A local nonprofit known for helping maintain and beautify Folsom’s trail and parkway system is asking for the community’s help after repeated vandalism and the apparent theft of green waste containers being used during ongoing cleanup and fire-prevention work.
Friends of Folsom Parkways reported this week that approximately 15 green waste bins being used by volunteer crews were emptied and taken from an area in the eastern portion of the Parkway development. The incident came just days after the nonprofit’s volunteers took part in Folsom’s Hometown Parade, where the group received a warm welcome from the community for its ongoing work along local trails and open spaces.
According to Tom Aceituno, board president of Friends of Folsom Parkways, the nonprofit’s crews have been working to clear weeds, overgrown vegetation and debris in areas around the city as part of efforts to reduce fire risk and improve trail conditions. As part of that work, volunteers have been filling green waste containers with clippings and vegetation and placing them along a nearby street for collection by city waste management crews.
“It’s not easy moving the bins back and forth, especially when they are packed full, but our volunteers have been doing a great job without complaint,” Aceituno said, who has taken to social media to alert the community.
The trouble began last week, when someone dumped the contents of about 15 bins onto the ground and removed the containers from their collection location. The bins were later found nearby in a nature area. Volunteers then had to haul them back by hand and resume the cleanup process.
According to Aceituno, the same thing happened again the following night, but this time the bins were not found.
“Well, last night, it happened again,” Aceituno said. “This time all 15 bins were dumped out and taken. We have searched the surrounding area but have not located the missing bins.”
Aceituno said the repeated nature of the incident has raised the concern beyond a possible prank.
“One time, maybe a prank, but two times. That’s a criminal act,” Aceituno said.
Friends of Folsom Parkways is a local volunteer-driven nonprofit that works to support and improve Folsom’s extensive parkway and trail network. Its volunteers regularly take on hands-on projects that include vegetation clearing, trail maintenance, beautification and other work that benefits residents who use the city’s open space corridors.
The reported theft comes at a time when vegetation management and fire prevention remain important issues across the region. In Folsom, overgrown grass and brush along trails, parkways and open spaces can create added fire risk during the dry summer months. Volunteer groups such as Friends of Folsom Parkways often play a key role in helping supplement city maintenance efforts and keeping community spaces safe, accessible and clean.
The nonprofit said the missing bins and dumped debris have created an added burden for volunteers who are already donating their time and labor to help improve the community.
Cleaning up trails and reducing fire risk, Aceituno noted, is an effort that benefits everyone who lives in or visits Folsom.
“Cleaning up our trails is something everyone in the community supports — as evidenced by the warm welcome our team felt at the Hometown Parade,” Aceituno said. “Anything you can do to help us out would be appreciated.”
Anyone with information about the missing green waste containers, or anyone who sees suspicious activity involving the bins or the cleanup areas, is asked to reach out to Friends of Folsom Parkways.
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