Less litter in Ohio state parks

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Ohio officials say removing hundreds of trash receptacles from state parks has saved the state thousands of dollars and appears to have reduced the amount of litter.

   The "Carry In, Carry Out" program operates on the assumption that park-goers will take their trash with them if there's nowhere in the parks to put it.

   The Columbus Dispatch reports the state doesn't track litter but that park managers say less trash is being left on trails and guest approval ratings have remained steady or increased.

   The Ohio Department of Natural Resources has removed 372 trash receptacles from various parks since 2009 and is expanding the effort to additional sites.

   A manager at the department says $65,000 was saved in 2010 because the state had less park trash to dump.