VICTOR • In a joint venture last month, the Gold Belt Tour Byway Association and Focus on the Forest removed trash from an illegal dump site on Shelf Road. Spearheaded by members of the Gold Belt Tour and Scenic Byway, the cleanup was part of the Love our Byway program.

“The site has become a popular place for homeless people to camp and for folks to dump their trash and household goods,” said Charlotte Bumgarner, executive director of Gold Belt Tour Byway Association. “It has grown very unsightly and an eyesore on along the byway.”

Forty-four volunteers from both organizations showed up the morning of Sept. 18 to begin the project.

Bumgarner credits the partnership with Focus on the Forest for the project’s success. “Without their assistance we most likely wouldn’t have pulled this effort off,” she said. “They have the experience and equipment to make this job easier, so it was a no-brainer to partner with them.”

After several hours, the groups collected and loaded enough trash to nearly fill a 40-yard rolloff dumpster. “What a great job the volunteers did. Again, thanks to Focus on the Forest for hauling off the trash,” Bumgarner said.

The Love our Byway project on Shelf Road received a $2,000 grant from Toyota; the funds were administered by the National Scenic Byway Foundation. “The grant made it possible for us to get the project off the ground and move forward with success,” Bumgarner said.