REGION LITTER PROBLEMS INTENSIFYING
|
Has the Fredericksburg region turned into a haven |
FREDERICKSBURG and the surrounding counties of Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania, and Stafford is a region with a remarkable array of resources. The historic charm of downtown Fredericksburg, the rural beauty of Caroline and King George, the highly-desirable suburbs that Spotsylvania and Stafford have become, the Rappahannock and Potomac rivers, a vibrant and diverse economy, unmatched history, shopping galore--it's truly an embarrassment of riches.
The region is also the fourth-largest and fastest-growing of the commonwealth's 21 planning districts, behind only Northern Virginia, Hampton Roads, and greater Richmond. While people have varying opinions on the merits of the region's incredible growth, one thing that virtually everyone would agree on is that litter is a growing problem in the region.
One simply cannot drive down any arterial or collector road in the region without seeing litter strewn along the shoulders and medians. Bottles, cans, Styrofoam, cardboard, tires, fast-food containers, lumber, cigarette packs--and of course fluttering plastic shopping bags--are everywhere.
In a word, it's a disgrace.
Beyond the fact that litter is an eyesore and an embarrassment, it also has serious economic impacts beyond just the costs of picking it up. With tourism such a critical component of the region's economy, the last thing anyone wants is a tourist going home and telling other would-be visitors that the region isn't clean.
Litter also projects a negative image to proprietors of businesses who are considering relocation to the region. Don't believe it? Just ask anyone involved with economic development and you'll get an earful.
In conjunction with litter control, a need also has been identified: to beautify the shoulders and medians of the region's collector roads and arterial highways, such as state routes 1, 2, 3, 17, and 301 (the region's "first impression" corridors), as well as a host of other roads throughout the region.
Beautification efforts could include more frequent mowing of medians and shoulders, extensive new landscaping, sign ordinances, etc.
To date there has been no regional effort to address litter control or highway beautification; the former has been largely left to the localities and the Virginia Department of Transportation, while the latter has not really been addressed at all.
clean-up program?The George Washington Regional Commission (formerly known as RADCO) is currently developing a Regional Litter Control and Highway Beautification Program to address these issues. This effort will be rolled out in July as a two-year pilot program and will include the following elements:
Quantifying the extent of the region's litter problem.
Inventorying current litter control efforts in the region.
Researching "best practices" for litter control and highway beautification from around the country.
Development of a regional litter control strategy under the guidance of a program advisory committee, made up of interested citizens, business leaders, and government officials.
Coordination with localities, VDOT, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, Virginia's Assign-a-Highway Program, the business community, and others.
Establishment of volunteer programs utilizing environmental groups, garden clubs, homeowners associations, high schools, Germanna Community College, the University of Mary Washington, etc.
Establishment of educational programs, perhaps focusing on elementary school students.
Establishment of a litter control/highway beautification sponsorship program for businesses.
Initial discussions with elected officials and business leaders in the region have revealed a high level of enthusiasm for the program. However, for this effort to be successful it is absolutely essential that concerned area residents let their elected officials (local supervisors and council members, state delegates and senators, and the governor) know that keeping our roads and other public places clean must be a high priority going forward.
People can e-mail me suggestions or expressions of support for the program at
Email: wilson@gwregion.org. Once the program is launched in July, please visit the GWRC's Web site (gwregion.org) to learn how to get involved
