For the fifth consecutive year, the Colorado State Forest Service has teamed up with Northern Colorado Shares to provide more than 200 fresh-cut Christmas trees for families in Fort Collins, Loveland, Greeley, Fort Lupton, Frederick and other communities. All of the trees come from the Colorado State University Mountain Campus.
CSFS staff and volunteers harvested the young lodgepole pine trees from a 22-year-old burn scar on CSU’s Mountain Campus. Trees are only cut in designated locations and under specific guidelines to improve forest health.
The trees were obtained for Northern Colorado Shares‘ “Gift of a Green Christmas Tree,” which each year provides hundreds of free Christmas trees from the forest service and other organizations to brighten the holiday season for families, senior citizens and others with limited resources.
“This is the 13th year for the Gift of a Green Christmas Tree project, which not only brightens the holidays for families in need with a fresh-cut tree and all of the trimmings, but which has also created an annual volunteer opportunity for families wanting to get involved in their communities and spread the spirit and joy of giving,” said Kathie Robson, NOCOShares marketing director and treasurer.
NOCOShares President Ryan Behm started Gift of a Green Christmas Tree in 2003, delivering 23 trees that year. The charity now obtains most tree recipients’ names from United Way of Larimer County, House of Neighborly Service and similar organizations that support families in need.
Learn more about the CSFS Volunteer Program.
The Colorado State Forest Service provides technical forestry assistance, wildfire mitigation expertise and outreach and education to help landowners and communities achieve their forest management goals. The CSFS is a service and outreach agency of the Warner College of Natural Resources at Colorado State University and provides staffing for the Division of Forestry within the Colorado Department of Natural Resources.
