EASTON, Wash — A grassroots effort is underway to raise awareness about what organizers said is an unprecedented amount of litter.
Visitors are enjoying weekend getaways in the Cascades, but neighbors living in the area said they are seeing garbage left behind.
It’s upsetting for Dan and Carol Ferguson who live in Easton.
"It is just not acceptable,” Carol Ferguson said.
“We don't do that in your neighborhood," Dan Ferguson said. "You don't have to do it here."
John Jensen, who also lives in the area, said, “It’s gut-wrenching to see it treated like this."
Near Lake Kachess, weekends are when neighbors said they see litter pile up.
"There's a massive influx of vacationers, and they just come up to camp and have a great time and enjoy the wilderness," said resident Stefani Porter. "Then they go home, and they leave all of their trash and all of their human waste here in the forest for us locals to clean up."
Despite warnings of up to $5,000 in fines, the litter has not stopped.
"Everyone who lives here is picking this up and then paying to take it to the dump out of our own pockets," Porter said. "We're not getting reimbursed."
"It is out of control, but it is a way bigger problem than just here in Easton,” Jensen said, noting that it is happening at campsites around the region.
"Anything accessed in our mountain range, this is happening,” Porter said.
Porter is among those online sharing pictures of the proof. In addition to the trash, she said it’s about how the land is treated.
"Even though we have a burn ban and countless signs about no fires, there's fires at campsites,” Porter said.
"It is very scary," Carol Ferguson said. "You could just totally lose everything you worked so hard for in a forest fire that was caused by somebody's negligence."
"It is a mentality that has to change,” Jensen said.
"I think it's very important that people learn how to be in the wilderness," Porter said. "Packing it in and packing it out is number one. Leave things cleaner than you found it. It is just that simple."