April 18, 2009 Successful FBR Earth Day Cleanup

Thirty local citizens teamed up on Saturday April 18th to celebrate Earth Day by collecting trash. Volunteers from Friends of the Black River joined forces with the Black River State Forest personnel to clean up numerous illegal dumping spots throughout the State Forest. The group met at Castle Mound State Park at 8:30 AM to get site assignments, maps and supplies, then hit the trails to remove tons of garbage, tires, scrap iron, household trash and recyclables. Refuse and recyclables were hauled in volunteers’ trucks and trailers to fill two large dumpsters for a total of 50 cubic yards.

State Forest Superintendent, Peter Bakken, says, “Whenever possible we identify the source of the trash. Six or seven times a year we are able to write citations for the illegal dumping. Over the past five cleanups we have made progress but I look forward to the day when we will no longer have to deal with this problem.”

 By 12:30 most of the work was done and volunteers met back at Castle Mound State Park to enjoy a meal of Subway sandwiches provided by the Black River State Forest. Participants also received an FBR logo T-shirt printed and donated by E. O. Johnson Company. Pictured is Bill Steele with a 55 gallon barrel retrieved from the BRSF and his loaded pick-up truck. Once again this successful annual event is a tribute to what citizens can accomplish when united by the common goal of protecting and enhancing the natural beauty of the Black River watershed.