|

Above: National Public Lands Day 1999 at Raystown Lake. Volunteers plant some of the hundreds of trees donated by the Huntingdon County Chapter of PA CleanWays, via the National Tree Trust.
Dump Survey Completed
In July 2010 PA Cleanways announced the completion of 12 illegal dump surveys in the state including one for Huntingdon County. Cleck here for a link to the surveys.
Don't Be A Litterbug
Spring has finally arrived. On a beautiful day, you pack the kids, some sodas and snacks to go for a drive and look at the scenery. Flowers are popping up everywhere, trees are budding and the grass is getting greener. Wait! What's that over there on the ground?? Is it a flower? No! Yuck it's litter. The litterbug was here.
Littering is a serious problem in Pennsylvania. The PA Department of Transportation spends millions of dollars each year for clean up. Thousands of volunteers contribute hundreds of hours of time and energy to Penn DOT's Adopt-A-Highway and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful program in addition to the hundreds of community groups that conduct their own local clean-ups.
Each year litter causes thousands of auto accidents and fires. In addition to reducing property values, litter provides a breeding ground for disease carrying rats and insects and is a threat to wildlife both on land and in water.
In an attempt to reduce the litter problem, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has established the Litterbug Hotline, 1-888-LITTERBUG, to enable concerned citizens to call when they observe littering taking place on Pennsylvania's highways.
Support Pennsylvania CleanWays Working for Cleaner Ways in Huntingdon County
Since 1989, PA CleanWays has helped people and their communities clean up mountains of trash from PA lands and waters. Huntingdon County now has its own active chapter of this community-based organization.
We are working to empower the citizens of Huntingdon County to clean up our community, by:
cleaning and adopting littered sites,
cleaning and adopting littered roadways,
planting trees from a tree bank,
promoting recycling, and
educating persons of all ages
Since the Huntingdon County Chapter began in April of 1999, we have:
-
cleaned up 8 tons of trash at an illegal dump in Tell Township,
-
recycled over a ton of scrap metal from the dump site,
-
had the Tell site adopted to prevent further dumping,
-
cleaned up 3 stretches of township roads, with one stretch formally adopted,
-
donated over 300 trees to the Army Corps for planting at Lake Raystown, and to local scouting troops for planting in the Mt Union and Huntingdon areas,
-
sponsored an Appliance Collection and Recycling Day for all county residents, and
-
given public education presentations at various meetings and events.
Below: A group of volunteers at the Tell Township clean up site pauses after a satisfying morning of work. The group is standing in front of a dumpster loaded with 8 tons of trash.

How you can join us:
Come: The Huntingdon County Chapter of PA CleanWays is a nonprofit volunteer organization. We meet the 2nd Tuesday of every month at the Huntingdon County Courthouse. The meetings are open to the public.
Call: 814-641-9696, Carolyn Lehmann, Chapter Vice President
Email: pgs@penn.com (for Ralph Park, Chapter President) or lehmann@penn.com (for Carolyn Lehmann)
Support for clean ups, adoptions, recycling programs and educational events is always needed.
Contact us to learn how your organization, business, club, or civic group can join with us to clean up Huntingdon County.
Membership Form (print and send)  The printable form has been created in Adobe Acrobat. If you do not have this program you can click on the icon to get it.
Name:______________________ Address:____________________ ___________________________ City:_______________________ State:_________ Zip:__________ Phone: (h)___________________ (w)__________________ ____Individual $5 ____Family $15 ____Organization $25 ____Donation ____Business $25
Mail your check or money order to: PA CleanWays, P.O. Box 218, Mt. Union, PA 17066-0218
Myths and Facts About Litter
Myth: Litter Control is not important. Fact: Litter may not be the most dramatic or exciting of the many problems that threaten the quality of our environment, but it is a problem which affects everyone in the community.
Myth: Only certain types of people litter. Fact: Litterbugs can be found among people of every age, sex, race and geographic location, at every level of society and in all 50 states.
Myth: No one notices litter. Fact: Litter destroys the beauty of a community. Tourism is an important part of Pennsylvania's economy. People come from all over the world to see the beauty of our countryside, towns and cities. When litter mars their enjoyment, Pennsylvania loses valuable tourist dollars.
Myth: Litter doesn't hurt anyone. Fact: Litter is a safety hazard. Litter is a breeding ground for rats and disease causing bacteria. Fact: Litter impacts car insurance rates because hundreds of thousands of auto accidents are litter-related. Fact: Ingesting litter causes injury or death to thousands of pets, wildlife and farm animals.
Myth: Litter doesn't affect the economy. Fact: Litter discourages economic development because it impacts real estate values. Stores and businesses will not locate in a community which lacks the pride to effectively control litter. |