Colorado man takes abandoned vehicles out of the forest, one recovery at a time

There are plenty of ways to enjoy Colorado's public lands, but Zac Beaman says aside from rolling through the woods on his ATV or truck, he ends up spending some of his time cleaning up the forest.

Beaman works in the towing and recovery industry, but over the last two or three years, he's started using his skills and equipment to help remove abandoned vehicles from the forest. The idea started with a Jeep he found while out wheeling in the forest. He didn't like watching the vehicle sit there and get picked apart.

"It was a Jeep that had no wheels, no tires, and every year when it got seen, more and more parts were getting pulled off of it," Beaman said. "When people start getting away from eyes, then they start doing things that they're not supposed to be doing. That includes stripping other people's vehicles, which is stealing."

So Beaman used his recovery equipment to get the Jeep out, working with the Forest Service to handle the vehicle and locate its owner.

Since then, he's continued looking for opportunities to clean up public lands. So far, he's helped remove two cars and three ATVs from forest trails, with more recoveries planned.

But Beaman is quick to point out that people shouldn't simply head into the woods and start dragging things out themselves.  He works with the appropriate authorities when a vehicle needs to be recovered and says people who find abandoned vehicles can report them to local authorities or the U.S. Forest Service.

For Beaman, the bigger issue is the culture of leaving things behind in the first place. Beaman says he has "a heart for the outdoors," and believes people have a responsibility to protect the places they're enjoying.

"The rule should always be if you pack it in, you pack it out. Having this trash that includes vehicles, that includes your friends, all those kinds of things," he said. "I don't think you should just go build something and then just go start moving stuff around the woods. But things that people can most certainly do is pick up trash."

That may be as simple as carrying an extra garbage bag on a hike, camping trip or off-road adventure, and if you find something that's beyond what you can safely handle, he says reporting it can still make a difference.

"You can always report that stuff. You can always report it to your local authorities. You can always report it to your local Forest Service. Those are things that they can work with," he said.

Beaman isn't getting paid for the vehicle recoveries. In fact, he says the volunteer work comes out of his own pocket, with fuel costs being one of the biggest challenges. Still, he says it's worth it.

"You doing the things that you love doesn't necessarily feel like a loss when it comes to financial stuff," Beaman said. "You're doing it as a little bit more food for the soul, food for your health."

He says he sometimes works harder on his days off than he does during his regular workdays.

"That's okay with me. It's not okay with my wife, but it is okay with me," he said, laughing.

For Beaman, the goal isn't to become the guy who pulls every abandoned vehicle out of Colorado's forests. It's to do what he can, and soak in the wilderness of our great state.

"That's what Colorado is for. You get to enjoy the things that nature has provided for us, right?" he said. "The worst thing you can do, though, is trash. You can trash this land."

While most people don't have the equipment to recover a car or ATV, Beaman says everyone can play a role in keeping Colorado's public lands clean.

"What you're doing is, not only is it good for the land, but it's good for the soul," he said.