Out & about: Who’s responsible for recreational garbage?

OUTTRASHED – Garbage is a mountain of a problem at boating access sites close to populated areas.

Public land managers have resorted to the “Pack it in, pack it out” policy in most areas simply because they don’t have the staff or funding to pick up after the slobs.

Dan Dziekan, Washington Fish and Wildlife Department access maintenance manager, performed a reality check on the policy last month.

Dziekan, who also has the unsavory job of dealing with vault toilets fouled by reprobates, checks the agency’s many water access sites weekly.

At Loon Lake he usually picks up about a quarter of a bag of trash each visit.

As a test, he placed a garbage can at the site. A week later it was filled to overflowing with four bags of garbage and he filled another bag with trash he picked up around the access.

In other words, putting out a garbage can INCREASED the amount of smelly, yellowjacket and critter-attracting refuse and litter at the site.

Centennial Trail longer

OUTDONE – A two-mile northwest extension of the Spokane River Centennial Trail will be dedicated with a 4 p.m. ribbon cutting ceremony today at the Nine Mile Recreation Area on Lake Spokane.

The extension lengthens the Washington portion of the trail to about 40 miles before it connects with the Idaho portion and runs to Higgens Point along Lake Coeur d’Alene.

Six repair projects are starting this month elsewhere on the Trail.