Adopt-A-Road

Purpose and Procedures

The purpose of the "Adopt-A-Road" Program is to provide the citizens of Deschutes County an opportunity to control roadside litter and improve the appearance of Deschutes County's roads through a managed program.

Program Director

The Director of the Deschutes County Road Department will have ultimate authority over the "Adopt-A-Road" Program.  The Director may delegate portions of the "Adopt-A-Road" to Road Department staff.

1. The applicant must apply in writing to the Road Department for the section of road being adopted.
2. Normally the section of road requested by the applicant will be two miles in length, if there are unique situations or features, the Department may modify the length of the section.
3. The Department may consider factors such as width of right-of-way, geometry, congestion, and reduced sight distance in determining which roads or sections of roads will be eligible for this Program.
4. The term of the Permit shall be for a three year period. 
5. If more than one applicant requests the same section of road, the Department may make the selection by earliest date of application.
6. Assignment of a specific section of road shall be at the discretion of the Department.
7. The Department shall not issue a Permit under this Program to any applicant whose objectives and values are determined to be inconsistent with public interest and the Road Departments charge and responsibilities under Oregon Law and County Ordinance.  To make this determination, the Department will rely on:

•  All of the information provided in the application and any other information considered to be common knowledge of the general public in the geographic area of the road section to be adopted;
• Information which may be requested of the applicant by the Department.  This information may include bylaws, articles of incorporation, or literature of the applicant. Failure to provide such information upon request may be grounds for denial of a Permit.

Permit Requirements

1. Before an "Adopt-A-Road" Permit is valid, it will be executed by both the applicant and the Department. The Permit may list the specific requirements and obligations of the applicant and/or its participants and the Department.
2. Subcontracting or assigning the adopted section by the applicant is prohibited and will result in cancellation of the Permit.
3. This Program may, at any time for any reason, be canceled, modified in scope, or altered in any other manner at the sole discretion of the Director of the Road Department. Such alteration of the Program shall apply to all Permits issued prior to such date unless otherwise specified.
4. The Department may cancel a Permit for any reason including, but not limited to safety considerations concerning road operations. Failure of the applicant to perform and failure of the applicant or its participants to comply with the provisions of the Permit.  This cancellation will be issued in writing.
5. The permit holder may cancel the Permit by notifying the Department in writing.  The Department will confirm cancellation by written notice of cancellation to the Permit Holder.
6. An applicant has option of renewing the Permit for subsequent terms. Subject to the approval of the Department.

Applicant organization and participant responsibilities

• The applicant will be required to execute a Liability Release Form reflecting the participant's awareness and acknowledgement of the potentially hazardous nature of the work involved.
• Participation by or presence at the work site of anyone under 18 years of age is not permitted without a Liability Release for Minor Form having been filled out and turned in for that individual.
• The participant will be required to comply with and abide by all laws, rules and regulations relating to safety and use of this road, and such other terms and conditions as may be required by the Department for special conditions on a particular adopted road section. Individual participants may be excluded from participation or the Permit canceled at the discretion of the Department for violation of this section.
• Each Organization/Family is required to pick up litter a minimum of two times a year.  This frequency may be modified (increased or decreased)  by the Department dependent on condition and appearance of the road section.
• If maintenance of landscaping improvements is a planned work activity, the scope of work and specific requirements and limitations will be agreed to by the applicant and the Department and identified in the Permit.
• Supplies, materials and work area signs furnished by the Road Department will be obtained from a location and at a time determined  by the Department. Work area signs shall be returned to the same location.
• Each group or organization will be responsible for appointing or selecting a spokesperson. The spokesperson's responsibilities include assuring compliance by participants with safety procedures proper participant clothing and footwear, proper parking of vehicle(s) along the road, providing first-aid kit and adequate drinking water, and arranging transportation of the participants to and from the work site.
• Each group participant will be responsible for placing litter in trash bags furnished by the Department

Road Department Responsibilities:

1. The Department will consult with the applicant to determine the specific section of road to be adopted;
2. The Department will furnish work area signs, trash bags, orange vests, and safety awareness information for applicant's safety meetings;
3. The Department will furnish and erect two acknowledgment signs, one at each end of the road section with the groups name or acronym displayed. If the Department determines that the signs would create an unsafe condition for persons using the road, it may  choose not to erect the signs. The signs may be removed when the Permit is canceled or terminated;
4. The Department will be responsible for the removal of the filled bags from the road and for removing litter from adopted section under unusual circumstances, i.e. to remove large, heavy, or hazardous items;

Safety

1. Participants must wear approved orange vest at all times while working on the roadsides or within the right-of-way.
2. Participants are urged to wear leather work gloves over latex gloves.
3. Participants will walk on the shoulder of the road, not on the road itself, while picking up trash or walking to and from vehicles.
4. Participants are encouraged to recycle any recyclable items.
5. Place large items, such as appliances, couches, etc., on the shoulder of the road, far enough off the pavement to prevent their being struck by traffic.
6. You may come across hazardous materials in your work, such as hypodermic needles, broken glass, etc.  If you find any hazardous materials or anything that you cannot identify, FLAG IT, WALK AWAY FROM IT AND CALL THE GROUP LEADER. Never attempt to pick up any of these items. If you have already touched the item, before realizing what it was, wash your skin with water immediately.  If available, use soap, after rinsing off your skin with water.  Notify the Road Department contact person of the flagged hazardous item when calling to request a litter bag pickup.

Adopt-A-Road Signage

1. The Road Department will install the sponsor's name plaque with all ADOPT-A-ROAD signs.
2. If the Permittee does not have a preference concerning the message on the sponsor's name plaque, then a generic sign such as "KEEP DESCHUTES COUNTY GREEN" or similar sign will be used to show that this section of road has been adopted.
3. If an applicant does not renew a Permit, then the sponsor's name plaque will be removed.

Applying for an Adopt-a-Road Permit

Prospective applicants will need to contact the Road Department to verify availability of a road segment or to obtain a list of available road segments.  Permits and liability release forms will be sent to applicants once the road segment of choice has been approved by the Road Department.

Contact

• Phone:  (541) 388-6581
• Email:  Adopt-A-Road@DeschutesCounty.gov