More illegal dumping discovered near La Pine

An overturned, abandoned car and metal debris were found Monday near La Pine, just off Beal Road, and no one knows how long it’s been there. Unfortunately, this is far from the first time Central Oregon has encountered illegally dumped trash.

The latest illegal dump site is located on federal Bureau Land Management property. BLM spokeswoman Lisa Clark said Tuesday it’s a common issue, and it’s not easy to find illegal dump sites without the public’s help.

Clark said unwanted vegetation, Christmas trees, tires, cars and mail are just some of the items that are illegal to dump on BLM land. She said at least 30 abandoned vehicles were found on BLM land in the past year.

After discarded materials are found and reported to BLM, Clark said the next step is contacting law enforcement to find out who those materials originally belonged to. She said sometimes, illegal dumping is tied to vandalism. If the owners of the items are unidentifiable, the material could go to the landfill.

However, Timm Schimke, director of the Deschutes County Department of Solid Waste, said not all dumped materials are accepted into their waste facility.

“Anybody who wants to bring material in, we’ll work with them as best we can,” Schimke says. “But I would also encourage them to approach it in a way other than, ‘I’m out here hiking every Saturday, and so I want to bring in something every Saturday.’ That’s difficult.”

He said the people who bring in materials found in illegal dump sites do so because of their desire to keep the environment clean and safe for outdoor recreation.

“People see that it’s unsightly,” Schimke said. “We hate to see it ourselves, but when you’re this close to all those acres of open public land, it’s very easy (to dump trash).”

Clark said if you come across illegal dumping on BLM land, report it to law enforcement or the BLM in Prineville. The agency’s Prineville District can be reached at 541-416-6700.