Annual Christmas tree harvest brings volunteers together in San Juan Mountains
SAN JUAN NATIONAL FOREST, Colo. — The sound of a chainsaw echoed through the forest as a 15-foot white fir crashed to the ground.
On a Saturday in late November, the San Juan Mountains Association hosted a community Christmas tree harvest. More than 80 volunteers joined the organization’s staff to help cut down 420 white firs.
The San Juan Mountains Association, a nonprofit that promotes responsible recreation and stewardship on public lands, partners with the U.S. Forest Service for the annual harvest. The event serves as both a fundraiser for the group’s Christmas tree lot in Durango and a way to improve forest health.
White firs often grow in dense clusters and can act as fuel during wildfires. Fine-needled trees like firs are some of the most flammable, and dropped needles can be a fire risk.
Removing some of the trees helps reduce potential fire severity in the area.
At the Durango tree lot, SJMA sells both local white firs and commercial Christmas trees. Local trees cost $10 per foot and commercial trees are $12 per foot.
“All the trees we’re cutting today will probably have found homes within two weeks,” said Stephanie Weber, SJMA’s executive director. “This is such an exciting and fun way to bring the community together to kick off the holiday season.”
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