HARTWELL, GA - The annual Hartwell Lake Clean Up Campaign is underway and volunteers are still needed to help pick up litter around the lake between now and September 30, National Public Lands Day.

“So far, we have had a good response with a lot of new participants this year,” said Hartwell Lake Park Ranger Tanya Grant. “But there are still particular areas like old road endings and areas near bridges that need to be cleaned. People that live adjacent to the lake are encouraged to sign up and walk the shoreline in their vicinity.”

This is a great activity for scout groups, civic organizations and clubs, subdivision residents, businesses, as well as families and friends in the Hartwell Lake region. Anyone interested in volunteering should call the Hartwell Lake Office at 1-888-893-0678, ext. 323 to register. All participants will be treated to a free “Volunteer Appreciation” picnic on September 29 where there will be entertainment, food, and door prizes.

There is still plenty of time to volunteer. Groups pick up litter at their own convenience during the clean up campaign. “Some groups even pick up litter in the morning on the last day of the campaign, September 30, and then come directly over to the picnic,” said Ranger Grant.
The Clean Up Campaign is coordinated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Hartwell Lake Office and the Lake Hartwell Association, a non-profit organization that promotes cooperation, assistance and information exchange among those concerned with Hartwell Lake.

The Hartwell Lake Clean Up Campaign began 27 years ago and is now included in the nationwide program – National Public Lands Day. National Public Lands Day, coordinated by the National Environmental Education and Training Foundation (NEETF), began with the idea that millions of Americans who use public lands each year – federal, state and local – could spend a day giving back to the land and their country. The clean up is also part of Georgia’s statewide “Rivers Alive” program and South Carolina’s statewide “Beach Sweep River Sweep” program. For more information, contact the Hartwell Lake Office at 706-856-0300, or toll free at 1-888-893-0678, ext. 323 or www.sas.usace.army.mil/lakes/hartwell.