A
tremendous volunteer effort cleaned up a dumpsite near the
community of Mount Holly Springs that many thought was an
impossible task.
Over 200 tons of appliances, tires, furniture, and other trash
cascaded down a steep slope along Ridge Road on property abutting
the northern-most tip of Michaux State Forest. The trash was
removed by a team consisting of 137 volunteers, contractors,
the property owner and forest personnel. (To view a before/after
photo, roll your mouse cursor over the image at the right.)
Beginning
March 24th, cadets from Cornell-Abraxas, DCNR staff and the
contractor, Landis, Inc., worked for a total of 10 days over
a three-week period. Thirty volunteers joined the effort on
Saturday, April 5. During the project, volunteers worked a
total of 798 hours and, along with the contractor, removed
234.6 tons of trash, including recycled scrap metal, and 825
tires.
The
massive cleanup began with a 70-ton crane using a 5' x 10'
box attached to the cable. Volunteers loaded the box with
heavy appliances, tires, and bags of trash. The crane lifted
the trash up the extremely steep slope to the roll-off unloading
area at the top of the slope. The crane then emptied the trash,
while forestry staff separated scrap and tires, and loaded
the materials into a roll-off box with a front end loader.
The crane worked for four days at the site. Volunteers worked
throughout the entire process to hand-pick and bag loose trash.
The
next step began at the area where trash was heavily concentrated
near the top of the slope. Forestry staff worked to remove
the deep layers of trash with an extended backhoe. After three
days of working with the backhoe, a track hoe was used to
reach the bottom layers of trash. The total depth of the trash
at the top of the dumpsite was 14 feet!
Finally, the
area was filled with clean soil and a layer of topsoil. The
forestry staff and volunteers spread
grass seed, fertilizer, and covered the area with straw. Located
at the northern end of the forestry road, the site overlooks
a beautiful view of Cumberland County.
For those wanting
to know how to properly dispose of any item, call Cumberland
County Recycling Coordinator Justin Miller at (717) 240-6489.
Michaux State Forest Cleanup Team
Ann Pauless
Associated Products
Beecher's Auto Sales and Salvage
Carlisle Beverage
Carlisle Farmer's Market
Carlisle Glass
Cornell-Abraxas Leadership
Development Program
Cumberland County Conservation District
Cumberland County Solid Waste Authority
DCNR Forest District #1 Employees
DEP - Community Environmental Project
Harner's Bakery
Landis, Inc.
Local Volunteers
Mt. Holly Springs Beer and Soda
Mt. Holly Springs Fire Company
Number One Tent Rentals
PA CleanWays of Cumberland County
Assoc.
Sheetz of Carlisle
Sicilia Restaurant
South Middleton Township
South Penn Enduro Riders Off-Road
Motorcycle Club
Subway of Mt. Holly Springs
The Deer Lodge, Mt. Holly Springs
The Italian Taxi
Tressler Wilderness School
Wal-Mart - Mechanicsburg
Waste Management - Mountain View
Reclamation
Waste Management - Pine Grove Landfill
Michaux
State Forest is located in Adams, Cumberland and Franklin
counties and is comprised of 82,261 acres. Named in honor
of Andre Michaux and his son, Francois Andre Michaux, the
well-known French botanist, the woodlands and natural areas
are used by hunters, anglers, hikers, bikers, and picnickers.
Hikers
on the Appalachian Trail traverse about 40 miles through the
forest. The trail, extending from Maine to Georgia for more
than 2,100 miles, is contained within a buffer zone in Michaux,
where timber harvesting is restricted to the removal of hazardous
trees posing a risk to public safety. The hiker who ventures
off the main trail may have the opportunity to see various
states of forest progression and encounter a wider diversity
of both plants and animals.
Beginning
March 24th, cadets from Cornell-Abraxas, DCNR staff and the
contractor, Landis, Inc., worked for a total of 10 days over
a three-week period. Thirty volunteers joined the effort on
Saturday, April 5. During the project, volunteers worked a
total of 798 hours and, along with the contractor, removed
234.6 tons of trash, including recycled scrap metal, and 825
tires. 
The
massive cleanup began with a 70-ton crane using a 5' x 10'
box attached to the cable. Volunteers loaded the box with
heavy appliances, tires, and bags of trash. The crane lifted
the trash up the extremely steep slope to the roll-off unloading
area at the top of the slope. The crane then emptied the trash,
while forestry staff separated scrap and tires, and loaded
the materials into a roll-off box with a front end loader.
The crane worked for four days at the site. Volunteers worked
throughout the entire process to hand-pick and bag loose trash.
The
next step began at the area where trash was heavily concentrated
near the top of the slope. Forestry staff worked to remove
the deep layers of trash with an extended backhoe. After three
days of working with the backhoe, a track hoe was used to
reach the bottom layers of trash. The total depth of the trash
at the top of the dumpsite was 14 feet! 
spread
grass seed, fertilizer, and covered the area with straw. Located
at the northern end of the forestry road, the site overlooks
a beautiful view of Cumberland County. 
Michaux
State Forest
