Enforcement
Enforcement is a very important part of the Adopt-a-Forest program.
Partners:
We work closely with law enforcement
officials such as County Sheriffs, Conservation Officers, and USFS personnel on a daily basis. We also work with legislators and judges to educate them
about program
issues that arise.
Media plays an important role in soliciting volunteers and sometimes
in finding out who dumped. Newspapers around the state have
began running articles with photos of dumped items letting readers
know who to contact if they have information that could lead to the
arrest of illegal dumpers.
Conservation Officers investigate and report illegal trash sites to
program managers. Maps are automatically created and
directions to the site are recorded. These reports are
invaluable to the program when volunteers are deciding what areas
are in need of their efforts.
Community Service Programs:
Community service workers, jail
release programs, and technical rule violators work throughout the
state to cleanup trash that has been illegally dumped on public
land.
Relevant Laws:
Michigan's Solid Waste
Statutes and Rules
Act 451, Part
169, Scrap Tires, states that a person can only transport 7 scrap
tires at once in a vehicle on a public road or street unless they
are a licensed scrap tire hauler. However, "a member of a
nonprofit service organization who is participating in a community
service project..." is exempt from this rule. Therefore, it
is legal for Adopt-a-Forest volunteers to transport more than 7
tires at once to legally dispose of them.
Act 451, Part 358, Adopt-a-Shoreline Program
Act 451, Part 359, Adopt-a-River Program
Initiatives:
Much of what we find on public land could have been recycled or
comes from businesses, such as large piles of scrap tires or
construction materials. A poster was developed geared toward
disposal of construction materials. Free copies can be
obtained by contacting Ada Takacs at takacsa@michigan.gov
Successes:
Many arrests have been made based on advanced
investigation skills. We don't want to list how it's done
here, but dumpers are not just getting caught because they leave
their name and address in the pile of trash they leave behind.
Hurdles:
The Michigan Secretary of State only maintains license
plate information for 30 months after the last date of
non-renewal. In addition, Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs)
are only kept on file for 10 years after non-renewal. What
this means for our program is that vehicles, boats, and trailers
illegally dumped in the woods are not always easy to track down
based on expired license plates and VINs.
Some laws that are good for the environment affect the type and
amounts of trash found on public land. For example, the need
for freon removal netted a surge in the number of refrigerators
found on public land. In addition, the need for overfill
protection devices (OPD valves) on propane tanks translated to
more tanks being found. Both of these issues seem to have
been resolved now that metals are netting high cash-in values.
The FCC required that all television signals be digital by
February, 2009. Old TV sets (that likely contain lead in
their picture tubes and potentially mercury in liquid crystal
displays) became obsolete without converter boxes. This
meant more TVs being dumped in our woods. To find out
where to recycle electronic waste, visit the DEQ's
recycling website and search for your county contact.
Report Dumping in Progress:
Your safety is very important to us! Do not approach people
in the act of illegal dumping or attempt to take any enforcement
action. If possible, get a description of the vehicle and
occupants, time of day, location and what is being dumped.
To report dumping in progress, contact the DNR Report All Poaching
Hotline at 1-800-292-7800.
How to Collect Evidence:
If you are cleaning up a pile of trash on public land and
find proof of dumping, please turn it in to the local DNR (state
land) or USFS (federal land).
Information such as date, location, evidence found and photos are
very useful. If you know approximately when it was dumped,
make note of that. Track the amount of time you spent
cleaning up the area as well as any costs associated (such as gas
to get there and/or disposal costs). This information is all
very helpful when pressing charges against illegal dumpers.
