government. Correspond with them about issues that affect the 

 quality of life in and around coastal waters. 



63. Read the legal notices in your local paper. Attend 

 hearings on water issues and regulations in your area. 



64. Support efforts to preserve tidal wetlands, maritime forests 

 and other natural coastal assets. Join a waterway cleanup effort 

 such as The Big Sweep or join a Streamwatch group. Streamwatch 

 groups choose a portion of a stream, creek, river or estuary and 

 act as active stewards for these water bodies. They monitor water 

 quality, remove litter and observe aquatic life. (To learn more 

 about the N.C. Streamwatch program, contact state coordinator 

 George Norris at 733-4064.) 



65 . Lobby for prompt replacement of aging sewer lines and 

 pumping stations and the improvement of sewage treatment plants 

 in your area. 



66. Teach your children to respect and to value the environ- 

 ment. Take your children to one the N.C. Aquariums or the N.C. 

 Maritime Museum. Or join next year's Big Sweep statewide 

 waterway cleanup set for Sept. 19. It provides a hands-on educa- 

 tion about litter in the aquatic environment. 



(Sources for this story include: WCBS News 88 Earth Guide written 

 by the New Jersey, New York and Connecticut Sea Grant Pro- 

 grams; Sound Advice written by WRAL-TV5 and the N.C Coastal 

 Federation; and 100 Ways You can Help Save Our Environment 

 compiled by the National Aquarium in Baltimore.) El 



COASTWATCH 13 



