By CAPT. PICK-IT UP

It’s now been four years since the grassroots group that named itself the San Juan Island Anti-Litter Initiative formed. During this time, we’ve mounted several important campaigns aimed at raising awareness about San Juan Island’s litter problem and at attempting to reduce the amount of litter on our roadsides and beaches.

Working behind the scenes in concert with us was Patt Martin, a woman who deserves a very special “thank you” from all of us. Patt served for 12 years as the San Juan County litter program coordinator. Through her personal efforts, a well-organized, coordinated and effective community service program evolved, leading to an almost unbelievable 16 tons of litter being brought to the county’s solid waste facilities between July 2008 and February 2010.

Although Patt’s role has now been eliminated due to the loss of state funding and the county’s budget crunch, the need for litter control sadly never seems to go away. Everyone living or visiting here can make a difference. Here are some easy ways to help:

— Be sure to secure your load VERY carefully when heading for the transfer station. One of the primary sources of litter is “stuff” that blows out of the back of pick-up trucks (including those problematic Styrofoam packing pellets).

— Cigarette butts are also a huge problem. If you smoke, please dispose of your butts responsibly, and urge your friends/island visitors to do likewise.

— The large number of beer cans and bottles regularly seen on our roadsides are a very troubling type of litter. It can’t be said too many times that drinking and driving are a deadly combination!

— Regularly patrol the area in front of your house and place of business, and pick up any litter that you find. Remember that litter landing in town gutters will ultimately end up being washed into the harbor, becoming a real danger to fish and other wildlife.

— If you put your trash into receptacles outside your house before taking it to the transfer station or having it picked up by a garbage or recycle truck, be sure to secure the receptacles VERY carefully. The wind and wildlife are great at knocking over cans and scattering their contents.

— If you witness any illegal dumping or come across a dump site, contact the county Health Department and/or the Sheriff’s Office.

— Join your fellow islanders in the Imagine No Litter! effort. More than 100 individuals have signed up to regularly pick up litter from island roadsides and beaches, and there are still sections of roads that need adoption Why not find a section of road YOU can clean up regularly?

Roadside or beach litter can be disposed of FOR FREE at any of the county’s three transfer stations (San Juan, Lopez, or Orcas)!

If you’d like to help, please call Lori Stokes at 378-4643 or e-mail her at loristokes@centurytel.net.

— Capt. Pick-It Up is the mascot of the San Juan Island Anti-Litter Initiative. You can contact him through Lori Stokes, loristokes@centurytel.net.