administrator, Sand Key Park Supervisor and water safety supervisor for the City of Clearwater have opened this location to surfing on a trial basis. On days when conditions are appropriate for surfing, lifeguards will "flag" a designated surfing zone at the north end of the beach. The surf zone will be open between the hours of 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Surfing is not allowed when lifeguards are off duty. If all goes well, the chapter hopes to expand the surfing zone and open the beach up to surfing on a permanent basis.
    The Suncoast Chapter of Surfrider Foundation is currently raising funds to begin posting signs on local beaches that remind beach users to pack their trash. In an effort to begin that process the chapter held a successful fundraising event drawing more than 600 people who demonstrated their support at Club More in Clearwater.
 
Hawaii
Maui
The rejuvenated Maui Chapter of Surfrider Foundation held a "Save Ma'alaea Celebration and Surf Bash Concert" in late August at the Lahaina Civic Auditorium. Organizations such as; the Sierra Club, Hawaii Wildlife Fund and Na Kupuna o Maui were on hand to present information on the proposed harbor expansion at Ma' alaea.
    The 1,000 attendees were treated to a high quality arts and crafts show coordinated by Hanohano Artisan Alliance, Hawaiian cultural demonstrations, displays and 9 hours of music from local groups.
    Local newspapers, radio stations, surf shops, specialty boutiques and

restaurants supported the Maui Chapter's efforts with contests, talk show ads, displays and special promos about the event. Borders Books in Kahului was especially helpful by donating educational window display space and hosting two promotional events to support the Maui Chapter of Surfrider Foundation.
    Further public hearings on the Ma'alaea expansion issue are expected early next year. An educational video on the issue is expected to be completed and available by November to educate the public about this disastrous project.
 
Oahu
The Ala Wai Canal Watershed Improvement Project, with cooperation from the Roads Division of the Honolulu Department of Facilities and Maintenance, installed a storm drain contamination filter at the intersection of Seaside and Aloha Drive in Waikiki. This was made possible in part through the efforts of the Oahu Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation.
    This pilot project, the first of its kind in Hawaii, is an attempt to judge the effectiveness of filtering urban runoff. Surfrider Foundation's Oahu Chapter activists have been involved in monitoring the pollution effects of urban runoff from non-point source pollution into coastal waters since forming. According to statistics more than 250,000 vehicles travel 1.6 million vehicle miles each day in the urban areas of Ala Wai Canal watershed. Imagine what a state like California must produce if Hawaii is about 30 times smaller than the state of California.
    The Oahu Chapter in coordination with the EPA and Hawaii Department

of Health-Clean Water Branch hopes that such filters will prove successful in trapping the by-products of those vehicles, i.e. heavy metals, petroleum products and other compounds and chemicals. These products are ordinarily washed into the Ali Wai Canal or the ocean causing pollution and health problems. Each quarter the filters will be replaced and its contents analyzed at the University of Hawaii's School of Ocean and Earth Science Technology Lab. Surfrider Foundation's Oahu Chapter hopes the results of the testing will provide rationale for installing additional filters throughout the area.
 
Maryland
Ocean City
Surfrider Foundation's Ocean City Chapter might be one of our newest chapters, but they are definitely one of busiest. In fact, Ocean City Chapter members, led by Chair Randy Meyer were chartered in August 1999; participated in Surfrider Foundation's 15 Year Training Summit; developed a Surf Site Stewardship Program for 65th Street, and will soon implement the Blue Water Task Force and Respect the Beach Programs.
    Blue Water Task Force Chapter Committee leader Doug Herr will kick off the Ocean City Chapter of Surfrider Foundation's water testing unit in the spring of 2000. This will be in conjunction with their Surf Site Stewardship Program where the chapter will not only test the water at the 65th Street beach, but also do monthly beach clean-ups, dune revegetations and low impact access improvements. The chapter has already conducted beach clean ups and have placed trash barrels at the beach and local surf shops.