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Clean-up plan detailed

Little Mountain near Parksville getting attention from groups who want to clean up the trash
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Momentum is growing to clean up the base of Little Mountain.

It's a big, growing  mountain of trash at the bottom of Little Mountain, but the momentum to  clean it up also appears to be growing.

Hard on the heels of a tour on the weekend to view the trash piled at the base of a cliff, another area resident has detailed her plans to clean the site.

Jamie Black is an Errington resident who has taken it upon herself to take as many pieces of junk out of the site as she can, regardless of the larger political issues of who owns the land and who is responsible for a cleanup.

"I started getting intent on this project about four months ago," Black said. "I wanted to start on the ground level and do some work and share my story with people and see if there are alternatives."

Black said she plans to go to the trailhead at the intersection of Bellevue and Matterson at 10 a.m. on Wednesdays with a wheelbarrow to haul out as much as she can. She said she would welcome others to join her in her efforts.

"I'll tell the story about what is going on with the mess and then we'll do a bit of golf-ball hunting and anything anybody feels like carrying out I will invite them to do that," Black said.

Black acknowledged it's a tough slog, noting she has used one of the shopping carts thrown over the cliff to carry some items. However, she is a firm believer that many hands make light work.

"I believe I can gain momentum with masses of people who put their hands on the garbage and pull it out themselves," Black said.   "Even if nobody comes with a pickup truck, we can put it at the trailhead and get it later."

She praised efforts by others to come up with a strategic solution to the problem of dumping at Little Mountain, but stressed she wants to begin the cleanup and see what comes out of other people's efforts later.

"My approach is to tell the story and let more people know and see what we can do about it," she said. "The answer will come, but let's get to work."