Clubs Encouraged to Sign Up For Landowner Appreciation Cleanup Contest

The Maine Warden Service and Maine Forest Service will hold their annual Landowner Appreciation Cleanup later this month and they're looking for volunteers.

Maine has some pretty amazing people who allow strangers to use their property for recreation. Whether it's snowmobiling, riding an ATV, hiking, cross-country skiing, or some other activity, these generous landowners open up their private acreage for the pleasure of others. There aren't many places where you'd find that kind of trust and community spirit.

So it's pretty discouraging and even infuriating when people abuse the privilege by dumping their trash on these parcels of land. And I'm not just talking about the occasional granola bar wrapper. People dump old furniture, appliances, and bags of trash! It just makes me think of my parents when I was growing up, who would ask 'Are you leaving that for the gremlins to pick up?'

Well, the Warden and Forest Services are inviting you to be just such a gremlin. The annual Landowner Appreciation Cleanup, planned for September 12th, is a way to collect and dispose of all that trash that's been dumped in the woods. But it's also a chance to show these generous landowners that we really are thankful for their sense of community!

The event is open to any organized club throughout the state, including but not limited to ATV clubs, snowmobile clubs, sportsman's clubs, fish and game clubs, Boy Scouts, and Girl Scouts. And, as an added incentive the WS and FS are offering prizes, depending on the poundage of the collected trash!

The top 4 winners will receive:

• 1st Place - $1,000 gift card to Kittery Trading Post
• 2nd Place - $750 gift card to Kittery Trading Post
• 3rd Place - $500 gift card to Kittery Trading Post
• 4th Place - $250 gift card to Kittery Trading Post

The top 20 clubs ill also receive:

• Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife merchandise for its participating members
• Free Landowner appreciation prints offered by the IF&W
• Free disposal of all non-toxic trash/litter that your organization picks up from a landowners' land at MWS and MFS Headquarters in Gray, Augusta, Sidney, Bangor, Greenville, Ashland, and other strategic locations.

For more information and the contest rules log onto the website for the Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife. You'll also find info there about pre-registering, which is required!