Guilty as Charged

The Missouri Department of Conservation said it spends about $1 million a year to pick up litter in the state’s forests, conservation areas and river accesses. The agency does write hundreds of tickets a year to litterbugs.

The cost would be even higher to clean up highway rights of way if it weren’t for the volunteers who give of their time to pick up litter.

The state is seeking more volunteers. It also asks people not to litter. That also goes for people in municipalities where streets are targets for litterbugs.

Clean streets in a city tell the story of the pride people have in their communities.