Photos of the Stewards of Public Lands' Work

 

Stewards of Public Lands Receive Forest Service's

First Annual Verde Valley Stewardship Award

Stewards Goals

Protecting people and property from wildfire by cleaning up illegal dump sites on public lands, and protecting the Verde Watershed and its aquifers.

The Stewards of Public Lands are committed to maintaining Verde Valley public lands clean of illegally dumped trash and litter so valuable land resources may be safely enjoyed by all. Stewards believe in “leading by doing.” Goals are to provide significant volunteer effort and coordinate with local businesses, municipalities, county resources and state and federal land management organizations to make area cleanups successful and affordable, “publicizing” efforts and successes, attracting additional resources and educating the public about the efforts and need to keep public lands clean and accessible by all. Stewards also work with law enforcement organizations to deter further dumping by posting signs in targeted cleaned areas that indicate dumping is illegal and provides a phone number to call if illegal dumping is observed. The Stewards work to set a good example for fellow community members. "The activist is not the person who says the lands are trashy. The activist is the person who cleans up the lands." Diane Joens, Stewards Co-chair

Stewards Work Across Jurisdictional Boundaries

The Stewards of Public Lands work to clean up local Arizona public lands, to keep them enjoyable and accessible for the public by removing litter and illegal dumping. Acknowledging that no one single governmental entity has the financial or human resources to clean up and manage rampant illegal dumping on public lands, the Stewards find creative ways to coordinate existing programs at the federal, state and local level to address the issue of overlapping jurisdictions. The Stewards maintain and monitor areas to keep them clean and support public education to reduce further dumping and littering. Stewards support affordable dumping alternatives, and encourage and assist law enforcement to deter littering and dumping on public lands. Stewards clean up the Verde River Watershed for everyone’s health and safety. By cleaning up the lands, the landscape is restored to its former beauty and enjoyable and safe recreational opportunities are restored for residents who enjoy hiking, running, bicycling, hunting and sightseeing. Great partnerships enable, empower, and encourage people to work together toward achieving success. --Prescott and Coconino National Forests

A Collage of Stewards' Work


Contact Stewards for more information

This Web site made available through a Forest Project Funds Grant from Supervisor A.G. "Chip" Davis and the Yavapai County Board of Supervisors. This Web site developed and maintained by Diane Joens as a public service project. Charles Mackey has donated funding for the ongoing domain name and hosting costs.