nps - trash free policy

“so what do you all make of this new policy by the nps of not having trash cans ect at certain parks?
my personal experiance has been that some americans are lazy bum's and will end up trashing such parks rather then carring it home...”

“It means I'll have to pack more trash bags and it'll be harder to find all the crap tossed back in the woods.

You got a link to the actual policy?

I'm guessing this is a cost saving attempt cause a lack of a garbage can sure won't stop littering.”

“ya its billed as a cost saver. its been all over the local pa news as several of the parks are here”

“But what a cost, trashed parks.

Pretty sad when we have a nation capable of doing anything and we can't even pick up our own trash.

Looks like we all are going to have a lot more work to do.”

“Found an article, Park Service wants visitors to take trash out, and a site, Please Plan on taking your trash with you when you leave. by searching National Park Service, trash.”

“We have an extremely popular recreation area nearby that had the same dilemma a few years ago. Cut the trash removal service or cut lifeguards, etc. The solution: aluminum can recycling. They put out a few extra trash cans that say aluminum cans only on them. They sell them to an aluminum recycler and it pays for the trash pickup plus some bonus perks.”

“For the site referenced above, the Google search link stated:

C&O Canal National Historical Park - Home Page
... C&O Canal National Historical Park is a "Trash Free Park.".
Please Plan on taking your trash with you when you leave. ...
www.nps.gov/choh/co_visit.htm - 17k - Cached - Similar pages”

“The campground folks around a local Corps of Engineers reservoir quit picking up trash a few years ago. Yeah, you've got to carry it up to the dumpster, but by the same token you don't have some goober banging trashcans around at 7 am either...

It's turned out to be a net plus, overall.

I wonder how that'll work where there are racoons, skunks and bears, though...”

“In Grand Canyon NP there is a huge problem with deer injesting trash... Probably better not to have the trash cans around.”

“...because the deer would never eat trash off the ground, lol.

I wonder why they don't just use the critter-resistent trash cans at all the parks instead of just some of them? You know, the ones with the spring-loaded lids. They're at all the recreation and camping areas around here. Of course, these are national forest recreation areas as opposed to national parks. Maybe the Forestry Service and National Parks Servis should compare notes?”

“I think they should post signs showing dead squirrels and deer that have ate the stuff morons try to feed them.”

“Yeah, if only they could restrict visitation to critter resistent humans...”

“No because deer and bear and other wildlife are smart enough to identiy trash cans. It is probably a step towards trying to keep the wildlife wild.”

“I mean, what, so are they going to provide more dumpsters or something? People are supposed to take their garbage in the car with them when they leave? Brilliant move. I predict this change is gonna last all of a year before they wisen up.”

“I don't know how many times I've seen people trying to feed squirrels on the Bright Angel Trail.”

“When I was there, the people didn't have to try... they would sit down and the squirrels would be clawing to get in people's packs while they were still on their backs.

The muledeer at Phantom Ranch weren't Quite that bad... but the rangers said they would come running when they heard the rustle of a plastic grocery bag.”

“The Forest Service here installed the latest in bear-proof trash receptacles. Made of 1/4 steel plate and a complicated latching system that took two hands inserted into two different slots to open. Some people couldn't even figure out how to get into it. Absolutely guaranteed by the manufacturer to be bear proof.






It took about two months for the first bear to get into it.”

“Hey Gordon,
Is that trash can ADA compliant?”

“Only for disabled bears.”

“No trash cans doesn't surprise me. Chalk this one up as aonther great idea to save our wilderness areas.”

“Iron Eyes Cody is probably bawling now!


(though he's dead)”

“Things always seem to go in circles. The same idea was tried in the 1970's and didn't work. Each generation refuses to learn from earlier ones and must learn the same mistakes for themselves.”

“No trash cans but, . . .





. . . . we can drill for oil in wilderness.”

“Good point Mr.stumprider. The Allegheny Nat'l Forest in PA is going to be doing lots of drilling pretty soon.

An area wher I HAD 2 geocaches has at almost a dozen wells on the plot of land. I found and reported 3 broken pipes that were spewing gas into the surroundings, and I even have a few pictures of one that bubbling formed mud-geisers. The makeshift roads are constantly being bulldozed to remove muddy portions rather than gravelling them to prevent the drastically increased erosion. Blossom Music Center sits on that land and is a LUST site, has an area they've impacted by shootting off fireworks, has a terrible runoff problem from their parking lots that have downcut adjacent ravines such that they have increased landslides and expedited the decay of the surrounding land. But you cannot have a geocache on that land.”

“Exactly gordon, I was thinking about the same thing. It's been done. Why do they have to try it again? And it cost more to reverse it than it would have cost to just keep it in the first place. Just how short is their memory, anyway?”

“Who cares, do any of us really use the areas with trash cans anyway? Aren't we backpackers?

sheesh”

“Don't make me give a motivational speach.”

“I have mixed feelings about that.For one there are people like us who never litter and then there are those who do.Now if you take away the cans then people like us that already pack out or trash it does not effect us but to the ones who look for the can well they could just not care and just throw it on the ground.

Hummmm what to do?

8|”

“You live in a van down by the river?”

“call the companies who sold the packaging --have them come pick it up---suuuurrreee!!”

“It all comes down to people that litter just suck and need to be taken care of when they do.

8|”

“Biz--those animals like the deer that died croaked from eating plastic stuff on the ground. Actually, they had to shoot them because they were so skinny. I guess the plastic bags just stayed in their intestines and they could not absorb what they ate.

Perhaps bears and maybe racoons can get into garbage cans with lids but not most other animals. I think trash cans are a big plus. Perhaps you don't remember what things were like in the 50s when there was trash everywhere--kind of like it is in Mexico.”

“Poor deer!

8(”

“No one ever admits littering, but somehow the litter keeps appearing.

I have often followed someone down a trail with small scraps occasionally and inadvertently dropping from a pocket or pack. But later when I show them the handful of trash they vehemently deny littering.

No matter how much we all (myself included) insist we do not litter, we all are an unknowing and uunintentional contributor.”

“Well guess who got a $50 fine in the mail for the Funnace Run geocache that was removed by the Ranger Wilson.”

“The #&%!$ was a-s-s-h-o-l-e.”

“I wonder if Robert Blake will be your cellmate?”

“A few times in the past I have taken a bus from Melbourne, FL, to GSMNP. The drivers have always made a stop for me to exit where the AT crosses I-40. I can see my return trip now: Trying to enter the bus with 100 pounds of collected trash, since there are no longer any trash cans in the vicinity. Maybe I can drop it in a geocache.”

“Dang the look on the drivers face!!!!

Hheheheheheh!!!

8)”

“MP-
That's why I stay away from the main corridor. Seems like the NPs could do a better job of educating people about littering. The tourists, not the backpackers.”

“I think they need a class that they would have to go through when they enter the park!

Drill it into there heads!!!

8)”

“I think they try real hard--there are signs everywhere not to feed the animals and not to litter and all. People are a whole lot better now than they used to be but they are way short of good enough.”

“It's just another way to pay out less money from the budget than what is coming in. The state of MD went to trash free parks a couple of years ago with lots of uproar that has now gone away. One park in particular had a staff of twenty picking up and cleaning up every Monday and Tuesday. There never seemed to be enough trash cans and when they got filled the general public (mostly drunked up or dopped up) would throw the trash near or at a trash can. After the ban was in effect for a while these morrons took most of the trash with them, and they did not just toss it out the window after the gate. There was still some trash that had to be picked up of course but the trash crew was reduce to six and it was completed by noon on Monday. So get use to it you will see it everywhere that the land managers have to pay for trash removel.”

“Some people only read what they want!!!

8|”

“This reminds me of politics. There is no solution, so why are we talking about it!?

Here's an idea. Make all trash magnetic so we can sweep over the national parks with a large chopper magnet and collect all the trash.”

“Sorry, I'm a little high strung”

“That wouldn't work. People would complain about the noise.”

“Hey Biz I have some meds that could help ya.

8)”

“Sure, meet me in my van. It's down. By the riva”

“Hey, I just thought of something. What if this is just a nasty rumor and not really true?”