This month, Michigan’s Adopt-A-Highway workers will return to roadsides across the state to clean-up trash in the first of three annual trash pick-up efforts.

The program is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. We applaud the Adopt-A-Highway and Adopt-A-Forest programs Michigan has produced, which save taxpayers millions of dollars each year and help beautify our most well-traveled highways and woodlands.

The first litter pickups for the year began earlier this month downstate. Trash pickups will take place in the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula between April 25 and May 3. Statewide, two additional clean-ups will include a summer pickup from July 11 to 19 and a fall pickup from Sept. 26 to Oct. 4.

State officials said sections of state highways in the region remain available for civic groups, businesses and families to adopt.

Across the U.P., there are just under 100 Adopt-A-Highway groups who have been cleaning up along U.S. 41, M-28, U.S. 2, M-35 and numerous other routes for the past two decades.

Nearly 150 more U.P. groups have been working in the program for 15 to 19 years and another roughly 100 more groups have been involved in the roadside work for 10 to 14 years.

These worker groups are comprised of members of churches, scouting groups, service and 4-H clubs, military veterans, schools, lodges and more.

Statewide, a total of 3,178 groups are currently in the program, 883 of which have been participating for at least 20 years. As of April 2014, 2 million bags of trash have been collected, with an average of about 70,000 bags each year.

Crew members have to be at least 12 years old and each group must have at least three people. Groups are asked to adopt a section of highway for at least two years. Adopt-A-Highway signs bearing a group’s name are posted along the stretch of adopted highway. There is no fee to participate in the program.

Michigan Department of Transportation officials said 6,700 miles of Michigan highway are currently adopted, with an estimated benefit totaling $5 million to state taxpayers in 2014.

For more information, see michigan.gov/adoptahighway.