Littering is a problem anywhere you fish but it seems to be worse at the community ponds. I would like to propose a new littering rule . This would be a "no fault rule". Anyone caught fishing where there is litter within 15 or 20 or maybe 50 feet would be fined. Doesn't matter who put it there. This would force every one to police the area that they are fishing. Maybe the guys that litter won't change but the amount of litter has got to be reduced.
Garbage at Community Pond.
1 - 17 of 17 Posts
That's a bit harsh I think. I know I would be really upset for getting fined for someone else's trash.
These are the things that need to be looked at.
1. Are there any garbage cans to put the trash in?
2. Are there enough garbage cans?
3. Do they get emptied often enough that it doesn't start to pile up and fall on the ground?
3. If the DWR is going to provide community pounds, they need to pay someone to clean them and empty trash cans often enough that trash doesn't build up.
Yes, people need pick up after themselves. But, that for some reason that is too much ask :roll: I get pissed off about the trash too and people do need to be held responsible for it. On the other hand, if there isn't an easy way to get rid of trash, then it will get put where it's convenient.
Just putting a blanket fine on everyone is not the best way to do things, it just makes people mad and in the end, people will still litter.
If the community ponds can't be taken care of, then we have too many.
These are the things that need to be looked at.
1. Are there any garbage cans to put the trash in?
2. Are there enough garbage cans?
3. Do they get emptied often enough that it doesn't start to pile up and fall on the ground?
3. If the DWR is going to provide community pounds, they need to pay someone to clean them and empty trash cans often enough that trash doesn't build up.
Yes, people need pick up after themselves. But, that for some reason that is too much ask :roll: I get pissed off about the trash too and people do need to be held responsible for it. On the other hand, if there isn't an easy way to get rid of trash, then it will get put where it's convenient.
Just putting a blanket fine on everyone is not the best way to do things, it just makes people mad and in the end, people will still litter.
If the community ponds can't be taken care of, then we have too many.
Trash is everyones problem!
The jurks that leave it are the worst offenders, but others that see it and don't bother to help by picking it up are also a little bit of the problem.
When you pick up someone elses trash, you are not helping the trash head but rather you are helping the State, Community or private land owner.
Community ponds draw a different breed of people. I don't consider some of them to be anglers but rather people that fish once in a while because they can and the pond is close.
These people rarely fish at other places because they are not anglers. They don't have an anglers ehtics nor do they care.
We can't stop them from fishing, but we can do our part to help keep the ponds clean in spite of them!
Trash is only a small part of the dammage caused by the trash heads.
They are often the same jerks that take over limits of fish, day after day.
I have resigned myself to the fact that these people won't go away and so I just accept the fact thay they will fish at a community ponds whether we like it or not.
The one thing that we can do, is help in the restoration following their trip to the pond.
The jurks that leave it are the worst offenders, but others that see it and don't bother to help by picking it up are also a little bit of the problem.
When you pick up someone elses trash, you are not helping the trash head but rather you are helping the State, Community or private land owner.
Community ponds draw a different breed of people. I don't consider some of them to be anglers but rather people that fish once in a while because they can and the pond is close.
These people rarely fish at other places because they are not anglers. They don't have an anglers ehtics nor do they care.
We can't stop them from fishing, but we can do our part to help keep the ponds clean in spite of them!
Trash is only a small part of the dammage caused by the trash heads.
They are often the same jerks that take over limits of fish, day after day.
I have resigned myself to the fact that these people won't go away and so I just accept the fact thay they will fish at a community ponds whether we like it or not.
The one thing that we can do, is help in the restoration following their trip to the pond.
Joined
·
1 Posts
I completely agree with Grandpa D. Be it a blessing or curse, fishing is so appealing that it attracts a wide variety of people, all who have different personalities, attitudes, and ethics. I believe a majority of anglers out there are good stewards of our water and resources; unfortunately, the trash left behind by jerks is just a lot easier to notice when there are countless others out there who treat our resources with respect and don't leave a trace. Lets keep our heads up and do our part to keep our community fisheries clean, whether it is our trash or somebody else's that has been left behind.
I pick up trash all the time, and I do agree with you.Grandpa D said:
One problem is that people are littering faster than people pick up trash. I don't want to spend my entire day off picking up someone else's trash, which is what would happen if I picked up every single piece of trash I came across. I want to spend it fishing, which is how most people feel. I by no means think that littering is ok, it makes me sick. But I can't pick up every piece of trash I see, it just isn't realistic.
I consider a community pond to be similar to a park. There are people who maintain them. It is usually the city that the park is in. A community pond should be the same way. If no one maintained the parks, they would be trashed in no time. It's the same thing with a community pond. Area's of high use, just get trashed if left unattended too. People are just plain lazy. It's sad.
Guess what I am saying, is that a community pond needs to be maintained more than just getting stocked with fish. And the people who are polluting need to be held accountable in someway.
Yeah, and many hands make light work. I went to East Canyon yesterday and I was able to fill a whole grocery sack with garbage left by others, and that was in a 30 foot radius alone! It took me maybe 45 seconds to a minute to pick it all up. Although it was annoying picking up some lazy person's trash, it made me feel better that at least if someone came to fish after me it at least looks better for the time being!
I agree, there is nothing better than multiple people helping out in a cause. I have found that it only takes a min of my time to grab a piece of trash laying on the ground and dispose of it properly. if everyone did this the trash would go down and the offenders would see that others are picking up trash and would hopefully be more wary or what they do...Grandpa D said:
Joined
·
256 Posts
stopped over at willow pond to see whats going on on january 4th. No Fish Caught but i did see 3 of the black garbage cans which i assume had been tossed into the pond because the garbage cans were submerged and frozen in ice. how can we keep our community ponds
clean if the garbage cans are in the pond.? When did Garbage cans become the in thing to throw into a pond. did i miss a memo or something?
please have some respect.
tmf
clean if the garbage cans are in the pond.? When did Garbage cans become the in thing to throw into a pond. did i miss a memo or something?
please have some respect.
tmf
Joined
·
1,216 Posts
The problem is beer bottles where i fish. I drink, but come on do you really have to leave them so everyone can see them. I spend more time cleaning other peoples messes than I do fishing.
Joined
·
713 Posts
I think people should clean up their dang trash whereever they fish. Was at Minersville yesterday and this guy was just throwing his cans on the ice. And when he left the cans didn't go with him. :evil: So I picked them up and threw them in the dumpster that was in the parking lot 200 yards up the hill.
Joined
·
713 Posts
Your welcome Grandpa D
Joined
·
303 Posts
Who would be writting the tickets? The CO's? Something to consider..................... If a CO has enough time to walk around a fishing hole and argue if a peice of trash is really mine or not, wouldnt they have enough time to help out picking up some of the trash? I know for me if I knew it wasn't my trash I'd put up a pretty good fight about getting ticketed for it. My family and I are in the great outdoors year round, and do our part to pick up some [email protected]#$'s trash, I would sure hate to see what their house and yards look like. I dont believe that writting tickets to everyone with trash around them regaurdless if its theirs or not is the answer. Could you imagine the time it would take for a CO to write people tickets at say Farmington Pond on a busy day for trash? Talk about a possible day long journy!
Joined
·
6,023 Posts
It would be a complete waste of time and taxpayer money to even attempt ticketing someone for having trash close to them. There is no law stating that it is illegal to be close to garbage and no law could plausibly be made.
Can you imagine how much attention this would get in the judicial system? The only people that wouldn't fight the tickets would be the people who actually got caught littering, first hand. To hold one person accountable for another's actions is absolutely wrong. It will never happen.
The answer is firm enforcement and stiff penalties. I've said it before and honestly feel that it would work quite well after a few months;
Scope the shorelines for litterbugs. As soon as one is observed littering, ticket them and set a court date. Court date comes and the local judge will order a certain amount of shoreline cleanup hours to the offender. The offender either obliges or gets a warrant for their arrest for not complying with a court order. Non residents or distant residents could opt to pay a harsh fine.
The benefits: People in bright orange vests that say "Litterbug" on the back spend their time picking up trash on the shorelines of the water they abused and the public will notice.
We'll have cleaner shorelines and the public will know (after this is implemented for some time and word spreads) that enforcement efforts are serious and will likely think twice before leaving that beer can. If not, ticket.
CO's and park rangers can focus on problem waters and even get some help from the local departments for urban fishing areas.
Plus we're not stepping on anyone's rights.
Can you imagine how much attention this would get in the judicial system? The only people that wouldn't fight the tickets would be the people who actually got caught littering, first hand. To hold one person accountable for another's actions is absolutely wrong. It will never happen.
The answer is firm enforcement and stiff penalties. I've said it before and honestly feel that it would work quite well after a few months;
Scope the shorelines for litterbugs. As soon as one is observed littering, ticket them and set a court date. Court date comes and the local judge will order a certain amount of shoreline cleanup hours to the offender. The offender either obliges or gets a warrant for their arrest for not complying with a court order. Non residents or distant residents could opt to pay a harsh fine.
The benefits: People in bright orange vests that say "Litterbug" on the back spend their time picking up trash on the shorelines of the water they abused and the public will notice.
We'll have cleaner shorelines and the public will know (after this is implemented for some time and word spreads) that enforcement efforts are serious and will likely think twice before leaving that beer can. If not, ticket.
CO's and park rangers can focus on problem waters and even get some help from the local departments for urban fishing areas.
Plus we're not stepping on anyone's rights.
Joined
·
303 Posts
+100,000!
Joined
·
713 Posts
+1,000,000LOAH said:
1 - 17 of 17 Posts
Join the discussion
