The fishing pier at Fort Pickens will be closed to all visitor access on Saturday, September 28, to allow volunteers to complete an underwater clean-up around the pier. The water immediately around the fishing pier can become cluttered with lost equipment, litter, and other debris. In celebration of National Public Lands Day, Gulf Islands National Seashore has partnered again with Ocean Hour and 3rd Coast Divers to conduct a beach cleanup and underwater cleanup.
The closure of the fishing pier will begin Friday evening at 9 p.m. and continue through 12 p.m. on Saturday, rangers will be on duty at the fishing pier to enforce the closure, which extends out 25 yards from the pier. These cleanups are designed to provide a cleaner and healthier environment for both the public on the pier, and the marine life beneath the pier. “Although a temporary inconvenience,” said Superintendent Dan Brown, “the benefits of this annual cleanup are important not only for the environment, but also for the quality of fishing at the pier.”
Once the cleanup has been completed, the fishing pier will be immediately reopened. Saturday, September 28, is National Public Lands Day and all Gulf Islands National Seashore areas, like the rest of the national parks in the country, will be entrance fee free all day. Learn more about free entry days by visiting https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/fee-free-parks.htm.
