Barry Hendrickson of Las Cruces stands near a sofa sleeper Monday that was dumped in the desert east of Sonoma Ranch Boulevard. "I'm not going to cart out couches, give me a break," Hendrickson said. "I'll cart out the little stuff but I'm not going to cart out couches."
LAS CRUCES ? Barry Hendrickson and his wife bring trash bags for their daily walks through their neighborhood streets and the desert between Sonoma Ranch Boulevard and the Organ Mountains.
They each pick a side of the road and pluck the mostly smaller garbage pieces, which collectively have no trouble filling their blue recycle bin every week.
What the Hendrickson's can't fit into their trash bags are the couches, mattresses, construction refuse and yard waste peppering the nearby desert.
Said Hendrickson: "Is this the way we treat our city?"
On a recent afternoon, all that aforementioned junk plus old, rolled carpets, large window frames, car bumpers and tires littered the area. There wasn't one spot off the dirt roadway or in an arroyo that seemed to be the hub for this illegal dumping. At the same time, there wasn't an area of significant size free from the waste array.
Do?a Ana County Commission Chairwoman Karen G. Perez represents District 3, which contains the area where the Hendricksons walk and find multiple makeshift landfills. It's east of Sonoma Ranch Boulevard, just outside the city limits.
Perez said she has received "multiple calls" about illegal dumping in the area.
"I don't know that it's gotten worse since the road was paved, but it has gotten easier since the road was paved," she said, referring to the extension of Sonoma Ranch Boulevard completed last summer.
Added Perez: "People don't take it seriously until they get a
citation."Officials from the county and city, however, said they take illegal dumping seriously.
Recently the county held "Untrash Our Desert 2," the second year of a summit held to combat illegal dumping. It reportedly attracted residents from several counties in southern New Mexico and West Texas.
"We haven't had a lot of problems in that area that we've been made aware of," said Randy De La O, a codes enforcement officer with the Las Cruces Police Department. "It looks pretty clean from our vantage point."
That's true from Sonoma Ranch Boulevard, which marks a section of the city limit boundary. The crannies and hills of the desert hide much of the waste. Touring the dirt roads makes the garbage jump out to passersby.
There are similar areas within city limits.
"A lot of times we don't get into the desert areas," De La O said. "We're trying to do so now."
He added that citizens can provide considerable help.
"We can use their eyes," De La O said.
The trashed area that Hendrickson walks through is less than a mile from Old Foothills Landfill, 555 S. Sonoma Ranch Blvd. Officials said some people might be frustrated by not being able to dump certain items, so they find a side road and unload their trucks.
Alma Cortez, chief codes enforcement officer for the city, said that those found dumping illegally can be subject to a $500 fine and jail time. Hendrickson said he has never seen anybody dumping items while on his walks, but violators don't have to be caught in the act.
Cortez said that officers will inspect the trash for evidence of its source, such as an address bills or other discarded mail.
Hendrickson hopes the efforts can help. The retired energy company executive said he's "not a burning environmentalist," but wants to be able to enjoy the natural beauty of the area ? it reminds him of the high deserts of eastern Washington, where he grew up.
Said Hendrickson: "For a lot of us that ride bikes and walk, we love that area."
James Staley may be reached at 575-541-5476. Follow him on Twitter @auguststaley
See illegal dumping?
To report illegal dumping or any other codes violation, contact:
? Mesilla Regional Valley Dispatch Authority at 575-526-0795
? City codes enforcement at 575-528-4100
? County codes enforcement at 575-525-1911
Online
? Illegal dumping and other codes problems can be reported online at askthecity.las-cruces.org
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