Project selling Christmas trees harvested by restoration project

Buying a holiday tree also can be an investment in forest health, when consumers look for the Front Range Christmas Tree Promotion tag.

“More than 90 percent of the Christmas trees sold in the Front Range are imported from outside the state,´ said Craig Jones, a state forester and small-diameter wood marketing specialist. “It’s a bit ironic, since small lodgepole pines and Douglas-fir constitute a great deal of the fuel loading

in Front Range forests, and they also can make excellent Christmas trees.”

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The promotion is designed to help retailers — which range from education and scouting groups to contractors with large, annual lots — sell these forest products. Prospective retail groups also will be able to contact contractors working in restoration areas to secure trees. A Web site (coloradoforestproducts.org) has been established to help consumers find retailers near them and also to allow retailers and contractors to join this effort, co-sponsored by the Front Range Fuels Treatment Partnership and the Colorado Wood Utilization and Marketing Assistance Center.

Native Christmas trees from wildfire mitigation or forest restoration efforts often aren’t as full as trees from commercial nurseries, but they do tend to be much fresher and often do not shed any needles, Jones said. The restoration-cut trees are usually less expensive than nursery trees and their purchase also help support the small businesses that are involved in forest restoration work.

“Securing a bigger market share for native Colorado Christmas trees could be an important first step in finding ways to pay for forest restoration work in our state, which is typically done without cutting any trees for timber operations,” Jones said.

Some retailers already participating in the project include:

Boy Scout Troop 8, Estes Park: Trees are sold at Estes Park Lumber, 7400 S. St. Vrain Ave., during business hours. Scouts man the tree lot from 3 to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, and from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends until Saturday, Dec. 29.

Colorado Native Christmas Tree, Boulder: Trees are sold at 3375 75th St. (just north of Valmont on 75th. Lot hours are from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Thursday and from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends.

Aspen Lodge, Estes Park: Trees are available at 6120 Highway 7 between Allenspark and Estes Park. Trees are free with the purchase of holiday hayrides ($10 for adults, $5 for children). Call ahead for reservations Contact:Amber Lausted at (970) 586-8133.

Warren Tech Horticulture Class, Lakewood: Trees available at 13300 West Second Place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.