NEW YORK
Long Island
The Surfrider Foundation is happy to announce the formation and official ratification of the Long Island Chapter. After a series of organizing meetings, Chapter members developed a campaign plan mapping out some of the issues the chapter will tackle in 2000. Activists in the Long Island Chapter of Surfrider Foundation will first investigate water quality concerns in the area from sources such as the Millstone Power Plant located 11 miles across Long Island Sound in Connecticut and pollution from New York City. The second action item the chapter will be involved in is a community outreach effort on water safety, particularly at Ditch Plains in Montauk. Due to the popularity and access of this location to surfing, several accidents have occurred this past summer involving new, inexperienced surfers. Chapter members all agreed that an educational campaign which includes signs explaining the basic rules of surf etiquette and respect for the beach would be a good first start.
    Gaining and protecting beach access is the next issue the chapter will tackle in 2000-access to state controlled lands, particularly access to the north side of Montauk Point, and coastal areas being sought for private real estate purposes. Though Long Island officials to have seemingly become more lenient with surfers using certain areas, the laws and signs still indicate the unlawful use of these areas by surfers.
    New York Surfrider Foundation members should contact the Long Island Chapter to get involved with

these and other worthwhile outreach efforts in their communities.
 
North Coast
Surfrider Foundation's North Coast Chapter members continued collecting baseline water quality data along the Russian River in 1999. Chapter activists have been involved with trying to solve on-going water quality problems associated with the Russian River flowing to recreational beach areas.
    The North Coast Chapter of Surfrider Foundation held their first paddle out for clean water to protest the pollution in the Russian River. Some activists paddled over 6 miles and others over 2 miles. This was the chapter's first attempt at a paddle out and the chapter plan on more in 2000. In coordination with their attempt to raise public awareness, the chapter hopes to develop a public service announcement for television about the pollution problems affecting the Russian River.
    Chapter members will also continue their entry level activist program of regular beach clean ups in 2000.
 
NORTH CAROLINA
Cape Fear
Hurricane Floyd dumped 9 inches of rain in North Carolina in 8 hours and caused the Northeast Cape Fear River to wash into Maready's hog houses, sending nearly 1,000 hogs into the river and making the Cape Fear Chapter of Surfrider Foundation's worst fears come true. The disaster resulted in the contamination of ground, surface and coastal waters from the discharge of hog waste. The Chapter is concerned about the effects of these types of discharge disasters on the recreational issues as well as the economic

impact on the shell fishing industry.
    One hog waste pit burst, spilling more than two million gallons of oxygen-depleting waste into a waterway. North Carolina is the second largest hog producing state in the nation and a hot bed of simmering battles between environmentalist and the hog industry over the use of these types of "waste lagoons".
    Surfrider Foundation's Cape Fear Chapter, who have been monitoring and tracking the hog waste problem in the area for years, are now trying to form a coalition with the local Sierra Club and like-minded organizations so that "this doesn't ever happen again."
 
Outer Banks
On October 24, 1999, the Outer Banks Chapter of Surfrider Foundation participated in the Sound Fest Benefit Concert to help raise money for hurricane flood victims of North Carolina. Gibb Droll and the Connell's were the featured artists who donated their time and music for the cause. Surfrider Foundation's Outer Banks Chapter had a table campaign for continued clean water testing along the North Carolina coastline and support for the B.E.A.C.H Bill. With 150 signatures on letters to Senators Helms and Edwards and a petition to the late Senator Chaffee, it was a great success. The chapter also donated the $143.00 they raised at the event to the fundraising effort.
    The hot issue of water quality for the Outer Banks is a growing concern since Hurricane Floyd contaminated waters in and around Cape Fear and Wilmington. A 350-square mile dead zone in the North Carolina Pamlico and core sounds (which is the Nation's largest
(Outer Banks Chapter article continued on page 11)