As the year comes to a close, we at Surfrider Foundation Washington are taking a moment to reflect on the memories and milestones that made 2024 a year of progress, passion, and persistence as we worked together to protect and enjoy Washington’s (and Alaska’s!) epic coastal places.
Beach Cleanups Galore
This year, our chapters organized over 50 cleanups across the state, removing over 80,000 lbs of debris. Highlights included our springtime Washington Coastal Cleanup, our fall International Coastal Cleanup Day, and of course, the unforgettable (regrettable?) disaster that is the July 5th cleanup. These efforts not only beautify our coastlines but also protect marine life from harmful trash. A great example of the collective effort it takes to keep debris off our beaches could be seen during the Washington Marine Debris Action Plan workshop in October, which highlighted the many groups, agencies, Tribes, and passionate humans working on these issues.
Top 10 items collected from a total of 1,069 cleanups across the country. To explore these data, head to our cleanups.surfrider.org
Plastic Pollution Prevention
The fight against plastic pollution starts with beach cleanups but ends with passing policies that prevent unnecessary products from being used in the first place. This year we saw past years’ victories come to fruition as more rules went into effect, such as the ban of all single-use foam foodware (part of our 2021 bill), as well as a ban on the installation of foam docks without a hard shell (part of our 2023 Trifecta Plastics Bill victory).
While our big plastics bill from this year’s legislative session, the ReWRAP Act, failed to pass, it was not for lack of trying. The Plastic Free WA / WA Sin Plástico Coalition is well positioned for another go at it this upcoming legislative session. Stay tuned on how you can help pass Extended Producer Responsibility in WA and hold producers of plastic packaging accountable for the waste their products create.
Our Ocean Friendly Businesses program expanded this year to include hotels! The full launch of our new Ocean Friendly Hotels program is well underway, and we’re stoked that Washington’s Adrift Hospitality was the first-ever OFH in the country! The Kenai Peninsula Chapter wasn’t far behind with the first-ever Alaska OFH (Alaska Troutfitters). While Ocean Friendly Restaurants took a hit during the pandemic, we’re excited to report that OFR numbers across the country are almost back to pre-COVID levels. Even more exciting is to see more Washington chapters participate in this program, with brand new OFRs in the Grays Harbor Chapter’s region - Rediviva in Aberdeen, and The Wandering Goose at the Tokeland Hotel; OPC’s newest, Yodelin’ Broth and Mighty Pine Brewery; and Kenai Peninsula’s new OFRs in Homer (Johnny's Corner, Wild Honey Bistro)
A drone shot of the July 5th beach cleanup at Ocean Shores
Clean Water
Our Blue Water Task Force continues to be a vital resource for coastal communities, providing real-time water quality data at popular recreation spots. This year, volunteers collected 178 samples from 24 sites, empowering people to make informed decisions about when to recreate safety. While there were a few sites with chronically high hits (lookin’ at you, Thea Foss Waterway), the majority of samples we tested reported safe levels of bacteria. These data also highlight areas that require interventions to solve chronic pollution problems, and we’ll be working on state and federal clean water advocacy next year. To see testing results near you, head to our BWTF page.
Over 70% of samples collected throughout Washington were safe to swim in, with fewer than 15% of samples showing up 'hot,' meaning unsafe levels of fecal bacteria. Gross.
Coast & Climate
As sea levels rise and coastal erosion gnaws away at our beaches, the need for long-term solutions to the growing threat of coastal squeeze grows more urgent by the day. We are stoked for the recent launch of Surfrider’s new Climate Action Program, and are excited to see where Washington Chapters will take this program. We’re also stoked to see the outcome of last year’s coastal victory, which funded a coastal resilience budget proviso, and the incredible work that’s already coming out of it, including the hiring of a dedicated Coastal Hazards Organizational Resilience Team (COHORT). We’ve had the good fortune to attend a number of resilience workshops and symposiums, such as the Coastal Hazards Resilience Network annual meeting, and the Astoria-based Navigating Coastal Hazards Workshop, where we’ve networked with amazing COHORT humans to brainstorm ways to protect coastal places.
A huge victory for our climate and coast happened just this November, when Washingtonians resoundingly voted No on 2117, instead choosing to protect the Climate Commitment Act and invest in community resilience. Huge shout out to our volunteers that knocked on doors, made phone calls, and helped spread the word that this ballot initiative was a bad deal for Washington!
Ocean Protection
While our priority is to advocate for our coastal communities, it goes without saying that part of that advocacy involves protecting our offshore waters from harmful extractive industries, as well as supporting protected areas such as our very own Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. As members of the Sanctuary Advisory Council, we participated in the Management Plan update, while simultaneously working to protect the OCNMS by advocating at the federal level to ban new offshore oil leases and fund critical NOAA programs. We learned more about the ongoing threat of ocean acidification at this year’s OASeS Symposium, we celebrated as Hawaii became the newest state to ban seabed mining, and after participating in a review process, applauded Governor Inslee’s decision to push pause on permitting offshore wind projects until we have a better understanding of the impacts as well as Tribal support.
The PNW Network Expands with Two New Chapters!
Expand the Network: To advance Surfrider’s mission and ensure that all people benefit from a healthy coastal environment, we will build a more inclusive culture and diverse network with 125 chapters, 400 clubs and one million active members, volunteers and online activists.
The Surfrider family grew this year with the establishment of two new chapters— the Grays Harbor Chapter officially became official, receiving their charter just last month! The Kenai Peninsula Chapter continues its efforts to establish a Surfrider presence in the Last Frontier. They’ve already got two Ocean Friendly Restaurants, an Ocean Friendly Hotel, and had an amazing weekend of outreach and education at Salmonfest!
Protect & Enjoy
We had another successful Coastal Recreation Hill Days, including our first ever Alaska delegation! While Hill Days was virtual this year, we still had the opportunity to hang out in person with other amazing Surfrider staff and volunteers from across the country at our 40th Anniversary Super Summit Celebration, during which several Washington Chapters received Chapter Champion Awards for their incredible work to protect our coasts! I visited Vancouver, BC for the first time to present at Surfrider Canada’s Conference, and never cease to be impressed with the amazing work of our northern neighbors.
Get Involved
Whether you’re ready to roll up your sleeves at a cleanup, donate to support our efforts, or advocate for meaningful policy change, there’s a place for you in the Surfrider fam. Visit Surfrider Foundation Washington to learn more, and check out your local chapter to see what event they’ve got in the works in 2025. If this leaves you feeling stoked, please consider joining or renewing your membership! Not convinced? Check out all the ways your membership matters!
Thank You, Surfrider Fam!
As we reflect on 2024, we’re filled with gratitude for everyone who made these accomplishments possible. Your passion fuels our mission, and we’re excited to see what we can achieve together in 2025. From all of us at Surfrider Washington, thank you for an incredible year and for being part of a global grassroots network making positive change happen!
None of this would have been possible without you—our passionate volunteers, generous donors, and tireless advocates. Together, we’ve achieved so much and we can’t wait to see what the next year will bring. Here’s to cleaner beaches, healthier oceans, and a brighter future for Washington’s coast!
That's a wrap!