Almost 4,000 volunteers participated in the 18th annual SOLV IT Earth Day Event held Saturday, April 28th. The event took place at 101 project sites spanning Clackamas, Clark, Columbia, Multnomah, Washington and Yamhill Counties. With SOLV support, the volunteers completed the following impressive list of accomplishments:
· Sent 218,340 pounds of mixed waste to be properly disposed of in area landfills, recycled or re-used.
· Collected 158,010 pounds of green waste, including yard debris and invasive, non-native vegetation.
· Removed 876 illegally dumped tires.
· Removed 16,925 pounds of scrap metal.
· Removed 4 abandoned vehicles.
Total: Collected an estimated 413,423 pounds (approximately 207 tons).
In addition, volunteers planted 1,439 trees, shrubs, bulbs and native plants in parks, on school grounds and natural areas. Other maintenance activities included spreading mulch, maintaining trails and installing wildlife guards around native plants and trees.
Sixty-eight PGE employees and family members volunteered at Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve in Hillsboro. Using company equipment, they installed an Osprey nest on a platform for display near the Education Center. They also installed the Hillsboro holiday tree as a snag for use by local wildlife, tended the habitat gardens and maintained 400 yards of trail.
In Vernonia, approximately 365 volunteers were involved in a city-wide cleanup project. At one site, they removed tires and illegally dumped debris from Bear Creek, which resulted in immediate passage of fish to an area previously inaccessible.
Founded in 1969 by Oregon Governor Tom McCall to address litter and vandalism problems, SOLV’s mission has expanded to reach every county in the state and to bring together government agencies, businesses and individuals in programs and projects to enhance the livability of Oregon. Because of this expansion SOLV no longer calls itself “Stop Oregon Litter and Vandalism” and has adopted the acronym, SOLV, as its official name.
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