Guess what weighs as much as six blue whales: the amount of trash picked up on Washington state highways in 2022. In the 1950s and early 1960s, it was not uncommon nor frowned upon to toss litter from beer cans to trash from to-go food out the window. (My dad was notorious for such a practice — even cigarette butts.)
In Washington, it wasn’t until the Department of Ecology was in its infancy that in 1971 the Model Litter Control Act was passed. It was the intent of the law to change the (bad) habits and behaviors of citizens.
RCW 70A.200.060(1) states: It is a violation of this section to abandon a junk vehicle upon any property. In addition, no person shall throw, drop, deposit, discard, or otherwise dispose of litter upon any public property in the state or upon private property in this state not owned by him or her or in the waters of this state whether from a vehicle or otherwise including but not limited to any public highway, public park, beach, campground, forestland, recreational are, trailer park, highway, road, street, or alley, with exceptions.
The Methow Valley Unitarians pick up litter twice a year on a section of Highway 20 from the Winthrop Barn to BCS Livestock.
The exceptions are, of course, are properties designated for garbage and refuse disposal. Fines range from $103 to $5,000 and depend upon the type (cigarettes –— the worst) and amount of litter in cubic feet and yards.
The state turns to businesses, organizations and families to help with litter pickup through its Adopt a Highway program. Here in the Methow Valley, the blue signs indicating who has adopted a highway section are scattered along Highway 20 and Highway 153. Mazama Community Church and Early Winters Outfitter are two highway adopters west of the Weeman Bridge.
Another group that has adopted the section of Highway 20 from the Winthrop Barn to BCS Livestock (the sheep farm) is the Methow Valley Unitarians. Twice a year in late April and late October, the group takes their responsibility seriously and heads out for litter collection (sometimes for the latter pickup in Halloween attire). With their name prominently displayed on the sign, one member, Louise Stevens, says, “We figure our reputation is at stake, so we are conscientious about keeping that section litter free.”
The Unitarians report that they have sometimes found cash (not a Brinks’ lost bag!), but the last time, they were foiled when the bill was Monopoly play money.
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) office on Mundy Road in Twisp coordinates the program and provides vests, bags, and signage for the participating organizations. The contact person is Michele King, (509) 826-7364, ext. 6.
Winthrop Kiwanis has a section just south of Winthrop from the post office to Twin Lakes Road. During the pandemic, the twice-yearly pickup was canceled. During that time, litter became abundant, and Kiwanians were chagrined to see the entrance to Winthrop in such bad shape. The first opportunity the club had, they were out with their orange vests cleaning up their assigned section. The bags of trash were piled high for WSDOT to pick up.
Having ridden many times with Cascade Bicycle Club in Seattle, it was fun to see so many cyclists in Winthrop for one of three new events they sponsor called “Tour Lite.” The three-day event (June 23-25) here was called Winthrop Gravel Tour Lite, the first gravel ride they have presented. Each day offered a loop that alternated between questionable pavement, unsurfaced backroads, and dirt-tracks usually finishing with a gentler, smoother stretch back to town. Several more Tour Lites take place through the end of September in Walla Walla.
