Do you recognize this love seat? Last week someone dumped this love seat in the Pike Lake gravel pit burn pile. The U.S. Forest Service gravel pit slash piles are for yard debris only. Citizens are encouraged to dispose of other trash and unwanted items appropriately.
April 22 is Earth Day and many local organizations and individuals are taking the opportunity to clean up their yards and/or neighborhoods. This is especially difficult in the current dry weather conditions that prohibit open burning. Fortunately for Cook County residents who don’t have adequate sites to burn brush and small trees on their own property, there is another option. There are several US Forest Service sites where slash is accepted and burned when the weather conditions are right. However, these sites are not intended to be used for trash.
Having access to gravel pits for disposal of slash depends on the public cooperating and only dumping acceptable materials. Unfortunately, not everyone understands the importance of being in compliance and illegal dumping sometimes occurs. If illegal dumping continues to be a problem, these yard debris disposal sites could be closed.
Bob LaMettry of the Pike Lake Homeowner’s Association, which oversees a gravel pit near Pike Lake, said his association has established a reward of up to $500 for information leading to the arrest/ conviction of those illegally dumping in the Pike Lake pit.
LaMettry said other associations have done likewise and it is hoped that this will end the illegal actions. “It is nice that the Forest Service offers this option to people, to help clean up their property. It would be a shame if the privilege was taken away because of these people’s actions.”
Individuals wishing to deposit brush at the Pike Lake or other authorized pits must obtain a slash permit. The permits are free and are good for 30 days. Permits and information on disposing of brush are available at the Gunflint Ranger Station at (218) 387-1750; Seagull Guard Station at (218) 388-2215; Trail Center on Poplar Lake at (218) 388-2214; and Gunflint Pines Resort on Gunflint Lake at (218) 388-4454.
For proper disposal of trash, contact one of the two waste haulers in Cook County— Pederson’s Disposal in Grand Marais at (218)387-1668 or Nelson’s Machine Products in Tofte at (218)663-7940.
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