News Release

Miles and Miles of Trees help Save the Coast

The Louisiana Department of Natural Resources announced today that the popular Christmas Tree Fence program will continue this holiday season.

This marks the 18th year that DNR has provided grants to coastal parishes allowing them to use recycled Christmas trees to help protect wetland areas by slowing wave action and erosion.

“This is a classic win-win project. Not only do we keep Christmas trees out of landfills, we put them to work protecting our valuable coastline,” DNR Secretary Scott Angelle said.

“This is also an excellent outreach program. It’s a way for families to actively participate in saving Louisiana’s wetlands,” Angelle said.

The participating parishes are Calcasieu, Iberia, Jefferson, Lafourche, Orleans, St. Charles, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany and Vermilion.

Southeastern Louisiana University is also participating with a project at its Turtle Cove Environmental Research Station. For more information about recycling trees in Tangipahoa Parish, call the research station at 985-549-5355.

In these coastal parishes, wooden fences have been built in shallow open-water areas to hold the discarded trees. Those tree-filled fences act as a barrier to wave action.

“We encourage people to check with their local recycling or sanitation department about Christmas tree pick up dates and locations. Trees must be free of all tinsel, flocking, ornaments or bases and cannot be in plastic bags,” said Keith Lovell, DNR Coastal Engineering Project Manager.

“In this season of giving, this project keeps giving for years and years, Lovell said.

For more information about the Christmas Tree program, contact, Lovell at 225-342-0202 and visit the website at www.dnr.louisiana.gov.

Local community newspapers provide further recycling/waste instructions throughout the holiday season. Citizens can call the following parish offices for questions and schedules:

Learn more history and facts about the DNR Christmas Tree Program
Volunteers can sign up with Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program