Desert Strong cleanup partners with BLM to bring volunteers together

Scouts, community volunteers and local partners came together on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) public lands near Yuma to clean up illegal dumping through the Desert Strong Yuma Clean campaign. As the nation approaches its 250th anniversary, volunteers of all ages put that commitment into action on BLM public lands near the Adair Shooting Range off Highway 95, working together to remove illegally dumped debris and improve a shared community resource. The effort reflects the campaign's focus on stewardship, education and civic pride while highlighting the partnerships that help care for public lands. 

Illegal dumping on public lands is a persistent and costly issue, and the agency receives numerous reports of illegal dump sites where visitors and nearby residents abandon trash, appliances, and even vehicles, degrading the landscape, harming ecosystems, and affecting natural resources. After Yuma County Public Works received a complaint regarding illegal dumping in the area, county staff coordinated with the BLM Yuma Field Office to identify and authorize a safe cleanup location on BLM-managed public lands. BLM Park Ranger Ben Florey attended the event as the agency representative and helped support coordination efforts on site.

The cleanup effort brought together Yuma County Public Works, Yuma County Development Services, the BLM, the Yuma County Sheriff’s Office, Yuma County Administration, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, local businesses, community volunteers and Scouts of America youth participants for a day focused on restoring public lands and strengthening community involvement. 

Support from local businesses played a key role in the event’s success. CR&R, a waste and recycling management company named after the founder Clifford Robert Ronnenberg, provided a 40-yard trash bin, portable restrooms, donuts and custom event t-shirts for volunteers. Aqua 2000 provided water, sports drinks and ice, while Priority Sampling, an agricultural food safety company, provided gloves and cooling towels to help volunteers stay safe in the desert heat.

Yuma County Public Works also supplied a rear-loader trash truck used to collect and compact debris throughout the cleanup. The truck became a favorite attraction for many of the children participating in the event.

As part of the Desert Strong Yuma Clean campaign, youth volunteers received educational goodie bags containing activity sheets, crayons, pins and stickers promoting environmental awareness and community pride. Scouts who participated also earned Community Service Project badges in recognition of their efforts.

The cleanup effort drew additional interest from members of the public who stopped after seeing volunteers working in the area. One local skeet shooting club operator expressed interest in assisting with future cleanup projects after learning more about the partnership effort and seeing youth volunteers actively participating.

Organizers said the event highlighted the importance of volunteerism and demonstrated how partnerships between public agencies, private businesses and residents can create lasting positive impacts on public lands and recreation areas throughout Yuma County. 

Future cleanup events are already being discussed for cooler months later this year, with organizers hopeful that additional scout troops and community organizations will continue expanding the partnership effort.

The cleanup also reflects the broader spirit of volunteerism being recognized nationwide through the Freedom 250 initiative leading up to the nation’s 250th anniversary in July. Through community service and stewardship projects on public lands, volunteers across the country are helping preserve natural resources and strengthen connections between communities and the landscapes they value. BLM invites you to give 250 hours of volunteer service with participating federal public land agencies and receive a free Volunteer Pass to national parks and federal recreations lands in return. To find volunteer opportunities near you with federal land management agencies like the BLM, visit Volunteer.gov for more information.