Guest gooch Posted September 8, 2006 Report Share Posted September 8, 2006 I'm new to the Alliance and have joined for one reason...I've been catching fish. I grew up in Lombard and have fished the Fox many times as a kid with poor results. I'm convinced the Alliance has had alot to do with the success fisherman have experienced. I'm more optimistic about fishing local waters than ever before. Unfortunately, there continues to be significant neglect from people who leave behind their trash. Because I am optimistic I plan to get more involved with the alliance...anyway...here is a letter I am sending today to the Village of Montgomery...from what I understand...local government is more responsive to citizen concerns: To the Village Board of Montgomery, This is a letter in regards to the poor condition of the river banks in, and around the Montgomery Dam which is approximately ¼ mile north of Mill Street. Recently, I’ve went fishing with my 9 year old niece on the Fox River. I want to express how appalled I am at all the trash and garbage we’ve seen. There were old tampons, booze bottles, beer cans, tangled fishing line, a snake dead from getting tangled in a cast net, bait containers, water bottles, and even a syringe. This is not a place I would want to bring my niece back to. In addition, on other occasions, I have seen people keeping undersized fish which I have reported. I write this letter on behalf of myself and every other person who are trying to make the Fox River a better and cleaner place to fish. I have cleaned up this stretch of river myself, and I know the Illinois Smallmouth Alliance has also…I would like to see the Village of Montgomery do their part in enforcing litter laws and patrolling the area. At the very least, the Village should post litter signs and talk to people who use the river, to be more considerate about picking up their trash while fishing the river. Thankyou for your time Now I wrote this to encourage everyone else to express their concerns as well. Contact your local government, they need to hear from us! Those of you who fish near Montgomery and wish to write a letter to the village here's the address, I appreciate your support. Village of Montgomery 1300 S Broadway Montgomery Il 60538 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rich mc Posted September 9, 2006 Report Share Posted September 9, 2006 this needs to be addressed. one question i have is that park district property ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim bielecki Posted September 10, 2006 Report Share Posted September 10, 2006 this needs to be addressed. one question i have is that park district property ? I think it is park district property. I have seen the staff who are college kids mow and pick up trash in the park but they never go down to the banks of the river, which is where much of the trash is left. I usually bring a bag when I fish and clean up some of it but the amount is disheartening. thanks for responding jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Smith Posted September 10, 2006 Report Share Posted September 10, 2006 Hi Jim. You know, the season for river clean-ups is upon us. Do you think the city might be willing to help organize a volunteer effort? The turn out for those is increasing every year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin summers Posted September 11, 2006 Report Share Posted September 11, 2006 Gooch, good point , BUT I don't think Montgomery is alone with the littering issue. Keep picking up the trash, I do it EVERYTIME I'm out at Batavia but it never seems to make much of a dent. I know there is a clean-up coming out that the Friends of the Fox is sponsering, I'll post the dates for anyone who may be interested in helping out. I'm afraid that people are just getting lazy with there trash and leaving it when there done... Tampons, syringes, thats scary but it may be coming downstream to you, nothing would surprise me ...ANYMORE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve S. Posted September 11, 2006 Report Share Posted September 11, 2006 Last time Don R. and I was out, we caught a tape measure and a slingshot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim bielecki Posted September 12, 2006 Report Share Posted September 12, 2006 Hi Kevin, I would be interested in volunteering but the problem isn't with people like you and I. Litter laws aren't enforced and conservation officers are non-existent on the Fox and many other places. I've questioned this with with the DuPage County Forest Preserve Police in the past...and they said it is very difficult to enforce the laws because they cannot prove that an individual purposely left their trash behind. Sure, you, me and the Alliance do our part to clean up but at the very least public relation work should be done through the State DNR resources to inform others of Alliance work, Friends of the Fox work, and all of our work... Perhaps they would be more respectful if they know a lot of people are trying...ignorace is no excuse to be negligent. Here's a simple example...I was walking around the dam area picking up trash...it was pretty obvious what I was doing. Several people were fishing in the area and I purposely walked right up to each one and picked up the trash right at their feet to send a message for the future! Out of several people...no one asked to help...and no one pitched in to clean up, even for a couple of minutes. No one greeted me, no one said hi, no one acknowledged what I was trying to do...they all continued to fish...To me this demonstrates significant ignorance which needs to be addressed... My opinion is...enough is enough, I wrote the letter to the Village because it is their responsibility to manage the town and enforce pollution problems. We'll see what happens... But I can tell you I share your concerns and I'm not going to give up, Keep up the good work!...I think I might just start talking to people as I'm fishing to express the work we are all trying to do. I encourage you to do the same...what's the worst that can happen? Maybe this is a project all members can share...PR work??? It addresses the source of the problem and not the product of the problem... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Clifford Posted September 12, 2006 Report Share Posted September 12, 2006 Jim- Are you aware of our Pollution and Poaching reporting signs? Surely this area could use 4 or 5. Let us know, and we can get some to you if you'd care to install them. Our members are our best asset, and are responsible for enabling us to do what we do for Illinois rivers and streams. These signs have phone numbers on them that enable people to call their State Police headquarters, who in turn can directly notify the DNR via radio contact. Littering along a waterway carries stiff fines, according to statute. Our efforts are not always about sending people out to clean up the mess left by others. Our educational signs provide the ability for anybody and everybody to attack the problem at it's source as it happens. You can't get better education than that. I have a question. If it is Park District property, the DNR is still entrusted with enforcing the aquatic code there, am I right? If so, then the District shouldn't have a problem with us posting signs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim bielecki Posted September 12, 2006 Report Share Posted September 12, 2006 The DNR has jurisdiction over any public waterway...I would be more than happy to post a few signs! But I still encourage members to talk to other fisherman to be careful about their waste...you don't need to be aggressive about it! A friendly hello and a "by the way did you know..." should do the trick. Thankyou I appreciate your support. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin summers Posted September 13, 2006 Report Share Posted September 13, 2006 Jim B, I agree, the sad part is I find myself being less social the more time I'm out there picking up and seeing the lack of respect for the river. I'll have to work on that.... Maybe I'm not So even Keel as I think Thanks Jim for Doing your part.....Kevin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenW Posted September 14, 2006 Report Share Posted September 14, 2006 Not trying to change the subjects or anything but who does one call when they witness people dumping trash into a river or creek? And what are the laws? This morning I went out after work to fish this new area for me. As I get there a lady pulls up and starts throwing garbage straight into the stream. While she was pulling out an old file cabinet and a grill to dump over the bank I stopped her. I was very polite about it too She said she owned the property and that she could but took off like a bat out of hell when I started approaching her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Smith Posted September 14, 2006 Report Share Posted September 14, 2006 Nice one, Ben! If the local CPO can't handle it, they will know who can. If you had a liscence plate and a description of the trash, I bet that would be enough to get a fine levied. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Clifford Posted September 15, 2006 Report Share Posted September 15, 2006 The State Police district you witness the infraction in can get in touch with the local CPO on duty at the time- via radio. Do you have one of our new wallet cards with the numbers on it? Our new signs have them as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Clifford Posted September 15, 2006 Report Share Posted September 15, 2006 From your 2006 Illinois Fishing Information Digest...... POLLUTION The Department of Natural Resources cooperates with the Environmental Protection Agency in making pollution investigations. Anglers are often the first to observe water pollution, and their assistance is invited in reporting these instances to District and Regional Fisheries Biologists, to a Conservation Police Officer or to the Division of Fisheries in Springfield. It is unlawful for waste or sewage to be discharged into waters so as to kill aquatic life. It is also unlawful to abandon or deposit wire, cans, bottles, glass, paper, trash, rubbish, cardboard, wood cartons, boxes, trees, brush or other insoluble materials into the water or on the ice, or at any place on the bank where such debris is liable to be washed into the water. Strict penalties are provided for violation of this section of the statute. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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