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The following is the final draft of the letter (14 Nov 2003) regarding the Trash Removal Policy in Sligo Creek Park.
Mr. Derick Berlage, Chair
Montgomery County Planning Board
M-NCPPC
8787 Georgia Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20910

Re: Trash Removal Policy in Sligo Creek Park

Dear Mr. Berlage:

Friends of Sligo Creek is concerned about the Trash-Free Park program. We share its goals of reducing the amount of trash in the Parks and of saving money by having users remove their own trash. But we feel the effectiveness of the current Carry-in, Carry-out system needs to be more carefully evaluated in Sligo before the last phase is adopted. The Department of Parks stated earlier that at the end of this year s trial period, it would analyze the effectiveness of the removal of barrels. If this was done we are unaware of it, and meanwhile our observations have been that if anything there is more trash in the park. Members have noted:

Litter has been a concern of Friends of Sligo Creek since we started three years ago. Much litter in Sligo consists of fast food trash, aluminum cans, and cigarette cartons along the Parkway thrown by motorists; picnic trash; ball player trash; and in the past year, bagged trash left at plastic bag dispenser posts or in parking lots, as if to spite those who said carry it out. Accidental trash also collects, and together, much of it floats down to the Anacostia River.

To counter the problem of litter, Friends of Sligo Creek has:

  1. Held two annual Sweep-the-Creek days, in which local residents and Scouts removed tons of trash from the entire Creek
  2. Joined in the Alice Ferguson pick-up of trash for the Potomac Basin (in Sligo)
  3. Held numerous local pick-ups
  4. Had three speakers on trash (Pete Boettinger, Park Maintenance, with Carolyn Wainwright on the new trash policy; John Galli, COG, when seeking an EPA grant for litter that could affect Friends of Sligo Creek; and Peter Guillozet, who with Christine Vatovec has done trash surveys in Anacostia watershed streams that included several points in Sligo)
  5. Suggested members adopt portions of the park for clean-up
  6. Supported two civic associations, North Hills of Sligo and Seven Oaks-Evanswood, in their formal Adopt-a-Road commitment.to pick up trash along Sligo Creek Parkway
  7. Asked member Lauren Page to guide Scouts and school groups with pickups. Whenever they call with an offer to help, she is ready to organize.
Certain dedicated regulars pick up trash frequently, among them Joe Howard, who uses his bicycle and must be unbeaten for persistence. In fact, he is referred to in North Hills of Sligo Creek: History, People and Surroundings (Gagne, 2003): The result of his year-round vigilance is that most of us suppose there s no trash problem in the Park at all! Joe and others are naturally apprehensive about how they will dispose of trash without barrels, particularly when they have perhaps three bags of soft drink cans, or a bulky hubcap or heavy metal. Any new policy must address the problem of how to rid trash that appears despite the rules.

We believe that some users of Sligo will continue to ignore the Carry-in, Carry-out policy. Many users do not read or speak English, and therefore do not fully comprehend the Carry-in, Carry-out signs. Without barrels, volunteers are likely to lessen or stop their removal efforts. That suggests Sligo will become a wasteland of trash. If barrels were seen as necessary once they are removed, they could be reinstated, but foresight is better than hindsight.

We recommend:

  1. A well-designed, serious anti-litter campaign in the park that targets motorists on the parkway, picnickers, and users of ball fields. The campaign should continue until there is little more than accidental litter. Many, perhaps most residents should learn ot to litter if they continually see signs. It should be continued until there is little more than accidental litter. Many, perhaps most residents should learn not to litter if they continually see signs. A before-and-after count of litter objects at designated sites should be part of the campaign.
  2. Removal of barrels at sites when there is little more than accidental litter for two months. We would be willing to assist with observations if asked.
  3. . A policy that designates a permanent means for volunteers to unload trash, accidental and other, in the park. One such site could be designated in each major section of the park. Or a call-in phone number could be set up for a volunteer to say I left trash at
  4. Until park users learn to use trash barrels, the Park should retain its barrels and trash pick-up at all major pedestrian and driver entrances to the park, and of course at picnic areas and ball fields.
Presently there is no sign along the Parkway informing motorists that anyone cares whether or not they throw trash from their cars. This points to the strong need for a look at how the public is being reached. A major campaign with proper signs is beyond our means, but we would gladly offer suggestions about outreach.

Sligo Creek Park requires a separate focus when it comes to trash removal; it is more urban than other parks, and has many users who care about surroundings.
Please look at the enclosed photographs at http://www.fosc.org/TrashConseq1.htm, and reconsider the policy!

Sincerely,

Edward B. Murtagh
Litter Committee, Friends of Sligo Creek
1904 Ventura Ave.
Silver Spring, MD 20902
301-649-7266
Edward_B_Murtagh@yahoo.com

Sally Gagne
606 St. Andrews Lane
Silver Spring, MD 20901
3010-588-2071
sgagne@erols.com

The following groups have asked that their names be added as signatories.

Elizabeth Conklin, President, Seven Oaks-Evanswood Civic Association, jbconklin.59@alum.mit.edu
Leah Haygood, Sligo Headwaters Civic Association, lvhaygood@earthlink.net
Kathleen Michels, Acting President, Upper Sligo Civic Association, michelsk@ficod.fic.nih.gov

E-mail copies sent to:

Michael Subin, President, County Council
Tom Perez, District 5, Montgomery County Council
George Leventhal, Montgomery County Council
Kathy Porter, Mayor, City of Takoma Park
Lester Straw, Director of Parks, M-NCPPC
Peter Boettinger, Park Manager, Sligo Creek Park