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Story by Ashley Wethey

Photo Courtesy Of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

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Clean Up Our Act
Steps you can take to Stop litter in our environment

How many times have you tossed a cigarette butt, to-go cup or empty bag out the window when someone wasn't looking? No harm done...right? Wrong! It is this mentality, held by thousands of Louisiana residents, that has resulted in an unsightly amount of garbage lining our roads, highways and waterways.

The conservation of Louisiana's valuable resources and land has been a topic of great concern for many years. Our state has dedicated hundreds of thousands of dollars and man-hours towards identifying and researching harmful factors, both man-made and natural occurring, that impact the environment and subsequently, animal and human life. Many of these factors are complex and difficult to change in a short period of time. However, individuals do have control over their actions and the decisions they make each day and ultimately have the ability to take part in altering Louisiana's future. A decision to litter, made in a single instant, can have an impact that lasts a lifetime.

One challenge in fighting litter in Louisiana is that we've lived with roadside trash for so long that many of us no longer notice it. "It's disappointing that Louisiana is so casual about litter," said
LDWF Secretary Robert Barham. "This isn't true in the rest of the country. People in Louisiana have grown to overlook it."

Barham, who took office in January 2008, boasts litter control as one of his top priorities. "My new position gives me a pulpit to address both citizens and organizations on this topic. I intend to use this forum to let people know how important it is."

Litter. It's ugly and dangerous, and in Louisiana it's everywhere. Each year, our state spends more than $15 million to clean up our roads, highways and waterways. Many blame the recent hurricanes for the increased amount of trash, but even before the storms, Louisiana was spending millions a year for cleanup. The Department of Corrections reported that in 2004, state and sheriff cleanup crews picked up an estimated 450,000 bags (20,000 miles) of trash in our state!

Louisiana has excellent litter laws on the books and harsh penalties for those who break them. State law allows penalties for litterers that range from $50 to $5,000. Those who litter can also be sentenced to between four and 10 hours of community service, suspension of their driver's license for one year and even jail time for up to 30 days.

However, if the anti-littering laws are to offer any real deterrence, they must be strictly enforced. LDWF Enforcement Lt. Col. Jeff Mayne explains that laws are just part of the equation. "If the public perceives the laws not being enforced, then there is an increased level of non-compliance."

Responsible recreation means having the common sense and courtesy to enjoy the outdoors without spoiling someone else's experience. Most outdoor enthusiasts understand this well and spend a great deal of their time restoring, enhancing and conserving our environment. Many outdoorsmen pick up not only their own trash, but remove other's garbage as well.

According to Mayne, the sportsman is less likely to be an intentional litterer and is more conscientious of where he disposes his trash. However, outdoorsmen do tend to be responsible for many negligent litter violations including trash and debris flying out of truck beds and watercraft. The explosive growth of recreational boating and outdoor activities has led to an unfortunate increase in polluted waterways. The U.S. Coast Guard estimates that recreational boaters generate about 34,000 tons of garbage per day, or about a pound per recreational boater.

Paper, empty cans, bottles and styrofoam cups...the garbage dump isn't the only place these items can be found. Take notice the next time you visit your favorite outdoor recreation area and make an effort to really take in the sights. Intense searching isn't necessary because it's likely that you'll easily find many of these items strewn about.

Secretary Barham suggests initiating a "one for one" campaign for outdoorsmen. "If every licensed hunter and fisherman spent one minute for every one hour spent in the outdoors picking up litter, the results would be fantastic."

Reducing waste on Louisiana's land and waterways is extremely important to our state's economy, health, and wildlife. Outdoor enthusiasts, the user group who most often takes advantage of Louisiana's landscape and resources, should lead the way by setting an example for the remainder of our citizenry to follow.
On the surface, trash spoils the beauty of our land and offends the eye, but litter is also the culprit responsible for negatively impacting the environment, from harming fish breeding grounds to contributing to flooding problems.
Massive amounts of rain from thunderstorms, tropical depressions and hurricanes can lead to flooding conditions, made even more severe by trash thrown onto our roadways that ends up in ditches, creeks and bayous, blocking water flow. Eighteen percent of all our trash ends up in our water systems.

Litter can be particularly harmful to many forms of wildlife by exposing animals to injury, illness, and death. Categories of litter that can be especially harmful include metal cans, glass bottles and virtually all forms of plastic. Small mammals in search of food often get their heads or entire bodies caught in the openings of jars and bottles. Aluminum cans are also responsible for "trapping" smaller species of animals. Many animals, especially birds, are attracted to shiny metal objects, such as detachable soft drink "pop-tops" or bottle caps, and choke when they try to eat these small objects. In addition, food tossed from vehicles may attract wildlife to roads where they are at greater risk of being injured or killed by cars.

Litter can last for a long time depending on the disintegration of the garbage. Cigarette butts, the most littered item in Louisiana, are not biodegradable and remain intact for 10 years before breaking apart. People don't think of cigarette butts as litter, but they're one of our greatest problems. When thrown into the water, a cigarette butt causes toxicity and affects the health of birds, fish, and other animals that live the in the waterways.
Initiatives towards addressing the litter dilemma began to emerge in 2000, when first lady Alice Foster organized the Keep Louisiana Beautiful (KLB) Advisory Board. Lt. Col. Mayne of LDWF's enforcement division was selected to be a member and has remained active with KLB since.

Over the past several years, LDWF's enforcement administration has put an extra emphasis on litter enforcement. Lt. Col. Mayne noted that in 2007, the enforcement division issued 336 gross litter citations and 478 simple litter citations, more than any other law enforcement agency in the state.
"Litter in the enforcement community is seen as a petty offense," explained Lt. Col. Mayne. "We put a grassroots emphasis on litter hoping that other law enforcement agencies throughout the state will follow our lead. We offer a meritorious service award for the officer who writes the most litter citations each year."

LDWF's enforcement division has been recognized on numerous occasions for their work in the fight against litter including a 2007 Keep Louisiana Beautiful Award. In addition, individual enforcement agents have received the Enforcement Officer of the Year Award every year since 2005. "The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and its law enforcement agents are some of our best partners," said KLB Executive Director Leigh Harris. "These enforcement agents are serious about holding litter violators accountable for their actions."

Lt. Col Mayne has been approached by several other states regarding their enforcement efforts. "This shows we're having an effect on the perception of how we treat litter and raising public awareness on the issue. If we send out a message saying we are not going to tolerate the smaller things, we are simultaneously sending the subliminal message that the larger crimes will not be tolerated either."

LDWF enforcement has received two $15,000 grants for gross litter enforcement from KLB. The money was used to pay for overtime work dedicated to seeking out litter violators in central Louisiana and the Florida parishes area. Due to the success of these programs, in the upcoming fiscal year, the LDWF enforcement division will request a quarter of a million dollars through the legislature for a statewide initiative.

Litter reduces the aesthetic appeal of Louisiana, including our streets, parks and waterways. In addition, litter can be dangerous to drivers, outdoor enthusiasts and the environment.

LDWF is asking citizens to help assist in the anti-litter effort. Instead of turning a blind eye to the somersaulting plastic bag carelessly tossed from the vehicle in front of you, help take part in putting an end to this behavior. Persons seeing someone litter are asked to call 1-888-LITRBUG (1-888-548-7284). Callers will be asked the time, date and location of the littering, and the license plate number.

The numbers, converted to vehicle owners' addresses, generate tens of thousands of warning letters yearly. The offender will then receive a letter from the Department of Environmental Quality reminding them that littering is illegal and asking for their help in keeping Louisiana beautiful.