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Cleanup organizers report thousands of pounds removed, call for volunteers and coordination
Summary
Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful told the Sun Valley CAB it mobilized 800 volunteers countywide for a spring cleanup, removed 16,000 lbs at one Chimney site and reported more than 2,500 tires removed in 2024; organizers said interagency coordination and more volunteers are needed to address dumping on BLM and private lands.
Darcy Phillips of Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful told the Sun Valley Citizens Advisory Board that recent cleanup efforts removed substantial trash and stolen/abandoned vehicles from hills and remote sites. At the Great Community Cleanup, Phillips said about 800 volunteers covered 25 sites countywide; one Chimney-area site alone yielded roughly 16,000 pounds of trash, two full dumpsters and a tire dumpster.
Phillips explained her organization’s coordination with an illegal-dumping task force made up of the sheriff’s office, Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, City of Reno and City of Sparks, tow companies and the DMV. She said removing vehicles requires investigative clearance from law enforcement and sometimes a licensed tow company, which can delay removal.
The cleanup group reported removing more than 2,500 tires in 2024 and said that many vehicles found in canyons are stolen or abandoned; they coordinate with the sheriff’s office to secure permission before towing. Phillips also said the organization does not work on occupied private property and asked residents to report dumping via the sheriff app or 311 so the county or partners can follow up.
Board members and residents discussed barriers—cost to tow large RVs, limited BLM enforcement capacity and contractor availability—and agreed better reporting, more volunteers and clearer interagency funding or policy solutions are needed. Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful asked for donations and volunteers and promoted upcoming community events where residents can connect with services and sign up for cleanups.
