This summer, the Darlene 3 and Jackpine wildfires near La Pine, Oregon, shined a spotlight on the negative effects of long-term overstays and illegal dumping on public lands. In response, local community members approached the Bureau of Land Management with a request: could they organize a group clean-up?
The newly formed Newberry Regional Partnership gathered nearly 60 volunteers and spent a Saturday in August removing hundreds of pounds of garbage from the BLM’s Jackpine Camp, located southwest of La Pine.
The group said they saw how frustrated people were with trash on the lands in their community, and they wanted to offer a way for residents to be part of a solution.
For the BLM, the project was an easy sell—with a big caveat.
The area around Jackpine Camp was well-known as a dumping area, RV chop shop, and place of long-term overstays. The field office was already in the process of putting a contract out to bid on the same area, and they had identified a portion of the area as potentially containing human waste and asbestos.
If the volunteers were willing to stick to the open meadow, have hazmat-trained personnel on site, and provide hand-washing stations, the BLM would be a willing partner.
With that support, the Newberry Regional Partnership coordinated the cleanup with the BLM, the Public Land Stewards, the City of La Pine, Deschutes County, Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, and the La Pine Rural Fire Protection District. Republic Services, a local trash and recycling company, offered staff and dumpsters for the event, and the La Pine Ace Hardware provided supplies.
“It was a perfect turn of events to partner on this,” said Lisa Clark, BLM Deschutes Field Manager. “We were able to make the day more manageable for the fantastic group of volunteers and focus the upcoming contract on the hazardous materials and vehicles.”
In just a few hours, nearly 60 volunteers filled two 30-yard dumpsters, three 20-yard dumpsters, and numerous privately owned trailers with debris. Republic Services provided individual dumpsters for trash, metal, and tires, making disposal easier. The team worked tirelessly to remove hundreds of pounds of garbage, ranging from household trash to clothes to washing machines.
Although a team of yellow jackets decided to emerge and join the event, the watchful members of Public Land Stewards were able to identify the nest location and flag off areas of concern.
The event was topped off with a communal lunch and a sense of accomplishment. Many volunteers expressed their desire to participate in future cleanup initiatives.
“We are incredibly grateful for the dedication and hard work of everyone involved in this cleanup,” said Kathy DeBone, Community Coordinator at the Newberry Regional Partnership. “The abandoned Jackpine Camp cleanup serves as a testament to the power of community collaboration and the importance of environmental stewardship.”
