HOUMA, La. — With a little over two weeks until Christmas, Terrebonne Parish announced plans to continue its annual tree recycling program.
The 15-year-old initiative uses old Christmas trees to reduce marsh erosion near the Mandalay National Wildlife Refuge. The trees, placed into retention fences, act as a wave-break to keep marshes intact.
While piled within the fences, the trees can also filter the water and collect sediment, lending to land-building efforts, according to a parish news release.
“I have seen some of the older sites and the shoreline has been restored in these locations,” said Terrebonne Coastal Restoration Director Mart Black, noting that students from the University of Buffalo come down each year to help with the project and learn about coastal erosion.
The program will be held Jan. 6-10. To participate, residents can place their green Christmas trees in their normal garbage pickup area or leave them at a residential garbage drop-off site.
These are the drop off sites:
- • 263 Ashland Landfill Road, Houma.
- • 651 Isle of Cuba Road, Schriever.
- • 160 Crochetville Road, Montegut.
Flocked or decorated trees and tree stands can’t be used.
Terrebonne’s program corresponds with others in the region that collect the trees for organizations and agencies to use for coastal restoration projects.
They date back to 1989 when the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana partnered with St. Charles Parish for the first Christmas tree recycling program.
Currently, Lafourche Parish Government doesn’t plan to collect trees, though solid waste director Jerome Danos noted that they can host a program if they’re approached by someone with a need for the trees.
--Staff Writer Halle Parker can be reached at hparker@houmatoday.com or 857-2204. Follow her on Twitter, @_thehalparker.
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