Illegal trash sites can be a problem throughout Michigan, but Dickinson County holds the dubious distinction of being No. 1 for sites on state and federal land, according to the Michigan Coalition for Clean Forests. Theresa Proudfit/Daily News Photo

IRON MOUNTAIN — It’s not a distinction of honor.

Dickinson County ranks No. 1 in Michigan for illegal trash sites on state and federal land.

According to the Michigan Coalition for Clean Forests, Dickinson County has 31 illegal sites, topping second-place Gladwin County, located in mid-Michigan, at 27.

Marquette County is tied for third with 24 illegal sites. Also on the list are Delta and Menominee counties, both with 20, giving the Upper Peninsula four counties in the top 10.

On a reassuring note, a trash site might simply consist of a few bags of garbage. On the other hand, it could be a huge, growing heap.

“Most are shingle piles, scrap tires, or scattered debris from years ago,” said Ada Takacs, who coordinates Michigan’s Adopt-a-Forest volunteer cleanup program. “Once we hear of a site we leave it on the list until it’s reported cleaned by our volunteers,” she said.

“Some of the sites listed may be gone by now and there are likely many sites out there that we do not know about. Much of what we find on public land could have been recycled,” Takacs said.

Joe Stevens of Kingsford, a county commissioner, hopes local volunteers will step forward to bump Dickinson County from the top spot. The Adopt-a-Forest program, he said, can help cover disposal fees.

“The public has to understand this land is for everybody,” Stevens added. “It’s not a dumping site.”

Besides contacting the Boy Scouts, Stevens has notified Sheriff Scott Rutter of possible projects for the sheriff’s work crew.

Adopt-a-Forest works with volunteers across the state and can pay for disposal on a pre-approved basis, said Takacs, who works out of Traverse City.

The program is sponsored jointly by the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Environmental Quality, the U.S.

Forest Service, the Michigan Society of American Foresters, and private organizations. Its network of volunteers range from Cub Scouts to homeowner associations to sportsmen’s groups. Individuals and families can participate as well.

There are three ways to aid the program:

— Be responsible for the physical cleanup and maintenance of an adopted portion of public forest land.

— Donate equipment or commercial services in the cleaning up of public forest land.

— Contribute monetarily to a special account to assist in paying for trash hauling and landfill space.

For more information, visit www.cleanforests.org or call 231-922-6048.

To report dumping in progress, contact the DNR Report All Poaching Hotline at 1-800-292-7800.

Jim Anderson can be reached at 906-774-3500 ext. 26 or janderson@ironmountaindailynews.com.