Phil Wooley and Desert Pigs Honored for Outstanding Service to Nevada’s Rural Communities and Open Spaces

Submitted Article from Evangeline Elston                 evangeline@evangelinepresents.com      

March 28, 2025

On March 13, 2025 the Silver City Citizens Advisory Board honored the work of Phil Wooley and Desert Pigs, for their outstanding service to rural communities and open spaces in Lyon County and around the state of Nevada.

Desert Pigs is a nonprofit organization founded by Phil Wooley, to clean up illegal dump sites on publicly accessible land around the state. The mission of the group is to make trails and open spaces safer for hikers, equestrians, off road vehicles and wild animals.

Desert Pigs at work:

In 2018, responding to multiple Facebook posts from people complaining about illegal dumps, Wooley gathered some friends together, rounded up a truck and a trailer to go out and clean the dumps up, and make a video of it. His idea was to put it out on social media to show how easy it is to do something about the dumps, instead of complaining and waiting for someone else to do it. Wooley says, “the video got a lot of attention and soon other people wanted to get involved by volunteering and helping with dump fees.

Tires are a huge challenge to dispose of says Phil Wooley:

Ever since then, the group has convened every Saturday morning. They use their own vehicles and equipment. Dump sites are crowd sourced from tips to the Desert Pigs and by group members scouting them as well. If you live in rural Nevada or use publicly accessible lands, chances are you’ve come across one of these illegal dumps. They are often made up of abandoned vehicles, tires, cans of paint, household trash and so much more, and Phil says, a lot of hypodermic needles. It’s dangerous work.

Some cleanups have toxic waste and require special safety gear:

What Phil Wooley has found is a tremendous willingness from the community to get involved and help. He says, “These are busy folks with jobs, who could do anything they want on the weekends, but they choose to come get dirty with us! The immeasurable kindness and toughness of our volunteers, I’ve seen nowhere else.”

This “good guy energy”, as Phil describes it, has fueled Desert Pigs to work in many communities around the state. There are now chapters of Desert in many areas across Nevada including Lyon County, Carson City, Carson Valley, Fernley, North Valleys, Yerington, Elko and Pahrump. Desert Pigs also wrangle people to participate in blood drives. He says, “Our drives have now collected enough units of blood to save 2,250 lives.”

There are challenges for the organization though. One big one is abandoned vehicles. It’s illegal for the Pigs to remove them without going through a mountain of prohibitive red tape. Wooley is working with lawmakers in the Nevada State Legislature to pass AB415 which would make removal of abandoned vehicles from publicly accessible land easier. Another challenge is having enough working haul vehicles for the Saturday cleanups. Phil himself has three trucks, all in need of various repairs most of the time. And the work is dangerous. Having broken his own back on the way to a cleanup, Wooley is always concerned for the safety of volunteers. Also, sufficient funding for cleanup and safety supplies and equipment is a big challenge for Desert Pigs.

Help from the community is welcome to support the work and meet the challenges faced by Desert Pigs. Volunteers are welcome and donations to cover the cost of insurance, supplies, and dump fees are critical for their continued success.

Phil Wooley moved to Carson City in 1999 from Georgia after his grandmother passed away and his grandfather needed support. He landed a job at the Nevada Appeal as a graphic artist. There he met his wife of twenty-five years, Lisa, where she worked in the press room. They now live in Dayton and have five children. Wooley made a bid for a seat on the Lyon County Board of Commissioners in 2024 running as a Republican but lost in the Primary to Tammy Hendrix.

Wooley is inspired by the support and response from the community and volunteers. He says he just doesn’t feel right if he doesn’t have a Saturday cleanup. He’s driven by the success of the group making a difference in rural Nevada.

Desert Pigs at work:

The Silver City Citizens Advisory Board is an official advisory board to the Lyon County Board of Supervisors. They meet monthly to discuss issues and make recommendations to the Board. They presented Phil Wooley and Desert Pigs with a certificate of appreciation for their work on behalf of the residents of Silver City, Nevada.

DESERT PIGS WEBSITE: https://www.desertpigs.com/

VIDEO: The first Desert Pigs Cleanup in 2018

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYVlwZdmPTI

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