Partnership with state, local litter control group ends

The executive director of a litter control organization said the state no longer allows the group to remove trash along Interstate 25 in Colorado Springs.

Dee Cunningham said the Colorado Department of Transportation told her last month that her group, Keep Colorado Springs beautiful, is no longer needed.

KCSB, manned primarily by volunteers, gathered litter on the highway for 18 years.

“The decision was made at the main office in Denver,” Cunningham said. “CDOT wants to go with a single contractor across the state. The local office said they didn’t like the decision but there’s nothing they can do. We’re sad about it.”

KCSB became a familiar presence along the highway, picking up trash and bagging it for later disposal.

Cunningham is worried about how much litter will accumulate before a contractor takes over.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

There is a bright side to the situation, however. Cunningham said KCSB now can spend more time on litter control within the city.

“We can do it five times a week instead of two or three times a week,” she said.

KCSB already does occasional cleanups of homeless camps and does litter control in parks and at special events.