Fourpeaks cleanup 11-7-2015

[crgeorge]

Hello everybody. It's Chad from Copperstate 4 Wheelers and I wanted to let you know that it’s about that time of the year to start thinking about the Fourpeaks Cleanup near Phoenix, Arizona. This year it’s our 6th annual cleanup and it’s scheduled for Saturday November 7th, 2015.

Please come and join the Copperstate 4 wheelers and the Tonto Recreation Alliance (TRAL) to clean up the Fourpeaks & Sugarloaf Mountain areas from 8-430pm. There will be 2 sessions for the cleanup. Registration starts at 730 am.
The first cleanup session is scheduled from 8 am-12 pm with lunch from 12 to 1230 pm followed by our first raffle at 1230 pm.
The 2nd cleanup session is from 1 pm to 4 pm followed by our second raffle at 415 pm. Lunch will be provided this year! Volunteers will receive a free raffle ticket for each cleanup session they attend. Must be present to win. Volunteers can come for the morning, afternoon, or both cleanup sessions. Children will also be entered into a special raffle.

Copperstate 4 Wheelers will be working closely with TRAL. Contributions to the cleanup are tax deductible. Donations can be made to The Tonto Recreational Alliance who has a 501c3 status. Those donations may be in the form of supplies like contractor trash bags, water, or possibly a raffle item. Sponsors/vendors are encouraged to come out and set up an information booth. To find the cleanup site, travel North on highway 87 to the Fourpeaks turn off, East of highway 87 between mile markers 203 and 204 on forest service road 143. The cleanup will be staged approx 1/2 mile from highway 87 in the Fourpeaks staging area.

Please bring shovels, rakes, gloves, sunscreen, small trailers to help haul trash, pop up canopies, and any other equipment that may be useful.

If you any questions, would like to donate to the cleanup or items for our raffle, or you are a vendor or sponsor and have questions, please can contact us at:

www.facebook.com/Fourpeakscleanup

Or

4peakscleanup@gmail.com


Thank you for your support and we hope to see you on Nov 7th.
Chad Chaney

Ok so heres the update
McDonald's on Shea (1 block west of SR-87)?

McDonald's (NWC of Shea & Saguaro in Fountain Hills)
16936 E Shea Blvd,
Fountain Hills, AZ 85268

The cleanup starts at 8:00am, so I could meet you at McD's at 7:00.  We would need to roll out by 7:30, if we wanted to be there for the 8:00am start time.

Attending Morning
PitSnipe (Kyle)
Pinchel (Rob)
TeguTerra (James)
Dan B
XTiki
AZ-Ted

Attending Afternoon
Pinchel (Rob)

[Chuy]

Hello everybody. It's Chad from Copperstate 4 Wheelers and I wanted to let you know that it’s about that time of the year to start thinking about the Fourpeaks Cleanup near Phoenix, Arizona. This year it’s our 6th annual cleanup and it’s scheduled for Saturday November 7th, 2015.
Thank you for your support and we hope to see you on Nov 7th.
Chad Chaney

What does the OHV and 4x4 community have in common with the shooter trash at the 4 peaks cleanup.100% of the stuff being cleaned in the area is shooter trash and illegally dumped shooter trash. Every year this event is held and sometimes with different sponsors but in the end where are the shooters picking up their garbage? I can see why very little if any of the hiking community showes up to help. Why not reach out more to the hundreds of NRA and shooting association members and gun retailers to raise awareness of the amount of shooter trash. I have been out there for many years and it seems like only the 4x4 community and OHV members help. TRAL is mostly composed of 4x4 and some OHV members. One year my old club alone made up for 90% of the members that showed up to help.

[Conundrum]

Sometimes it's not about the politics of who does what or doesn't. It's about keeping an already dwindling amount of space open to the rest of us and keeping the Government from closing off these areas to recreation entirely.

Responsible shooters, pick up their stuff and other peoples stuff to dispose of, just like responsible campers will pack out more than they took in.

We can't let our remaining areas be taken away from us because of the bad apples and illegal dumpers in our recreation areas.

That said, I don't know if I'll be able to make this again this year. I'll try and plan for it.

Thanks for helping to keep things open and clean.

[AZ-Ted]

We have varying levels of participation from year to year and cleanup to cleanup.  At this year's Table Mesa cleanup, the NRA was well represented, and they have been on many cleanups there since the big one that we (AZXC) sponsored back in 2010.

I don't know the inner workings of Copperstate nor TRAL, so I don't know if they contact NRA directly, but I can say without a doubt that the NRA is concerned with trigger trash, and they will mobilize their members - as long as they are informed (with enough lead time) that a cleanup is taking place.

IMHO, it is important to attend all cleanups (or at least a few each year).  I realize that we aren't the ones that created the trash, but if everyone felt that way, there would be no progress.

The encouraging news is that I have seen the volume of trash, and the type of trash, change over time.  Gone are the days of washing machines, and hot water tanks littering the dessert.  But, the smaller trigger trash still persists.  This can only be stopped via educating the public and via modeling the appropriate behaviors.

[Chuy]

IMHO, it is important to attend all cleanups (or at least a few each year).  I realize that we aren't the ones that created the trash, but if everyone felt that way, there would be no progress.

I understand the need to lend a hand since we are all lumped into the same category when it comes to land use/restriction. The only concern I have is that the events are never really called what they are. A shooter trash area cleanup, to an outside person I think it gives the perception that the 4x4 community is responsible. Like we are just littering the trails as we drive with cans, bottles, and trash.  I applaud the 4x4 community at large since they have always been the ones most committed to keeping the trails open. I suppose it just irks me that events like this are not called something like "Fourpeaks Trigger Trash Cleanup." I think that would bring more attention to the real issue.

[pinchel (Rob)]

I'm planning to attend if I can get out of work.

[Hammer (Avi)]

I hope you can make it, unfortunately I work that weekend so I have been silent on this thread.  However, I do want to make the point that I have found plenty, and I mean plenty, of trash left by hikers, campers, fishermen, and hunters as well as the shooters.  I don't think blaming a group does anything to improve the situation.  The NRA groups are more aware of trigger trash and education is greatly improving, as well as participation in the clean up.  When I am out on the trails and I see trash I always make an effort to clean it up.  I certainly don't enjoy cleaning up others trash, but the reality is simply that until everyone cleans up after themselves cleaning up after them is the only way to keep trails open. 

[PitSnipe (Kyle)]

Well put Avi.

I plan on attending

[Clifford3200]

I plan on attending

[Chuy]

Well said Avi, just to give you an idea of what you are trying to clean up. Its mostly appliances that were shot into thousands of pieces, TV's, couches, washing machines, microwaves, etc. The clean up areas are little shooting coves so they are mostly flat, but most of the stuff has been ran over so many times it is imbedded into the dirt for several inches. In a few shooting coves we found a lot of syringes so be careful when you grab a large pile of debris. Use a shovel to pick it up stuff and not your hands. A small trailer is super handy, on this occasion I was the only person who had one. The large dumpster is further than walking distance to the clean up areas. Half of the volunteers brought nothing, so bringing a few extra shovels rakes and water for washing hands is a good idea.

[pinchel (Rob)]

If you can't make this, perhaps you might have a trailer we can  borrow?

[Dan B]

I'll come. I love opportunities to teach my kids about helping the community through volunteer work.

[TeguTerra]

We are planning on being there also. 

[pinchel (Rob)]

I'll come. I love opportunities to teach my kids about helping the community through volunteer work.

Make sure you bring some sturdy gloves for the kids or shovels.

[Chuy]

If you can't make this, perhaps you might have a trailer we can  borrow?

Unfortunately, I sold the trailer and Land Cruiser that pulled it. About the only thing I kept was the ARB fridge rakes and shovels. Another thing is at this event water was not provided even though REI said they would provide water and lunch. We sort of had to carry a lot of other people that came to help. I brought a whole fridge full of Costo bottled water, and real snacks. Overall I had fun just being around people who wanted to help and was glad I could make it.