Photographer Urges Tourists to Correctly Dispose of Trash in Grand Teton National Park
Since the global pandemic first shut down things in America, Wyoming has had mixed emotions about the wearing of face covering. After a grizzly bear cub was seen playing with on in the Grand Teton National Park, people are upset, but for a good reason.
Littering has always been a big deal, especially since the 1980s. If you're old enough to remember the Smokey the Bear "stop forest fires" commercials, then you can probably also remember the myriad of stop littering campaigns that were going on at the same time. It's no wonder the internet is in an uproar after this incident.
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The National Conference of State Legislatures lists these Wyoming state penalties for littering (these may differ slightly on national parks like the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone):
Misdemeanor. Imprisonment for up to six months, fine of up to $750, or both. In lieu of this sentence, a court may require up to 40 hours of community service.
Littering involving the disposal of a container with bodily fluids along a highway right of way is a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment up to nine months, fine up to $1,000, or both.
In lieu of this sentence, a court may require up to 40 hours of litter cleanup from public roads, parks or other public areas.
Along with the short, but heavyhearted video, the official ABC News Twitter account included a powerful call to action from the photographer, which stated:
Folks, please don’t leave your disposable masks (or any other trash) behind. It’s not hard to do better than this.