The U.S. Forest Service temporarily closed a rifle range at the Francis Marion National Forest to clean up litter and repair vandalized facilities. Another range was closed temporarily several years ago for the same reasons.Reports like this are shocking because someone who loves the outdoors can only wonder why anyone would foul up South Carolina’s natural resources. But such reports aren’t surprising because they are so commonplace these days. Visit any boat ramp in the state, and you’ll find litter, especially the more remote ramps.
For that matter, ride down any road in the state. If the road sides aren’t covered in litter, stacks of tell-tale orange trash bags are visible where a group has cleaned up the roadway. But come back two weeks later, and the litter’s back.
May is the last month in a three-month campaign to clean up South Carolina. The challenge this year for the Great American Cleanup in the Palmetto State is to rid public areas of 2 million pounds of trash. Last year, 15,000 volunteers picked up 1.4 million pounds of trash.
PalmettoPride, the state’s anti-litter organization, has partnered with the Department of Natural Resources, Department of Health and Environmental Control, S.C. Forestry Commission and other groups in the National Parks and Forest program. The program heightens enforcement efforts and organizes volunteers to clean up hundreds of illegal dumpsites at S.C.’s forests and parks. More than 100 volunteers hauled off more than 6 tons of litter from illegal dumpsites at Francis Marion National Forest.
In 2003 PalmettoPride formed the S.C. Enforcement Committee with DNR, Litter Control, Highway Patrol and Public Safety officers to maintain a “Zero Tolerance For Litter” policy and to create an effective anti-litter statewide enforcement task force.
The task force targets frequently-littered areas, dump sites, forests and illegal dumping areas, as well as monitoring illegal transport of litter. PalmettoPride provided $15,000 to buy ground hog cameras, digital camcorders and night-vision binoculars for use in sting operations.
Litterers no longer get off with a slap on the wrist fine. Last year DNR officers alone issued 556 littering summonses, all hard-copy tickets where the individual had to face charges in court. The minimum fine for a littering first offense is $200 plus court costs, which drives the fine up to $465.
As hunters, fishermen and conservationists who want to keep our natural resources healthy, we can take action to stop litter from fouling our lands and waterways — besides the most obvious by not littering ourselves.
Tournament bass angler Bobby Wilson used to get steamed when he saw someone toss a drink can or chicken box into his beloved Santee Cooper lakes. He’d motor over and lecture the offender, but now he takes another tack.
“I ease over, pick up the litter and put it in a trash bag, tip my hat to them and ride off,” Wilson said. Perhaps his friendlier approach will have more of an effect on the litterer than a lecture.
For those who are illegally dumping or purposely trashing an area, a hefty fine might carry more weight. If you see them, call the state’s “Litter Busters” Hotline, toll-free at 1-877-7LITTER.
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