Press release

Bishop – The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is joining forces with California Highway Patrol, City of Bishop, County of Inyo and volunteers Thursday, April 13th for the annual California Statewide Litter Collection, Enforcement and Beautification Day in an effort to increase public awareness on the volume and cost associated with removing trash along state highways.

Litter in California is an ongoing problem, which results in significant economic, social, and environmental costs.  Litter is aesthetically displeasing, presents a range of threats to human and ecologic health, and affects the quality of life for the citizens throughout California.  Litter increases the risk of personal injury to our employees, the threat of fire by discarded cigarettes along the State Highway System, the spread of diseases in our communities, and can threaten wildlife and pollute California’s waterways.  These impacts are real.

Last year, Caltrans spent $76.5 million on litter removal throughout the State Highway System.  Almost 153,000 cubic yards of litter (about 9,562 garbage trucks) were collected and disposed.

Maintenance crews will be picking up litter in counties serviced by Caltrans District 9 on Thursday, April 13^th and also on Thursday, April 20^th.  Residents in Inyo, Mono and eastern Kern counties will see crews working on highways and freeways throughout the day removing litter and debris discarded by the public. Highway message boards will remind motorists “Don’t Trash California.”  Please be attentive of extra workers on the highway picking up trash and remember to “Slow for the Cone Zone.”

The public can help by participating in the Caltrans Adopt-A-Highway (AAH) Program.   The Adopt-A-Highway Program provides an avenue for individuals, organizations, or businesses to help maintain sections of roadside within California’s State Highway System.  More than 120,000 Californians have cleaned and enhanced over 15,000 shoulder-miles of roadside.  Participation allows the public to adopt sections of highway for beautification projects, such as litter removal, vegetation control, graffiti removal, and tree and shrub planting.

For more information on the Caltrans Adopt-A-Highway Program, please visit www.adopt-a-highway.dot.ca.gov or call Tom Scott, District 9 Adopt-A-Highway coordinator, at (760) 872-5202.