Spring Clean Up Planned for North Rim of Canyon
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TWIN FALLS, ID – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Twin Falls District staff will join the Southern Idaho Off-Road Association, Backcountry Horsemen of Idaho, Magic Valley ATV Club and Jerome County on Saturday, May 14 to clean up the north rim of the Snake River Canyon.
Volunteers are welcome and encouraged to join the clean-up effort scheduled to begin around 8:00 a.m. and wrap up around 2:00 p.m. Participants should bring rakes and square point shovels to help with the cleanup. Trash bags will be supplied.
Volunteers should plan to meet just north of the Perrine Bridge and east of Highway 93.
Each spring for the past 17 years, these organizations and volunteers have gathered to pick up trash that collects year after year. According to Greg Moore of the Southern Idaho Off-Road Association, “This area is important to all of us who like to recreate out here. This trash makes an eye-sore out of our beautiful desert. We are so thankful for the support of our sponsors, in particular, Cesco Equipment and Southern Idaho Solid Waste. The donated heavy equipment is indispensable for hauling out the huge volumes of trash, and the donated roll-off dumpsters enable us to make a difference in this area each spring.
Shoshone Outdoor Recreation Planner David Freiberg praises this clean-up effort as one that has changed the appearance of the North Rim. “If you remember back in the early 2000s, the whole North Rim was a sea of water heaters, tires, refrigerators, syringes, garbage sacks, construction waste, dead animals and mountains of trigger trash. Thousands of acres have been cleaned-up and have remained clean, helping to provide a well-used and highly visible recreation resource for the Twin Falls and Jerome communities,” says Freiberg.
Unfortunately, several areas within the Snake River Canyon Park continue to be littered with illegally dumped trash. These areas will be the focus of Saturday’s events, which will allow numerous volunteers the opportunity to take part in keeping their public lands clean, safe and beautiful. Volunteers for the cleanup should plan to dress in layers, wear sturdy shoes and bring gloves and sun block. The Southern Idaho Off-Road Association will provide pizza for lunch for the volunteers.
Additional sponsors for the clean-up event include CESCO equipment rental, Jim Bob’s Bakery, Treasure Valley Coffee, Southern Idaho Solid Waste, Parks & Sons Inc., and Columbia Electric.
For additional information, please contact Greg Moore of the Southern Idaho Off-Road Association at (208) 539-2012.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.