A funny thing about litter - the stuff we leave behind today is trash and the ranger could issue you a citation for littering the area. On the other hand, the same stuff left behind by miners 50 or 100 years ago are considered historic artifacts and the ranger could issue you a citation for cleaning it up. Therefore, while you may wonder about cleaning up other peoples trash, there is no question that we ought to clean up our own mess.

All too many of us criticize other people for being slobs and yet we seem to be entirely oblivious to our own sin ... such, I suppose, is human nature. Regrettably, some people do seem to think that they can litter the area without consequence, and their abuse ruins the enjoyment of the space for others. Please be respectful of other visitors by cleaning up after yourself.

While there is a few legal issues regarding camping which you need to check with the BLM about, we offer the following as a practical guideline for helping to keep our land safe and enjoyable. Some of these are BLM rules; others are simply our suggestions.

1. Avoid camping near streams.
2. Do not camp within 200 yards of any wildlife watering improvement. This is their home, we are only visitors - so don't interfere or pollute their watering holes.
3. Try to camp where others have camped before and leave the space cleaner than when you found it. You might even consider raking the area as part of your cleanup.
4. Although no reservations are required, the BLM says there is a 14-day camping limit within any three-month period.
5. When camping or otherwise leaving your vehicle, park it within 15 feet of the roadway to minimize your impact on habitat and vegetation.
6. Do not park in a roadway - be sure that your vehicle does not block or obstruct other visitors or vehicles. You never know when an emergency might arise that requires outside intervention. The California Department of Forestry and other emergency responders are allowed to remove obstructions that block their access.
7. Utilize good camping ethics, keep all refuse contained and pack it out with you when you leave.
8. There is no dumping of sewer or petroleum products. Not only is it ugly and damaging to our environment - it's also against the law.
9. The BLM says that dumping of grey water from RV's is allowed, as long as you don't contaminate any standing water.
10. Bring a shovel for both sanitation and fire prevention purposes.
11. Don't damage existing foliage, especially trees and bushes that may take several years to recover.
12. Be sure to restore the space to as natural a setting as possible when you leave.
13. When shooting pick up your empty shell casings and clean up your target site.
14. Don't break glass bottles and clean up broken glass when you find it. Broken glass is dangerous for many of the animals that inhabit this area. Imagine yourself walking barefoot across a broken beer bottle ... the same thing will happen to Coyote and Raccoon - except they can't go to a doctor to get glass splitters removed and will likely die from infection (a senseless painful death).
15. Be wise and careful with campfires.

Camp and land cleanliness is everybody's responsibility. We want to leave the area cleaner than when we arrived. You might consider the following ideas to help you facilitate your camp's trash management:

Trash Category Method of Disposal

	Trash Category	Method of Disposal
	1. Non-burnable/non-recyclable	Crushed and stored in garbage bags. Take it out when we leave.
	2. Recyclable	Crushed and stored in garbage bags. Take it out when we leave.
	3. Burnable/non-recyclable	Burn in campfire.
	4. Biodegradable food stuff	Small quantities may be burned in campfire, scatter or bury near location. Larger quantities should be taken out for disposal.
	5. Human waste	In seldom used camping area use a slit trench. In more commonly used area, consider using a portable toilet with plastic bags and carry the full plastic bags out with you for disposal. Click here for more information.
	6. Motor oil and fuel	Must be contained and take out for proper disposal.
	7. Campfire ashes and debris	Campfire pits accumulate a lot of ash debris and need periodic cleaning. Click here for more information.

While venturing around, you might be tempted to pick up litter that was left by pervious visitors ... this is good. However, understand that the government has a weird rule about garbage which says that it may not garbage when it's older than 45 years ... then it becomes an historical artifact. So, while you might be tempted to pick up garbage - remember to leave it if it's over 45 years old.

For large groups staying longer than two day, we recommend that your group begin using a formalized trip plan. Formalized trip plans are an excellent way of making sure everybody understands certain expectations. It is also an opportunity to discuss issues relating to community activities and responsibilities, such as campfires, latrines, cleanup and even emergencies.

Formalized trip plans are sometimes a real hassle to introduce to your group. In the beginning, they usually cause a few problems while people learn how to use them. Nevertheless, if your group adopts such a plan, and the people are willing to work through the problems, a plan will soon become a real asset that your friends will appreciate. So long as everybody remains flexible, formalized plans also make group camping a lot more fun.

You may click here for an example of group trip plan. You probably will not need to plan your trips in the detail provided in this sample plan. Remember this is only an example - you will need to edit it to accommodate your group and activity.

Be sure to check with the BLM Field Office for the latest camping rules.