Washington state does have an Adopt-a-Stream foundation which can be reached at <aasf@streamkeeper.org> or phone 425-316-8592. They are a non-profit organization that promotes environmental education and habitat restoration. Other great organizations that are involved in habitat restoration are: the Stilly-Snohomish Fisheries Enhancement Task Force ph: 425-252-6686, email <SSFETF@eskimo.com>; Mid-Puget Sound Fisheries Enhancement Task Force ph:206-652-9725. There are many others out there probably in your own backyards!

A site that I clean up regularly is the Ben Howard boat launch in Monroe which was adopted by my fishing club (Northwest Women Flyfishers)several years ago, we also pay for the porta-potty that is out there. The place is usually in pretty good shape until summer hits--while I do pick up a great deal of tangled line, lead, asstd packaging and beer bottles, summer brings the vandals and increased garbage. The porta-potty has been tipped over, trashed, dragged down to the river (it's since been chained to a big tree) and blown up. I go from half bag of garbage to 2 or 3. I've also come across dead carcasses, which will decay and become snacks for the creatures out there, but countless are the times I've come across animals wrapped in several layers of plastic and thrown into the river or left at the boat launch--probably related to the people who leave Depends out there!

I'm glad that so many fishers take a garbage bag with them and clean up our streamsides and I hope this forum will motivate others to do the same.