Caltrans Hosts ‘Clean California’
Caltrans Hosts ‘Clean California’ Event at Northbound Viewpoint on Sherwin Grade in Southern Mono County
WHAT: Caltrans District Director and local elected officials will pick-up roadside litter to raise awareness of Governor Gavin Newsom’s $1.5 billion Clean California budget proposal.
The initiative key actions will:
- Engage and invest in communities
- Educate current and future generations
- Expand litter pick-up activities
- Enhance infrastructure with public artwork
WHEN: Thursday, June 3, 9 a.m.
WHERE: On the Sherwin Grade at the northbound viewpoint on US-395, approximately 6 miles north of the Inyo/Mono county line.
WHO:
- Ryan Dermody, Caltrans District 9 Director
- Bob Gardner, Mono County District 3 Supervisor
- Ingrid Braun, Inyo County Sheriff
- John Williams, Mojave CHP Lieutenant
- John Wentworth, Inyo County LTP Vice Chair, ESSRP Director
- Destin Dishion- City of Bishop Public Works Director
- Tom Scott, Caltrans District 9 Adopt a Highway Coordinator/TET
WHY: Trash has plagued California’s streets and freeways for decades. Clean California calls for massive investments in litter collection, community engagement and education to transform unsightly roadsides into spaces of pride for all Californians. This is a statewide effort with potential projects in all 58 counties and with a third of the funds going directly to cities, counties, tribes and transit agencies to clean local streets and public spaces. Caltrans estimates that Clean California will create an estimated 15,000 jobs over three years, including state jobs and opportunities for people experiencing homelessness, at-risk youth, and people re-entering society following incarceration.
Discover more from Sierra Wave: Eastern Sierra News - The Community's News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
I am glad to see Caltrans Stepping up to help make a difference with this event. Caltrans has been a good partner with service groups in donating bags and other equipment to groups who are out there making a difference in our big back yard. They haul trash away. The department also has litter pick up program in place, the Adopt A Highway program, which has been in place for several years. It was very successful and really had a big impact on highway aesthetics and our local cities and towns. The program has been in a slump for a few years, and lost momentum.
It is gaining though, and it allows people to legally participate in a group clean up on a highway or two lane or four lane expressways. So people have to know that Caltrans has been committed to make a difference on our state highways. And they go so far as to help with bags for service groups to use picking trash from the right shoulder of the road. The right shoulder is the only shoulder to be allowed to pick litter, or work in The Median, or left shoulder is not allowed!.
I have seen some rhetoric online about disparaging remarks against Caltrans and Inyo county. I can make it perfectly clear that both agencies partner up with such groups as the Sierra Trash Eliminators and the Sierra Trash Pandas, whos members are making a big difference in removing litter and other refuse from our lands in Inyo County Inyo County is 100% online with managing the litter problem we have in our county. With the data that they are collecting when group members bring in discarded items they can track where it comes from and what is picked up. All this data can be used to take to the state’s solid waste management people and show the need for assistance in mitigating the refuse problem in Inyo county.
So I hope people will understand the commitment from the local agencies, who see what needs to be done, and are helping to make a difference. The state of California, Inyo county, and the City of Bishop, all are putting forth efforts make our yard better. They are leading the way in this, I hope other agencies follow suit.
Mono county has a very mutual working partnership with folks cleaning up within their county as well. The trashy ones started in Mono county, the Sierra trash eliminators and got rolling with a big family of people who care and want to make a difference. It soon was discovered by the Ninjas in Inyo county as well.
So take the one bag of trash a week challenge, carry a bag to collect trash where you see it and find it. Imagine how much would get done and how much you will not see, if a whole bunch of us do it.
And as always, be careful out there, be aware of your surroundings where ever you are, especially near vehicle traffic …. FACE TRAFFIC where ever possible. Wear appropriate wear to protect yourself, sturdy shoes and long sleeves and safety glasses, to name a few, Have fun, keep your eyes forward and your ears backward, just like then Mules.
My discussion point was, why are the politicians and not the invisible workers receiving all the accolades? Some of these individuals that will be in the photo op have not participated in many of the clean up functions. I think caltrans has has dong a good job with tremendous assistance from some members of the city of bishop. Maybe those hard workers should get the recognition they deserve.
What bs is this. There are currently dozens of citizens in Inyo and mono county picking up trash, dirty diapers, bottles full of pee without their photo op in the paper. They receive no recognition, no compensation and are hassled when they bring their trash to the dump. Sometimes they pay the gate fee out of their pocket. In Bishop, they are called the Sierra trash eliminators and do a wonderful job without any recognition. Typical politicians they will pick a few items , smile for the camera, pat each other on the back and congratulate each other for their hard work. If you want to see the real trash pickup hero’s, on Facebook go to Sierra trash eliminators.