From Green Right Now Reports

The Clean Beaches Coalition today released its annual list of beaches that have been officially certified as clean, healthy and environmentally well managed. However, the ongoing Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster has had devastating effects on past qualifying shores in Mississippi and Alabama.

A New Jersey beach (Photo: Slurve)

Walter McLeod, founder of the Coalition noted, “My family has vacationed in the impacted region for years, and will continue to support that “special way of life” we have come to love.”

This year beaches in 19 states and U.S. territories, including American Samoa, California, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin, are on the list.

“The devastation in the Gulf of Mexico has crystallized the importance of clean beaches to Americans” CBC founder Walter McLeod said in a statement. He pointed to the Blue Wave Program as a symbol of the need to protect our beaches. Blue Wave is the first environmental certification program for beaches in the U.S. Now in its 11th year, the program is recognized as a reliable benchmark for well-maintained beaches.

The following beaches have been certified in 2010 as “Blue Wave” around the country:

American Samoa: Ofu Beach, National Park of American Samoa Olosega Beach, National Park of American Samoa

California: Drakes Beach, Point Reyes National Seashore Wildcat Beach, Point Reyes National Seashore Limantour Beach, Point Reyes National Seashore Crescent Beach, Redwood National Park Gold Bluff Beach, Redwood National Park Enderts Beach, Redwood National Park

Florida (South Atlantic): Hollywood Beach, Dania Beach, Fort Lauderdale Beach, Pompano Beach, Deerfield Beach

Florida (Pan Handle): Inlet Beach, Rosemary Beach, Seacrest, Seagrove, Seaside, Watercolor, Grayton, Blue Mountain, Santa Rosa, Dune, Allen, Sandestin, Seascape, Miramar, Alys Beach, DeerLake State Park,  Grayton Beach State Park, Topsail, Hill State Preserve, Johnson Beach, Gulf Islands National Seashore

Florida (Gulf Coast): Venice Beach, Siesta Key Beach, Caspersen Beach, Lido Beach

Florida (North Atlantic): Jacksonville Beach

Hawaii: Keauhou Landing, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Halape Shelter, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Ka’ aha Beach, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Indiana: Kemil Beach, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Lake View Beach, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Mount Baldy Beach, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore West Beach, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore

Maryland: North Ocean Beach, Assateague Island National Seashore

Maine: Sand Beach, Acadia National Park Echo Beach, Acadia National Park

Massachusetts: Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod National Seashore Herring Cove Beach, Cape Cod National Seashore Marconi Beach, Cape Cod National Seashore Nauset Light Beach, Cape Cod National Seashore Race Point Beach, Cape Cod National Seashore

Michigan: Pere Marquette Beach Esch Beach, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore South Manitou Island, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Sand Pont Beach, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

North Carolina: North Core Banks, Cape Lookout National Seashore South Core Banks, Cape Lookout National Seashore Shackleford Banks, Cape Lookout National Seashore

New Jersey: North Beach, Sandy Hook National Seashore N. Gunnison Beach, Sandy Hook National Seashore

New York: Sunken Forest Beach, Fire Island National Seashore Watch Hill Beach, Fire Island National Seashore

Oregon: Cannon Beach

South Carolina: Isle of Palms

Texas: Rockport Beach Malaquite Beach, Padre Island National Seashore Little Shell Beach, Padre Island National Seashore Big Shell Beach, Padre Island National Seashore

Virginia: Tom’s Cove Beach, Assateague Island National Seashore

Washington: Rialto Beach, Olympic National Park Kalaloch Beach, Olympic National Park

Wisconsin: Bradford Beach, Milwaukee North Beach, Racine Julian Bay Beach, Apostle Island National Lakeshore Little Sand Bay Beach, Apostle Island National Lakeshore Meyers Beach, Apostle Island National Lakeshore

U.S. Virgin Islands: Trunk Bay, Virgin Islands National Seashore Maho, Virgin Islands National Seashore Hawksnest, Virgin Islands National Seashore