Recycling Christmas Trees and Giving Fish Habitat All in One Day!

Be patient, this article requires a preface. We eventually get around to the subject of recycling Christmas trees, but I feel the need to give you an idea of the area where the recycling takes place.

Modoc County is one of the largest counties in California, lying in the Northeastern corner of the state, bordered by Oregon and Nevada. It also has one of the smallest populations in the state. The county, on average, is 4000 feet above sea level and enjoys mild summers and cold winters. There are no 3 way traffic lights in the entire county. Most of our residents would like to see timber logged to thin the forests, enabling the healthy trees to grow healthier and to decrease the destructive power caused by fires. Most of us enjoy hunting and eating red meat. Ranching and farming are only second to government establishments when it comes to employers.

Christmas is a beautiful time of year in this rural and rustic area. The county seat is Alturas, a town of 3000 inhabitants. It is almost considered a sin to own an artificial tree in our area. If you don't want to buy a tree permit and brave the forest roads and snow, there are a few stores in town as well as the boyscouts that will be happy to sell you a live tree. I became aware of a recycling project that started aproximately 10 years ago in the town of Alturas. Now, you must understand, I live in a town 23 miles east, over a 6,300 foot mountain pass and so, trips to Alturas are usually not a daily occurance. Trips to Alturas become even more adventerous in the wintertime! Our tree usually went into our tree chipper and then into the compost pile.

In Alturas, the recycling process is a little more exciting. Just east of town is a man made reservoir called Dorris Reservoir. It is populated with bass and trout. Modocers love to spend long summer days fishing and swimming it's waters. It's water is also used for crop irrigation.

I visited with wildlife biologist, Marty Yamagiwa from the Modoc National Forest to get the nitty gritty on what exactly is done after gathering the large pile of Christmas trees together from their collection drive. Trees must be devoid of any tinsel, ornaments, garland or artificial snow products. Members of the various service organizations, the boyscouts and government agencies will gather several trees, bundle them together with cable and prepare to haul them up to Dorris Reservoir. If it is a hard winter, they will take them out onto the ice and set them at various locations. When the ice melts, the bundles of trees sink and the bass set up house. If the weather is mild, boats are used to deliver the bundles to specific sites and allowed to be heaved overboard.
The biologist explained that the bass love the protection the trees provide, the trees eventually deterioate and a new crop is available, each and every January.

I felt the need to let others know that even small towns are aware of the need for recycling. Opposite of what most media will suggest, farmers and ranchers are wonderful environmentalist. Think about it. Why would a man destroy what gives him his livelihood. Many ranchers and farmers leave grain and crop left over for wild animals and birds to sustain the winter on. My father erected geese nests high above his fields so that the animals and farm equipment would not accidentally interrupt their habitat. My brother's wife will not sell hay stacks until the geese have raised their young perched high in the bales. Folks that live close to the earth, respect the earth. They have a sense of reality that goes with their beliefs in enviornmentalism. Be aware of the uneducated feelings brought on by those who tug at our heart strings. Before making decisions about enviornmental issues, please research all sides of the issue.

Merry Christmas and may your tree continue to give happiness long after the Holidays are over!