A dumping problem that drew attention near Ponceannah Cemetery has improved there, but residents say trash is still being left along nearby dirt roads off County Road 42.
News 6 found boats, couches, appliances and other debris dumped along several roads in the Paisley area. One boat has been sitting there for years, according to Karen Yanik, who showed News 6 the sites and said the problem extends well beyond the cemetery.
“There’s a boat at the other end of it, but it is literally trash the entire way,” Yanik said while pointing out debris along one dirt road.
Yanik said she has seen a wide range of items abandoned in the area.
“I think probably the craziest things that I’ve seen out here are appliances, the boats that you and I just looked at, toilets, buckets full,” she said.
The dirt roads are just minutes from Ponceannah Cemetery, where News 6 has reported on illegal dumping and cleanup efforts. Yanik said the cemetery was only one visible example of a broader issue.
“You kind of picked a scab finding the issues at Ponceannah Cemetery,” she said. “It’s a small sample of what goes on on every dirt road north of 42 out here.”
Yanik said she often finds new piles of trash when she visits the area. Some debris, including one boat, has been there since she started coming out in 2019, she said.
She has joined other off-roaders and people who use the forest in trying to clean up the mess, but said the amount of trash is overwhelming.
“We started cleaning up this pile of trash in 2025, but we just haven’t had an opportunity to get it all,” Yanik said.
She said she wants to see more attention, more patrols and resources for organized cleanups, including access to a dumpster in the area.
“I wish there was a way for more patrol,” she said. “People take advantage of the fact that they know law enforcement isn’t nearby, and they can do what they want.”
Yanik also pointed out that residents have legal disposal options nearby, including the Paisley Transfer Station.
News 6 will continue following up on illegal dumping concerns in the Paisley area.
Lake and Marion County officials met on Thursday during a zoom call to discuss developing a Lake County Taskforce to help with cleanups in the area.