NEWS RELEASE

United States Department of Agriculture Salmon - Challis National Forest 50 Highway 93 South Salmon, Idaho 83467

Contact:  Gail Baer (208) 756-5177
 

SALMON RIVER CLEAN-UP DAY BIG SUCCESS Salmon, ID, September 22, 2003 -- The first annual Salmon River Clean-Up Day was held on Saturday, September 20th. Ninety-one volunteers signed up for the event which resulted in the collection of 10,185 pounds of debris from the river corridor. Thirteen segments or 92 miles of the river were either walked or floated by the volunteers. Sixty eight volunteers were able to make it to the barbeque which included smoked chicken and ribs along with burgers, hot dogs and refreshments. Grand prizes were given away for the most unique and the most weight. Bob Nall with the support of Kirk Eberhard received the prize for the most unique item having collected a shot-up 10 foot flat bottom boat and rusty old diving tank. Other unique items included a truck fender, playboy bunny, the bottom of a jet boat, fire extinguisher and a swimming pool. Marie and Heidi Ando from Salmon and the Vaniman family from Sun Valley won prizes for collecting over 200 pounds of trash each. Bill Runnoe, Salmon River Manager said that the hard work and enthusiasm projected by the group was outstanding which made the event a success. The weather was great and everyone had a good time dealing with this challenging project. Now that the river is cleaner, we hope that those who use it in the future will make every effort to keep it that way. Special thanks go to Mark Troy and Charlie Thompson with the Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association, Terry Whittier and Jeff Christiansen with the Bureau of Land Management, Tom Curet with Idaho Fish and Game and Donna Leuzinger and Bill Runnoe with the Forest Service for their work in helping to organize the event. In addition, a special thank you to Toyota and all the local businesses that provided financial support and prizes for this National Public Lands Day event. ###