AUGUSTA — In a recent team effort involving the Maine Warden Service, Maine Forest Service and Kittery Trading Post, the first Landowner Appreciation Clean-Up Day was held Saturday, Sept. 12. The event was open to any organized club throughout the state including ATV, snowmobile, sportsman, and fish and game clubs, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.

The goal of this event was to recognize Maine’s generous landowners and the privilege to access private land for recreation. Efforts were focused on about 200 sites owned by private landowners that included illegal dumping. The day was spent cleaning up nearly 100,000 pounds of trash. Thirty, 30-yard dumpsters were filled statewide by game wardens, forest rangers and volunteers representing about 30 clubs and 250 volunteers.

Prizes were gift cards to Kittery Trading Post, awarded to the top clubs that collected the most trash.

In first place, Boy Scouts Troop 485 of Norridgewock, $1,000 gift card, 26 truckloads; second place, Southern Maine ATV Club of Berwick, $750 gift card, 15 truck loads; third place, Norridgewock Sportsman Club, $500 gift card, 12 truckloads; fourth place, tied, Penobscot Valley 4WD Club of Bangor and Sportsman Unlimited of Winthrop, $250 gift card, 11½ truckloads each.

FMI: 207-287-5240, rick.laflamme@maine.gov.