Staff Writer
Working with local volunteers and government agencies and others, on Sunday, Dec. 15, in Valley of Enchantment off Balsam Lane, 35 volunteers coordinated by Bear Valley Environmental Protection Society (BVEPS) cleared a former homeless encampment in the forest.
In collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service, including the District Ranger and USFS Recreational District staff and the Southern California Mountains Foundation, the BVEPS along with the volunteers swarmed the three-acre trash-strewn forested site, which was located only 245 yards into the forest from the road close to a residential area.
Some of the volunteer cleanup folks.
They used a John Deere 4×4 to get to and from the site, enabling the group to pick up, bag and clear every piece of trash out of a former homeless encampment and extremely trashy site. Homeless had camped in the area for some time and apparently never discarded any of their trash anywhere other than on the ground around their tents. This litter and trash is not healthy for forest animals who could have eaten it and choked or gotten ill from it.
After a 245-yard hike to the site, the 35 volunteers worked from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. They netted a big haul of trash from the very trashed forest area. “This once inaccessible illegal dumpsite is now a place for neighborhood families and children to enjoy a pristine forest once again,” said Adam Creason, a spokesman for the Bear Valley Environmental Protection Society.
“Special thanks to our San Bernardino Mountain Top District employees for their management, professionalism and support: Bryon Bushatz, Kimi Bechtol, Randy Roth and Casey Shaffer. SCMF OHV Manager Mike was also amazing. Our Line Fire heroes from Fire Stations 11 (Skyforest), Fire Station 14 (Cottonwood) and our District Forest Ranger participated, rolled up their sleeves and helped bag and haul the trash out of the forest,” said Creason.
Getting the trash moved out.
They cleared out miscellaneous household goods, including six chairs, four mattresses, seven tires plus random dumped garbage from the two encampments. Those 35 volunteers of all ages and backgrounds worked tirelessly and removed four tons of trash.
“Together, we’re making a difference and protecting the places we love,” said Creason. “The mission of the Bear Valley Environmental Protection Society is to retore the natural beauty and ecological integrity of the San Bernardino National Forest.”
The group cleans up illegal dumpsites from hiking trails within the forest and local mountain communities, in coordination with local volunteers.
Another arm of their efforts includes reforestation efforts by planting, in collaboration with Cal Fire, Jeffrey pine, sugar pine and Coulter pine seedlings. They intend to plant 4,000 seedlings in the Line Fire area. They intend to establish a nursery to cultivate and grow plants for the rehabilitation of the area in conjunction with the USFS.
Getting close to looking like a forest again.
They have future plans to build a visitors center to host exhibits and do some youth education to promote healthy forests and to work with local nonprofits to collect seeds and enhance habitat rehabilitation in the forest.
Anyone who would like to be involved in these future projects or cleanups may email them at foundingdirector@bveps.org, call Adam Creason at (714) 743-5417 or write to him at P.O. Box 5, Running Springs, CA 92382.
0 Comments