Officials of the Boise Parks and Recreation Department are concerned over illegal dumping and acts of vandalism that have recently taken place in the open space reserves of the Boise foothills.
Most recently, there has been illegal dumping of “substantial quantities of yard waste” in the Foothills East Reserve at 1220 E Shenandoah Drive, said Boise City Open Space Senior Manager Sara Arkle.
“We’re finding homeowners are dumping big piles of grass clippings and yard waste in that area,” she said. “In fact, dumping has been an ongoing problem for us all across the reserves.”
The most recent dumping, she said, covered almost 1,000 cubic feet.
Boise Police officers are investigating the dumpings -– as well as recent vandalism.
“Near the Foothills Learning Center, people have scraped messages -- some of which are obscene –- into the sandstone cliffs,” Arkle said. “It’s an educational area. Grade school students observe swallows and other birds that nest there. And it’s really unfortunate that we have to worry about making sure the children are not exposed to the inappropriate words, messages and drawings people have scraped into the cliffs.”
Any carving into cliffs is considered vandalism.
“We are definitely trying to find out who is responsible for both the illegal dumping and the vandalisms,” Arkle stated.
Vandalism on public property and dumping debris on public property are both misdemeanors punishable by up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.
On Tuesday, May 17th, officials plan to use a backhoe to remove the dumped material.
