The national forest is 187 tons cleaner

Mark Twain National Forest (Forest) looks much better thanks again to Godi’s Excavating, LLC. The company successfully completed a debris cleanup contract that covered large sections of the Poplar Bluff and Eleven Point Ranger Districts. Many illegal dump sites occur across the Forest; but working together, we can stop the trash on public land. This year, the debris clean-up contract led to 187 tons of trash being removed from the Forest.

The trash from each identified dump site was completely removed as was all debris within 100’ on both sides of several Forest roads. All of this was possible using dump trucks, a small excavator, roll-off portable dumpsters and an incredible amount of physical labor.

Poplar Bluff District Ranger Cheri Dorshak said, “The Forest has a natural beauty, and we want to keep it that way by removing the trash that is there and stopping people from dumping more.”

Godi’s was contracted to remove trash from six road corridors and ten dump sites on the Eleven Point Ranger District, and nine road corridors and 47 dump sites on the Poplar Bluff Ranger District. The Forest Service was able to utilize funding from local timber sales that can be utilized for ongoing forest health and restoration costs. Specifically, collections from the Black Pearl, Hornet, and Skycrane timber sales made this cleanup possible. The contractor began March 13 and finished March 29.

If anyone finds illegal dump sites on national forest land, or witnesses people dumping trash, please notify the appropriate Forest Service district office. Please take a photo of or write down the license plate number of offenders, if safely possible. Now that the weight of a blue whale in trash has been removed from the Forest, everyone can work together to keep the Forest clean. Remember what Woodsy Owl says, “Give a hoot! Don’t pollute.”