While live Christmas trees make for excellent firewood following the holiday season, there’s one special place they can go in order to give back to the habitat.
Now until January 15, officials with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources will be heavily engaged in their “Christmas for the Fishes” recycling program — in which they will be accepting evergreens, already stripped of their decorations, at 29 drop-off locations across the Commonwealth.
From there, the trees will be anchored with environmentally-friendly weights, submerged at various depths in different lakes and reservoirs, and carefully observed as safe locations for fish to feed, shelter and spawn.
Joseph Zimmerman, KFW federal aid coordinator, noted these are large fish attractions — and a favorite for the state’s anglers.
He also notes that many different types of evergreens come to their doorsteps.
Nick Keeton, KFW foreman, said the state’s top fish thrive through environments such as these, because the trees and logs help restore the woody, underwater structures that decay over time.
It’s because of this decay, he added, that makes the annual push for donations necessary.
For the News Edge listening area, the closest drop-off location is the Western District Fisheries Office, which can be found at 30 Scenic Acres Drive in Murray. One can contact Adam Martin by phone at (270) 753-3886.
As for key tree fishing locations, west Kentucky has a handful of options to choose from — all of which can be found through fw.ky.gov and through GPS locators.
Wildcat Creek Campground, Demumbers Bay, Eddyville Ferry Landing, Taylor Bay, Energy Lake, Devil’s Elbow and Fords Bay all have common areas where these trees are annually dumped.
