More than 40 volunteers collected 31 bags of trash from harbors in Homer, Seldovia, Nanwalek and Port Graham earlier this summer for Cook Inletkeeper's Kachemak Bay Clean Harbors Day, held Aug. 1 in most harbors and June 22 in Port Graham.

Under a $2,000 grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Community Based Marine Debris Clean-up and Prevention Program, crews pulled trash such as food containers, fishing gear, building materials and cigarette butts from harbor areas.

Homer Air donated a round-trip ticket for a drawing by volunteers.

Other organizations such as the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies and its annual CoastWalk effort -- starting Sept. 10 -- do cleanup of beaches that collect Pacific Ocean marine debris. Harbors Day targeted areas that generate trash.

"Our focus is on prevention," said Rachel Lord, InletKeeper's outreach and monitoring coordinator. "As an organization we really focus on the prevention end of the cycle."

Harbor users generally have been good about picking up trash, Lord said.

"The harbor staff and the folks in the communities around the bay -- a lot of people are paying attention and doing good stewardship of the bay," she said.

Michael Armstrong can be reached at michael.armstrong.@homernews.com.