Inmates Return to Tidy Bird Sanctuary

STONE HARBOR – The Stone Harbor Bird Sanctuary welcomes the NJDEP Clean Shores Program Dec. 21 at 9:30 a.m.
Program Director Virginia Loftin will be onsite.
Clean Shores is a statewide program that removes debris such as wood, garbage, medical waste and recyclables from tidal areas with the use of state inmate labor.
Since its inception in 1989, the program has removed over 119 million pounds of debris and cleaned and re-cleaned over 2100 miles of New Jersey’s shorelines.
The funding for the Clean Shores program comes entirely from the sale of the Shore Protection “Shore to Please” motor vehicle license plates.
A Clean Shores work crew consists of 20 inmates, 2 state correctional officers, a site manager, and woodcutter provided by the NJDEP.
The inmates have received special selection for outside work by the Department of Corrections and have full minimum status. On average, the crew works a 5-hour day arriving on site at 7:30am and leaving at 12:30pm.
The NJDEP Clean Shores Program has been an important of the Stone Harbor Bird Sanctuary habitat rejuvenation program.
Last spring, the inmates removed seven 40 yard dumpsters of debris, from streams and waterways within the Sanctuary and its maritime forest.