The American Shore and Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA), running the Blue Flag programme in the continental USA, Alaska and Hawaii is pleased to announce the first Blue Flags in the United States. The Blue Flags have been awarded to two magnificent beaches: Westward in Malibu and Delray in Delray.
The awards are a testament of the sites’ continuous efforts and commitment to the implementation of the Blue Flag criteria. The awarded beaches will now offer educational activities to the public. Information about the activities will be posted on their respective sites’ information boards.
Annie Mercer, the Program Coordinator for the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA), says:
“Our sites have worked hard for several months to implement and maintain more than 30 diverse criteria to achieve award status. Their staff and communities can raise their flags with pride for going above and beyond US standards to receive international recognition for sustainable management practices.”
The Blue Flags will fly over Westward Beach from May 25 to September 30, 2023, and over Delray Beach Municipal Beach from May 19, 2023, to April 30, 2024.
Staff from the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors started with the programme in 2020, and officially started the implementation of the programme, as a pilot site in 2021.
Gary Jones, the Director for the County of Los Angeles’s Department of Beaches and Harbors adds:
“We’re thrilled and honored that the Westward Beach portion of world-famous Zuma Beach will fly one of the first Blue Flags in the United States. The Blue Flag will provide visitors with extra assurance that we are responsibly caring for our coast.”
The City of Delray Beach entered the programme as a candidate beach in early 2022 and submitted its full application in the same year.
Shelly Petrolia, the Delray Beach Mayor, says:
“With the Atlantic Ocean at our doorstep, Delray Beach is proud to have a beautiful, world-class beach to call our own. I am especially grateful for the dedicated individuals who have put so much effort into ensuring that our natural beach is safe, accessible and that beachgoers are educated about our conservation initiatives.”