Volunteer groups sought for Landowner Appreciation Day cleanup Sept. 10

AUGUSTA — Clubs and organizations that want to appreciate in Landowner Appreciation Day, Sunday, Sept. 10, can sign up with the state Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

In the last two years volunteers and staff from staff from department have collected nearly a half of a million pounds of illegally dumped trash and litter from the fields and forests of Maine, according to a news release.

The effort helps secure access to private land for recreational use and shows appreciation for Maine’s landowners who open their property to those who want to enjoy the outdoors, and prizes are awarded to the groups that collect the most refuse.

Clubs and organizations can sign up by calling 207-287-5240 or emailing virginia.vincent@maine.gov. When registering, groups must provide the name of the group or organization, number of people participating, area of the state the group would like to help in, contact person phone number and email address, and clean up sites that the group would like to work on (towns, locations, landowners, etc.). The Maine Warden Service and Maine Forest Service staff will have some sites available as well.

For contest purposes, all loads of trash will be measured by pickup truck load a ta designated drop-off location.
Gift cards to Kittery Trading Post will be given to the winners, including $1,000 for first place, $750 for second, $500 for third and $250 for fourth. Every volunteer who participates will receive an official MDIFW Outdoor Partner hat.
Additional information will be provided after registration. For more information about the Outdoor Partners Program, visit www.mefishwildlife.com