Adopt a Highway connects community through service

SEELEY LAKE – How often do you notice when the highway is decorated with litter? However, when the roadside is free of debris, motorists are quick to take it for granted.

There is an army of volunteers, from organized groups to individuals, who keep local roadways clean through the Montana Department of Transportation Adopt A Highway (AAH) Program. In the spring and the fall, they walk their adopted stretch of highway and remove the trash that was intentionally, or unintentionally, lost.

"I think people forget that there is [the Adopt A Highway] program and that is why things look clean," said Seeley Lake Lion Rachel Feigley. "It would be nice for people to remember that there all kinds of volunteers out there picking up trash. Please don't litter and keep your highways clean."

There are 12 coordinators statewide who oversee the AAH program in their Districts. When a group adopts a highway, the District Coordinator works with the Volunteer Group Leader to select an available section of state-maintained highway. Each adopted section of highway is approximately two miles long. The Volunteer Group Leader signs an agreement with the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) to remove litter from their adopted sections of roadsides a minimum of two times a year. MDT provides safety vests, trash bags, traffic control signs and safety literature. In addition, MDT removes the trash-filled bags from roadsides following a pickup.

The adopted sections are marked with the group's name at each end. This is MDT's way to acknowledge the group that has taken responsibility for cleaning the roadway.

A highway is adopted for a period of two years. The adopting volunteer group may keep its adopted section of highway indefinitely as long as the agreement is followed and it is renewed every two years.

The Seeley Lake Lions Club is one of the many local organizations that has adopted a section along Highway 83. Lion Feigley became the Lion Club's Chair for their Adopt A Highway program in 2019. When she renewed their section she requested a change in location from mile markers 23-25 around Lake Alva to mile markers 15 – 17, the section from the Community Hall north to the Tamaracks Resort.

"For safety reason [with the Leos Club students] and ease of walking [for older Lions Club members], there was some concern about the clean up on the twisty-turny roads up by Alva with the guard rails," Feigley said and added the change was approved. "It worked out great."

Feigley said there was a lot of trash when they started with the new section in 2019. Now that they have gotten it cleaned up, they pick up seven – 13 bags of trash twice a year. They find everything from beer cans, bottles, baby diapers, paper products, tires, Styrofoam to cooler and vehicle parts.

Feigley said the most valuable thing she has ever found was a Yeti mug and lid that was still usable. The worst thing she has to pick up are cigarette butts.

"I can't believe people would throw their cigarette butt out the window just from the wildfire perspective but then picking up cigarette butts is a lot of microtrash to be concerned about when you are doing highway cleanup," Feigley said. "Just the amount of trash people must toss out the window really makes you wonder why they are doing that."

In the last couple years, the Seeley-Swan High School Leos Club has joined them during their cleanup day. Feigley said she and her husband Pete did the two-mile stretch one year by themselves and it took just under five hours. However, they have had up to 20 volunteers help. The Lions offers pizza and soda following the cleanup as a way to thank the volunteers and support local businesses.

"It is really great to have the Leos involved and to have that many people," Feigley said. "It is just another thing that the members have the opportunity to participate in."

The Coombes family decided to adopt a section of Highway three years ago when Kendra and Jurian's daughter Huntley was stillborn. Since there were no sections available on Highway 83 and they have a lot of friends in Missoula, they chose a section on Highway 200 between mile markers 6 -8 since Huntley's birthday was Nov. 6.

"We do it to keep her memory alive," Kendra Coombes said.

Their sign says "Loving memory Baby Huntley." Coombes believes that the sign inadvertently brings awareness to baby loss due to the sign's wording which is important to her because she believes grief, in general, is not talked about enough.

Since there is nothing organized annually in Montana that honors lost babies, this was something they could do every year. They do it as a family and recruit many of their friends from Missoula as well.

"We don't get to do birthday parties and all that stuff so it is something we can do every year for her," Coombes said. "It is also something we can do that helps everyone."

Coombes is unsure how long their section was available before they adopted it. The first year they filled 30 bags before running out with a half mile on either side of Highway 200 left to clean.

"It is disgusting amount of garbage you can find on the highways," Coombes said. "The things people lose out of their vehicles is crazy."

Last year they found a pair of walkie talkies but they didn't work. They also found a business credit card that they were able to return to the owner.

This year Coombes' mother and friend George each found $100 bills.

"I think it is a great program and it was super easy to get signed up," Coombes said.

Feigley added, "It is just another way we can serve the community and do our part in beautifying the highway. In this case, it is the [north] entrance to Seeley Lake."

For more information about the Adopt A Highway Program visit https://www.mdt.mt.gov/pubinvolve/hwy_adoption.shtml

Current adopted sections as of Oct. 28:

Highway 83 from Clearwater Junction to Salmon Prairie:

• Mile Marker 0 – 2: Mission Bible Fellowship

• Mile Marker 2 – 4: River Watch HOA

• Mile Marker 4 – 6: Veterans and Families of Seeley Lake

• Mile Marker 6 – 8: The Pohlman Family

• Mile Marker 8 – 10: Seeley Swan Search and Rescue

• Mile Marker 10 – 11: ADOPTABLE

• Mile Marker 11 – 13: Seeley Lake LDS Church

• Mile Marker 13 – 15: Holy Cross Lutheran Church

• Mile Marker 15 – 17: Seeley Lake Lions Club

• Mile Marker 17 – 19: Seeley Lake Ranger District

• Mile Marker 19 – 21: Lewis Family

• Mile Marker 21 – 23: Sons & Daughters of Lake Inez

• Mile Marker 23 – 25: ADOPTABLE

• Mile Marker 25 – 27: Boman Family

• Mile Marker 27 – 29: Memory of Bob & Gen Miester

• Mile Marker 29 – 31: Schadey Spring Acres

• Mile Marker 31 – 33: The Dream Team/Porte Family

• Mile Marker 33 – 35: ADOPTABLE

• Mile Marker 35 – 37: Swan Valley AARP 2306

• Mile Marker 37 – 38: ADOPTABLE

• Mile Marker 38 – 40: The Gucci Gucci Yumas

• Mile Marker 40 – 42: Upper Swan Valley Historical Society

• Mile Marker 42 – 44: Swan Valley Connections

• Mile Marker 44 – 46: ADOPTABLE

• Mile Marker 46 – 48: In Memory of Swan Valley Pioneers

• Mile Marker 48 – 50: ADOPTABLE

• Mile Marker 50 – 52: Swan Valley Baptist Church

Highway 200 from Potomac to Ovando:

• Mile Marker 8 – 12: University of Montana Retirees Association

• Mile Marker 12 – 14: High Mountain Creative

• Mile Marker 14 – 15: In Memory of Mike Northey

• Mile Marker 15 – 17: Potomac Bible Church

• Mile Marker 17 – 18: ADOPTABLE

• Mile Marker 18 – 19: Blackfoot Home & Community Club

• Mile Marker 19 – 22: ADOPTABLE

• Mile Marker 22 – 24: Lubrecht Forest

• Mile Marker 24 – 28: Paws Up

• Mile Marker 28 – 30: Camp Utmost

• Mile Marker 30 – 32: Friends & Family of B.J.

• Mile Marker 32 – 34: A Few Good Friends

• Mile Marker 34 – 36: Fairytale Farms Inc.

• Mile Marker 36 – 38: ADOPTABLE

• Mile Marker 38 – 40: Heart Bar Heart Ranch

• Mile Marker 40 – 44: ADOPTABLE

• Mile Marker 44 – 46: Ovando School