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LOS ANGELES – Face masks, plastic bottles and bags – and feces, both dog and human – are some of the unsightly waste you could encounter these days while hiking in the red rocks of Sedona. Discarded masks also litter the beaches of Southern California, which already were battling a growing scourge of plastic and microplastics in the ocean.
Environmentalists fear the situation will get worse as the nation emerges from a year of pandemic restrictions.
With Americans unable to pursue many of the activities they enjoyed before COVID-19 emerged last year, scenic spots across the Southwest have offered a respite and a safer form of entertainment courtesy of the great outdoors. Many natural spots in Arizona were considered essential services during the state’s stay-at-home order, leading to packed hiking trails and facilities. In California, many beaches were closed during the peak summer tourism season but have since reopened, leading to crowds.
The downside of that influx of visitors is increased litter on beaches from San Diego to Malibu, and in favorite Arizona spots like Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon.
Keep Sedona Beautiful Inc., which started in 1972 to protect and sustain the area’s unique environment, has done its best to curb litter with a combination of education, advocacy and litter lifts.
Carla Williams, the nonprofit’s executive vice president, has noticed an uptick in people traveling to Sedona and has seen a major increase in day-trippers and overall travel to red rock country during the pandemic.
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