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State to begin yearly pick-up

Volunteers start cleaning roads as part of Wisconsin’s Adopt-A-Highway program

Thousands of volunteers are heading to the sides of Wisconsin highways this month to be part of the Wisconsin Adopt-A-Highway program that aims to keep roads safe and well-preserved.

Adopt-A-Highway is a Department of Transportation program that organizes approximately 3,000 groups of volunteers who want to keep their state’s roadways clean.

Volunteers typically “adopt” a stretch of highway, pledging to remove trash and other debris alongside it at least three times a year between April 1 and Nov. 1. In 2007, volunteers picked up about 25,300 bags of trash, nearly 2,700 bags of which were recyclable, according to Adopt-A-Highway Coordinator Jim Merriman.

Merriman said citizens volunteer with Adopt-A-Highway for a variety of reasons.

“Some do it because a loved one passed away on that particular stretch and they want to keep that highway beautiful in memory,” Merriman said. “Others care about the environment and want to keep our state green and clean. Others just want to help out and take pride in our state.”

A variety of groups take part in the program, including 4-H groups, veterans clubs, churches and synagogues, and many others who want to preserve Wisconsin’s natural landscape, according to Executive Director of Citizens for a Scenic Wisconsin Charley Weeth.

The Adopt-A-Highway program began in 1965 under Lyndon Johnson as part of the Highway Beautification Act, Weeth said.

“It used to be that anything went,” Weeth said. “There were many junkyards up and down the highway, people cutting down trees, and we were losing that natural landscape. [Adopt-A-Highway] was the first national attempt to do something about that.”

According to Weeth, there have been many roadside clean up programs implemented mainly by local groups in the past. Adopt-A-Highway is a national attempt to organize their efforts.

Today, there is still a strong need for volunteers who care about keeping their state clean, he added.

“There are always openings [for citizens to clean highways],” Weeth said.

This year, the DOT is asking Adopt-A-Highway volunteers to wear new vests that allow motorists to easily see them while they are picking up trash along roadways, according to Merriman.

“I really want to accentuate how important the new vests are,” Merriman said. “These people are volunteers and we want to keep them safe.”

According to Merriman, the new vests as well as other supplies for cleaning up roadsides can be picked up in regional county DOT offices. Previous volunteers should bring their old vests to exchange for the new vests, which are designed to meet recent changes federal safety standards.

Merriman added that all supplies — including vests — are free.

Those who wish to volunteer should visit the DOT website, where they can find the segment their county falls into as well as contact information for their segment’s program organizer.

For more information about Adopt-A-Highway or to find volunteer forms visit the DOT website at http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/localgov/aid/adopt-a-highway.htm.