As the temperature drops, nights get longer, the weather becomes less forgiving, and we start spending less time outdoors. Wreaths, trees, and lights go up as we begin preparing for the holidays. Instead of spending all your time standing in line at the big box stores looking for your gifts and decorations, opt outside and get some fresh air by collecting your own Christmas tree from public land.
When it comes to a Christmas Tree there's nothing better than the real thing. Artificial trees don't produce that glorious evergreen aroma, much less oxygen. While there's some debate over which is more environmentally friendly, most artificial trees are made overseas from toxic, non-renewable plastics. Real trees grown in American soil stimulate domestic economies, and for every real tree that is cut, several more are planted. You can always get a live tree from one of our local nurseries and plant it later too.
One of my favorite public land opportunities is picking out a tree from re-prod and bringing it home. Make sure you're obtaining the proper permits and have permission, don't just drive out in the woods and start cutting.
In our neck of the woods, the Starker Forests Christmas tree program offers a generous contribution for charity, where everyone wins. For a minimum fee, they issue a permit for a particular area of trees in the stage of growth for thinning, as well as a proper size for a standard tree. The company matches your permit fee to a local charity of your choice. Starker Forests donates the permit fee as well, so that all proceeds will go towards charity. This program begins December 1st, but it has a quota and fills up quickly.
The Corvallis Siuslaw National Forest office offers permits to retrieve a tree from public land as well.
Benton County is also home to several Christmas Tree Farms where you can pick up a fresh-cut tree for your home.
Article by Randall Bonner. Photo: Jardine's Christmas Tree Farm, by Lainey Morse. Keep up with Corvallis news, events and happenings by signing up for our email newsletter.
