Volunteers will gather to make a difference at the Boulders OHV Staging Area along State Route 74 (mile marker 11.5) from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. To get to the Boulders from the Phoenix area, head north on I-17 to the Highway 74 exit (exit 223), head west on Highway 74 to mile marker 11.5, then go north one mile to the staging area. Road access into the area is good for most vehicles.

The public is encouraged to volunteer (under the terms of an agency agreement) to assist with cleanup, outreach and sign installation activities. Volunteers are asked to bring gloves, snacks and water.

Cycle Gear, a motorsports gear store, will have prizes for top volunteer efforts. The Arizona Trails Riders will be conducting courtesy vehicle sound testing and will help repack mufflers. The Arizona OHV Coalition and OHV Ambassadors will provide you with maps and informational materials. The Arizona Game and Fish Department will have its mobile OHV learning center on hand to help inform the public of the new OHV laws, places to ride, and tips on responsible operation.

Partners in this National Public Lands Day event include the Bureau of Land Management Phoenix District, the Arizona Game and Fish Department, Arizona State Parks, Cycle Gear (www.cyclegear.com), Arizona Trail Riders, the Arizona Off-Highway Vehicle Coalition, and the OHV Ambassadors.

For more information on this event, please contact the Bureau of Land Management Phoenix District at (623) 580-5500.

Arizona State Parks is waiving the camping and boat launch fees for those registered for this effort.

Participants are staying at the Cholla Campground, and those using boats will launch from the Cholla Launch Ramp as well. Please feel free to come and camp out on Friday night to save having to get up before the crack of dawn. The cleanup will start at 8 a.m. on Saturday.

There will also be a dinner and door prizes on Saturday evening following the cleanup. Once the cleanup is done, there might just be some time to fish – and there will be lots of anglers there who know the lake well.

Game and Fish will operate a pontoon boat for collecting shoreline litter and will also have a dump truck to haul away the trash. Be sure to wear gloves.

For more information, contact Wildlife Manager Stewart Kohnke at (928) 684-3763 or (928) 342-0091.

If you like to spend your time, energy, enthusiasm and talents working for the benefit of wildlife and outdoor recreation in Arizona, then the Arizona Game and Fish Department Volunteer Program was made with you in mind.

The Volunteer Program is designed to help department personnel carry out the agency’s mission while providing an opportunity for volunteers to participate, firsthand, in managing Arizona’s wildlife resources.

The program goal is to provide you with a congenial and cooperative atmosphere where you can build relationships with staff and other volunteers, and gain knowledge about Arizona wildlife, wildlife management, and outdoor recreation. We recognize your time is important and worthwhile and will strive to provide a variety of rewarding and educational volunteer experiences.

The department’s volunteer program saw more than 282,731 volunteer hours logged in fiscal year 2007-08, and more than 189,654 volunteer miles were driven to project sites. That’s an estimated $3 million value to the state.

Volunteer opportunities with the department are always available and ever changing in scope. Past projects have included: Wildlife care, facility maintenance and office work at the Adobe Mountain Wildlife Center; instructional work in boating, sport fishing and shooting sports; habitat restoration and clean-up projects; seasonal field projects; surveys; and much more.

You can find an updated list of volunteer opportunities on the department Web site at www.azgfd.gov/volunteer.