I'm not to happy with the turnout in support of one of our own. Andy Mathews deserved more support than he received just for putting forth the effort to organize behind a pretty good idea.
I would like to know if there is any interest out there for the preservation and inprovement of the Voights Creek access at the carbon river near Orting. This access gets a lot of traffic around the September first opener and is pretty well trashed before then. Right now there is an abandoned car "parked" at the trail head. I don't know who owns this property but it probably won't take much more of the trash and breaking into cars before this trail head gets posted or the grange parking lot becomes off limits. Combat fishing or not, I kind of enjoy the action and tend to stock up on king eggs and freezer meat in the short time this fishery is available. The kind of thing I had in mind would be something like neighborhood watch, concerned sportsmen in partnership with the local constabulary. I don't have a clue how to get any of this organized but would like to get involved wherever I can be helpful.


[This message has been edited by grumpyr (edited 06-04-2000).]

I really don't fish the carbon but will help any way I can, this goes for any rivers or body of water. just email me.

I too am taken aback by not only the garbage scattered at the access point you mentioned but also the trash piles that appear at other points along the Puyallup River system. Case in point the dft. boat put in at the old cement bridge on SR 162 near McMillin. Knowing that the Tacoma Chapter of Trout Unlimited has carried out projects concerning this watershed it would seem logical to approach them. Also the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department has juristiction on illegal dumping in Pierce County and also should be contacted. With the passing I-695 TPCHD has stated that they would drastically cut back enforcement and investigation on illegal dumping. This is an outrage!!! We who use the fishing oppurtunities afforded us at the Carbon and else where could take matters into our own hands and form a work party to clean up the trash and be our best defense against being shut out of another access point as we all know are disapearing rapidly. Maybe approach one of the garbage haulers and see if they would donate a dumpster or 2 and dump fees for such a project. This has happened on other stream clean-up projects in Pierce County i.e. Clover Creek. And lastly if anyone wittnesses any one dumping illegaly any where get a license plate # and report it. I don't put up with people thowing garbage in front room, THE OUTDOORS! Contact me maybe we get something going. Tight Lines & Smilin' Faces
rod 'n' reel

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The problem I've noticed with the carbon in the fall is its all a bunch of weekend warriors that have no respect for the outdoors.They bring beer in buy the cases to go snagging and leave every can laying right where they finished drinking it.Its an easy fishery when the fall kings are in so it attracts all the people that dont fish any other time during the year.Not only the garbage but 90% of the fish are snagged and most are kept.What we need is a little more law inforcement in september when all the weekenders are there littering and poaching.Every year I take a backpack in every time I go and I can fill it in a 20' radius with s#*t left layin around. Well enough bitchin.I will be willing to help any way I can.

I am a regular on the Carbon on opening day and for the next two weeks after that. This is one of my favorite fisheries of the year. I park right at the trail head or the grange everyday. I agree that it is a matter of time before someone cuts our access to this trail off. I would be willing to donate some of my time to assure this doesn't happen. Please e-mail me as to the when's and where's
chumsnagger@netscape.net
Randy

The easiest thing to do is just advertise a work party to clean up certain places. Kalamabama, his two sons, Alex and Zak, rvrtramp and I did this up in the canyon on the Kalama not too long ago. I haven't fished the Carbon, but I wouldn't mind getting to know the river and would be glad to help with a work party. All we did was set a time and place and then show up with a couple boxes of heavy duty bags.

We did talk it up at the various businesses on Kalama River Road and environs. This is probably the best thing you could do in advance of the clean-up. If you know or can find out the property owners affected, letting them know that there is a group of volunteers coming to clean up their property builds alot of goodwill.

Disposing of the trash can be another thing. We just decided to take care of it ourselves. Or, that is, Kalamabama volunteered to take it on himself to dispose of the trash we collected. Even if the group has to pony up for some disposal fees, it is worth the expense in my mind.

You just have to be willing to deal with the reality that slobs will continue to litter after you put in your time and money to clean up after them.

Anyway, I live alot closer to the Carbon than the Kalama, and I would be happy to lend my time and a few bucks to clean up some property owner's, or public site. Just post the arrangements and if I'm in town, I'd be happy to help.

I've noticed they recently fenced and posted the property just east of the trailhead with no tresspass signs. I'm sure it is only a matter of time before they close the access also. Since they have added the foothills trail right along the river here, I wonder of the City of Orting, or Pierce County would provide garbage cans near the picnic table or near the trestle. Anyway, count me in on any clean up effort, although I don't fish the salmon run much, it is my favorite winter steelhead river because of its close proximatey to my home.

I also wouldn't mind helping! I'm a regular on that river and I'm sick and tired of the trash not only on the Carbon but everyelse I seem to go. Count me and my girlfriend in at any time. P.S Hey B.Mac 10 steelies last week thats a good week! Where were you fishing, E-mail me if you can I'd like to chat seeing how were neighbors. jmnrs@hotmail.com

count me in folks, i have fished the carbon and puyallup for more years than most of you good folks and i have seen it all to s#*t.
i park by the old tressle and walk down towards to confluence of the carbon and puyallup and constinually find more and more gargabe. most of the junk under the bridge is from kids parting and their left over's, i do not have to mention like what they leave beside the fire pit. at least someone is having safe sex.

but post up when and where, i have never trekked down to the mouth of the hatchery creek. just did not know where to go in from, do not like to cross fences with out premission.

so when you get ready post up, try for a sunday, i work most saturday's.
i will try to see if Lemay might be willing to suppy a small dumpster, my brother works for them.

you can e-mail me at the address below also.

elmtree(woody)

elm1@wa.freei.net

Many thanks for all the positive replies. A work party would seem like a good start here but I think the sheer volume of trash left here around the season opener would overwhelm any trash can provided by the county. I go in with an empty Hefty Bag whenever I go here and always come out with a full bag of trash!! I have fished this spot on both the weekends and in the middle of the week. While I agree that the "beer litter" seems to increase on the weekend, the volume of other trash doesn't seem to diminish with the passing of the weekend so it's probably not fair to lay this off onto the "weekend warriors". Besides, this is all about finding solutions not finger pointing. I am a little leery about getting government agencies involved. It seems that thier solution to illegal dumping usually consists of a padlock and a sign!!
How many would donate a few hours of your time during prime fishing to help clean up the beach and educate the unenlightened?
Maybe the WDFW would like to coordinate some fish cop time to help out?
Let's use this thread to bounce some more ideas around. Maybe we can generate enough interest to make a difference.
Thanks for your time,
grumpyr

Hey All, Sounds like there is a lot of support for a clean up at this site. I'll contact the environmental director with Tacoma T.U. and ask him who he contacted for dumpsters at clean-ups along Clover Creek. I know he got them from LeMay and Lemay didn't charge a penny (these were the big dumpsters). If Lemay can't or won't possibly Murray's Disposal will. One other thing is to educate ha-ha. Maybe if we could get some signs to post at the road as well as at the river we might be able to keep it a little tiddyer. Any way I'll see what info I can get and will post it here. Also will check into availabilty of signs. One other idea is to contact the media when this is planned and get some possitive press. It never hurts to get some positive P.R.

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We need to set up a time and place to start all this clean up. I would be willing to lend a hand. I stopped fishing the river for two yers due to all the ass' around there. Or fish down lower. Let me know in what way I can help.

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Just because I look big, dumb, and ugly, doesn't mean I am. It means I can stomp you for calling me it!