This Mother鈥檚 Day weekend, two Okanagan organizations are joining together to show some love for Mother Nature.

Okanagan Forestry Task Force (OFTF) and the Peachland Watershed Protection Alliance plan to tackle several illegal dumpsites, which include abandoned vehicles, unauthorized campgrounds and target ranges in Peachland鈥檚 community watersheds.

Kane Blake with OFTF says illegal dumping is on the rise across the region.

鈥淭he task force鈥檚 goal is simple, to work to keep forests clean and to bring public awareness to the issue of illegal dumping in local forested areas. Since we started in September 2015, we have managed to remove 141,980 pounds of garbage and pulled out 170,520 pounds of scrap metal from the area. That is an amazing 312,500 pounds of waste that were illegally dumped in the forests around the valley,鈥� he said.

Some of the areas that are known to be illegal dumpsites are also the same forests that supply communities with drinking water.

The Distinct of Peachland continually removes vehicles from Deep Creek, a steep ravine that supplies community water but is also a target for stolen vehicles.

Jack Gerow, the chair of the Peachland Watershed Protection Alliance, is asking the public if they know of any illegal dumping into watersheds, such as household waste or abandoned vehicles, to please contact the alliance.

The clean-up is scheduled for Saturday, May 8, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the top of Princeton Avenue 鈥� at the cattle guard, in Peachland.

Small groups of cohorts or family bubbles are expected and supplies for cleaning 鈥� such as gloves, garbage bags and masks 鈥攚ill be supplied.

READ MORE: Cleanup crew seeking approval to clear discarded tires from stream south of Vernon

READ MORE: Illegal dump found in 琉璃神社 backcountry, authorities seeking answers

jen.zielinski@bpdigital.ca
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