Leave Only Footprints Policy “embraced with open arms’’

Leave Only Footprints Policy “embraced with open arms’’

Noel Hand, assistant public works director for the city of Gulf Shores, said reaction to the city’s new Leave Only Your Footprints ordinance has been great.
“It has been embraced with open arms,” he said, noting that the reaction at first was more hesitant because of the inconvenience. Once explained, however, many people are on board with the idea.
“We are almost the last ones (cities) doing it,” Hand said. “During the summer you could barely maintain the beach because of the amount of stuff being left out.”
The new Leave Only Footprints law was passed by the cities of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach and requires beachgoers to take their trash and beach gear with them when they leave, and fill holes deeper than 12 inches.
Specifically, Leave Only Footprints calls for all temporary structures – beach tents, canopies, beach chairs and toys – to be removed from the beach by one hour after sunset. Gear left behind will be collected by crews and disposed of or recycled. Beach visitors will not have the opportunity to retrieve the gear after it is removed.
“We don’t want to take anyone’s stuff, but if you don’t change, you will never change that thought process,” Hand said.
During spring break, the main items left on the beach were broken beach chairs. More bins for trash and recyclables are available, and signage about the new law is at various points on the beach and boardwalk. The city of Orange Beach also has beach enforcement officers to help explain the new law.
“We live in an environmentally friendly area,” Hand said. “It’s a clean city; we pick up litter seven days a week.” By using the cans at the beach, visitors get free trash service twice a day, every day. “We make it easy for beachgoers to dispose of trash.
“The only reason people are here is because of the beach. We wouldn’t be