Page County is truly a beautiful place to visit and live.
From the adjacent national park to the mountain views, to the creeks and the river, to Lake Arrowhead — and of course our giant natural wonder under Cave Hill.
But sadly, Page County also has a litter problem.
Drive on many of the main highways or country roads in this county and you will see miles of trash along both sides of the roadway. Some of the litter could have blown off trucks or out of dumpsters, but I suspect a lot of it was carelessly tossed out of vehicles.
It’s more than an eyesore. It can destroy ecosystems.
Tired of seeing so much roadside litter, I recently filled 10 garbage bags full of trash from a half-mile stretch of Cave Hill Road between the caverns parking lot and the intersection of Cave Hill Road and General Drive (including the gaping hole in the ground where the pond used to be, and the drainage areas at the intersection).
I counted at least 20 empty boxes of discarded fast-food items (including a box of uneaten Chicken McNuggets), several plastic Big Gulp cups, plastic lids, straws, used diapers (that was particularly gross…), about 30 soda, energy drink, beer cans and bottles, about 25 discarded candy wrappers, and empty cigarette boxes.
The most disconcerting thing was all the plastic. And not just plastic bottles and plastic grocery store bags, but all sorts of microplastic material, including construction material, clogging the ditches that lead into the creeks and the river. There was also a substantial amount of Styrofoam.
Like plastic, Styrofoam cannot be absorbed into the ecosystems — leading to choked and unsightly wetland habitats normally enjoyed by fish, frogs, turtles, ducks, and other birds.
If there are not enough police resources to monitor and enforce the county’s anti-littering laws, roadside signs warning that “Litter Laws Strictly Enforced — Fines Start $1,000” (as there are in other counties and states) could at least increase awareness.
Another option could be programs that allow day workers from the county jail to clean up the litter.
Residents can help too, by bringing reusable grocery bags (which only cost between $1 and $2) to Food Lion and WalMart, and which, in addition to being more eco-friendly, are more durable and hold more items compared to those flimsy plastic bags. And what a way to celebrate Earth Day (and Earth Month)…spend an hour cleaning litter from your closest roadside, ravine, or ditch. Every little bit helps.
More businesses and county groups could also adopt highways to have bi-annual cleanups, as groups like the Shenandoah National Park Conservation Association, Community Works 4Page, and Page County Democrats do.
We are rightfully proud of our home county and everything it offers. Being more mindful of littering will go a long way in preserving the beauty of Page.
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I’ve witnessed many page county residents throwing out trash right in front of me. Yhese people don’t care about our beautiful county. What do you do. I blow mt horn,they give me the finger. Call the cops? They wont do a thing even if it’s on dash cam. People in this world don’t give a crap. See how many drive on their phone,don’t give signals and accelerate through stop signs. Cops do nothing even when it’s in their face and they do it to
Something we have to clean up after these l p w lifes. I clean up the trash at boat landing. Next day there’s trash there. People have no pride.
Anyone concerned about trash who wants to do something about it— please join Community Works 4Page at the Alma boat landing, Saturday morning, April 11, from 9-11. This is the 3d year we’ve picked up and hauled out everything from old tires and mattresses to plastic, cans, and you name it.
It makes a difference. You can make a difference.