Dumping of trash in forest hits ‘epidemic’ level, authorities say
Increasing development around federal land blamed for rise in unsightly, illegal problem
Joe Sclider and his son occasionally head out to Sam Houston National Forest to hike along the Lone Star Hiking Trail, a place where they can get away from it all and take in the wilderness a mere 50 miles north of Houston.
But Sclider, a captain in the Montgomery County Precinct 1 Constable’s Office, has recently been disheartened by something else he has been seeing more of in the 163,037-acre national forest: Trash.
In some cases, contractors appear to be ridding themselves of drywall and other building materials. Couches, chairs, mattresses, old tires, car batteries and broken appliances have also turned up at the forest. Some people are dumping such items in isolated areas where they apparently think they won’t get caught.
The culprits are “mostly people living in the area who think they can just go there and get rid of their household garbage and discarded items in a manner that’s not appropriate,” Sclider said.
Sclider stressed that violators can face “serious” criminal charges.
Sam Houston National Forest District Ranger Jeff Stoney said illegal dumping is an ongoing problem and that he sees examples of it weekly. But he said the situation in recent months has reached an “epidemic” level.
Forest rangers have placed dumpsters throughout the campgrounds and signage on all forest bulletin boards reminding visitors that dumping is not allowed. Still, Stoney said, household items keep appearing.
One of four national forests in Texas, the Sam Houston National Forest covers parts of Montgomery, Walker and San Jacinto counties and is intermingled with privately owned timber lands and small farms, according to its website.
It’s managed under a concept that seeks to balance uses such as recreation, fish and wildlife, timber, grazing, soil and water, and minerals. Part of the 128-mile Lone Star Hiking Trail crosses the forest.
Dumping is the latest example of growth creating problems for the forest.
Thousands of new homes have sprouted around it, bringing new challenges for forest rangers, including more traffic on two-lane roadways, additional trash and crime. Authorities a few years ago found three farms growing marijuana for Mexican cartels.
For Cathy Murphy, a board member and volunteer for the Lone Star Hiking Trail Club, dumped trash in the forest parking lots leading to the trail is a common sight. The group, made up of about 80 people, cleans up the trash when spotted.
A member of the group since its 1995 founding, Murphy has witnessed a bump in illegal dumping in the last five years. She said increased urbanization of the surrounding area, particularly The Woodlands, has contributed to the uptick.
“Civilization is encroaching,” Murphy said. “There’s big growth all over.”
Montgomery County Precinct 1 Commissioner Mike Meador said another factor is a spike in construction as more people have moved into the county. Many times, he said, a homeowner will hire a trash-hauling service that will in turn dump what it has collected on roads leading to the forest.
“It’s a very big problem. It’s kind of under the radar,” Meador said.
The dumping issue, Sclider said, crosses socioeconomic lines.
Recently, a family that had engaged in dumping was found through some sleuthing into their rubbish.
Scattered across a dirt road approaching a gated corner of the forest, the trash they dumped mostly consisted of clothes and household items.
The constable’s office issued them a Class C misdemeanor citation for littering, which carries a fine up to $500, in lieu of federal penalties.
In exchange, family members went out with trash bags and collected the items that they had tossed and discarded them properly.
“We actively go out and try to identify these folks and then we’ll give them the option: You can clean it up or you can face the remedy for what that is and part of that is restitution to the county for cleanup,” Sclider said.
Violators generally comply voluntarily. If not, taxpayers foot the bill, he explained.
Forest rangers also enforce dumping laws. If the dumping is found within the national forest by a forest ranger or if the refuse includes toxic materials, a federal prosecutor can bring charges.
Deputies worry that if dumping becomes accepted, more people will follow suit, unloading old TV sets or, worse, car batteries and canned paint that can contaminate forest soil and enter the water supply. Increased trash and garbage will attract rats and other pests, Sclider argues.
Sclider encourages residents to drop off unwanted items at Montgomery County recycling centers. Two centers, at 31354 Friendship Drive in Magnolia and 1122 Pruitt Road in Spring, accept car batteries, tires and electronics, among other items.
As people have taken notice of the illegal dumping, Sclider said, different government partners convened Tuesday afternoon to determine how best to address the issue.
They included representatives from the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, the county’s Environment Health Services, deputies, a federal prosecutor and federal game wardens.
“We’re working together to alleviate this problem,” Sclider said.
Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 Judge Wayne Mack lauded the constable’s office for its efforts to target illegal dumping.
He said it would be easier for people to properly throw away their trash or garbage than to illegally dump it, as potential court fines and legal expenses surely exceed the cost of a trip to a recycling center.
Illegal dumping for “a lot of people is just a knee-jerk reaction. They have this issue and like a lot of things in our society, we don’t think of the consequences,” Mack said, noting that those who are charged “are always remorseful about it.”
As Sclider plans his next camping trip at the forest with his son, he reminds residents not to distract from the intended purpose.
“It is a national forest and it is there for everybody’s use,” Sclider said.