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Assateague State Park—April 2009Assateague State Park Ocean City, MD—The weather was great, people turned out, and those advocating for a clothing-optional beach in Maryland made a significant impression on Park Service staff as they cleaned a large section within the Assateague State Park on Saturday, April 18th. Temperatures hovered in the mid 70's and reached a high of 78 degrees. That was a great way to welcome 28 volunteers who came from as far as Pennsylvania to lend a hand. Adorned in bright orange hats with the AANR web address, these volunteers attracted a lot of attention. While they worked clothed, many wore shirts with nudist-related slogans. In all, these 28 volunteers contributed about 350 hours of volunteer time, which was recorded by the Park personnel managing the cleanup. Organizer and Government Affairs Maryland State Coordinator Ray Simpson emailed to relay the good news, pointing out that many people had given 10 hours or more of their time when travel to and from the event is factored in. We received warm "thank yous" from Park employees who, for this event, came from the State Park. While we plan to ultimately locate the clothes-free beach on Federal land, getting the cooperation of State officials is critical. The success of this project also paves the way for us to set up a meeting with the new Federal Superintendent. To all of you who made this possible, we extend a warm and hearty thanks. We'll be posting photos from the cleanup soon.
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