A group of off-road enthusiasts are working to clean up the Hungry Valley Recreational Area, known as Moon Rocks.
The popular recreation area has wide open spaces, with several dirt trails and roads in the high desert terrain.
Off-road enthusiast and founder of a new Facebook group called Friends of Moon Rocks said, "I'm a life long off-roader. I'm always modifying my vehicles and building them. And this is a great spot to come and test things out and see how those modifications worked and all the time and effort really pays off when you're trying to climb all these obstacles."
Wagner's group, Friends of Moon Rocks, consists of people with similar interests that are working to keep the recreational area clean.
Wagner and the Bureau of Land Management said that the recreational area has been busy during holidays and also because of many impacting events of 2020.
"This summer we saw a lot of forest were closed in California. Between the fires and Covid, I think this area got more use as a result, and I don't think a lot of those people know the ethics of outdoors." Wagner said.
"The by product is trash and we need to keep our area clean." said Kimberly Dow, the Bureau of Land Management's Acting Sierra Front Manager.
Wagner organized an event on Saturday morning to clean up the site. His group, Friends of Moon Rocks, other local groups and the Bureau of Land Management cleaned up trash around the area. 40 People volunteered to help and although there were many cold hands during the snowy morning, Moon Rocks was filled with warm hearts.
"We manage a lot of land and there's a lot of areas that we have to do a lot of clean ups, "said Dow. "We can't do it without our volunteers and partners so this is just amazing.
The Moon Rocks clean up day was Wagner's first time organizing an event.
Wagner said, "I didn't really know what to expect and I'm just really thrilled by how many people showed up."
Wagner said he and his group will continue working alongside local partners and the Bureau of Land Management to keep Moon Rocks clean. However he and the Bureau of Land Management said that they want to encourage people to recreate responsibly and do their part as well.
"Take pride in your public lands. These public lands belong to the American people and we do our best to help keep them clean and safe in an area that's enjoyable." said Dow. "It takes everyone."
