Walking the dirt roads of the Kenny Ranch property, travelers are greeted by beautiful, thick forests, singing birds, and everything they might want for their home, office and automotive needs.

Illegal dumping is rampant on the property and garage-sale quantities of junk - copiers, tires, furniture, even the odd stuffed animal - lie around just about every corner. The debris is not just an eyesore, it's expensive.

Phil Lester, who owns Gold Country Lenders and oversees the 400-unit proposed Kenny Ranch development west of Grass Valley, said he will shell out between $12,000 and $15,000 for cleanup efforts by the end of the year.

"It's just an incomprehensible disrespect for people's property," he said.

The problem is by no means confined to Kenny Ranch and the trash cans provide breeding grounds for pests like rats and mosquitoes, county Environmental Specialist Grant Eisen said.

"It's extensive throughout the county," he said. "It's trespassing, violation of private property and, in our view, it's a potential health hazard because it's uncontrolled dumping and we don't know what's being dumped."

Illegal dumping is a misdemeanor and can carry heavy fines, but Eisen admitted it is difficult to catch offenders.

"We're taking a more aggressive stance, trying to find responsible parties, and have had recent success with the District Attorney's Office," he said.

Illegal haulers, who go through neighborhoods and offer to pick up garbage for a fee, are some of the worst offenders, Eisen said. He said the only waste-hauling organization that contracts with the county is Waste Management of Nevada County, and anyone else operating similar businesses is unpermitted.

On Kenny Ranch alone recently, more than 200 tires, four dump-truck loads of garbage and three large dump-truck loads of appliances such as washers and dryers have been removed, Gold Country Lenders Marketing Director Zack Murphy said.

"It's a shame for such a beautiful area to become a public dumping ground, especially when there's a waste facility so close," he said, referring to the McCourtney Road Transfer Station.

Lester said he thinks some of the dumping is simply from individuals getting rid of their trash, but he blames the bulk of it on businesses saving money on discarding and recycling their waste.

"With dump fees the way they are, some guy can charge a homeowner or business owner to take their garbage, dump it on private land and keep the fees," he said.

For now, Lester said he can do little about the problem except to put up cable fences around the property, patrol the area as much as possible and look into hiring security.

"I encourage people to come down and walk (on the property)," he said. "But I don't encourage them to come down here and dump their garbage."