Why do we need litter-free beaches? For our future. But not just the future of humankind. Mama sea turtles use our beaches to build nests and lay eggs. Their hatchlings, soon to march into the Gulf of Mexico, are their future and they don’t need to be encumbered by fishing line, leftover trash, broken glass, and holes dug in the sand. The creatures who live in the Gulf of Mexico also depend on us to leave the water pristine so that their home is not polluted and made unlivable.

 
The idea of Leave Only Footprints is not a new one. In the 1800s, Chief Seattle, the leader of the Suquamish and Duwamish tribes in Washington State, wrote, “Take nothing but memories, leave nothing but footprints.” Chief Seattle made several statements regarding the need to protect the environment, including, “If we do not own the freshness of the air and the sparkle of the water, how can you buy them?”

 
You cannot buy sparkling water and fresh air. It is only on loan to us while we are here. Enforcement of the Leave Only Footprints ordinance in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach began in February. The ordinance calls for all temporary structures – beach tents, canopies, beach chairs and toys – to be removed from the beach one hour prior to sunset. Beach gear left behind will be collected by crews and disposed of; visitors will not have the opportunity to retrieve the gear after it is removed. Holes dug deeper than 12 inches must be filled in before leaving the beach.

 
The idea of Leave Only Footprints means when you leave the beach, you leave nothing behind but your footprints. Every toy, every raft, every sand shovel, every piece of fishing line and every drink can is gone. To that end, recycling and waste receptacles are placed in various areas on the beach. Keeping the beach clean is our duty to a future generation. Let them enjoy it, too!