01/01/2007: "A New Year Resolution Some Should Make"

By Bill Cumming

There is no question that one of the many reasons we live here in the San Juan Islands is the pristine beauty of our islands. I don't think there is a person living here who doesn't feel a sense of violation when they see roadside litter, wondering either out loud to their family or friends, or quietly to themselves, "Why would somebody deliberately do that?"

We have all seen the beer bottles and cans, cigarette butts, cardboard boxes, batteries, and other trash alongside our roads and in our roadside ditches. This question we ask, and the outrage we feel, are not only appropriate, but are also welcomed as a community statement.

Personally, I am continually amazed at this type of behavior. Is it immaturity? Is it anger? Or are those who litter simply making a statement about themselves and the community they live in? If you observe someone littering, I urge you as a member of our community to report it to the Sheriff's Office so it can be dealt with in a way that will hold the individuals accountable for their deliberate actions. They have no excuse for littering our community with their trash. Fines that range from $194 to as much as $5,000, depending on the circumstances, speak to just how expensive littering can be.

There is another type of litter alongside our roads that we can all do something about. Self-hauling recyclables and household refuse to our solid waste facility is a popular activity among most of our island population. Those of us who go to the dump, and I am one of them, need to realize that one of the biggest sources of roadside litter comes from self-haulers who fail to properly secure their loads. It doesn't take much for part of your load to fly off the back of your truck, and onto the roadway, if you don't have it properly loaded, secured, and covered.

The San Juan Island Anti-Litter Initiative has mobilized a variety of community groups and individuals to remind us that it is our responsibility as drivers to ensure the proper loading of any material into our pick-up trucks or other vehicles, and to critically assess whether or not the load should be secured and covered. You should always err on the side of safety and use a cover if there is any question about the possibility of losing part of your load.

Sheriff's deputies and solid waste staff have begun to remind all of us who carry these types of loads of the laws and our responsibilities when doing so. Browne's Home Center has generously stepped forward to help in this effort by providing 25% off coupons for cargo nets that deputies and solid waste staff will be handing out when they encounter drivers with loads that need to be secured.

Let's all do our part in keeping our island pristine. Secure your load, and report to the Sheriff's Office (378-4151) any person throwing litter out a car window or driving with an unsecured load.

(Bill Cumming is the San Juan County Sheriff)