Keep Your Woodland Trash-free

While you are working hard to keep your garden and home landscape clean and free of debris you may find that illegal dumping has become a problem on your woodlot. Unfortunately, due to economic times, this problem may be increasing. Cleaning up an illegal dump site can be dangerous and very expensive for the landowner.

George Hurd, Franklin County Extension Educator, gives some tips in the Summer issue of Penn State’s Forest Leaves for helping you keep your woodlot debris free.

Your property boundary is your primary line of defense. The stronger and more noticeable it is, the greater the probability that the illegal dumper will go elsewhere. You just have made it too hard to do!

• Secure locks and gates. Gates should be as strong as possible, mounted securely and locked with heavy duty chain and padlocks.
• Keep your fences and gates in good repair.
• Ditch or block access points, lanes, and road access you no longer use. Ditches form natural barriers.
• Use posts or large rocks to block access to large openings into your property.
  Cut back vegetation from areas where the dumper could remain unseen while dumping. Most illegal dumpers will drop materials close to the public road.
• Post “No Trespassing” signs at regular intervals. Do call police and report trespassers.

If you have trash to be hauled away, be careful who you hire. If it is dumped illegally, you may be liable for cleanup costs and disposal costs.

If you witness someone littering or dumping, get details and descriptions, and report them to an enforcement agency as soon as possible. When contacting an enforcement agency, always start local: local police, a municipal or county code enforcement office, a solid waste authority office, or a county health department. Additional information on Pennsylvania laws on illegal dumping and enforcement agencies is available at: ftp://ftp.dot.state.pa.us/public/Bureaus/hwybeaut/PALAWSAGAINSTLITTERINGILLEGALDUMPING.Pdf

Another source of information about preventing illegal dumping is PA CleanWays. For more information about their programs or to find a chapter in your area, visit their website at: http://www.pacleanways.org/

For more good tips see the full article at http://rnrext.cas.psu.edu/PDFs/FLSummer2010.pdf or contact your local cooperative extension office. In Lackawanna County ask for the Garden Help line at 570-963-6842 or email LackawannaMG@psu.edu.

Terry Schettini, Extension Educator
Penn State Cooperative Extension in Lackawanna County

Trees!

Shade on a hot summer day, solace found resting underneath a favorite spot, strength and stature added to our landscape, or the refuge they provide, are all tangible benefits of trees. We often become attached or even rooted to a tree because they are symbols and memorials as they slowly live their long lives next to ours.

Trees also represent a substantial investment in the home landscape. Proper inspection, mulching, and providing fertilization of essential elements will pay dividends in the years to come. Conversely, a poorly kept tree becomes a liability, harboring diseases, stability issues, and a haven for insects.

The Penn State Master Gardeners can assist you maintaining your trees. We have several publications you may find helpful. "Preserving Trees" and "A Guide for Selecting Trees" will help you choose the right ones for you. "Pruning Landscape Trees" and "Think Before You Top" will guide you as you trim. "Common Diseases" gives tips on preventing as well as managing affected trees. We also have publications and fact sheets on the varied insects that feed on trees.

For more information on this or other home horticulture issues, please call the Penn State Master Gardener helpline at 570-963-8642.


Steve Ward
Master Gardener Coordinator
Penn State Cooperative Extension in Lackawanna County