New stream cleanup plan unveiled

Program launched at a stream between

Burger King and Wal-Mart

MONTICELLO, NY — Volunteers trekked down to the creek on a chilly day to pick up trash from one of the area’s most trash-ridden streams. On November 17, the volunteers collected 35 bags of trash, as well as tires, and shopping carts?not surprising given that the stream is located between Burger King and Wal-Mart, off Route 42 in Monticello.

The event included individuals from the Sullivan County Division of Planning and Environmental Management, Sullivan County Parks and Recreation, Sullivan County Soil and Water Conservation District, Sullivan Striders and Sullivan Renaissance. Burger King and Wal-Mart supported the cleanup with contributions.

But beyond bringing a more pleasant vista to this landscape, the purpose of the event was also to announce a new countywide stream clean-up program intended to beautify and improve plant and animal habitats around the county’s many streams.

The Sullivan County Division of Planning and Environmental Management is developing the program, which will focus on two areas: critical stream sites in need of remediation, and general litterpluck efforts on streams around the county. The public is invited to identify potential sites for the 2nd Annual Stream Clean-up Day, which will take place on an as-yet-to-be-determined day in the spring.

Things to think about when selecting a site include access and whether the stream is easy to get to, safety and whether the banks are too steep or the current is too strong and whether the stream size is large enough to accommodate a group of people.

To get involved, contact the planning department at planning@co.sullivan.ny.us or call 845/794-3000, ext 5028.