BLM officials and volunteer groups have worked diligently to restore the Mud Springs area.
But vandals and dumpers continue to damage the area at a cost to taxpayers, says Kathe Hayes, of the San Juan Mountains Association.
“The community has put in so much volunteer effort to make the area nice, then to have it destroyed and dumped on is tough to see,” she said.
The multiuse land has separate and shared areas for rock-crawlers, ATVs, motorcycles, hikers, horses and mountain bikers.
Recently signs have been destroyed, and couches dumped.
BLM officials estimate it cost the taxpayers $500 in labor costs, fuel and landfill fees to remove the couches.
Hayes noted that the items could have been dumped for free April 18-23 during the Cortez cleanup program.
