The Forest Service employs a total of 30,000 people throughout the United States. The local office is located in Lowell, OR. There are four personnel that deal with illegal dumping on some level in the office.

This information was gathered from several interviews with different personnel from the Forest Service.

• Typical items: roadside litter, dirty diapers, animal carcasses, yard debris, washing machines, chest-type freezers, refrigerators, and abandoned vehicles
• 5-6 autos are illegally dumped per year
• Propane cylinders are also a problem (older models are no longer refilled)
• Dumping occurs in spurts, according to tipping fee increases
• Dumping is more frequent in spring and summer
  • 4-5 new dumpsites per day in summer
• 10% of found dumpsites contain some hazardous material
• More dumping near urban/residential areas

• Conservation crew of 12 local youths clean dumpsites in summer around Lowell and Oakridge
  • Crews can clean a dumpsite in less than 2 hours
• Contract out for:
  • Hazardous waste dumps (can cost up to $1000)
  • Auto removal (ones without licenses are dealt with by the BLM)
• Own equipment: costs $500 a year
• Most funding comes from PECO (government money to offset money lost from timber revenue)
• Participate in annual spring cleanup days

• Various fines include:
  • Code 261.11.B pertains to basic littering, a $100 fine that is generally given to campers who leave a mess.
  • Code 261.11.C pertains to placing polluting substances in or near water, and is a $200 fine.
  • Code 261.11.D pertains to failure to properly dispose of trash, a $200 fine.
  • Code 261.11.E pertains to the dumping of trash from private land, a $300 fine that is seldom used because the perpetrators are difficult to track down.
  • Code 261.10.E pertains to abandoning property, a $100 fine typically used for abandonment of vehicles.
• 5-6 citations are issued per month

• Post informational signs on illegal dumping
• Block roads

Interviewees also commented that illegal dumping is a problem of convenience and economics. More cleanup and education could impede dumping. Hiring a staff member to oversee the issue of illegal dumping was also suggested.

These opinions do not represent the entire illegal dumping project or the Forest Service. Information gathered is for personal use.