One advantage of living in central Navajo County is the easy access to the region’s national forests with its many beautiful scenic areas and a variety of wildlife to enjoy. However, the reality is that not everyone uses the forests responsibly. The Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest is great for shooting, hunting, off-roading and camping but some are using it as a dumping ground.
This issue is nothing new but an ongoing problem. Take a drive down Pinedale Road just five miles outside of Taylor and it doesn’t take much effort to see junk or trash dumped in the forest. Just yards off the main road piles of trash can be seen. Drive a little further and it seems to get worse. Appliances, televisions, thousands of shotgun shells, piles of sheetrock, carpet, dead animals, household trash, and the list goes on and on.
Some of it can be blamed on irresponsible shooting enthusiasts who haul items to the forest to shoot and then leave those same items along with piles of shotgun shells or ammunition casings. Other garbage may be attributed to businesses or individuals who can’t or don’t want to pay to take it to the refuse station or to a recycler.
According to Navajo County Planning & Zoning Code Enforcement information, a single aluminum can takes 200 to 500 years to breakdown and a plastic bottle can take 300 to 500 years. Navajo County estimates that each and every day, approximately 250 tons of garbage and related waste is generated in Navajo County.”
Volunteers and local businesses have cleaned up this same area of the Apache-Sitgreaves Forest twice in the span of two years. Yet looking at the area today it doesn’t look like it has ever been cleaned. Information from the county also notes that littering and illegal dumping is not only unsightly to the beauty of Navajo County, it can also be
hazardous to wildlife, livestock and human beings. Something as simple as a discarded plant or a plastic bag can be deadly to our wildlife and livestock. Old tires, paint, insecticides, antifreeze and appliances can pollute our air, soil and water.
The dumping of trash in the forests, washes or along the road may be ugly and, in some cases, dangerous to the environment but it is also against the law. Arizona state law mandates that littering and criminal polluting can be considered a Class 1 misdemeanor that is punishable by a sentence of up to six months in the county jail. A fine may also be imposed of up to $2,500. If the litter or polluting material is greater than 300 pounds or 100 cubic feet it is considered a Class 6 felony is punishable by prison time of up to two years. In that case, a fine may be imposed of up to $150,000.
Dumping trash in the forest doesn’t have to happen. Within Snowflake and Taylor trash collection services are available and there is a transfer station on Lone Pine Dam Road where trash can be hauled in Show Low. For more information on trash collection contact Larson Waste at (928) 536-3398 or TBS Waste (928) 536-7632. The Lone Pine Dam Transfer Station operated by Waste Management can be contacted at (928) 537-0366.
Another option to combat this chronic problem is for residents to report the issue more often, take pride in the area and organize volunteers to clean small areas. Those that use the forest are asked to pack out what you pack in. Enjoy the forests that are available but remember to pick up the mess. Illegal dumping in Navajo County can be reported at (800) 668-3867. Within the U.S. National Forest contact the Lakeside Ranger District at (928) 368-2100.
