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Working Together to Keep our Island Beautiful!

April 23, 2022 5:00 PM | Anonymous

HISCFA Adopt-A-Highway Program

For 14 years now, since February 2008, HISCFA has been sponsoring a 3-mile stretch of M-154 alongside the South Channel as part of the Adopt-A-Highway program. This is a cost-free Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) program—as part of a nationwide program—designed to help keep the state's highway roadsides clean and attractive.

Since 1990, Adopt-A-Highway local groups, like HISCFA, have collected over a million bags of trash in Michigan. Currently 2,800 groups are participating in the program and have adopted over 6,400 miles of Michigan highways!

Every year MDOT determines two one-week periods where sponsor groups conduct their roadside cleanup. Safety vests and trash bags are provided to sponsor groups, and a pickup report gets submitted online to MDOT; within a week the trash bags along the sponsored roadside are picked up.

A big thank you to the 16 volunteers that met this year at St. Mark Church on April 23. At the brief kick-off huddle, third mile stretches of M-154 were divvied up among participants. Then off they were with waders, boots, rakes, and one volunteer even had a graveling hook! It was a gorgeous 71-degree day with a light breeze and lots of sunshine—a good day for a roadside walk with a trash bag!

You can see HISCFA’s official Adopt-a-Highway sign at the 90-degree bend of M-154 as you head towards Green Drive. M-154 has existed on Harsens Island since 1931. There are only two other Michigan trunkline highways that are located on islands: M-134 connects by ferry across the DeTour Passage to Drummond Island, and state highway M-185 that circles Mackinac Island.

Even with the water levels down exposing more trash, and the program's “pause” for a couple years due to COVID, the task went quickly. After only two hours of collecting, the group had nearly 20 bags of trash and other large pieces of debris like pallets and metal fencing. It was a very gratifying, and fun day which was topped off with pizza (donated by Lucy Burby RE/MAX First) and beverages at Browne’s Field.

In coordination with HISCFA’s Adopt-A-Highway event, a neighborhood group of volunteers in the Flats conducts a similar roadside cleanup.  Their stretch begins where HISCFA's ends and down towards the turnaround. 

Between these two annual events and the many volunteers, our roadsides have a debris-free, fresh start heading into another summer season!


Thank you for your participation!


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