PHOTO PROVIDED A man living near Rose Valley Lake, who wished to remain anonymous, shared this photo with the Sun-Gazette of litter he’s cleaned up along Sugar Camp Road, leading to the lake.

A road leading to Rose Valley Lake in Gamble Township, Lycoming County, has been the dumping ground for litter bugs for years.

It’s not the only rural road that is targeted by polluters, but it is one that an area resident has taken under his wing for decades. The resident wished to remain anonymous in this article.

Sugar Camp Road on State Gamelands 298 runs between Pleasant Valley Road and Rose Valley Lake access.

The amount of litter that man showed the Sun-Gazette, municipal and law enforcement authorities is not just an occasional candy wrapper or soda can, either.

Its elevation, where there are numerous areas with steep embankments, and turns that slow down traffic, has made it a prime location for people to toss junk, bags of soiled diapers, bundles of hypodermic needles, televisions, crushed truck cabs, tires and whatever else they do not want to pay to have dumped properly, he said.

His dedication to environmental stewardship, and the blatant disrespect of many people to this part of the county, are clashing with his age. He must slow down, he said, and no longer can physically take on the arduous task of cleaning up the trash.

Since 1997, he has scrambled up and down the steep embankments, spending countless hours volunteering to clean up trash, he said.

Much later in his life, his grandson joined in this campaign.

As a member of the West Mill Creek Hunting Club, he told a publication listing his exploits that he “saw the need and wanted to make a difference.”

He brought to the Sun-Gazette photographs depicting piles of trash he’s collected and disposed of, often on his own dime, over the years.

The man shared how he and his grandson have spent years devoted to cleaning up a mess, some of which is tossed over the guide rails and down the embankment along the road.

The list of trash he has cleaned up is long, including things like asbestos siding, guns, license plates, explosive material stolen from gas pads, fishing gear, golf clubs, bowling balls and bags, vinyl records, vacuum cleaners and bundles of hypodermic needles.

He said he has gone over the bank to retrieve hundreds of tires, and has seen whole washing machines and other household appliances thrown over the side of the road, as if nature would decompose it.

For the heavier items, he uses lift straps and a come-a-long with gloves and hand tools. He shared that he has worked closely with the Pennsylvania Game Commission, and has had to pay for the disposal some items.

The man acknowledged over the years he has reached out to the township, several acquaintances of his who are with the state police or retired and active law enforcement officers about what he has done and has discovered. In one instance, the state police and FBI said what he turned in was “big,” in terms of advancing an investigation.

He noted that, while Sugar Camp Road is the primary target of the litter bugs, there has been trash found on the road near the hunting club, and along the road accessing the boat launches of Rose Valley Lake.

Some of the trash has been submerged in water, he said.

The man said his age is prohibited from continuing on and he was hoping someone else would pick up the mantle.

He also wanted to make people aware that this was continuing, as there seemed to be no end in sight to the amount of trash that continues to be found along the mountainsides of this road.

It is a sad commentary of a segment of society because the beautiful Rose Valley Lake area is a popular destination managed by the state Fish and Boat Commission and used daily by anglers and boaters.

It also is a permanent home for several residents. It is a man-made lake filled with trout and bass, walleye, pickerel, sunnies and perch, that will be drained by the commission next year to repair the dam and the limitation on the amount of fish that could be taken was recently removed by the commission, as the commission wants to clear as many fish out of the lake as possible before the draining occurs. If the trash does not get cleaned up, it can lead to leachate getting into the small streams and eventually the lake. It also leaves plastic ties and string that can cause injury and death to animals.

When reached about the ongoing littering and the volunteer, Lt. Shawna M. Burkett, Information and Education Supervisor with the Pennsylvania Game Commission Northcentral Region, said she recently spoke to him. She and the commission admire him and his grandson. He was presented with an award from the commission for his efforts a while back. He continues to work closely with the warden, state police and township officials to help to track any of the polluters. The trail – which can be discovered by paper documents, or identification, sometimes leads to local individuals and businesses, but not always. As for achieving this kind of environmental justice, it is not easy to catch litter bugs in the woods, he and others familiar with litter bugs admitted.

There are no cameras in the woods, as there are in the Central Business Districts of Williamsport, for example.

Nevertheless, if caught littering it is a crime and illegal in Pennsylvania and carries rather significant penalties that can be applied to those charged, according to state littering law outlined in Title 18, Section 6501 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, which defines littering as the unlawful disposal of waste on public or private property without permission.

Additionally, Title 75, Section 3709 of the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code addresses littering from vehicles, making it illegal to discard trash onto highways, roads, or adjacent lands.

Law enforcement officers can issue citations if they witness a driver or passenger littering. If the person responsible cannot be identified, the vehicle’s registered owner may be held liable.

A first-time littering offense under Title 18, Section 6501 carries a fine between $50 and $300, depending on factors such as the severity of the littering, the type of waste, and the location. Littering in environmentally sensitive areas may result in higher fines.

For littering involving a motor vehicle, Title 75, Section 3709 sets a minimum fine of $300. If the driver is not identified, the vehicle’s owner can still be held responsible. This higher penalty reflects the dangers of roadside litter, which can create hazardous conditions and contribute to pollution.

Beyond the base fine, offenders often face additional costs, including court fees ranging from $30 to $100. Some jurisdictions impose municipal surcharges to fund local cleanup efforts.

Individuals who contest a citation and lose may be required to pay an Environmental Hearing Board fee of $50 to $150. Cases involving illegal dumping of larger waste items, such as furniture or construction debris, may incur public nuisance fees to cover government-funded cleanup costs.

The statute gives three specific areas where fines can be enhanced. The fine for littering in an agricultural security area is at least $600 and in an area purchased under agriculture security law can be as much as $900.

The punishment upon conviction, except where illness or age would compromise the offender’s health, can result in a required number of hours of roadside trash pickup.

District Judge Gary Whiteman said he was familiar with this volunteer who has also shown him photographs of the trash.

He noted in court under this jurisdiction there have been several of these offenders caught who have received sentences.

He said the state Game Commission, state police and state Fish and Boat Commission do a good job on enforcement, however, Whiteman added that he could not directly speak about this particular matter because as a judge he must remain a “neutral finder of fact.”

Whiteman, an avid outdoorsman who respects the land of this county, including Game Lands, said he felt it was fair to say on the record that he appreciated what this man has done for his community over the years.

While this volunteer is winding down his campaign, another man also cleans up a part of rural Lycoming County.

District Judge James G. Carn has been picking up litter for years.

Carn focuses his efforts on areas along Route 44 in the Pine Creek Valley, and has removed truckloads of garbage in an altruistic quest to preserve and protect the natural area of his county home.