Community effort to pack it out...

[Hondo]

I wonder if it would be legal to make little signs to stick in the ground at trailheads and gate openings of local lakes, to encourage people to pick up their freakin' trash.

The trash problem seems way worse than last year, and the weather isn't even nice yet!

I'm going to start taking an extra bag with me to pick up other peoples' messes (as I'm sure many people do already), but does anybody have any other ideas about what can be done about this problem???

[EMO870]

I agree the problem is getting worse and clearly a "fisherman" created problem. I've dedicated a pocket in my fishing bag for garbage. I try to pick up at least one thing on the way out. Last fall I fished the mouth of the Deschutes and was really disappointed in the amount of fishing line I saw on the bank and in the water. I got hung up several times and waded out to find a ton of line. It just doesn't give fishermen a good name. I like the idea of some small well done signage. I doubt anyone would care. What are your ideas?

EMO870

[Hondo]

I was thinking of making some wooded signs...small ones, on stakes, that I could hammer into the ground at a trailhead or by an unimproved boat ramp? Maybe just painting something on there like "Take your trash!" or something.

Will have to find out if this would also be considered litter first, though.

[Wild Chrome]

I feel your pain, Hondo. I too, try to pick up some litter when I'm out. It's sad that the few cause so much grief with their litter. It's equally sad that the many consider it someone else's responsibility to clean it up. The resource belongs to everyone and everyone has a responsibility to take care of the resource; at least that's what I believe. Sometimes I feel lonely when I say such things, as so many don't want to take 10 seconds away from their fishing to do the right thing. Thanks for helping, you guys!:applause:

[trollin4trout]

I saw this last summer on the Lewis, behind the Shell Station in Woodland. (normally a notorious mess!) At the time I saw this sign -the area was mostly clean- I picked up some misc. pieces of line laying around- but that was about all there was. Thought is was a great, tactfully worded sign that had a good chance of working it's magic. Haven't been back around there since to know if it had any effect in the long term.


http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w110/jnbradley3/rocksign3-1.jpg

[Hondo]

That's great, trollin4trout!

I like the paint on a rock idea, too. I suppose I should make a few phone calls to find out what the law allows on this.

Thanks for sharing what you've seen!