52nd Annual Operation Shore Patrol - Westport, WA

This last weekend (Sept 16), we were proud to, once again, be a small part of the annual Operation Shore Patrol in Grayland/Westport. This weekend marked the 52nd year for this event started by the Pacific NW 4WD Association.

Let's pause for a brief history: Founded in 1971 by the PNW4WDA and supported by Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, Dept. of Ecology and the Ocean Conservancy, Operation Shore Patrol is an annual clean up of Washington State coastline beaches. Through continued support of local, regional, and national organizations this inititave has been able to continually rid our beaches of litter and debris that accumulated from public use, illegal dumping and from the Pacific Ocean. The PNW4WDA which is dedicated to preserving our environment for future generations saw the need to form an organized cleanup of our coastline beaches. Thus, Operation Shore Patrol came to be. There are 3 beach locations Westport, Ocean Shores and Long Beach. Several years ago, many on the interior said, hey, that's a good idea, but what about the hills? And that is how Pick up a Mountain (Naches, WA) was born. Pick up a Mountain happens on the same weekend as OSP, and is considered part of the event.

Why is this necessary? Because people abuse our natural resources, and think, 1 cigarette butt, or one wrapper, doesn't matter, but it adds up, and quickly. Besides looking unsightly, I mean who wants to walk the beach littered with garbage?, but it is hard on the environment and wildlife. Animals, fish and other sea creatures eat the plastic, or get stuck in a foreign object, or so many other scenarios. So, because people can't be trusted to always do the right thing, volunteers, like members of the PNW4WDA give it a hand. Since we attended the Westport OSP, we couldn't tell you the stats on the other locations, but we can tell you that we had over 175 people at Westport, and they picked up from Grayland all the way to Westport. I don't know the total amount of garbage picked up this year, but I do know it was a lot less than previous years, which is amazing in and of itself. Because of events like Operation Shore Patrol more people are aware of the importance of cleaning our beaches, more groups are using it as volunteer opportunity, people in general are more consience of their impact on the environment, and making more of an effort. There are hilarious stories of years past and finding the most random things on the beach and in the dunes. Not all of it is from people dumping on the beach, some of it comes from the ocean itself from somewhere else. When the high tides come in they bring debris from all over the world, some interesting, mostly just garbage, but it is a bit of a treasure hunt. In the years that we have attended, we have seen whole cars pulled from the sand, washers, and other appliances, furniture of all types, soooo many kites, and of course standard order garbage like chip bags and soda cans. I believe the biggest item pulled this year was a couch.

At the end of the day all of the participants line up and, escorted by the town constable, parade through the town of Westport. Its a way of saying howdy, and giving the folks in town a chance to express their appreciation. They line the streets and cheer and say thank you! You see, this is their home, and their livlihood, and they need the visitors to keep coming back, but they also care about their beaches, so they appreciate that we care too. One of the greatest things about this event is that it has spawned other, similar events. Ocean Shores locals have created a pre season event, with HUGE success. We know in all of our beach towns, local scout troops, environmental organizations, and just people who care, are holding events pre season, and through the season. So, mark your calendars for the 3rd weekend in September, follow our Facebook pages (we always post about the event) and come on down, make new friends, and help us keep beaches and mountains clean for the critters that live there and so that future generations may enjoy. Events like this are always family friendly, and it is an activity for the whole family. Whether your kids are little or have 4 legs, bring em on down, all are welcome. Here are a few pictures from the Region 2, (Westport), Region 1 (Ocean Shores), and Pick up a Mountain.

If you would like more information about the Pacific NW 4WD Association please visit their website at: PNW4WDA.org If you would like to find out more information about Operation Shore Patrol or other events please visit the PNW4WDA.org website, or follow on various social channels. We hope you will click/subscribe/pop in to Bruce Titus Auto social pages for information about events and happenings in your area. #sheltonCJDR #sheltonford #tacomasubaru #olympiajeep #portorchardford #vwofpalmsprings #olympianissan #pnw4wda #operationshorepatrol2023