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DNR cleans up illegal dumping around Rogue River

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TYRONE TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Employees from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources were in Kent County Friday to clean up an area plagued by illegal dumping.

People have been dumping trash, couches and several other things around the Rogue River State Game Land, prompting a nearby resident to take matters into her own hands.

On Friday, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources went to the area to clean up.

“I’d like to say that this is a rare thing, but for these guys and all of us this is far too common of an occurrence, part of our everyday life out here,” said Nick Kalejs, a biologist for the Department of Environment, Great Lakes & Energy. “People will dump out here on these public lands its totally unacceptable, and it’s really a shameful abuse of a valuable public resource here.”

He said state employees spend hundreds of man hours cleaning up illegal dumping every year adding up to thousands of dollars in costs.

“It’s just a shameful waste of resources that are scarce, that are paid for by hunters, and these areas are designed for wildlife habitat and wildlife related recreation, and when we’re doing that we’re really skimming off money that isn’t really readily available, that would be far better used in other ways,” Kalejs said.

Anyone who finds an area with illegal dumping is asked to contact their local DNR office.