SACRAMENTO, Calif., May 21, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- As Memorial Day weekend and the unofficial
start of summer approaches, many Californians attracted to warmer
weather and outdoor activities with friends and family are planning
trips to the outdoors. With such beautiful and unique places to
visit such as Emerald Bay and
Humbolt Redwoods State Parks, Folsom
Lake and Silverwood Lake State Recreation Areas, Will Rogers
State Historic Park, Cardiff State Beach and other areas, Caltrans,
Clean California, and California State Parks are reminding
Californians of their impact to public lands and encouraging
individuals to do their part to keep their public lands clean to
protect the natural ecosystems.
During this summer season, we are aiming to increase awareness
of the leave no trace principle by encouraging outdoor enthusiasts
to consider the impacts they leave behind and empowering
individuals to take action. Simple steps such as packing out all
trash when camping, picnicking or hiking will undoubtedly help keep
state parks and beaches better than how you found them.
"Whether you're headed to community barbecues, on a camping trip
or opting to spend time at the local beaches, lakes and rivers,
it's important to understand the impact of trash on our
communities," said Caltrans Director Tony
Tavares. "Just one piece of litter ruins the experience. We
urge Californians to take conscious action to properly dispose of
waste and commit to keeping trash out of our parks altogether."
"This Memorial Day weekend, we welcome all Californians to
discover the diverse and extraordinary landscapes California has to offer, from the beaches to
lakes to mountains and deserts," said California State Parks
Director Armando Quintero. "We want
all who visit to create memorable experiences that last a lifetime
and to build stewards that will help us protect the state's open
spaces for future generations to enjoy."
Here are a few simple tips to help keep public spaces and
communities free from litter and debris, such as:
- Pack it in, pack it out. Leave no trace behind by
bringing a trash bag, especially if visiting a remote area. Put
food waste, napkins, single-use food wrappers, and other waste in
the bags until it can be properly disposed of. For human
waste, the use of waste alleviation (WAG) gel bags or other
portable toilet options is recommended. WAG bags can be safely
disposed of in regular trash.
- Choose reusable over single-use items. Reusable
containers keep harmful toxins out of our water and community
recreation areas and are more economical in the long run. If you do
use cans or plastic bottles, be sure to properly recycle them to
help mitigate their impact.
- Pick up small, littered items to make a big impact. Keep
an eye out for bottle caps, food wrappers, cigarette butts, and
other small items and be sure to properly dispose of
them.
- Properly dispose of broken large items, such as pop-up
canopies, beach chairs, and coolers. Leaving these items
on the beach or park or 'near' a trash bin can be considered
illegal dumping. Please haul back broken items and dispose of them
properly at a local garbage site.
- Secure your load. Whether you live nearby or are
traveling to reach your destination, be sure to properly tarp and
tie down items in truck beds, trailers, and boats to ensure items
make it to your destination and do not fly out during the trip.
Taking special care to keep items both small and large with you
during transit will help keep our roads safe and clean.
To join the statewide movement to keep California clean, beautiful, and litter-free,
visit Clean California's website at CleanCA.com.
To find a State Park close to you, visit Parks.ca.gov.
About Clean California:
Governor Gavin Newsom's Clean
California initiative is a sweeping, $1.2
billion, multiyear cleanup effort led by Caltrans to remove
trash, create thousands of jobs, and join with communities
throughout the state to reclaim, transform and beautify public
spaces.
Since launching Clean California in July
2021, Caltrans and its local partners have picked up more
than 2.3 million cubic yards of litter – enough to fill about 700
Olympic-size swimming pools. This represents a substantial increase
compared to the department's previous trash collection efforts and
can largely be attributed to Clean California, along with other
Caltrans litter removal efforts. Caltrans has hosted more than 500
free dump days in communities throughout the state – resulting in
the collection of 12,000-plus mattresses and nearly 50,000 tires.
The initiative has drawn more than 10,000 community clean-up
volunteers and created 15,000 jobs, including positions for
individuals who were formerly incarcerated, on probation, or
experiencing housing insecurity.
cleancalifornia.dot.ca.gov | #CleanCA |
#BeWorkZoneAlert | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube
About State Parks:
The California Department of Parks and Recreation, popularly
known as State Parks, and the programs supported by its Office of
Historic Preservation and divisions of Boating and Waterways and
Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation provides for the health,
inspiration and education of the people of California by helping to preserve the state's
extraordinary biological diversity, protecting its most valued
natural and cultural resources, and creating opportunities for
high-quality outdoor recreation. Learn more
at parks.ca.gov. Facebook | X | Instagram | YouTube |
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SOURCE Caltrans