I promised myself I wouldn’t get embroiled in our fair town’s “doggie-mess mess,” but since I have experienced the problem first hand, or foot, as it is, I feel compelled to speak up for our beleaguered parks and trails.
I remember when the mess first appeared in our local papers. The letters! The talk! A client told me she heard our “mess issue” mentioned on talk radio in NYC! No surprise there, but dogs and their owners are for the most part doing right by the rest of us cat worshippers or whatever. That is, most owners and their dogs.
I like to walk in our beautiful local mountains as much as I can. I’ve been doing so for 28 years. Never before in all those years has there been so much dog waste on the trails. Obvious piles are bad enough, but the stealth piles (still on the trail, but covered with a thin layer of dirt or leaves) are particularly annoying.
I won’t go into the environmental questions regarding this matter, but it’s clear many health hazards attend dog waste near streams or the ocean. Hmmm. I wonder. If all dog waste was bagged off the canyon and coasts, would our beachs have better average weekly grades during the winter?
In honor of the chronic nature of the problem, and the precedent set by the “Weekly Beach Report,” I’ve instituted the “Canyon & Trail Weekly Cleanliness Report.” Based on my scientific “Piles Per Mile” (ppm) and trash-counting and collecting technology, I’ve given letter grade ratings to the more popular canyons and trails in Malibu. (Measurements are taken up to 1.5 miles from the trailhead. There are almost always piles in the parking areas, but I don’t count those.)
“A” 0-2 ppm. “B” 3-4 pp. “C” 5-6 ppm. “D” 7-8 ppm. And “F” 9+ ppm.
Reporting for the week ending 8-26-01: Santa Ynez Canyon: D; Topanga State Park: F; Malibu creek State Park: D; Solstice Canyon Park: F; Castro Crest: D; Winding Way Trail: C; Escondido Canyon Trail: D; and Nicholas Canyon Trail: C
The evidence speaks for itself. All these places had dog waste and trash on the trail. We all know trash is to be picked up and bagged, but friend dog owners, you often pass me with your dogs unleashed and you often ignore the mess your pet leaves on the trail. Please talk to each other. Set up “Poop-Scoop Support Groups.” It’s your responsibility to clean up after your pooch. Please don’t let animal waste get into our environment. Hey, I have a house cat. I have to do the scoop twice a day. At least it’s all in one place.
Happy Trails.
James Heartland