Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the PCT Transect topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Pacific Crest Trail survey finds trash concentrated near roads; researchers propose wilderness baseline metric
Summary
A 200-survey transect across the Pacific Crest Trail found trash counts increase with road proximity; researchers estimated a wilderness baseline of about 0.5 pieces per kilometer and argued for targeting cleanups and management at trailheads and road-adjacent sites.
Researchers presented results from an extensive set of trash surveys along the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) and said the data show a strong relationship between trash counts and proximity to roads.
Wynn, who led the PCT transect effort, said the team conducted roughly 200 trash surveys every 10 miles along the trail and observed a log-linear relationship between trash counts and distance to roads: "You find a lot more trash at the trailhead nearby a road," Wynn said. Based on that relationship, the team estimated a wilderness baseline on the order of half a piece of trash per kilometer in remote sections and suggested managers could target road-adjacent sites and trailheads for efficiency.
The study did not measure mass or volume for each piece, only counts; presenters said count-to-mass conversions are possible but add uncertainty. Researchers also reported microplastic detections in small sediment samples taken on and slightly off trail, finding tens to hundreds of microplastics in one-liter sediment samples in some locations.
Funding for the transect came from private foundations and in-kind effort from volunteer surveyors, the presenter said. The team plans to complete microplastic analyses in coming months and to publish results that could inform targets for roadside management and permit-level standards.
No formal committee action was taken; members applauded the scale of the effort and encouraged follow-up publication and dialogue about how baseline metrics could inform policy.
