POSTED: 3:53 pm EDT June 23, 2009

UPDATED: 5:40 pm EDT June 23, 2009

CINCINNATI -- If you plan on visiting an Ohio state park this summer, you had better B.Y.O.B. -- bring your own bag.

The state park service removed garbage containers from parks like Hueston Woods State Park about a month ago to help cut costs.

Visitors are now greeted at 30 state parks with signs asking them to collect their own garbage and take it with them when they leave.

Removing garbage containers is expected to save $2,500 a year, which the park service plans to use for basic maintenance.

Visitors to state parks could face $500 fines if they fail to clean up after themselves.

The above story appeared on the Channel 5 News website the other night.Well  this morning I contacted several offices in the Ohio area and was finally able to talk to someone in the Natural Resources office  who told me that not all the  trash containers will be removed from all  the Ohio state Parks.Just  those trash containers in un-populated areas of those State Parks will be removed.Somehow someone at these parks misunderstood and passed along incorrect info to the media.

What's the big deal?  Most of our parks are "carry in, carry out."

We have that at here in MD. Parks are a lot cleaner.

Somehow someone at these parks misunderstood and passed along incorrect info to the media.

Rest assured, they gave the media the correct information, but the media screwed it up.  I was in "the media" for several years - enough to know that they get their facts straight only about 50% of the time.  Getting the story out there "first" is much, much more important than accuracy.  

What's the big deal? Most of our parks are "carry in, carry out."

same. Only the most developed parks in Virginia that I have been to have trash receptacles.

Removing garbage containers is expected to save $2,500 a year, which the park service plans to use for basic maintenance.

Seriously?  The wages and gas spent removing the trash cans would almost make this a losing operation.

Removing garbage containers is expected to save $2,500 a year, which the park service plans to use for basic maintenance.

Seriously? The wages and gas spent removing the trash cans would almost make this a losing operation.

and with the time they waste picking up trash off the grounds now, it would probably be cheaper to leave the cans out.  I'm sure some people will just leave trash or dump it on the ground.

I've yet to go to any park in Florida where trash containers are not furnished, that said so may don't use them.

Florida has so many parks and the people treat them terrible.