Did You Know? Litter lasts this long…   Cigarette butts…1-5 years   Aluminum cans & tabs… 80-100 years   Plastic six-pack holders… 100 years   Oranges & banana peels… up to 2 years   Plastic bags…10-20 years   Plastic bottles…indefinitely   Glass bottles…a million years   Nylon fabric…30-40 years   Tin cans…50 years   Pack it in, Pack it Out

Stewards Win Governor's Excellence in Rural Development Award in the Category of Community Development- Infrastructure: Environmental Projects and Awareness   Stewards of Public Lands were recognized for their regional partnership by Governor Janet Napolitano at the 2005 Governor’s Rural Development Conference. The town of Clarkdale, city of Cottonwood, Yavapai County and Prescott National Forest submitted the application on behalf of the Stewards. Celebrating the Governor’s theme of regional partnerships and expanding opportunities, from left, are Stewards co-chair Jess Tyler, Stewards hospitality director Debra LaFrance, Arizona Department of Commerce director Gilbert Jimenez, Governor Napolitano, Cottonwood City Council member and Stewards co-chair Diane Joens, Clarkdale Police Chief Patrick Haynie, Arizona State Representative Tom O’Halleran, Cottonwood Community Development director Jerry Owen and Yavapai County Supervisor Chip Davis. The Stewards were recognized for coordinating 2000 volunteer hours and cleaning up 110 tons of unattractive refuse from 3300 acres of public lands by creating partnerships with local citizens, businesses, media, organizations and multiple governmental agencies. Cooperation with citizens and law enforcement has dramatically reduced additional dumping in cleaned areas. Photo by Joan E. Tyler The Governor’s 2005 Rural Development Conference held in Oro Valley last week emphasized the theme of regional partnerships and expanding opportunities. The Governor, Arizona Department of Commerce, and the Arizona Association for Economic Development partner to recognize counties, tribal communities, organizations, associations, companies and partnerships that create and implement successful economic and community development strategies. The Stewards of Public Lands were recognized for their leadership for environmental projects and awareness.   The Stewards clean up illegal dumping from public lands to keep them enjoyable and accessible for the public. Acknowledging that no one single governmental entity has the financial or human resources to clean up and manage 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 are concerned about 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.

Resources Utilized     Stewards:  Coordinate volunteers’ activities and time; reconnaissance; interface with media; facilitate planning meetings; coordinate cleanups; grant seeking; community outreach-- announcements, education and presentations; pool governmental and private businesses’ donations of resources to complete public lands cleanups; maintenance, monitoring, observing and reporting. Prescott, Coconino and Kaibab National Forests: Volunteer agreements, trash bags, dump trucks, use of fire crew before deployment, staff, fence posts and materials, law enforcement, enabling Stewards to work within Forest Service management goals. Town of Clarkdale: Staff volunteers, backhoe-loader and operators, dumpsters, dump trucks, signs, fencing, enforcement. City of Cottonwood: Staff volunteers, boom truck for abandoned vehicles removal from deep wash that connects to the Verde River, dumpsters, signs, backhoe-loader and operators, dump trucks. Yavapai County District 3 Supervisor: Collaborated on meeting with Verde Valley contractors, coordinated cleanup on conservation lands for endangered species, backhoe-loader and operator, trailer, continued planning for multi-community cleanup, forwards illegal dumping evidence to County Attorney’s office. Yavapai County Community Services: Huge donations of people resources with supervised adult and juvenile community service workers assisting at cleanup sites. Arizona State Land Department: Roll off dumpsters and garbage bags. Verde Independent, Cottonwood Journal Extra, Yavapai Broadcasting: Superb media coverage about Stewards’ activities. Advise community volunteers of opportunities to participate. Arizona State Parks: Planning for Verde River cleanup, staff and volunteers, trucks, trailer, tools. Arizona Game and Fish: signs, dumpsters, interface with hunting and shooting communities. Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and Non-point Education for Municipal Officials (NEMO): Advise Stewards of grant opportunities. Verde River Citizens Alliance: Provides volunteers, planning and collaboration on river cleanups. Verde Valley Horsemen’s Council: Monitors and reports illegal dumping, Stewards’ history book. UniSource Gas: Community Action Team volunteers, backhoe-loader and operator. Gardenscapes: Volunteers people resources, donated 40 sets of “easy-grabber” tools for Stewards, and 2 dozen clear eye glasses. TAZCO Recycling: Picked up or accepted steel, iron, abandoned vehicles and appliances for recycling. Waste Management: Delivered roll off dumpsters on short notice, provided a free dumpster, reduced fees, and collaborated with Stewards planners for delivery, placement and pickup of roll off dumpsters. Arid Disposal Services: Provide free dumpster and reduced prices. Northern Arizona Waste Systems: Reduced fees to Town of Clarkdale for roll off dumpsters. Flagstaff Arboretum: Identified and tagged endangered species during a conservation cleanup on Yavapai County property. Clarkdale Police, Cottonwood Police, Prescott-Kaibab National Forest Patrol, Yavapai County Sheriff, Arizona Game and Fish, Arizona State Land Department, Arizona State Parks:  Monitoring, enforcement of illegal dumping laws, signs. The Stewards of Public Lands generally clean up public lands on Saturdays. This is above and beyond all governmental agencies’ and private businesses’ regular day-to-day responsibilities. A true spirit of volunteerism is exhibited by all involved. Town of Camp Verde: Loader backhoe, operator, funds to help with dumpster, meeting rooms. Lake Montezuma, Rimrock and Beaver Creek area: Beaver Creek Kiwanis, signs, lunch, volunteers. Lake Montezuma Property Owners Association, water, paper towels, hand sanitizer. Thunder Ridge Property Owners Association, volunteers. Friends of the Well, personal pickup trucks, volunteers.

How Stewards Relate to Multiple Community                 and Organization Goals  Town of Clarkdale General Plan:  Improve recreational opportunities, protect natural environment and open space, protect Verde River corridor, protect and improve water resources and open space. City of Cottonwood General Plan: Participate in…improved and strengthened regional coordination among jurisdictions, including the U.S. Forest Service. Develop programs that encourage a sense of ownership of public spaces. Establish a “Friends of the Forest Program” to work with the Forest Service to develop new trails, programs, recognition, facilitate clean up of sites and/or adopt sites. (The Friends of the Forest concept became Stewards of Public Lands) City of Cottonwood’s Storm Water Management Plan: Polluted storm water can have many adverse effects on plants, fish, animals and people. Stewards’ efforts to clean up washes that connect with the Verde River complement the City of Cottonwood’s Storm Water Management Plan. Prescott National Land and Resource Management Plan, 2004: Provisions for the safe use and enjoyment of forest resources by the public, coordination with the land and resource planning efforts of other federal agencies, state and local governments and Indian tribes, early and frequent public participation. [Forest] visitor contacts and litter control activities will be intensified, resulting in increased visitor satisfaction. The visual landscape appears natural within the context of indigenous vegetation and landforms or modified within the goals of the current Forest Service Scenic (Visual) Management System. Restore all lands to satisfactory watershed condition. Yavapai County: The Solid Waste Division is under the Public Works Department. In compliance with all federal and state regulations, the Solid Waste Division is responsible for the operation of post-closure county landfills, seven waste transfer stations, two tire yards, trash patrol, and community cleanups. Verde River Corridor Project Final Report and Plan of Action, Strategy: Promote the practice of personal land stewardship to protect and conserve the natural and cultural resources of the Verde River Corridor.