The Grand Mesa Jeep Club cleans up Grand Junction’s North Desert
Members of the Grand Mesa Jeep Club (GMJC), a collection of local four-wheel-drive and off-road enthusiasts, turned out to clean up the trash-ridden North Desert area on Sunday, June 7. The group met at 9:00 a.m. at a large dumpster out in the desert just off 27 1/4 Road and spent the morning picking up trash, electronic waste, old refrigerators, bottles, cans, tires computers, TVs and other garbage littering the off-road area. The cleanup event was not posted on their website‘s calendar or mentioned in the “Events” listing on their website, but was posted on their Facebook page a few hours before the cleanup was to take place.
The GMJC encourages its members and non-members to recreate responsibly and use public lands ethically. It encourages off-roaders to stay on existing trails, and be courteous to non-motorized users of the desert. The GMJC even has a program called “Stay the Trail” that coordinates volunteers to help with projects like cleanups and rehabbing public lands. The “Stay the Trail” project also educates off-roaders about etiquette, for example discouraging unnecessarily loud vehicles and telling users how they can make their loud vehicles quieter without losing any speed or power.
A big “thanks” to the GMJC for cleaning up the North Desert. We’ve already noticed a lot less trash in the last few weeks, too, and you’re really making a big difference.