St. Charles Parish has begun collecting discarded Christmas trees for coastal restoration. Residents can place their trees curbside from Jan.13-17 for pick up, or they can bring their Christmas trees to the Ormond sandbag location next to 1901 Ormond Blvd in Destrehan or the West Bank Bridge Park in Luling through Jan. 16, according to a press release from the parish.
Christmas trees collected for recycling must meet the following criteria: no artificial trees, no painted trees, no flocked trees, no ornaments, no stands, no lights, and no bags.
Francesca Blanchard, a spokesperson for the parish, said a contractor will put the trees into established pens in the marsh after drop-off and curbside collection are complete.
According to the state’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, Louisiana is experiencing a land loss crisis that has claimed nearly 2,000 square miles of land since the 1930s. Without action to preserve the marshes and swamps, which help to reduce storm surges and the impacts of flooding, the state could lose another 3,000 square miles over the next 50 years, according to the CPRA.
Recycled Christmas trees placed in wetlands will create a new wildlife habitat and help slow erosion, according to the Stormwater Report.
