The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) recently installed cameras in forests throughout the state, including ones near State College, in an attempt to discourage illegal dumping of garbage.
Gretchen Leslie, press secretary for the DCNR, said the cameras would be installed in a number of state forests including Bald Eagle State Forest, which covers land in and around the Centre region.
"We spend a lot of time responding to reports of dumping," said James Smolko, a ranger at Bald Eagle State Forest.
Secrecy about the specific locations of the cameras is a high priority among officials because public knowledge of the locations of these cameras would defeat their purpose as a deterrent for possible dumpers.
But Leslie said fewer than a dozen cameras would be installed and placed strategically around different forest districts in the state.
"The cameras can be rotated based on where we see the most problems with dumping," she said.
The mobile cameras, which cost $4,000 to $6,000 total, are motion-activated and are mounted on 4-foot high poles to provide a clear view of the surrounding area.
Illegal garbage dumping in state forests has become a widespread occurrence. DCNR has identified 300 dump sites in the state, Leslie said.
Park enforcement officers will use recorded images as a means of identifying the illegal dumpers. This task is not as easy as it sounds, though, and enforcement officers usually sift through the garbage to try to find information about the culprits, Leslie said.
"The primary goal [of the cameras] is to get strong evidence that could be used to prosecute in court," she added.
Information obtained by the cameras, such as license plate numbers, will make the identification process a lot easier.
PA CleanWays, a non-profit grassroots organization, is contracted to clean up identified garbage sites.
Sandy Carlson, project manager of PA CleanWays, said either park rangers or private citizens notify the organization of dump sites. Upon notification, a PA CleanWay representative assesses the extent of the dumping and whether conditions allow for the use of the volunteers.
Volunteers are kept away from sites that are overloaded with bulky garbage located in hard-to-reach areas. In these cases, professional trash removal companies are hired to haul away the garbage.
Carlson said PA CleanWays has undertaken many clean-up efforts in Bald Eagle State Forest.
In the past three years, PA CleanWays has removed 2,600 tons of trash and 20,000 tires, and recycled more than 350 tons of metal from Pennsylvania's state parks and forests. PA CleanWays uses local volunteers to monitor specific recurring dumping sites. The cameras can be used to alleviate the work the volunteers put into watching these sites.
"The cameras do seem to be a deterrent and convictions have come out of it, so it seems to be a valuable law enforcement tool," Carlson said.
The new camera system was started as a pilot program in Michaux State Forest. Positive results there prompted DCNR to expand the program to other regions in the state.
