“The BLM Phoenix District has an ongoing and positive relationship with the City of Apache Junction on various land management issues. Since we began looking into the story, new signs have now gone up outlawing much of the problems.īLM also offering us this statement on their plan of action. The Pinal County Sheriff's Office confirms the area should be enforced by the Bureau of Land Management. "It was within a quarter of a mile of our neighbors house and our house, and if the wind had been blowing another direction who knows what could have happened," said Amber. Pictures suggest it may have originated from an illegal campfire near an area known for its They say when it comes to stopping the issues, the buck has been passed around between the different agencies for months.īut just last weekend, the situation reached a fever pitch following a grass fire. "This particular area of land is Bureau of Land Management, just a little further back in is Tonto National Forest, and just on the other side of the road is Pinal County," said Tom. The couple lives off Highway 88 in Apache Junction. "It is absolute lawlessness, there's no better way to put it," said Amber. "We moved out here for peace and solitude and to live in, really, one of the most beautiful areas I've ever seen," said Amber.īeauty now threatened on a near daily basis by makeshift camps covered in trash, vandalism of saguaro cacti and boulders. "They speed through here in groups, we don't even feel safe walking around our homes." "People coming in with pallets to burn fires even with the major fire danger and ban in the area," said Amber. ![]() "I have seen people coming and dumping entire trailer loads worth of trash, cutting down cactus and taking it with them," said Amber.ĭespite two years of complaints to anyone who would listen, they say nothing changes. APACHE JUNCTION, AZ - An East Valley community overrun by illegal dumping, reckless driving and homeless encampments is searching for answers.įor Amber and Tom Kunau, what they see now throughout their community is an all too common sight.
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