Recycled Christmas trees give Louisiana coastline a break

A Louisiana family chooses a Christmas tree

December 15, 2000
Web posted at: 3:22 PM EST (2022 GMT)

From Mary Pflum
CNN Correspondent

(CNN) -- The state of Louisiana loses 30 miles of coastline each year. A system of levies and canals that is designed to keep cities like New Orleans dry also keeps sediment from replenishing shrinking shorelines.

That's where the Christmas trees come in.

For more than a decade the branches of recycled Christmas trees have been providing happiness in more ways than one. In December, they are fragrant fixtures in living rooms, while in January they help save the troubled coastline.

INTERACTIVE Choosing a Christmas tree     QUICKVOTE What kind of Christmas tree do you prefer? A. natural B. artificial C. neither View Results     MESSAGE BOARD Environmental issues

"The Christmas tree project started 11 years ago. They break the wave action so they protect the wetlands. We also use them to fill in abandoned, dead-end oil and gas canals," said Marnie Winter of the Louisiana Department of Environmental Affairs.

Borrowing an idea from the erosion-prone Netherlands, Louisiana environmentalists came up with Project Christmas Tree.

Each January, officials collect the old trees during pickups organized by the county. The trees are then bundled by volunteers and taken to the wetlands via National Guard helicopters and barges donated by the oil industry.

All told, Louisiana's annual Christmas tree program has utilized more than a million Christmas trees in its 11-year history. Those trees have been used to construct a natural coastal fence that is now about seven miles in length.

"Seeing is believing. We're seeing very dramatic results," said Waters. "You can see in the canals where there was once open water. You can see trees growing. Lots of vegetation. Wildlife loves it. It's good habitat."

The recycled trees are used to create a natural coastal fence

The Louisiana program has earned accolades from President Bill Clinton and the Environmental Protection Agency. But many locals say a rebounding coastline is the only reward they seek for their tree donations.

"We get our tree for two reasons. One, it makes the house smell nice. And two, it helps the environment," said one Louisiana resident.

State officials say that 80,000 trees purchased on Louisiana tree lots this holiday season will end up in coastal wetlands.

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