BY
STEVE KADEL - skadel@magicvalley.com
Times-News (Twin Falls, ID)
Jerome, Idaho - By mid-morning one recent Saturday,
the rubbish pile already had mountain-sized proportions.
Volunteers in the annual cleanup of public land north of the
Snake River Canyon arrived in pickup trucks every
few minutes to dump loads.
There were lots of tires, a propane bottle, television sets,
shotgun shells, carpeting, a 4-foot plastic barrel riddled with bullet holes
and even a bowling pin used as a target.
"I'm not surprised by anything we find out here," said Greg
Moore, vice president of the Southern Idaho Off-Road Association, which
sponsors the event.
More than 30 tons of debris was taken to a Southern Idaho
Solid Waste transfer station.
"This year there's more trash coming back quicker, which is
not a good sign," Moore
said.
Darlene Kaiser of Jerome, who will turn 75 next month, was
among the 62 volunteers. She said enough junk is scattered throughout the
popular recreation area-most of which is Bureau of Land Management
property-that cleanups could be held two or three times a year.
"You just can't believe what they dump," Kaiser said. "It's
horrendous."
Other members of the High Desert Back County Horsemen joined
her, along with lots of people from the Magic Valley ATV Club and some who use
the area for geocaching.
Jeff Smith of Rupert is a geocacher, but also rides his
four-wheeler on the undulating dirt trails just east of Highway 93.
"I just want to do my part," he said before driving off for
another pickup load.
Work started at 8:30 a.m. and lasted until 3 p.m. Participants
chowed down on 15 pizzas at lunchtime. Moore
said Jerome County commissioners dipped into their
budget for some money for food and fuel. The BLM provided insurance, gloves and
trash bags for volunteers and the solid waste company waived dump fees. Western
States Cat and CESCO Equipment Rental donated the use of front-end loaders to
fill huge dump boxes with debris once material was collected.
"There's no way our club could fund this without all these
donations," Moore
said.
By the end of the day, this section of Jerome County
looked better than it did at sunrise. But Moore and the others know it won't
stay that way. He says some people will continue to dump trash to avoid paying
fees at a transfer station or landfill.
Kaiser shook her head at the thought, adding it's a shame to
spoil the place where so many people ride horses or all-terrain vehicles or
come to shoot guns.
"We've got a place here that we can enjoy," she said.
