Joe Manchin III, Governor

Frank Jezioro, Director

News Release : March 28, 2007

Hoy Murphy , Public Information Officer (304) 558-3381 hoymurphy@wvdnr.gov
Contact: Dave Pruitt, Beech Fork State Park (304) 528-5794 parks@westvirginia.com

Volunteers Take Action for a Cleaner, Greener Tomorrow as Beech Fork State Park Participates in the 2007 WV Make It Shine Statewide Cleanup April 14

-Cleanup and beautification efforts to take place nationwide as part of America’s largest community improvement event led nationally by Keep America Beautiful-

Volunteers across the state are rallying to improve their local parks, public spaces, waterways, hiking trails, sidewalks and streets by participating in the Department of Environmental Protection’s WV Make It Shine Statewide Cleanup, which takes place April 1 through April 15. Beech Fork State Park near Barboursville, West Virginia, will kick-off its activities with the annual Spring Cleanup on April 14 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Check-in will be held at the park headquarters building, and lunch will be provided. To volunteer, call (304) 528-5794 or toll free 1-800-CALL-WVA..

Beech Fork State Park’s WV Make It Shine activities are part of a larger national effort, Keep America Beautiful’s Great America Cleanup, that is expected to involve close to 2.5 million people, volunteering more than 8 million hours to clean, beautify, and improve 15,000 communities during 30,000 events in 50 states. Activities will include beautifying parks and recreation areas, cleaning seashores and waterways, handling recycling collections, picking up litter and removing scrap tires, planting trees and flowers, and conducting educational programs and litter-free events.

The 2006 WV Make It Shine Statewide Cleanup produced phenomenal results with more than 300,000 pounds of litter and debris collected by more than 2,000 volunteers.

Many of America’s leading companies are dedicated to supporting and sponsoring the efforts for the 2007 WV Make It Shine Statewide Cleanup/Keep America Beautiful Great American Cleanup. The National Sponsors are: American Honda Motor Co., Inc., Firestone Complete Auto Care™, GLAD® ForceFlex® Trash Bags, Pepsi-Cola Company, Sams Club®, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, Sparkle® Paper Towels from Georgia-Pacific, Sprint Foundation, Troy-Bilt®, Waste Management, Inc., and the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company; Educational Partners: Rubber Manufacturers Association and The Wireless Alliance.

The WV Make It Shine program is part of Governor Manchin’s Rehabilitation Environmental Action Plan initiative under the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection. All of West Virginia’s volunteer-driven cleanup programs fall under REAP-The Next Generation.

**DNR**