Some of San Juan County’s more heavily traveled roads got special attention on Thursday as several dozen, state, county and municipal workers joined forces to take part in a semiannual trash pick-up.
Employees of the New Mexico Department of Transportation, the state agency responsible for maintaining the rights of way on U.S. Highway 64 and N.M. Highway 516, were joined by their counterparts from San Juan County and the cities of Farmington and Aztec in picking up and bagging trash along the thoroughfares. County spokesman Devin Neeley said between 50 and 75 people were estimated to have participated in the project over the course of the day, including employees from the county’s parks and public works departments, the adult detention center and the executive office.
County Manager Mike Stark said the cleanup days started approximately three years ago when he offered the state some manpower help in picking up trash along the roads that serve as the gateway entrances to the county’s largest communities. Kristine Mihelcic, the director of communications for the NMDOT, said the program in San Juan County is a one-of-a-kind approach in New Mexico.
"This is unique," she said, noting that the collaborative approach has paid significant dividends.
Stark said the county is more than happy to lend a hand in the effort.
“We want to be part of the solution,” he said. “We were happy to contribute. … We want those roads to look good and clean so people can take pride in our communities.”
Stark said county officials understand the rights of way fall under the purview of NMDOT, but he said the job of keeping them litter free is one that can only be accomplished through a combined-manpower approach.
“Our approach is, let’s work collaboratively together for the betterment of our community,” he said.
The trash pick-up days take part in May and November each year, representing just one aspect of the county’s comprehensive approach to battling a persistent littering problem. Stark gets asked about the problem so often that he has had the county staff create a flier that illustrates the 11 tools the county has in place to address the problem, including a public information campaign on digital billboards and social media, and a pair of free Dumpster Days Weekend events at county convenience stations.
Another tool the county is employing this year is the “Make Us Shine” initiative targeted for schoolchildren throughout the county. County officials received a $15,000 Recycling and Illegal Dumping grant through the New Mexico Environment Department for the program, which is highlighted by the creation and of an 18-page coloring/puzzle book designed to educate young people about the ills of littering and illegal dumping.
The county will distribute thousands of the booklets at upcoming events, Neeley said, including the San Juan County Fair in August.
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