AUGUSTA — Landowner Appreciation and Clean-Up Day will take place on Sunday, Sept. 10.

In the last two years, many volunteers and staff from the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry have collected nearly a half of a million pounds of illegally dumped trash and litter from the fields and forests of Maine.

Residents are invited to get involved and help secure access to private land for recreational use and show appreciation for Maine’s landowners.

A club or organization can sign up to participate in the event by calling 207-287-5240 or emailing virginia.vincent@maine.gov.

The following information should be provided:

• Club/organization name and how many will participate;

• Area of the state where the group will help;

• Contact person, phone number and email address; and

• Clean-up sites that group will be working on (towns, locations, landowners).

Maine Warden Service and Maine Forest Service will have some sites available as well.

There will be a contest again this year, with prizes awarded to the group or organization that is able to clean up the most trash. For contest purposes, all loads of trash will be measured by pickup truck load at one of the designated drop-off locations.

Prizes will be outdoor sporting goods gift certificates. First-place prize will  be $1,000 gift card; second, $750; third, $500; and, fourth, $250.

Additional information will be provided to groups or organizations who register to participate in the event. Every volunteer who participates will receive an official MDIFW Outdoor Partner hat.

FMI: www.mefishwildlife.com.

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