Grand Traverse County no longer leads the state in the number of illegal dump sites.
Last month, the Michigan Department of Resources identified 55 dump sites on public land throughout the county. But thanks to the efforts of dozens of volunteers, all 55 piles of trash have been cleaned up.
The effort was led by DNR volunteer coordinator Ada Takacs. She said all sorts of things were found at the sites.
“We find anything from gum wrappers all the way up to major … trailer homes that were abandoned and then maybe stripped of metals," she said.
Takacs said Grand Traverse County actually does a good job at recycling and is better than most areas at reporting illegal dump sites.