New Jersey Statutes Title 13. Conservation and Development Parks and Reservations 13 § 19-23

a. The presence of debris, litter, floatable waste, and other refuse in the ocean waters has an adverse impact on the quality of those waters and on sea mammals and other marine life;

b. Programs involving public participation can be an integral part of a Statewide strategy to combat the deleterious effects of ocean pollution, and can contribute to the goal of achieving a pollution free environment with the hope that in the future, cleanups of this nature will no longer be required;

c. “Adopt a beach” programs, which provide for citizen cleanups of beaches and shores of debris, litter, floatable waste, and other refuse, have been enthusiastically received in other states, and have proved useful in the continuing effort to remove potential pollutants from ocean waters;  and

d. It is in the public interest and in furtherance of the general welfare of the people of this State to establish an “Adopt a Beach” program in the Department of Environmental Protection.