Tourists Destroy National Forest Leaving Animal-Trapping Trash

Visitors and forest supervisors at a popular reservoir in Utah say it has been overrun with trash and graffiti, affecting the area's native wildlife, Salt Lake City's KSL-TV reported.

One recent visitor to the Tibble Fork Reservoir in American Fork Canyon said she'd noticed an influx of trash since new renovations to the area's parking lot and beach brought more people to the lake.

There aren't any trash cans at the picturesque site, incentivizing people to leave their litter strewn across the ground.

Additionally, forest supervisors have threatened to close the site's bathrooms because people have repeatedly left trash inside, clogging its pumps.

Others have tagged the restroom with offensive graphics, requiring the Forest Service to scrub it with special chemicals. The Service has threatened to close the restrooms altogether if the vandalism continues.

David Whittekiend, a forest supervisor with the Forest Service, told KSL that he has noticed excess litter across many parts Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, which stretches across parts of Utah and Wyoming.

"Trash will blow around, and it can cause problems for wildlife," park supervisor David Whittekiend told KSL. "A lot of people have seen animals that have gotten stuck in plastic pop can holders. It impacts the water and the watershed."

While volunteers can collect trash along trails that are easily accessible by car, Whittekiend says that trash left in more remote areas can linger for years.

The forest supervisor warned that littering fines start at $150, while those for graffiti start at $275.

Park employees note that trash can also attract aggressive critters: Earlier this month, a bear searching for food scratched a guest through an open car window in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.