BATON ROUGE, La. – Keep Louisiana Beautiful, the state’s non-profit organization dedicated to litter prevention and waste reduction, today announced a partnership with several state agencies for “Pick It Up or Pay It Out,” Louisiana’s zero tolerance for litter weekend, Friday through Sunday, March 18 – 20. The anti-litter organization will join with the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, Louisiana State Police, Louisiana Sherriff’s Association, Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to raise awareness of the consequences of littering and illegal dumping. Pick It Up or Pay It Out is a cooperative effort of law enforcement agencies in Louisiana including, Louisiana State Police, LDWF’s Enforcement Division and other law enforcement agencies to implement litter zero tolerance policies in their jurisdictions. Littering in Louisiana can result in fines from $50 to $5,000. Those who litter can also expect to serve between four and 10 hours of community service, suspension of their driver’s license for one year and even the possibility of jail time for up to 30 days.  “Every time someone drops a piece of paper on the ground, throws a cigarette butt out the window, or dumps trash on abandoned land, they are trashing Louisiana for all of us,” said LDWF Secretary Robert Barham. “We all think that a little bit of trash here and there isn’t a big deal, but it adds up. We are blessed to live in a state with some of the world’s most phenomenal natural and wildlife resources. Protecting Sportman’s Paradise is essential to ensuring that future generations may continue to enjoy the great outdoors throughout our state. We all have the chance to do our part.” In addition to citations and fines, Pick It Up or Pay It Out hopes to also educate Louisianans of the indirect economic costs of littering, including real estate devaluation, loss of new industry and business, and loss of tourism and ecotourism, especially in the state that lays claim to being “Sportsman’s Paradise.”

“As I travel the state I continue to see trash along our Interstates, state highways and local roads. We are attempting to market Louisiana as an adventure travel destination, and we must become more aggressive in our efforts to combat this problem,” Lt. Governor Dardenne said. “We are a state of great natural beauty that should not be marred by carelessness and disregard.” Leigh Harris, executive director of Keep Louisiana Beautiful commented, “Litter costs Louisiana taxpayers well over $40 million annually. With the help of Louisiana State Police, LDWF, the Louisiana Sherriff’s Association and the lieutenant governor’s office, we hope Louisiana citizens become even more aware of the legal consequences associated with littering,” Harris said.

About Keep Louisiana Beautiful:

Keep Louisiana Beautiful is a volunteer-based service organization dedicated to a healthy and litter-free Louisiana. Through a network of affiliate communities statewide, KLB promotes its mission to educate Louisianans on the ecological and economic effects of littering. For more information, visit www.keeplouisianabeautiful.org. Find us on Facebook “Keep Louisiana Beautiful” and follow us on Twitter @keeplabeautiful.

BATON ROUGE, La. — Keep Louisiana Beautiful, the state’s non-profit organization dedicated to litter prevention and waste reduction, urges Mardi Gras revelers to cut down on waste this season. Litter costs Louisiana taxpayers $40 million annually. Here are a few simple tips to remember to reduce Mardi Gras litter:

• Bring several garbage bags for your own trash and offer extras to other revelers who need them.
• Be proactive. Help collect trash left by other revelers.
• Buy parade drinks in aluminum or plastic containers. They’re recyclable and safer than glass.
• If you bring your own can drinks to a parade, remove them from plastic rings beforehand.
• Since cigarette butts are the most littered item in Louisiana, it is imperative to always dispose of them properly. If you can’t find a trashcan, small zip-top bags work well for holding butts.
• When riding in a parade, keep track of your trash, and encourage fellow riders to do the same. Unwrap throws before tossing them into crowds to reduce littered wrapping.
• Set an example for your children. Teach them that littering is not acceptable just because it is Mardi Gras.
• Join local cleanup efforts following Carnival. KLB affiliates are listed at – www.keeplouisianabeautiful.org.
• Remember that if you’re caught littering, the penalties for littering in Louisiana range from $50 to $5,000.

“In New Orleans alone, Public Works officials report they spend about $2 million each year cleaning up
during Carnival,” said KLB Executive Director Leigh Harris. “It’s time to stop thinking of Mardi Gras
cleanup as somebody else’s job.”

About Keep Louisiana Beautiful:

Keep Louisiana Beautiful is a volunteer-based service organization dedicated to a healthy and litter-free
Louisiana. Through a network of affiliate communities statewide, KLB promotes its mission to educate
Louisianans on the ecological and economic effects of littering. For more information, visit
www.keeplouisianabeautiful.org. Find us on Facebook by searching “Keep Louisiana Beautiful” and follow us on Twitter @keeplabeautiful.

BATON ROUGE, La. – Keep Louisiana Beautiful, the state’s non‐profit organization dedicated to litter prevention and waste reduction, today announced its new statewide anti‐litter awareness campaign, “LitterCam.”Keep Louisiana Beautiful is encouraging Louisiana residents to join the fight against litter by turning their smart phones and digital cameras into “LitterCams.”Keep Louisiana Beautiful hopes to foster a dialogue about litter and its harmful effects with the newest generation of Louisiana drivers by using social media. Residents are asked to take pictures of littered areas in their community using their smart phone or digital camera and upload the photos to the Keep Louisiana Beautiful Facebook fan page www.facebook.com/KeepLouisianaBeautiful.

About Keep Louisiana Beautiful:

Keep Louisiana Beautiful is a volunteer‐based service organization dedicated to a healthy
and litter‐free Louisiana. Through a network of affiliate communities statewide, KLB
promotes its mission to educate Louisianans on the ecological and economic effects of
littering. For more information, visit www.keeplouisianabeautiful.org. Find us on Facebook
“Keep Louisiana Beautiful”and follow us on Twitter @keeplabeautiful.

The photo with the most votes each week will
win a “LitterCam” t-shirt from Keep Louisiana Beautiful.
Leigh Harris, executive director of Keep Louisiana Beautiful, said the “itterCam”campaign
combines traditional and social media to highlight the importance of personal, corporate
and community responsibility. “Sometimes we become so accustomed to litter that we do
not see it or ignore it, and we can forget that it is there,”Harris said. “‘LitterCam’ encourages Louisiana residents to call out litter in their community and share it with their friends on Facebook.” When it comes to social media, Keep Louisiana Beautiful is ahead of the curve. The organization was the first Keep America Beautiful affiliate to launch a Facebook fan page in May 2010. Keep Louisiana Beautiful’ Facebook fan page boasts more than 2,000 fans from across Louisiana to date. The fan page promotes events, cleanups and recognizes affiliates from around the state for their efforts to keep Louisiana beautiful. Keep Louisiana Beautiful, an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, tackles Louisiana’ litter problem with a three‐pronged approach focusing on education, enforcement and cleanup. In addition to Facebook, the “LitterCam”campaign will utilize digital outdoor boards, endorsements from local radio DJs and Facebook ads to reach Louisiana residents.

The Professional Leadership Award is Keep America Beautiful’s highest professional honor and is given annually to Keep America Beautiful affiliate directors who have built and sustained a local or state program with outstanding success. Through their contributions to the national network of affiliates, those honored have furthered the goals of Keep America Beautiful by developing training initiatives, establishing model programs, and fostering long-term partnerships between the public and private sectors.

“Leigh Harris is a highly professional and a consummate leader – and, I might add, a very deserving recipient of a 2010 Professional Leadership Award,” said Keep America Beautiful President and CEO Matthew McKenna at the awards ceremony.

Keep Louisiana Beautiful (KLB) has been a powerful force in litter prevention and beautification for many years, yet just as the organization was really finding its voice, Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, followed by Hurricane Rita hitting Southwest Louisiana, leveling an entire parish and causing billions of dollars of damage along the Gulf Coast.

Despite these setbacks, Keep Louisiana Beautiful Executive Director Leigh Harris and her remarkable leadership skills has led KLB to become an even more significant force in improving the quality of life of citizens statewide. During trying economic times and with funding increasingly difficult to come by, Harris has used a deft touch to insure that KLB affiliates and allied organizations continued to persist, providing essential support to groups that had been affected by the storms and other environmental disasters.

And while KLB has weathered actual storms, it has also enjoyed incredible affiliate growth. Keep Louisiana Beautiful is the fastest growing Keep America Beautiful state affiliate with 43 local, grassroots affiliates.

Under Harris’ leadership, the first Louisiana litter economic impact report was completed earlier this year. Publicity from the announcement of the report’s results shined a light on the organization, helping to draw a focus on this issue and reach out to new cities and towns interested in affiliation.

“Leigh seems to lead effortlessly,” McKenna added. “She has laser sharp intuition and skills when working with legislators, board members and her affiliates. Keep Louisiana Beautiful is the strong, growing organization it is today because Leigh has the skills and the tenacity to see the organization through hurricanes and oil spills. And this strength is mirrored by the strength of their local affiliates.  They are now stronger and more agile, responding to the needs of the people of the state of Louisiana.”

For a complete list of all Keep America Beautiful 2010 award winners from the 57^th National Conference, as well as information about the awards program, please visit Keep America Beautiful’s Web site at www.kab.org.

About Keep America Beautiful, Inc.:

Keep America Beautiful, Inc., established in 1953, is the nation’s largest volunteer-based community action and education organization. This national nonprofit forms public-private partnerships and programs that engage individuals to take greater responsibility for improving their community environments. For additional information, visit www.kab.org