[Hamilton Reef]

Today we worked on the restoration projects of Hilt's Landing on the lower White River. We will be back Sunday morning, 10/25, to work until noon. Tonight we can bet there will be an illegal campfire and beer debri for us to pick up in the morning. This is a continual battle. We were fortunate to save the 220-acres from developers and keep it as public access. We wrote a $25,000 grant to do the restoration work we are trying to finish up before cold weather. However, if the slobs are not controlled, we may still end up with Muskegon County closing this river access off to drive in access. This will force a .9-mile walk to get back to the river. That would be a shame.

We were putting cables through log/trees to anchor in the fish habitat and bank stabilization. The steelhead and salmon were splashing their way upstream as we worked. They made the work this morning worth while. Along the high bank we put in more RR-ties for barrier post fence to deter the ATVs and 4X4s. We got about 19 more to do tomorrow. Again, Howard Myerson is correct. The rash of trash in the game areas sad, shameful.


Rash of trash in game areas sad, shameful

Someone had stopped at a Wesco for coffee and come out here and shot their 12-gauge shotgun a few times. The empty cup and Remington shells were clear enough. The half-empty bottle of orange juice left room for interpretation. He, and I am assuming here, had opted for a Busch beer instead. Two beers actually.

http://www.mlive.com/outdoors/grpress/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/1067077018236460.xml

 

[Mr. 16 gauge]

While some of the trash in the parking areas is definetly attributed to "sportsmen', such as empty hulls and shell boxes and used fishing line and lure packages, I think that there are also others who are using these areas as there own public dumping grounds....like the empty condom wrappers and paint ball containers. Even more incredible is the fact that there are no barrels in these parking areas for people to put trash if they wanted to. I've heard the rhetoric before about how the state has no money, blah, blah, blah........O.K., so what are all these people who are sentenced to community service (for things like D.U.I, vandelism, ect) doing? Don't think it would hurt them too much to go out and empty some trash containers once or twice a week, esp. if they were fined with littering.
I think the state is missing the boat on this one.....they don't put trash containers out because there is no $ to monitor them, yet when the bill comes for cleaning up these areas, it is even heftier than if they would have just put the damn containers there in the first place! You know, an ounce of prevention.........

 

[multibeard]

Reef, I picked up garbage dumped right in the road by the railroad ties a week ago. Sorry, I have called it burying ground point for over 40 years so it's kind of hard to change the name to Hilt's Landing. Sure wish I would have caught the @#$%## while they were dumping it. Sure will be a shame to have to close off the area but it will be the slobs doing. I usually come to the area by canoe so it won't bother me.

 

[Kevin]

Thanks for your efforts HR.

Mine are more meager, merely carrying out more than I carry in.

Thanks again

 

[Eastern Yooper]

It ain't just on state lands...

My neighbor at deer camp had a refrigerator dumped on his land last month, and last week I had an old tire thrown on mine.

A-holes.

Last fall some idiot threw 9 bags of garbage onto MSU land where I bird hunt. I drive down that road every day each fall, so I immediately contacted the sheriff's dept. and filed a complaint.

Afer a week of driving-by and still seeing the garbage there, I sifted thru it and found several items of mail showing a return address. I called the sheriff's dept again, and they got indignant, wanting to know why I called, etc. saying they were 'still investigating' and taking care of the problem, and so forth.

I never did find-out the legal outcome, although 2 days later the garbage was all gone.

Boy I sure would like to catch these idiots in the act just one time.......

 

[Jimbos]

Well does anyone have a boat hull dumped on their property? Yep, I got one, way in the back down a very steep slope. The MC numbers are still on it(idiots), I called the county sheriff but they weren't very interested in investigating since it's now been there about 5 years.

 

[multibeard]

There used to be a trash transfer site between my house and town. Almost ever weekend I would catch some TOURON dumping there garbage by the gate so they didn't have to take it home.

I always carried a camera in the van. They always decided it was best to pick it up when faced with the camera.

The best one was the guy that was looking att buying a local motel. He dumped an envelope addressed to him from the motel with finacial data on the motel. I called the owner of the motel and he was at my place in short order. The cops got the envelope.

The sherrifs dept. here has always been good at following up on trash if there was evidence as to who the jerk was.

OH For an explanation of touron

1/2 tourist and 2/3 moron.

 

[rb1]

Eastern Yooper; It is hard to prove some one dumped that trash.
A few years back we had a new CO in the area; she worked real hard; some of it on her own time to get some of these people dumping trash on State Land; She would take the evidence to the prosecutor and be told we don't have time to prosecute your case we have to many pending now. besides you take them to court and they plead not guilty. there was a man that stopped by
and ask if I had any trash to get rid of I'll do it for $20.00 how can you prove any different.
The best thing is to catch them in the act is with a good camera.
Or put a sign up at the entrance to any and all State land; in large 2" letters saying (welcome to state land it belongs to all of
the people of the state of Michigan. Lets help keep it clean for all of us; If you bring trash in take it with when you leave.)

I didn't used to pay much attention to disabled parking in front of a store. Until I became disabled myself; now I carry a camera
with me. Have you ever noticed It has to effect you before you pay attention. RB1

 

[Queen of the Forest]

I always carry out what I bring in, ALWAYS. Has there been any thought about getting a group of people together for a day or weekend and do a trash cleanup? Kinda like the trail cleanup's the 4x4 clubs hold every year? I know it seems like a loose loose situation.....because once it's cleaned up, some jerk goes and dumps there again.
I agree with trout: If we all do the same it'll add up to a big effort.

 

[Banditto]

Just brought home 2 large kitchen garbage bags full of garbage I found on state land. Amazing how people can do that.