Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful and Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District team up for Christmas Tree Recycling Program

Since 2003, more than 100,000 trees have been recycled through the Christmas Tree Recycling program.

Re-posted on behalf  of Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful

Reno, Nevada. Dec. 21, 2015. Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful, Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District, Washoe County, and Goat Grazers have teamed to help Washoe County residents recycle Christmas trees.

“This program offers a quick, easy and environmentally friendly solution to dispose of your holiday tree before it becomes a fire hazard.” Charles Moore, chief of Truckee Meadows Fire District, said in a release.

KTMB’s Christmas tree recycling program turns discarded trees into mulch for local parks, forestry projects and food for goats.

"Every year, more than 10,000 residents bring their trees to us, and we turn them into a resource for soil and fire erosion projects in our community," said Jaime Souza, operations manager for Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful.

This year KTMB is also partnering with Vince Thomas, captain with Truckee Meadows Fire and owner of Goat Grazers, to turn some of the recycled trees into treats for goats.

“The trees are like candy to the goats,” he said.

The program will start Dec. 26 at the usual three locations: Bartley Ranch Regional Park and Rancho San Rafael Regional Park in Reno, and Shadow Mountain Sports Complex in Sparks. Groups or individuals who are interested in volunteering at these three locations can sign up at www.ktmb.org/volunteer.

There also are new drop off locations this year at Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District stations:

• Station 18, Cold Springs: 3680 Diamond Peak Dr.
• Station 17, Spanish Springs: 500 Rockwell Blvd.
• Station 223, Lemmon Valley: 130 Nectar St.
• Station 221, Silver Knolls: 11525 Red Rock Rd.
• South Valley Volunteer Station 301, 345 Bellevue Rd.

All drop off locations will be open from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Dec. 26 to Jan. 10.

To recycle trees, residents need to remove all decorations, lights and stands. Flocked trees – trees decorated with fake snow – cannot be recycled.

"We rely on chippers from Washoe County, the city of Sparks and the Sierra and Truckee Meadows Fire Protection Districts, so we have to be really careful that the trees we take are clean of all ornaments, stands, even tinsel. The smallest foreign matter can break or jam the chippers," Souza said. "So if your tree didn't grow it, we can't take it."

A $5 donation to KTMB is asked to cover program costs, and every donation is matched dollar-for-dollar by the NV Energy Foundation. Residents can also pick up free mulch at Bartley Ranch and Rancho San Rafael parks when the program ends.

The program is open to residents only, and no commercial drop-offs will be accepted. Commercial tree lots are encouraged to contact RT Donovan (Sparks) or Full Circle Compost (Minden) for disposal of excess trees. Wreaths, garlands, tree clippings and other green or yard waste are also not accepted during this program. Residents can take green yard waste to RT Donovan for a cost.

The program is sponsored by NV Energy and is coordinated by KTMB in partnership with the cities of Reno and Sparks, Nevada Division of Forestry, Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District, and Washoe County.

Nature’s Bakery, Tahoe Trail Bar, and Tholl Fence provide support.

Contact: Jaime Souza, Operations Manager

jaime@ktmb.org or 775.851.5185