An Arizona man, Mark Aaron Gatz, 65, was arrested on June 25 for allegedly living in the Tonto National Forest for approximately eight years. Authorities discovered nearly half a ton of trash strewn around his campsite, according to federal court documents.

An officer described the scene as "possibly one of the worst residential cases he has seen" and noted the significant amount of debris. The campsite, located near a popular hiking and biking trail, spanned roughly half an acre and was the subject of multiple complaints to the National Park Service. These complaints detailed "several large structures, several man-made fire pits, several years’ worth of trash, household goods scattered throughout the forest."

The collected trash consisted of tires, plastic bags, aluminum cans, and other refuse. Gatz had also constructed a canopy under which he parked an SUV. Other items found at the site included a cooking station with numerous frying pans, five 55-gallon drums, eight tires, four bike frames, five gallons of motor oil, and lumber.

National Forest police had been aware of Gatz for about a year and he had at least six outstanding federal arrest warrants prior to his apprehension. These warrants were for offenses including building a campfire during fire restrictions, constructing structures on forest land, maintaining unsanitary conditions, and occupying national forest land as a residence.

Gatz is accused of violating nine federal laws, including building and maintaining a fire outside a designated area, leaving a fire unattended, exceeding allowed camping duration, constructing and occupying a residence on National Forest land, damaging U.S. property, and littering. He was detained as a potential flight risk.

According to a detention order filed June 30, Gatz has a criminal history and had repeatedly failed to appear in court for previous violations. Arrests for residing on National Forest land are uncommon and typically occur in cases of persistent non-compliance, with consequences usually involving significant fines and bans from the area rather than immediate imprisonment.

Under current regulations, campers in National Forests are generally limited to a 14-day stay within a 30-day period. Exceeding this limit, constructing unauthorized structures, and leaving personal property behind are considered unauthorized residential use of the land.