SPARKS, Nev. (News 4 & Fox 11) — A coordinated cleanup effort is planned for a growing encampment along Interstate 80 east of Sparks, where officials say safety risks for both campers and drivers continue to escalate.
Washoe County, the Bureau of Land Management, the Washoe County Sheriff’s HOPE Team and Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful are set to conduct the cleanup Saturday, June 13, targeting an area along westbound I-80 between mile markers 21 and 20. The site includes highway shoulders and nearby hillsides known locally as “The Rocks.”
The effort will focus on removing trash, debris, hazardous materials and items associated with the camps. But officials say the operation is not solely about clearing the camps.
The HOPE outreach team will work to connect people living in the encampment with services and, when possible, transition them into safer, more stable conditions…