Friends of Occoneechee State Park

Congratulations to the Friends of Occoneechee State Park for being awarded a $1,000 Green Grant for their goal of collecting and recycling fishing line!

The mission of the Friends of Occoneechee State Park is to act as a Citizens Support Organization in assisting to identify and promote activities to conserve, enhance, and interpret the natural, cultural, scenic, historic, educational, and recreational resources of Occoneechee State Park.

One the of Commonwealth’s beautiful state parks, Occoneechee State Park, established in 1968, is on the John H Kerr Reservoir also known as Buggs Island Lake. It provides access to 48,000 acres of fishing, boating and aquatic recreation, and is the largest lake in Virginia. Many people come to the Park to fish.

Fishing line can become an environmental hazard when improperly left in the water if it becomes entangled, or thrown off of the pier when the fishing day is done.  The effects can be harmful by entangling and poisoning wildlife when swallowed, harming swimmers, tangling and jamming boat props, and polluting our fisheries. Also, monofilament fishing line does not readily biodegrade, so it can last in the environment for more than 500 years.

Fishing line recycling containers, made of PVC and mounted in convenient locations at boat ramps, marinas, and fishing sites, can be used to dispose of fishing line properly, where it can be collected and recycled.

The project goals for the Friends of Occoneechee State Park are to:
• Heighten awareness about the negative impacts that fishing line debris has on human welfare, marine life, and water quality.
• Decrease the amount of fishing line entering and remaining in the natural environment.
• Increase the amount of fishing line being recycled.

Green Grant funds will be used to purchase the 6″ PVC and necessary supplies.  Then the Friends will :
• Locate PVC fishing line collector containers in optimal sites, i.e., where anglers most frequently visit in Occoneechee State Park
• Construct Monofilament Recycling Tubes
• Maintain collection tubes and sites
• Scheduled collection and recycling of fishing line from containers

Occoneechee State Park administration and staff  will provide in-kind support by locating and installing the fishing line containers and help with monitoring and recycling the fishing line, as well as provide general education for anglers. They will also furnish metal educational signs next to each fishing line container.

Thank you, Friends of Occoneechee State Park, for the good work you do, including this fishing line recycling program!

If you are interested in learning more about how to build a PVC fishing line receptacle, go to BoatUS Foundation.  If you’re an angler, you can take your used monofilament fishing line to one of the DWR offices and receive a free Virginia Wildlife Magazine!