Just a small part of the trash illegally dumped on Idaho Public Land near Wendell.( Idaho Department of Lands)

A crew of folks gathered northeast of Wendell recently to clean up piles of trash illegally dumped on public land. Trailers and pickups were filled to the brim with trash, including couches, mattresses and even an old freezer.

While dumping trash on public lands is not a new phenomenon, the frequency and amount of trash has been growing steadily over the past few years. Despite the fact that there’s a spot just five miles away where it’s free to drop off your trash.

Scott Phillips, Policy and Communications Chief for the Idaho Department of Lands joins Idaho Matters to talk more about this problem.