Spring cleanup efforts return to Mat-Su with a new event coming to Crevasse-Moraine
The new Cravasse-Moraine clean-up day will rally volunteers to clear waste from the trail system near the landfill.
What you need to know:
- A new community cleanup effort is set for May 3 in Palmer, focusing on trash removal from the Crevasse-Moraine trail system, which collects litter due to the nearby landfill and strong area winds.
- The event is organized by the Mat-Su Borough’s Solid Waste Division, Revel Treks and Tours, and Valley Mountain Bikers and Hikers. Volunteers will receive gloves, trash bags, and snacks.
- Several other cleanups are scheduled in Palmer, Wasilla, and Houston, offering community members various opportunities to help clear litter from the area.
PALMER – Mat-Su residents can pitch in at a host of community cleanups this spring, including a new effort to clear trash from a popular trail system near the Central Landfill in Palmer.
A Crevasse-Moraine trail cleanup is scheduled from noon to 3 p.m. on May 3, starting at the system’s trailhead off North Loma Prieta Drive in Palmer and moving into the greenbelt trails.
Gloves, trash bags and snacks will be provided, officials said.
The project is spearheaded by the Matanuska-Susitna Borough’s Solid Waste Division, Revel Treks and Tours and the nonprofit Valley Mountain Bikers and Hikers, according to a memo sent to the Mat-Su Assembly this month. Volunteers with Backcountry Horsemen of America Mat-Su's chapter also plan to participate, officials with that organization said.
“This joint effort will include volunteers and solid waste staff,” the memo states. “The effort is open to all who live and play in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley and enjoy our trail systems.”
Large amounts of household garbage blow into the area due to Crevasse-Moraine’s proximity to the Mat-Su Central Landfill and the region's notorious wind. The problem was exacerbated last year when the landfill cleared trees and expanded into part of the Crevasse-Moraine trail system to create a new entrance and disposal area.
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The system's 620 acres of winding and wooded trails are currently used for recreation but are designated for future landfill expansion, according to borough management plans. They connect with the state-managed Matanuska Lake Recreation Area and trails at Mat-Su College and the University of Alaska Fairbanks Experimental Farm to form a greenbelt of miles of rolling nonmotorized paths.
While wind-blown trash is an annual problem in Crevasse-Moraine, the uptick in waste following the landfill's expansion is hard to miss. A recent stroll from the Kin-Win Trailhead in the UAF section of the Greenbelt revealed large amounts of trash caught in the brush near a gray mass of gravel on land cleared for the project last year.
While trash is often present, it is most noticeable this time of year because the snow fully melts to show waste that was hidden over the winter, officials said.
“It can use extra love this time of year,” said Kierre Childers, who owns Revel Treks and Tours. “That’s kind of a big driver for wanting to do a trail cleanup specifically for the Crevasse-Moraine trail system.”
The Crevasse-Moraine effort is just one of several cleanups planned throughout the region.
The City of Palmer's community-wide cleanup is scheduled for May 5-9, with free, city-supplied dumpsters available each afternoon at the MTA Events Center for yard waste disposal. Prohibited items include shingles, signs, trash and animal waste, according to an event flyer.
Residents can also join the annual Palmer group cleanup on May 10. Free yellow trash bags will be available at the Palmer Library parking lot starting at 9 a.m. Children who return with full trash bags can enter to win a free bike. A barbecue with free food for participants is scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m.
Wasilla's community cleanup is also scheduled for May 5-10, with a free dumpster available in the Iditapark parking lot on May 10, Wasilla Recreation Services Manager Scott Bell said at a recent City Council meeting.
Appliances, auto parts and hazardous materials will not be accepted in the dumpster, officials said. Free trash bags will be available at Wasilla City Hall, the Wasilla Museum and the Menard Center, according to the city's website.
In Houston, a community cleanup kicked off earlier this week, with free trash bags available at Houston City Hall and a dumpster open at Fire Station 9-1 at Mile 57.5 of Parks Highway, according to the city's Facebook page.
Houston's Zero Lake cleanup day is scheduled for April 26 at 10 a.m. It will start at Zero Lake Road and continue to the Little Susitna Campground. If the cleanup is not completed by the end of the day, it will continue on April 27, according to the city's Facebook page. Garbage bags will be provided, but volunteers should bring their own gloves, according to the announcement.
This story was edited April 27 to update the list of volunteers participating in the May 3 cleanup.
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