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University of Oregon fraternity trashes California scenic spot

By Martin Smith
University of Oregon fraternity members left a big mess on Slaughterhouse Island on Northern California's Lake Shasta. Photo courtesy Jennifer Vick Cox/Facebook
University of Oregon fraternity members left a big mess on Slaughterhouse Island on Northern California's Lake Shasta. Photo courtesy Jennifer Vick Cox/Facebook

EUGENE, Ore., May 25 (UPI) -- A University of Oregon fraternity has apologized for the carnage they left behind at a Northern California scenic spot.

Park Rangers discovered around 90 discarded tents, bags of trash, coolers containing half-eaten food, and clothing dumped at Lake Shasta island campsite. Photos of the scene soon went viral.

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The mess was created by members of Lambda Chi fraternity, who had been spending the weekend in the forested area about 170 miles north of Sacramento.

Phyllis Swanson, a spokeswoman for the Shasta-Trinity National Forest said the lake area is a popular haunt for fraternity and sorority trips, sometimes attracting upwards of 1,000 college students to the lake.

"What was different about this one," Swanson said, "is they left behind an incredible amount of trash."

Among the garbage were University of Oregon shopping bags and flip flops, and a cooler decorated with the letters of the local chapter of Lambda Chi Alpha. It also read "Do you wanna do some blow man?"

"Though it is not known who all was involved at this time, we find this situation to be absolutely unacceptable," said a spokesman for the fraternity Tuesday.

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"On behalf of any of our members involved, the UO Zeta Omicron Zeta Chapter would like to extend our deepest apologies for any destruction of Lake Shasta resort and the surrounding environment.

"Our chapter has reached out to the United States Forest Service to arrange for our members to help in the cleanup of the environment."

University of Oregon Vice President for Student Life Robin Holmes said Lambda Chi Alpha was suspending the chapter's activities "until the situation is addressed."

He added: "The manner in which the forest was left was absolutely unacceptable and disgraceful."

Meanwhile, park rangers have been trying to clean the area around the lake in time for Memorial Day weekend.

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