Spring has arrived in southeast Saskatchewan. The snow has nearly disappeared, exposing everything that was hidden underneath it during the cold winter months - grass, dirt, rocks...and litter.

"This is one of our biggest issues at this time of year," stated Conservation Officer Lindsay Leko.

"People start to do some spring cleaning, and for some reason they feel that it's appropriate to take their pile of garbage out and dump it out in the rural parts of our countryside, instead of disposing of it properly, either with a recycling center where you can be reimbursed for some of it or landfills."

"It tends to be a bit of a growing trend right now, and it's something that we are working hard to try and solve," he added.

He noted that it is important to use courtesy and common sense.

"We've got landfills to which you can take your household waste, yard trimmings, construction materials and deer scraps, and a lot of it can be recycled too. But for some reason people feel that they need to be dumping it off in the middle of the country, at abandoned yard sites or on approaches next to homes."

"The bottom line is that it's pure laziness."

Leko explained some of the impacts that litter can have on an area.

"Not only is it an eyesore, there's also people disposing of other types of waste that turn into unnatural food sources for animals. During big game season, hunters decide to get rid of their carcass, and instead of taking it to the landfill they throw it out on a road or in the ditch thinking that the coyotes are going to clean it up. In the big picture, that leaves a bad image toward hunters, and not at all what we want."

He shared ways that you can keep the region clean, which includes using the facilities available.

"People in rural Saskatchewan can also be on the lookout for garbage, and if you happen to see somebody dumping out you can give us their license plate number or a description of the vehicle and we will lay charges. The minimum fine for something like that is $500."

"There definitely is a consequence for engaging in that type of activity," he concluded.